The Denver Defense

The Panthers convincing playoff victories are fresh in everyone's minds. They are currently favored by 6 in Vegas and soon Cam Newton will win MVP. I'm here for the 2nd time in 3 years to tell you, the Defense is being overlooked.

It was only two years ago that Peyton dragged a decimated Denver Defense into the Super Bowl only to be blown out by a Seahawks Defense that everyone knew was "really good" but didn't know the extent until the actual game. It's happening again only this time Peyton is being dragged by a Defense that everyone knows is "really good'. Why will the Denver Defense became great on Sunday?

#1 - 100-tackle men MLB Brandon Marshall and MLB Danny Trevathan are having their career years in the middle of this Denver Defense. They are smart, quick and powerful against the run and work well together. Their relentlessness combines with the unexpectedly elite level of play from D-Linemen Derrick Wolfe and Malick Jackson. Wolfe and Jackson have been consistently bad match-ups for interior O-linemen- both have quick first steps, yet they are powerful enough to hold the middle. The offensive line can take no liberty, they must scheme and account for these four in the middle. Thus, they have less resources to devote to problem #2…

#2 - Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. When you have elite talent on the field, it will shine through. Miller is becoming a superstar as we speak while Ware has been one of the best players in the NFL for a full decade. The Broncos move both around to find the best match-ups, usually on opposite ends of the formation. You've seen enough highlights to know what these guys can do in a 1-on-1 situation. However, if an offense devotes double teams to both Miller and Ware, then 2 key blockers are taken from the ongoing battle with Marshall, Trevathan, Wolfe and the muddy middle. This is not an easy puzzle to solve, this is why Denver's been so good on defense this year.

But there's more. We've seen excellent front 7's with match-up nightmeares before- they don't all win the Super Bowl. Why not? Even all-time great front 7's can be overcome through the air - yes, you're facing a tough pash rush, but a good QB (such as the reigning MVP Cam Newton can claim to be) could make quick enough decisions to hit his playmakers in space. The key to Denver's truly dominant defense, is that there's elite defensive talent within that space as well...

#3 - CB Aqib Talib, CB Chris Harris Jr and CB Brandon Roby. The Denver Broncos have 3 of the top corners in the league.  They have allowed next to nothing to opposing WRs this season. It has been so utterly hopeless that teams have all but sacrificed their WRs as options (as the Patriots chose to target RB James White 18 times to Amendola & Edelman's 11 total targets)

#4 - S T.J Ward. Another key piece to the Denver puzzle - the frentic play of S T.J Ward. He's the rapid fire support that comes in on the run and flys out into pass protection. In this modern day passing world of the NFL, the Safety has become more and more important. T.J Ward is having a great year, the Broncos have elite pass-rushers, elite run-stoppers, elite corners- all of whom don't need help from T.J Ward. Ward is free to do what he does best, find the ball and make things happen.

#5 - Wade Phillips. It's been a long and befuddling road for Wade Phillips who has is most remembered for his blank expressions during his Buffalo and Dallas head coaching tenures. But he's still a top shelf Defensive Coordinator. He doesn't have a fancy scheme that he forces on his players, Phillips is taking this personnel and maximizing it.

-miles.