Oddsmakers have been consistent about which two teams they think will appear in Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014. The San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos will duke it out for the 2013 NFL season's championship in New York this winter, if Vegas has it right. The 49ers are the current favorites, with 6/1 odds to win it all, while the Broncos are second, with 7/1 odds to win their third Super Bowl in franchise history.
The one reason the Broncos are so heavily favored in the west and favored to get to the super bowl is two words: Peyton Manning. While the team has plenty of talent throughout the roster, it is having the four-time MVP under center that makes it all work at such a high level. Manning ultimately silenced all of his doubters, finishing with 4,659 yards, 37 touchdowns and just 11 picks. His completion percentage of 68.6 was second-best in his entire career, while his 8.0 YPA ranked as the third-highest figure he's ever achieved in a year.
Denver hasn't rested on their laurels either. Haunting memories of their bitter defeat in the playoffs against Baltimore remain fresh and the front office has stayed busy trying to fix the issues that led to it.
They signed star slot receiver Wes Welker away from New England, guard Louis Vasquez, corner Quentin Jammer and linebacker Shaun Phillips from San Diego, and drafted defensive tackle Sylvester Williams and running back Montee Ball. Amazingly their roster seems even stronger than the 13-3 unit that stormed through the season a year ago.
A bizarre, fax-related incident in March prompted stud pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil to be released. Denver was absolutely lethal in terms of getting to the quarterback with its Doom and Gloom duo, but now only the latter in that group remains. Von Miller is one of the top defenders in the NFL. He registered 18.5 sacks in his second season after collecting 11.5 as a rookie. He also happens to be stout against the run and decent in coverage. Opposing coordinators will be able to focus on him, however, with Dumervil gone - unless, of course, the newly signed Shaun Phillips pans out.
Denver did manage to upgrade the interior of its defensive front by selecting Sylvester Williams out of North Carolina. Williams had six sacks as a senior. And then, of course, there's Champ Bailey. A sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, Bailey had an outstanding 2012 campaign but inexplicably dropped off in the playoff loss to Baltimore. He was torched relentlessly, surrendering five catches for 128 yards and two long touchdowns to Torrey Smith. It'll be interesting to see if other teams expose Bailey similarly.
The Broncos have five games against teams that qualified for the playoffs last year, opening up in a rematch against the Ravens. Battling the Giants will be difficult the following week, but Denver then gets to beat up on the Raiders, Eagles, Cowboys and Jaguars. The Broncos also have an easy stretch at the end where four of their final five opponents are Kansas City, Tennessee, San Diego and Oakland.
There is no question it is Super Bowl or bust for Denver. To lose the division would be unthinkable, though never impossible.
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