Halfway through the 2015 season, the Denver Broncos sit atop the AFC West at 7-1, though the road hasn’t always been easy.
That seven-game win streak to start the season included nail-biting wins every week except against the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers, ironically. Even last week’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts was a close one until the final whistle, with idiotic penalties basically ending the Broncos chances of stealing a win.
Still, 7-1 ain’t bad, it’s good for third-best in the AFC behind the 8-0 New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos would be in the playoffs if they started today and would host a game in the first round. But there’s still far too much of the season remaining to think about playoff seeding at this point.
What we can do it rewind on how the Broncos got here, grading them along the way.
Offensive MVP
Emmanuel Sanders has been, without a doubt, the offensive MVP for Denver to this point. He’s been the most consistent player on the unit, always bringing a competitive fire and desire to win. His 13.9 yards per catch are most on the team outside of tight end Virgil Green (7 receptions for 112 yards, 16 YPC) and Sanders leads the team in touchdown receptions with four. Those four touchdowns account for 44.4 percent of the Broncos passing scores this season.
Sanders is smallish, standing at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, but his toughness is unmatched. Like a fancy watch, he takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. He’s a true performer, as well, doing his bows to the crowd after touchdowns and trash-talking opponents; No. 10, like a pro wrestler, is an entertainer. Call him “Sanders the Sensational.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe_b8UwSBHI
Defensive MVP
Considering it’s the No. 1 defense in the NFL, it’s difficult to pick an MVP through the first eight games. Danny Trevathan, Brandon Marshall, T.J. Ward, DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib; all of these men deserve recognition. But the winner is Chris Harris.
Harris is a lead-by-example kind of guy, working hard every week in practice to prepare for games. As an originally undrafted player out of Kansas, he understands what it takes to perform at the highest level in the NFL. All he does is give his all every week, and it shows.
Harris has racked up 26 tackles with two interceptions – one returned for a 74-yard touchdown – along with three passes defended and a forced fumble. He’s the glue of the defense and a cornerback so good opposing offenses have learned to leave him alone on his island.
Special Teams MVP
For this section, we have multiple winners. David Bruton must be on the list because he’s the special teams captain and seemingly makes plays every week on special teams. He’s also been getting more time to play with the defense, highlighting his progress as a player. Shaquil Barrett not only has made 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, he earned playing time on special teams and still plays there every week. Brandon McManus has been near perfect on his kicks, going 19-20 on field goals and 19-19 on extra points. Finally, Omar Bolden gets a shoutout for his 83-yard touchdown return against the Colts.
Coaching MVP
Gary Kubiak‘s praises should be sung for leading all the players and coaches to a 7-1 start in his first season – especially with some new ideas like resting starters during offseason drills – but Wade Phillips is the coaching MVP for the Broncos. 38 years in the league as a coach and it shows; Phillips’ Denver defense is No. 1 in the NFL in points allowed (139), yards allowed (2,193), passing yards allowed (1,448) and net yards per attempt (4.7). Oh, they’re also No. 1 in sacks with 30.
Tremendous turning point
In Week 2, Denver found themselves down 14-0 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. Manning hit Sanders and Green for touchdowns to tie the game up at 14-14 at halftime. Later, with Denver down a touchdown, Manning hit Sanders again to tie the game up at 24 with 27 seconds to play. Then, it happened.
Jamaal Charles ran with the ball left, Brandon Marshall punched it out and Bradley Roby returned the football to the house for the 31-24 victory.
Bonehead play
Aqib Talib’s eye poke to Dwayne Allen is clearly the biggest bonehead play of the first half of the season. That personal foul gave the Colts an automatic first down and almost allowed them to run out the clock. On top of basically ending the Broncos chances of winning that game, Talib is now sidelined for this Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, as well.
Most Impressive Win
Knocking off the 6-0 Green Bay Packers 29-10 was the most impressive win of the first half, certainly. Both teams were 6-0 but Denver was the home underdog for only the second time since Peyton Manning joined the team in 2012. The Broncos laughed at that, and Chris Harris admitted it “pissed us off.” Denver came out like a team motivated to win, not only due to the lack of respect, but taking full advantage of honoring their owner Pat Bowlen as he went into the Ring of Fame.
In the game, Manning finally looked like himself, throwing for 340 yards while Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson combined for 161 yards on the ground. It was a tremendous performance all-around as the defense held Aaron Rodgers to a career-low 77 yards passing.
What will the second half of the season hold in store for Denver? If the first half is any indication, there will be many more fond memories for Broncos fans to cherish.
