Chris Hall of DenverBroncos.com sat down with Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway on Wednesday for the first playoff installment of Elway Access.
Sunday’s 38-3 win over the Kansas City Chiefs was a big win for the Broncos in a number of ways. Quarterback Peyton Manning established several single-season franchise records and the victory gave Denver a perfect AFC West record of 6-0. More importantly, the team secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and home-field advantage, finishing the season on an 11-game winning streak for a regular-season record of 13-3.
Elway said that before the season, he identified the team’s first six games as a crucial stretch. After the Broncos went 3-3 to start the season, they made steady improvements and got on a roll that led to a finish that exceeded the expectations of even Elway.
“The thing that is encouraging to me is that we’ve improved week in and week out,” Elway said. “That’s why we’re 13-3. Whether I thought the jump was going to be as great as it was, probably not. But the players and the coaches have really done a tremendous job of keeping the concentration level each week and really concentrating on improving, and that’s what we have.”
One of the biggest factors in Denver’s dominance down the stretch was the play of Manning, who was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month in both October and December. Fresh off one of the best regular seasons of his career, Manning is a strong candidate for a fifth NFL MVP award. His play a year after sitting out 2011 due to injury has made his offseason acquisition look better and better in hindsight. One factor Elway believed was in his team’s favor in the competition for Manning was the opportunity to throw to wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker.
“I remember last year when they were talking about Peyton coming to Denver and the fact that our receiving corps wasn’t up to grade as far as some of the other teams that he was talking about,” Elway said. “That was one thing that I thought we had in our back pocket that was kind of a secret, the fact that with Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, the talent that they have. We have just seen them make huge strides this whole year and have just a tremendous year. They’ve made unbelievable catches. You saw Eric Decker make a couple against Kansas City, and the one that Demaryius went and got, one-handed in the back of the end zone. We’ve seen great strides in them.”
Decker and Thomas have been as good as Elway expected, combining to lead the league with 23 combined touchdowns and finish third with 2,498 yards receiving. This weekend, with the Broncos enjoying their bye week, Elway will turn his attention to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Depending on how Saturday and Sunday’s games turn out, Denver will face either Baltimore, Indianapolis or Cincinnati. Elway knows exactly where he’ll be to watch those teams fight to advance to divisional play.
“I have my one spot,” Elway said. “I call it Big White. My sofa’s called Big White, so I go sit on the corner of Big White and get the clicker, watch the dachshunds run around and have a good time watching football.”
But while Elway will enjoy the view from his couch, he’ll be watching the action more as a scout than a casual fan.
“I’ll be watching scheme, knowing these teams,” Elway said. “Plus we played Cincinnati, plus we played Baltimore. I watched Indianapolis quite a bit last week, so I’ll have a pretty good idea of who they are going in.”
Tags: Elway Access, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS!!!
http://espn.go.com/olympics/hockey/story/_/id/8808838/us-beats-canada-5-1-semis-junior-hockey-worlds
isn’t there a national day of mourning anytime the US beats Canada at anything Hockey related? Nice work kids!
Dr. Mr. Elway!
Thank you! From the bottom of my Orange and Blue Bronco Heart! Throughout your career I never missed a play, put up with the verbal abuse when we lost Superbowls in the 80′s and I sat through every play of our Loss to the 9er’s in the Superbowl… I cried as a grown man the day you retired. I was excited to watch Arena Football when you had the Crush, and I was overjoyed when you came back to the Broncos! I was heartbroken when you traded Tebow, but that was something that had to be done to fulfill your vision of a Championship Team and for that I do offer sincere apologies for being pessimistic. I want you to know that this silly football team adds joy to my life in a way that other things just don’t match. I love Football and I love the Broncos! This season has been wonderful to watch as a fan! You were alway my favorite football player and now you are my favorite Business Man!
Thank you again!
Turtle
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS!!!
Looking like Andy Reid is going to be in the AFC west … things could get interesting. He will either be a chief or charger. I am thinking charger is more likely because they have both a GM and HC position available and he already said he is a package deal. Plus he also owns a house in San Diego …. we will see tho. Id prefer him to go to Cards and stay out of our division lol but then again I wonder if the chargers want another expirienced tenured coach who repeatedly went to the playoffs and conference championship but always came up short …. much like the chargers with turner.
TRB
Well said turtle,
GO BRONCOS!!
Andy Reid is close to a deal with the Chiefs and no longer plans to visit with the other teams.
Scott Pioli is still in KC so even though Reid is a decent coach (save for his clock management), he will ultimately fail in KC because the upper management is constantly fear mongering.
wow Ab made that comment before the breaking news broke.
interesting … the chiefs … well. Lets see if he can coach up brees or cassel LOL … or i guess draft Geno Michael Vick Smith lol. Pioli is out of there … he needs to be fired for that cassel deal lol.
TRB
RH… I think Pioli is really great at evaluating talent and in the Draft. I can only speak to what I see from what he puts on a teams roster, and if a guy takes a second to consider that guys like Charles/Berry etc didn’t have a Rookie Offseason because of the lockout and missed last Offseason with injuries I think he will give Reid a very competitive bunch of guys to work with… Injuries have devastated that team the last two years, that and the fact they haven’t had a QB to speak of!
I’m not a real fan of Reid coming to the AFC West, but it was up to me the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers would only win 6 games a year every year!!!
Ray Horton will probably ended coaching the the Cards.
Won’t it be funny if McCoy becomes SD coach.
So we would have supplied Raiders and Chargers with our assistant coaches lol.
Do you think the fact that Franchise has the number 1 pick this draft was part of his consideration?
AB reads IMFAO lol
BT, I have heard rumors that Pioli bugs the locker room as well as coaches offices. He is looking for anyone making a complacent comment about him or the organization. This is the fear mongering I am talking about. His makes his fears a reality by being so incredibly focused on them.
Crazy RH! if that’s true I can see why he wouldn’t be an asset! I do like some of the pieces he has added to KC’s roster though
KC isn’t devoid of talent so I see it as an attractive job and some of that may well be because Pioli. However, if the rumors are true, he is more destructive then constructive. If Reid gets to bring in a GM with him, like Tom Heckert, then I will be more concerned that the Cheifs could ultimately improve.
Honestly, I wouldn’t want the #1 pick. KC needs a QB, without question, but there isn’t an RG3 or Luck in this years draft. It will make for an interesting draft year. I’d try to trade down, get more picks and try to find a low first round or high second round QB.
RH… I’d sign Alex Smith, Draft the best player available at #1 then in the Second I’d add the best OL available… Then with my 3rd round Pick I’d add another Quality OL… there line was so thin this year I almost felt bad for them… Almost
Not a bad plan at all sir.
Somewhere in the 3rd or 4th get a WR or two.
I pay close attention to what is being said on Twitter. Last night they were talking of Reid going to the Chiefs looking like what was going to happen.
crzy what happened to. when has a qb having a top 10 year statistically ever been benched before
Ok home fans, lets show up in a big way next Saturday! Do not sell your tickets to our opponents fans! This is not a wine and cheese party (bring your heavy boots and as many noise makers as you can hold)! BRING THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN THUNDER!!!