Your ears might lie to you about the Broncos, but Peyton Manning’s eyes won’t.
Expectations have not had this much helium in Broncos Country since 2015, Manning’s last season. Unless you were not born or living off the grid, you know how that season ended. Sometime in the next few years, what seemed unthinkable for so many lost Sundays will happen. The Broncos will win a postseason game for the first time in a decade.
Manning believes it could be this season.
“Look, I can tell from watching practice one day and sort of keeping up, belief and confidence are high in the building. And that’s what you want, right? Where we are not hoping we are a good team, but knowing we are a good team. That you believe it,” Manning told The Denver Post. “Now, you have to go do it. But the belief is there.”
Manning is not your typical former Broncos quarterback. He lives in Colorado, attends Broncos games, pops by team headquarters and even records messages for the stadium jumbotron. He is a Hall of Famer and a member of Broncos Country.
Just like you, he pays attention. He has to for his ManningCast with brother Eli. But, if you were not aware, he loves football.
So his opinion carries weight. And when he talks about the Broncos as legitimate, it should not be dismissed.
And then, there’s this: He understands what winning looks like.
In 17 years as a starter, he posted a losing record twice — in his 1998 rookie season and 2001. He finished his career with 13 straight winning seasons, averaging a 12-4 record. It included four consecutive AFC West titles, two Super Bowl appearances and one championship with the Denver.
The next step for the Broncos, as Manning sees it, is obvious. They must prove they can beat good teams and beat them on the road. For all of the hype around Denver, Manning inadvertently identified a statistic that creates concern. Camouflaged by their 2024 success, the Broncos went 2-7 against opponents who finished the season with a winning record. The lone road victory came at Tampa Bay in Week 3.
The immediate hurdle is the AFC West. The Chiefs have won nine straight titles. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes boasts a 35-5 career record against the Broncos, Raiders and Chargers.
“The AFC West and AFC North are the toughest divisions. Man, the West is tough. The Chiefs are the Chiefs with Mahomes and (coach) Andy Reid,” said Manning, the last Broncos quarterback to win at Kansas City. “And Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers and Pete Carroll going to the Raiders and the signing of (quarterback) Geno Smith, the West only got tougher. Nobody is going to hand anything to (the Broncos).”
And yet, this training camp, this season, feels different. Tight end Adam Trautman called Wednesday’s practice the best in coach Sean Payton’s three years in Denver, citing the competitive spirit. It conjured memories of Manning’s glorious four-year run with the Broncos, where he challenged the No Fly Zone without flinching or worrying about the secondary’s trash-talking.
The 2015 team had a star quarterback, even if Manning was limited to nine games because of a foot injury, as well as a proven coach and a fang-bearing defense.
Sound a little familiar?
“That’s the thing, there is a reason to be excited. When you look at this team with Bo (Nix), the pieces they have added, and with all of us expecting Sean to be around for a long time, they have every reason to believe it can result in a lot of wins,” Manning said. “But they have to stay healthy.”
Again, Manning follows closely. The Broncos addressed deficiencies with upgrades, but all four players — inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, tight end Evan Engram and running back J.K. Dobbins — have long injury histories. The Broncos are already taking a cautious approach with Greenlaw after his quad tightened during a coverage drill Thursday against Dobbins.
But there is no denying the Broncos are better. The defense posted 63 sacks last season and looks more versatile in the secondary and deeper upfront.
“That defense is going to do their part, and constantly get the ball back to Bo. The offense will know they don’t have to score 40 points to win,” Manning said. “It really helps. It’s not going to be all on the offense.”
For the first eight years after Manning’s retirement, fans were apoplectic as the Broncos missed the playoffs. It got so bad, folks seemed content if the Broncos could compete and occasionally score more than 20 points. Now, anything short of a return to the postseason with be trumpeted as a failure.
Manning wasn’t making predictions. But he likes these Broncos and is confident Denver is a legitimate contender.
“With Bo going to the playoffs in his first year as a starter, and this team around him,” Manning said. “It gives you a lot of confidence.”
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