Are the Denver Broncos for real?

Are the Denver Broncos for real? I have heard that question a million times this season. The answer depends on what this question really means. Are the Denver Broncos really Super Bowl contenders? Are the Denver Broncos playoff contenders? Are the Denver Broncos really not as bad as the mainstream media thought they would be?

Let me answer the question about being Super Bowl contenders first. The answer is probably not. The reality is they could get hot like the Arizona Cardinals last year and find themselves in the Super Bowl. It is more likely that Denver lacks an explosive enough offense to make it to the Super Bowl. However, it may become more explosive as the season progresses.Are the Denver Broncos really not as bad as the mainstream media thought they would be? The answer to this question is they are way better than the media thought they would be. There are two reasons for this improvement and both reasons are based off logic and knowledge of football fundamentals. The first reason is that Kyle Orton is not that bad of a quarterback or that good of a quarterback. He doesn't make any mistakes and allows his teammates to be the play makers. The passing scheme is that of the New England Patriots and we have decided to keep the Denver Broncos zone blocking running scheme. Mistake free offensive execution will help any team win a few games.

The second reason the Broncos are better than expected is the play of their defense. Last year's defense was awful. It lost us game after game and was rated the 30th defense in the entire league. So what has changed that has made this a good defense? The first thing is the actual players on this defense have changed. Nine of the eleven starters are completely new, and all of them signed via free agency. The age of these new defensive starters signed are between their late twenties and mid thirties. Their age means they are experienced and professional. The second major defensive change is the new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Most people who recognize the name may think of him as the head coach of the 49 ers prior to the reign of Mike Singletary. This may be true but I prefer to remember his as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens team that won the Super Bowl in the early 2000's. I think Nolan's reputation as defensive coordinator stands for itself.

Are the Broncos playoff contenders? You bet your ass they are playoff contenders. The reason being is because the Chargers, Raiders and Chiefs are a mess. I am not going to go over reason why the Chiefs and Raiders are a mess, if you don't know why you will never know football. The Chargers defense looks porous at best. Denver should be able to run the ball against them. If the Chargers were able to stack the line to stop the run, I am confident enough in our defense and offense to make the plays to win that game.

Are the Denver Broncos for real? No. They aren't as bad as people thought they would be and will probably go to the playoffs. They are as real as any other playoff contender out there. When its all said and done the "real" teams are the two that play in the Super Bowl in February. If you know with 100% certainty who those two teams are please meet me in Vegas ASAP!