Denver’s D Sets the Tone

[Denver Native (Carol)]

So … a different format this year. After many of you over the years suggested we wait until the last game (or games, in the case of the opening weekend) of the weekend be played before ranking the best teams, we at The MMQB agreed. This season we’re breaking out the Fine Fifteen section from the “Monday Morning Quarterback” column and running it on Tuesdays. Send us your thoughts about it to talkback@themmqb.com.

For Week One: I thought by process of elimination that I’d have the Super Bowl champion Patriots at number one, because there truly wasn’t a premier team through the seven early games on Sunday. New England played well enough in the opener—despite allowing 464 yards to the Steelers—to stake its claim to be king of the hill, but the Denver defense was just too good, the best by far in the league through one week. And so the go-get-’em scheme of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, along with a few very talented pass-rushers, catapults Denver to the top.

Here’s a shot at ranking the top teams after six percent of the season:

1. Denver (1-0). Just as Peyton Manning (40 passes, zero touchdowns, and when on God’s green earth can you ever say that about Manning?) had one of his most ineffective games as an NFL passer, the Broncos completely shut down Joe Flacco (117 passing yards, 0 TDs, two INTs). Can you imagine if, after throwing 125 touchdown passes his first three seasons in Denver, Manning becomes a complementary player and not the dominant one on his team? He just might be, as long as DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller hit the quarterback eight times, as they did against Flacco on Sunday.

rest - http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/09/15/nfl-week-1-rankings-top-15-denver-broncos

[Davii]

The D was awesome, but I certainly don't feel we're the best team in the league at this point. Best D? So far, sure, but but the best team? Had we played the Pats and Manning had that game would we have won?

[Denver Native (Carol)]

The D was awesome, but I certainly don't feel we're the best team in the league at this point. Best D? So far, sure, but but the best team? Had we played the Pats and Manning had that game would we have won?

As the article says, the Pats allowed 464 yards to the Steelers, so who knows. IMO, the Pats did not win that game. The Steelers lost that game.

[Cugel]

I'd say that Manning and Kubiak will have to make some serious adjustments to the offense, and the OL is going to have to gel before we can take on a team like the Patriots, especially on the road in January.

But, if the D can stay healthy, it could definitely happen. Remember the New York Giants stuffing the 18-0 Patriots, possibly the most talented team ever assembled? And then 4 years later doing it again to the 16-2 Patriots in the SB? The Giants that year were 9-7!

And the last 2 seasons the Seahawks basically won the SB by being a dominant defense that was more physical than their opponents - although Pete Carroll threw away the last SB due to the most monumental brain fart in SB history - or this Seahawks team would be playing to 3-peat right now.

So, the formula for success is definitely there. The Broncos just have to keep the defense healthy for the playoffs, and get the offense reasonably on track. Peyton doesn't have to be great. He just has to be reasonably effective when they need a pass play.

[CrazyHorse]

They say :defense: wins championships. If Peyton won with this team because of that people would say he was carried even though Terry Bradshaw and Tom Brady were too.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

The D was awesome, but I certainly don't feel we're the best team in the league at this point. Best D? So far, sure, but but the best team? Had we played the Pats and Manning had that game would we have won?

Davii, I think the Ravens are better than the Pats this year.

[BroncoWave]

The D was awesome, but I certainly don't feel we're the best team in the league at this point. Best D? So far, sure, but but the best team? Had we played the Pats and Manning had that game would we have won?

Agree. No way we are the best team in football right now, IMO. Now if Manning is simply getting used to the new system instead of getting old and he comes out of this funk then yes, we are the best team in the league. But for now, highly debatable. If either one of our spectacular interceptions this week don't go our way, we're currently 0-1.

Having said all of this, if we can go into Arrowhead on a short week and put up a good performance and win, I'll feel much better about potentially calling us the best team.

[BroncoJoe]

Chiefs are favored by 3 I think.

[BroncoWave]

Chiefs are favored by 3 I think.

I wonder if this is the first time since signing Peyton that we have been an underdog in a divisional game.

[TXBRONC]

The D was awesome, but I certainly don't feel we're the best team in the league at this point. Best D? So far, sure, but but the best team? Had we played the Pats and Manning had that game would we have won?

In Denver? Yah, sure, you betcha. :D

Seriously played in Denver we would have had a chance. In New England not so much.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

from article posted:


but the Denver defense was just too good, the best by far in the league through one week.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/09/15/n...denver-broncos

Unless I missed it, the article did not say Denver was the best team in football so far - but that the Denver defense is the best by far in the league through one week.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Chiefs are favored by 3 I think.

3 is mostly given to the home team.

[NightTerror218]

Baltimore is a top 10 defense if not a top 5. What do you expect Manning to own every team he plays against? Is that was the case we would have had 3 SB wins with him.

[BroncoWave]

Baltimore is a top 10 defense if not a top 5. What do you expect Manning to own every team he plays against? Is that was the case we would have had 3 SB wins with him.

Has nothing to do with him not owning them. Has to do with him missing open WRs all day, even on the rare occasions when he did have time to throw. He has masked poor o-line play his whole career. Doesn't look as capable of doing it anymore.

[NightTerror218]

Has nothing to do with him not owning them. Has to do with him missing open WRs all day, even on the rare occasions when he did have time to throw. He has masked poor o-line play his whole career. Doesn't look as capable of doing it anymore.

How many open WR did he miss, 3-4 in 40 passes? Pass rush making him hurry? I did not get the game I honestly do not know. I only read in game day thread.

[silkamilkamonico]

If this defense plays the majority of the year, and more importantly the playoffs, the way they did against Baltimore, and Peyton does not win a SuperBowl with this team, Denver needs to move on without him. If he can't win with this defense he isn't winning another win, period.