After taking care of the Ravens, the Broncos received a San Francisco treat on Sunday night.
Thanks to the 49ers win over the Patriots, the Broncos are in sole possession of the second seed in the AFC playoff race. A coveted first-round bye comes with the top two seeds. To clinch the second seed, the Broncos need to beat the Browns and the Chiefs in their final two weeks.
The beauty of the 2012 Broncos is that to them, they only have one game left, not two. They have the ability to keep their attention fixed on the task at hand. That task is sending the Browns back to Cleveland with a loss on Sunday.
“The only thing that’s going to mean something to me is if we play well and get better this week and try to beat Cleveland,” quarterback Peyton Manning said. “That’s really all we’re focused on. That’s been the best thing we’ve done all year is approach every opponent the same, regardless of who the team was and where we were playing and what the situation was and what their record was.”
This is what veteran leadership does. It keeps a team grounded. It keeps a team looking forward. And the younger players are taking note. They know they cannot listen to people telling them how great the Broncos are.
“You can’t listen to that,” safety Rahim Moore said. “I’m going to tell you this, it’s never as good as you think, and it’s never as bad as you think. Those types of things come with the territory. You have to welcome it, but at the same time, you can’t get complacent because it can all go downhill. You have to stay focused and stay hungry.”
The Broncos are hungry for a trip to New Orleans in February. They are hungry to put a third Lombardi trophy in the lobby at Dove Valley.
This is a team focused on the ultimate goal. And the Broncos are smart enough to know that reaching that goal is accomplished by doing things the right way and not overlooking any of the small details. They’re smart enough to realize that reaching that goal is accomplished not just by beating the Browns but by playing well in the process.
“That’s the thing I’ve always believed in, in the month of December, ‘Are you getting better? Are you making some strides every week?’ We still have some things that we want to get better at, we feel like we need to get better at, and that’s what we’re trying to do this week,” Manning noted. “Usually if you get better, hopefully a lot of times some good things will follow. That’s our goal is to get better this week and to try to beat a good Cleveland team.”
This approach won’t win any public relations contests. No matter how hard one tries to dress up hard work, the story is never all that exciting. The Broncos are at this point because they are talented but they don’t take that talent for granted.
“It’s truly the same thing it’s been all along. Getting better every week. If we keep doing that, then we’ll take care of everything we need to take care of,” tight end Jacob Tamme said.
It has worked to this point. The Broncos might as well stick with it. It just might get them to the Super Bowl
In what areas would you like to see the Broncos improve in Sunday’s game against Cleveland?
All the best to you and your families this holiday season. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Mike
Tags: AM 850 KOA, Mike Rice, Rice Takes
Putting your nose to a grindstone would probably hurt little a bit. IMO
What better ways would there be than trying to get better every week? I sure can’t think of any. Stick with it by all means.
Love the perfectionist attention to details mentality Manning has brought to Denver, that’s all him.
The super bowl is within reach, but one game at a time is all that matters from now on.
I have been torn and not sure what would be best; A) suffer a loss in one of these last two games so the team gets motivated to go at it that much harder through the final stretch (something in the past I have always believed is a good thing, like the losses in back to back games when we were 13-0 in 1998 and went on to win the superbowl), or B) trust that with Manning perfectionism at the helm that isn’t necessary and therefore win out and get the bye. But wouldn’t the bye hurt a team that’s still learning to come together and that’s very healthy anyway? Maybe it would be better to play throughout without any bye at all? Torn, like I said.
But if I was forced to choose I’d take A).
And here is what tips the balance for me, that way we get an extra game and a home one at that, aren’t those fun, orange and all.
I bet the $$$ folks in the front office are secretly pulling for A) too, LOL.
Congrats to my fellow Casperite Zane Beadles for getting the Broncos Walter Payton Man of the Year award!
As for ROY I am going to say Luck. I would never vote for Wilson because he was literally handed a win that doesn’t belong to him. RGIII missed a game due to injury. And Luck has just been overall more valuable to his team. I know he’s thrown a ton of INT but he has five come back wins with and 9 wins with a defense that is much less effective than the other two kids. His defense is attrocious!!! Not to mention his team was 2-14 last year and his talent besides Wayne really all left for better opportunities.
But I’m biased I guess. Big Colts fan too.
Should of said we MAY get an extra game, all depending on what the Pats do of course.
Bay I just think that along as we stay focused we can beat anybody. If they get unfocused it will be much harder… However I could really careless about the actual BYE I just want home-field advantage against the Patriots.
Good point, the home advantage over the Pats.
Cat, you nailed it. I stated the same thing in a previous blog. The bye isn’t the critical aspect, the home field advantage is.
There is an extremely high chance we will play the Patriots in the playoffs. Such a high chance that you can pretty much guarantee it. If we win out, then NE has to come to SAFMH but if we lose a game you can bet we will have to go to Foxburo. Playing at home is the huge ticket there.
Expect nothing less from peyton. Cliche saying we hear all the time in sports but it truly is about 1 game at a time. But its not just about saying it. Its about doing it. Peyton has been in this situation darn near his entire career. His favorite record is 13-3. (shocker thats what its looking like this year). For a guy to be so good, year in an year out. Have great record, but still have only tasted one superbowl win … HE understands more than most what it means to not overlook any opponent. Because no matter how talented you are or how good your record is. If someone wants it more that sunday, u are SOL.
Good Luck team. God Bless the Broncos. Happy Holidays.
Later days, TRB
I think because of Manning we can afford to win out and still go all the way. But with any other QB I’d say losing one would be more productive long term. From what I remember Manning has often put very long winning streaks together, but this one would have to be super extra long to win it all, 14 wins in a row to be exact!
Two areas I want to see our team improve. I would like to see a complete game from the defense,I know they are playing great but still need to keep opponents on the mat instead of letting them have a chance to come back. I am also somewhat concerned with our kicking game. Too many missed field goals lately. I love this team but everyone should know that the Pats will find any cracks.imo
Absolutely, Positively, Without a Doubt… I’d much rather go with plan A Baylin!
Afterall, just like Elway said- there is no plan B
I look at it in the sense where for 9+ weeks all I have heard coming out of any interview is the players talk about getting better. Losing at home, in these final two games wouldn’t benefit us in any way. And a first round playoff bye would be huge. In many ways. The extra week of rest- look how the extra 3 days helped against Baltimore. Not to mention our 1 bye and how the team came out against NO. 2nd, it would give us the all important home field advantage with the potential showdown against NE. That alone is reason enough to win this week.
3rd, I have a sneaking suspicion that the perfectionist Manning is, will only kick into overdrive come playoff time.
A loss at this point will only hinder the ultimate goal…
Broncos Country Strong 2012!!!!!!!!!!!
*Official Score Prediction*
Den- 26
Cle- 10
Broncos Country Strong 2012!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad to see the World hasn’t ended yet today! Did the Mayans leave a time?!?
Good to see you all!
I read somewhere yesterday that Pioli and Crennel are both on their way out in KC and the author of article suggested Del Rio be their next head coach… Uggh, would really hate to lose him, and hate to lose him more inside the division. Either way, I hope he stays cause I really love watching this Defense!!!
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS!!!
14 in a row is all we need in that scenario….
I believe much less than a handful of teams have been able to string along that many wins in a row in a single season.
And there is a huge reason for it.
It’s harder to maintain staying on top winning week after week than to fall off here and there and climb again.
But I’ll take it either way, preferably the one that wins it all.
It might just be that there is only the Dolphins of 72 who went on a 14 in a row winning streak to win the SB (actually 17 for them). I believe all other longer winning streaks were cut short before winning the SB, like the Pats.
Pats Smats, Bay for once I DON’T AGREE! We need to win out….Billacheat knows its gonna be us, period. We need to win out and 14 in a row is no more unachievable than 9 in a row. At the beginning of this season everybody said we had the hardest schedule in football sans the Giants. based on 2011 records..So what, these guys already got there losses when we had those ridiculous refs. and the Pats only got us by ten at home, and anyone who watched that game know we got hosed by the scabs, hard. and our other two games if we had had 1 or two more minutes OT wins for sure. This is a 4 quarter team, that has been proven by the 4th qtr kneel-downs as of late and the 9 minute 4th qtr drives ect. So the D has given up some plays here and there, they haven’t broken down. I want to win out because I want us to be wearing the Orange in the Big Dance! Who knows, we may even be the 1st seed. I have used the ESPN prediction computer and it is possible. Home feild throughout all the way to N,Orleans. Oh yeah baby, we could be looking at a Dynasty starting..I may be Crazy but I was the one that preached 9-7 lats year, no sane person could handle that..8-8???? Life is stranger than fiction Bay! my prediction we win it out 14 straight and as for next year, well how bout being the first NFL team in history with 2 back to back wins in the Dance….I Don’t think that has been done has it? GO ORANGE CRUSH!!
I just can’t imagine losing to the Browns or the Chiefs…at home!!!
Oh the shame…stigma…I don’t think that’s a possibility…or …the damage that would have to happen to the team to allow it…. injuries….unspeakable!!!
I still know how to start a conversation, haha.
Steelers did it Crush… Two different times won two in a row
OH AND IF THE WORLD ENDS TOMORROW AND JESUS DON’T RETURN, I AM GONNA BE PISSED!
Often, those who succeed in life do so because they only have a plan A. If there isn’t a plan B, plan A has to work cause that is all you got.
CRAP, I HATE THOSE GUYS!
You got the years?
14 wins in a row winning streak to win the SB twice?
I VOTE FOR PLAN, WIN IT ALL, AS VINCE SAID NUMBER 2 IS TE FIRST LOSER.
I don’t see it so far.
I agree with CA.
The AFC is basically between Denver and NE. It will be one of those two in the SB, bank on it. I don’t care who NE plays in the wildcard game, they will win. Then they will head to Denver. I have little doubt that if Denver wins out, that the coaching staff will spend 75% of their effort towards game planning for NE and only 25% of the time game planning for the other possible opponent during that first week.
Back to Back Superbowls was his Reference Bay… No one has had two straight 14 win years with Back to back SB…
Looks like you just threw that out there without really understanding the 14 wins in a row up to the SB and winning it part.
Back to Back SB’s twice… his statement had nothing to do with the number of wins to get there
I see what you mean now, thought you were addressing my Dolphin point.
but thanks for feeling the need to nitpick… as usual
WELL NO ONES DONE IT IN THE MODERN ERA, NOW I REALLY KNOW WY I HATE THE COWBOYS!!
With the delay it’s always hard to know who is talking to who when not specific.
Completely missed it…
I should of noticed the crush.
The Steelers won twice with 14 game seasons, and then the first two when the league switched to 16 games… the league moved to a 16 game schedule in 1978, the year after the Broncos went to their first game…
I put Crush’s name in my reply to him
Or should have, LOL.
first game = Superbowl*
No worries Bay…
I guess everyone is off work today waiting for the end of the world, unusual faces here for this time of day, like crush…
I’m working but it’s a holiday party atmosphere so not much is getting done.
I’m just hoping to get some pumpkin pie before the world ends.
So unless someone corrects me I believe if we win out we would become only the second team in NFL history after the Dolphins to go on a 14 game winning streak to win the SB.
Finally going to a game this week. Participating in the flag ceremony prior to the game and then off to the south stands.
I say who cares as long as we win the SB. I’d like to see a 3-peat myself.
That would be greater than great!
And last year we were living on a prayer…
And the year before that we were at the bottom of the barrel… but we got Miller for that, thanks McD like eddie would be quick to point out, LOL.
That would make us the first one to ever do that raidrhadr, I still hate the Jacksonville loss in 96, that was our big three peat chance.
Good for you, the only Bronco-Brows game I saw at the stadium was the “fumble” AFC championship, best game ever played at Mile High with the 77 AFC championship against the Raiders IMO.
Lunch time, gotta eat with this end near, need to go with a full stomach…
I was at both of those bay. I must agree.
Can I just say that all past happenings are out the window with this teen. I mean honestly!!! Besides me who honestly thought we’d have a chance to get this far anyway!? And Peyton sure has defied all odds so when people tell me we will be one and done in the playoffs I don’t believe it. This team is focused and not distracted by the awesome accolades coming their way. I believe in what they’re doing! I’m hoping for an earth shattering SB win that they eventually have to make a movie out if because no QB has won a SB with two teams and Peyton very well might. Four games to win and focus on each at a time and we can do this!!!!