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In 2011, the Denver Broncos put Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway in charge of the franchise he led to back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s. Elway hired head coach John Fox, whose long, mostly successful tenure with the Carolina Panthers came to an end when his contract was not renewed after the 2010 season. In that first season together, the Broncos rode a run-first offense and solid defense to an AFC West title and advanced to the divisional playoff round after an overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round. The Broncos were pasted by the New England Patriots the following week, losing 45-10 as their offense, led by quarterback Tim Tebow, was not much of a challenge to a Patriots defense that had shut it down for the final three quarters of their regular season meeting the month before. The Broncos had beeen exposed for what they were: An 8-8 team that had a -81 point differential, turned the ball over way too many times (30, including 17 on fumbles) and would not have even made the playoffs if the NFL didn't require a participant from the AFC West. Elway knows a thing or two about the quarterback position, so he pounced when Peyton Manning, one of the best to ever play the position, became available when his long, mostly successful tenure with the Indianapolis Colts came to an end when his contract was terminated after he missed the 2011 season due to multiple neck surgeries. As offensive coordinator Mike McCoy did with Tebow (who was traded to the New York Jets) in 2011, he tailored an offense to fit Manning's strengths, turning a run-heavy offense to one that averaged nearly 37 pass attempts per game. The result was an offense that ranked fourth in total offense, second in scoring offense and put four offensive players, including Manning, in the Pro Bowl. Under Fox, and new coordinator Jack Del Rio, the Broncos were one of the top defenses in the league, finishing second in total defense, fourth in scoring defense and were tops in the league on third down. The Broncos won an AFC-high 13 games and clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Broncos had a hard fought divisional playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens and had a 35-28 lead with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they could not drain the clock and the Ravens took advantage of their final opportunity when Joe Flacco found Jacoby Jones, who had gotten behind the secondary, for a 70-yard touchdown to tie the game and force overtime. Manning would be intercepted by Corey Graham in Broncos' territory with one minute remaining in the first overtime period, allowing the Ravens to upset the Broncos with a 47-yard field goal from Justin Tucker with 13:24 to play in the second overtime. Though it was a disappointing end to the 2012 season for the Broncos, their Super Bowl window remains wide open. Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and defensive end Elvis Dumervil may have left this offseason and Elway's top two assistants in the personnel department (Matt Russell, Tom Heckert) were suspended after arrests on DUI charges, which made for bit of a rocky offseason in Denver. But the Broncos still have Manning and what is perhaps the best offense in the NFL to go along with a solid defense led by Von Miller, a perennial contender for Defensive Player of the Year. With one of the deepest rosters and talented coaching staffs in the NFL, the Broncos are the heavy favorites to win a third straight AFC West title and represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVIII.
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