NFL Teams Betting - Denver Broncos - AFC West

The Broncos present one of the more fearsome pass-rush tandems in recent memory with Elvis Dumervil and 2011 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Von Miller. They consistently get pressure on the quarterback, and as a bonus do an adequate job of stopping the run. Denver has the second toughest schedule in 2014, with their opponents having a .543 winning percentage in 2011. Before their bye in Week 7, the Broncos must face Pittsburgh, Houston and Oakland at home, and travel to Atlanta, New England and San Diego. If they can emerge from that brutal stretch at .500, Denver would be in a good position to challenge for the division title.

Now what? Sure, the Broncos was the NFL’s most intriguing team in 2014, but will they be among the league’s best teams? For all his parallel-universe talents, Peyton Manning is 36 years old, coming off four surgical procedures on his neck, and hasn’t played in a game in more than a year-and-a-half. Not only that, but he’ll also have to adjust to a new city, a new coaching staff and new teammates. And you thought his successor in Indy, Andrew Luck, was in for a challenge.

Know this before the answers start arriving: The Broncos with Manning under center won’t simply be trying to win the AFC West again. And they’re not just trying to make a deep postseason run. Their goal is simple: Win a Super Bowl.

But before entertaining any such notions, there’s the little matter of re-inventing themselves. The Broncos of Tim Tebow ran an offense more suited for Saturday afternoons, not Sundays.

So what will happen? If Manning, as advertised, makes his teammates better, and if the Denver defense stays healthy and takes another step forward, the Broncos may not merely create a buzz. They may just live up to the hype.