AFC WEST BRONCOS 2014 STRENGTHS: • High-scoring offense, outstanding kicker and improved secondary Broncos Offense Peyton Manning just completed a six-yard pass on the right sideline. Quick. Guess who caught it. DeMaryius Thomas? Good place to start. Caught 92 for 1430 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nope, on to the next play. Manning, bubble route on left, gets a five-yard completion run out of bounds. Guess who? Nope, Knowshon Moreno and Eric Decker aren’t in Denver anymore. Those 133 receptions will now be going to rookie Cody Latimer and running back replacements Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman. Next pass, 10-completion upfield to who? If it was the little guy, it was Wes Welker, good for 87 catches, 1288 yards and 11 TDs in 2013. If he was a big guy, that’s Julius Thomas, 65-788-12. Just like a machine, Manning marches down the field; using his receivers as interchangeable parts. Although Denver ran the ball only 41 percent of the time, they keep them just as involved as his receivers, either as pass catchers or other 2014 WEAKNESSES: • Untested running backs, defensive depth and unknown special teams game. DENVER devices. The average Bronco pass netted 7.8 yards per play in 2013, while the average run was 4.1. Manning only had 10 interceptions in 2013, though his teammates fumbled away a league-worst 16 on-theground turnovers. The Denver offensive line, according to Football Outsiders, protected Manning better than any other team, while also ranking eighth as a run-block offense. That’s why left tackle Ryan Clady and right guard Louis Vasquez have been to Pro Bowls in the past, and also why left guard Orlando Franklin and center Manny Ramirez deserve to go in the future. It’s why the Bronco front five is one of the most synergetic around, with the nucleus playing so many games together as Broncos: EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES SPORT Clady, 85; right tackle Chris Clark, 62; Franklin, 53; Ramirez, 39; Vasquez, 19. Offensive Player to Watch Pro Football Focus runs a plethora of stats on every player that truly gives you a picture of every NFL player and no set of league-leading stats describe Manning better than these: He led NFL on second-down grades (+18.1) and was third on third down (+13.0); led NFL on passes thrown in 1-to-10-yard range and also in 11-to-20-yard in air range (+12.1); led NFL on passes lasting two seconds or less (+11.3) as well as passes in 3.1 to 3.5 range; led NFL in clean pocket passes (+39.2); led NFL on go routes (+17.6) and out routes (+13.0). Quick and precise. Even at 38. Still coming through on second and third downs to move the chains. On the go, or on outs. As efficient as ever. That’s Manning. Peyton Manning
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