NFL Predictions: 5 Reasons Denver Broncos Will Win AFC West This Season
The Denver Broncos have won the AFC West the last four consecutive years. It's been complete division dominance in the Peyton Manning era. Even Tim Tebow was able to lead the Broncos to an AFC West crown back in 2011. Don't expect the Broncos to get any worse this season.
Here are five reasons why the Broncos will win the AFC West this season.
1. Peyton Manning
The Broncos have a huge advantage at the quarterback position in the AFC West. Peyton Manning is still one of the best quarterbacks in the game today. Despite many people saying "Manning is getting old," he threw 39 touchdowns last season, the second most in the NFL. Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs, Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers and Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders just can't compare. Even with a new head coach coming in, Manning sill still be running the show towards another division title. Manning hasn't won less than 10 games in a season since 2001, not including 2011, when he didn't play, of course.
2. Division Dominance
The Broncos have won this division four consecutive years for a reason. The biggest reason is because they've dominated their division opponents. In the last three years the Broncos are an incredible 17-1 against AFC West teams. That speaks for itself. In that time span they are 6-0 against the Raiders, 6-0 against the Chiefs, and 5-1 against the Chargers. As long as the Broncos keep winning divisional games, they will be just fine.
3. Who Else?
Every time it looks like the Broncos are struggling, another AFC West team has a chance to emerge. And every time they have that chance, they fail. The Chiefs have had numerous opportunities to dethrone the Broncos on national television, but haven't been able to beat them when it matters. The Raiders haven't had a winning record in more than 10 years, and the Chargers have a lot of problems heading into this season. Antonio Gates is out four games, and the Chargers running game isn't showing much promise.
4. Defense
You could very well make the case that the Broncos have the most underrated defense in the league. Last season they ranked third in total yards allowed, ninth in pass defense, and second in rushing yards allowed. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware create a great defensive combination for tallying up sacks, and Aqib Talib has fit the system perfectly. This defense is more than good enough to win the AFC and get back to the Super Bowl. Health will be the determining factor on just how far the Broncos go this season.
5. Balance
One of the reasons the Broncos have been so successful is because they are so balanced. They have a Hall of Fame quarterback throwing the ball, a great defense that gets a lot of sacks, elite wide receivers, and an underrated young running back. C.J. Anderson played fantastic last season after Ronnie Hillman went down with an injury. Anderson ran for 849 yards and eight touchdowns last season with a 4.7 yard per carry average. This Broncos team doesn't have a glaring weakness unlike the Chiefs, Chargers or Raiders.
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