Right there on the field at Levi’s Stadium, as the Broncos soaked in their Super Bowl win over the Panthers, Olivia Manning said what everyone else in the family was holding back. She told reporters she wanted her son, Peyton Manning, to retire. And when asked why, she kept it real – he was on top, had just won the Super Bowl, and to her, it just wasn’t worth pushing his body any further. That moment, in her eyes, was the perfect ending. Manning took a month to think, and he hung up his cleats on March 7, 2016. Since then, the team has been quietly struggling, right? Uh….perhaps the fall started much earlier.
We all remember 2014. It was a weird year, but if you ask Broncos fans or the hosts of The Dover and Cecil Show on 104.3 The Fan, that’s where it started to fall apart, “That’s the game where Adam Gase forgot to run the ball,” Josh Dover recalled, “And that’s where Peyton Manning got the hell beat out of him by the Rams,” He continued, “I don’t think Peyton was the same, 2015, he certainly wasn’t the same, But like, that game against the Rams, I think changed everything,” That loss didn’t just bruise Peyton Manning, it sent shockwaves through the organization.
That one moment marked the beginning of a painful offensive decline that lasted nearly a decade. They were in despair until Sean Payton showed up in 2023. Armed with authority, vision, and zero tolerance for excuses, he dismantled their worries. He handpicked Bo Nix in 2024 and made it clear that this offense was going to be built in his image.
Credits: Imagn
Payton’s playbook was less about flair and more about fit. He installed a rhythm-based, timing-first offense that matched Nix’s strengths. Behind the scenes, Payton rebuilt protections and made sure this offense didn’t just look smart on paper. But actually performed with discipline and urgency when the pocket collapsed.
That structure paid off. Bo Nix ended the 2024 season with 3,775 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and a 66.3% completion rate, setting rookie franchise records in completions and yardage. He did this while managing a fractured back (lumbar spine). Denver hadn’t seen this stability since Peyton Manning’s peak. And Payton’s fingerprints were on every part of it.
Now the conversation shifts from fixing the offense to competing at the top, There’s a different energy around Denver, one not built on hype but on substance, Dover put it bluntly, “The Broncos defense is best in the league, like number one in the league, How can their offense be better than number one.”
Then he answered his own question, “If this offense is as good as the Broncos defense, they’re going to beat the Eagles, they’re going to beat and sweep Kansas City, They’ll win a game at SoFi,” That’s more than bold talk. It’s confidence rooted in the way this team now plays and prepares. For the first time in years, Denver is operating with a plan instead of hope.
Peyton Manning’s former team will lead to the Super Bowl?
This year, they want to go for the trophy. Cecil Lammey didn’t hesitate to raise the stakes either: “If they’re in the conversation of being around a top five offense, we are talking Super Bowl in this town.” It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. They can end the SB drought after Peyton Manning retired in 2016.
In 2023, the teams that averaged over 30 points per game were Baltimore, Buffalo, and Detroit. Each one reached the postseason and looked like a legitimate contender. “Not even Cincinnati,” Dover added, “Cincinnati was actually down at seventh at 27.84, Buffalo, Baltimore, Detroit, all what, Super Bowl.” This is the model Denver is chasing: elite scoring paired with suffocating defense.
Balance matters, and Sean Payton knows how to build it. “Philly last year, they did win the Super Bowl,” Lammey added, “They had the seventh-best offense and the second-best defense.” If Denver lands in that range, even top seven on one side and top five on the other, they become a nightmare matchup for anyone in the AFC.
When talking about the Broncos’ biggest flaw in 2024, it’s not the defense; it’s the offense. PFF straight-up called out Denver’s lack of weapons. They gave Bo Nix the best pass-blocking group in football, but the skill guys? Not nearly enough. The Broncos landed near the bottom in both receiving and rushing grades. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that.
Outside of Courtland Sutton, who carried the load, the rest of the crew just didn’t show up consistently. Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Vele had flashes, but nothing steady. The tight ends didn’t contribute much, and the run game? Rough. Javonte Williams led a group that just couldn’t get going. Denver’s banking on a couple of new faces to turn it around, but yeah, it’s a real concern.
Especially when their offensive philosophy is to control the clock and force opponents into mistakes. It’s not just about explosive plays. It’s about staying on schedule. But Payton’s offense does that better now than at any point post-Manning. But this time, it’s not wishful thinking, it’s measurable. And Sean Payton wouldn’t have it any other way.
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