Enough about Tim Tebow. Let’s talk about the Denver Broncos as a legitimate contender in the AFC playoff picture.
Less than a month ago, this team appeared to be heading toward the top of the NFL Draft order, following a ghastly performance on Oct. 30 against the Detroit Lions, but the Broncos have revived miraculously in November with four straight come-from-behind wins.
Now, following Sunday’s thrilling 16-13 overtime victory in San Diego, the Broncos are a force to be reckoned with this December, boasting the NFL’s top rushing offense and one of the league’s best pass rushes.
It’s hard to ignore the oft-criticized Tebow entirely considering he is 5-1 in six starts this season and continues to defy critics every week; however the Broncos revival has been a team effort, and much kudos goes to the coaching staff for how they’ve forged a contender in such a short period of time.
The franchise has never endured a stretch quite like this before. Not even John Elway beat the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers all on the road and nonetheless all in the same month.
What that accomplishment means is ambiguous with five games to play in this season. It could signify a stretch that helped catapult the Broncos into the playoffs, or it could mark the teams high point in what turns out to be a turbulent 2011-2012 season.
Either way, this was a November to remember for any Broncos fan.
Denver found redemption against its divisional rivals Oakland and San Diego, halting four-game losing skids to each team, while silencing a boisterous Jets team that has been to the previous two AFC championship games.
Since Tebow has become the starting quarterback, the team has done one thing on a consistent basis: win. In his five victories as a starter, the team has compiled two overtime wins, three fourth-quarter comebacks and five second-half comebacks. That’s unprecedented, to say the least.
Even more extraordinary is the team’s ability to finally shake off San Diego’s domination, shrinking the Chargers to a dismal 4-7 on the year and figuring out how to beat quarterback Phillip Rivers, who has tormented the Broncos since 2006.
Sunday’s win marks the first win against San Diego for 33 players on the Broncos active roster. If that doesn’t say something about the magnitude of the defeat, then I don’t know what does.
The Broncos defense deserves a lot of credit in the franchise’s November revival. The unit is playing its best since the 2005 season, when the team advanced to the AFC championship game.
Besides a Dec. 18 matchup against New England, the Broncos don’t face a top 10 offense again this season.
Although the team has a favorable December schedule, it can’t look too far ahead to the postseason. The Broncos are currently a game back of Oakland for the AFC West division lead and are also a game back of Cincinnati for the conference’s final wild card spot.
In addition to getting help from around the league, Denver needs to take care of business in December, which has proven to be a difficult task in the past.
In 2006, the team spoiled a playoff opportunity by losing on the last night of the season. In 2008, they made history by blowing a three-game division lead with three games to play, botching another easy playoff berth. And in 2009, the Broncos went from 6-0, first place in the AFC at the time, to 8-8, triggering a downfall that led to the team’s worst season in franchise history.
While the past signals fans to be cautious, it’s important to remember that this is a different Denver club than we’ve seen in the past. This is a Broncos team that knows how to survive even in the direst of situations.
In November, the team showed how resilient it can be. If it can show the same toughness in final month of the season, then the Broncos will extend their season into January for the first time in five seasons.
