Record: 13-3 (1st Place in AFC West)
Playoffs: Lost Super Bowl XLVIII
Head Coach: John Fox
Notable Assistant Coaches: Mike McCoy (Offensive Coordinator), Jack Del Rio (Defensive Coordinator), Greg Knapp (Quarterbacks), David Magazu (Offensive Line)
Regular Season Overview
Record Breaking. Those are the two words that sum up the Denver Broncos regular season campaign. Led by quarterback Peyton Manning, the Broncos offense was first in the NFL in points per game, yards per game, and passing yards per game. Manning broke records by himself in passing yards with 5,477 and touchdown passes with 55. The team also set a record for most points scored in a regular season with 606 total points.
The Broncos had high expectations and they met and exceeded those expectations in the regular season. They busted out of the gate with six straight wins against teams such as the Cowboys, Eagles, Raiders, and the reigning Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens on opening night.
Their first loss came from a very emotional night for Peyton Manning when he returned to Indianapolis to take on his former team, the Colts in Week 7. Loss number two came four weeks later against the New England Patriots where the Broncos were up huge at halftime and Tom Brady led a historic comeback in the second half to lead the Patriots to a win in overtime. The Broncos third loss came at home in Week 15 where the San Diego Chargers controlled the time of possession and kept Manning and the offense off the field for as long as possible.
Besides those three losses, the Broncos average margin of winning was by 17.2 points. That and the records that were broken show how powerful this team was offensively. They were the clear favorite to go to the Super Bowl before the season started and entering the playoffs it remained the same way.
Biggest Win
The biggest win for this team came in the playoffs in the Conference Championship game. The Broncos defeated the New England Patriots in Denver, 26-16, to advance to the Super Bowl.
It was a long road getting to that point after a devastating loss to the Ravens the year before in the Divisional Round.
The Broncos and Peyton Manning were able to overcome Tom Brady one last time after having an embarrassing loss in Week 12 against them.
The win came just a little easier for the Broncos after Patriots best cornerback Aqib Talib left the game with an injury early in the game. Manning threw for 400 yards and Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball combined for over 100 yards rushing.
Toughest Lost
Unfortunately the toughest loss for the Broncos came two weeks later from their Conference Championship win and lost Super Bowl XLVIII to the Seattle Seahawks.
It was a disaster from the opening play for the Broncos that resulted in a snap that went over the unexpected Manning and into the end zone where the ball was recovered by Moreno for a safety. After that the momentum remained with the Seahawks for the rest of the game.
The Seahawks suffocated the line of scrimmage and did not let the Broncos run the ball at all. Knowshown Moreno led the team with a total of 17 rush yards. The other aspect that killed the Broncos was the four turnovers forced by the Seahawks.
Two interceptions were thrown by Manning and two fumbles were lost on offense. Momentum could just never build up for the Broncos and it seemed like the defense just couldn’t make a tackle and allowed the Seahawks to post 43 points in their Super Bowl rout.
Offensive MVP
There is no question as to who the offensive MVP goes to and that is Peyton Manning. Not only is he the offensive MVP of this team but he was awarded the MVP of the entire league for a record setting fifth time.
Like I stated earlier, Manning broke all kinds of passing record this season. He achieved the single greatest performance by a quarterback in NFL history and rightly deserves to be named MVP of his team and the league. Manning’s game of the year came in Week 1 against the Ravens where he threw over 450 yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensive MVP
The defensive MVP goes to the 11 year linebacker vet, Shaun Phillips. He was brought in from San Diego on a one year deal and he performed greatly. He filled in for the suspended Von Miller for the first six weeks and then filled in again when he went down with injury for the last game of the season and the playoffs.
Phillips recorded 10 sacks with two forced fumbles and one interception in 2013. His best performance came Week 11 where he racked up 10 tackled and 1.5 sacks against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Most Disappointing Player
It is difficult to name a most disappointing player on a team that was so good all season. Everyone performed as well as they needed on offense but the defensive side of the ball was weak all around.
The most disappointing player would have to be rookie defensive tackle Sylvester Williams. He was the first pick for the Broncos in the 2013 NFL Draft and he didn’t perform like a first round pick. He only played in 13 games and recorded 19 tackles with two sacks. A player with his size and strength should’ve been able to have a greater impact on defense.
Best Rookie
The best rookie for the Denver Broncos was running back Montee Ball. He struggled early in the season and fumbled twice in the first three games. This pretty much took the ball out of his hands and gave Moreno the full time position. It took a while for the coaching staff to put their trust back into Ball but when they did, he showed that he can compete with the best. Ball’s best performance came in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs where he rushed for 117 yards on 13 attempts.
Statistical Leaders
Quarterback: Peyton Manning – 5,477 pass yards, 68.3 completion percentage, 55 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
Running Back: Knowshon Moreno – 1,038 rush yards, 60 receptions, 548 receiving yards, 13 total touchdowns
Running Back: Montee Ball – 559 rush yards, 20 receptions, 145 receiving yards, four touchdowns
Wide Receiver: Demaryius Thomas - 92 receptions, 1,430 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns
Wide Receiver: Eric Decker - 87 receptions, 1,288 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns
Wide Receiver: Wes Welker - 73 receptions, 778 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns
Tight End: Julius Thomas - 65 receptions, 788 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns
Tackles: Danny Trevathan – 128
Sacks: Shaun Phillips – 10
Interceptions: Danny Trevathan, Chris Harris, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – 3