This has been an amazing year for the Denver Broncos and their fans, as everyone who has been watching realizes.

It is all too easy to be picky about many aspects of performance that could be improved upon, but what has emerged as the key factor in the story of the Broncos’ 2008 season is that the team is in first place with a fine 8-5 record despite a staggering injury list that has led to one of the highest number of games played by rookies in team history.

There have been times before when this many rookies played, but it previously happened in rebuilding years, such as 1967 under Head Coach Lou Saban. Although anyone who saw and still remembers that season (as do I) would agree that “building from scratch” would have been a more accurate description than “rebuilding.”

And regarding this year’s record, no apologies are necessary, but kudos are in order.

Every team has a schedule, eight home and eight away, and every team has a record.

And when the standings show you are in first place, that’s where you are.

When you get there with two-thirds of the players who see the most action being first, second or third-year guys, that’s remarkable.