Peyton Manning’s 2013 Denver Broncos currently sport the best record in the AFC in the midst of a Super Bowl or bust season for the franchise. However, only 15 years ago, John Elway led his 1998 Broncos team to their second consecutive Super Bowl en route to cementing his status in the hall of fame. Given these two epic mile high signal callers, who wins in a game of Manning’s Broncos v. Elway’s Broncos?
First ballot quarterbacks aside, both of these teams sport solid receivers reeling in throws from their talented on-the-field generals. Manning’s Broncos have Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker on the outside, Wes Welker in the slot and Julius Thomas as the pass-catching tight end. Elway had veteran receivers Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey at his disposal with Shannon Sharpe doing damage over the middle as his tight end safety blanket. In this case, four great pass catchers beats three. Advantage: 2013 Broncos.
Next, the current Denver squad features a resurgent Knowshon Moreno with rookie Montee Ball and second-year pro Ronnie Hillman coming off the pine as change-of pace-backs. The 1998 Broncos had an absolutely devastating Terrell Davis as their primary back, rumbling to the tune of 2,008 rushing yards in a season. Enough said. Advantage: 1998 Broncos.
On defense, while it is important to note that these teams did play in slightly different eras, the 2013 Broncos give up over a touchdown more per game more than the 1998 squad, so for defense, it’s advantage: Elway’s boys.
Finally, in a game between two evenly-matched teams with prolific quarterbacks, it all comes down to coaching. John Fox leads the present-day Broncos while the 1998 team was corralled by eventual two-time Super Bowl winner Mike Shanahan. Seeing as this game would most likely come down to one or two crucial play calls, you’d have go with the coach who has consistently done more in his career with less. While they share similar win percentages, Fox has done more in his coaching career without a surefire Hall of Famer at the helm while Shanahan has piggybacked his career success primarily off of Elway’s greatness.
So in a game that is sure to feature elite talent on both sides of the field, you’ve got to go with a Manning naked bootleg for a Mile High victory.
