Boston Super Blog

The Denver Broncos took The Road To MetLife Stadium knowing that the window was very small for this team to win a Super Bowl. After being blown out in Super Bowl XLVIII in MetLife Stadium by the youngest Super Bowl champions in NFL history, the Broncos saw that window close even more. Youth was clearly served in Super Bowl XLVIII, and this Seahawks team is not going anywhere for quite some time. The same may not be true of the Broncos, as they enter this offseason knowing that Father Time is not on their side. And, in the great words of Charles Barkley, “I’m never wrong on Father Time. It gets us all.”

Will that include the Broncos, as early as 2014? After all, it is not as if the calendar year is off to a good start for Denver. A 43-8 whooping in Super Bowl XLVIII is hardly something on which they can build.

In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’m working as part of the Road to MetLife Stadium Preferred Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving special access to MetLife events and be conducting reader giveaways, with prizes provided by MetLife and Sony Electronics. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Of course, that is not to say that all of the Broncos are getting a bit long in the tooth, but some of their best players are getting old in terms of age in the NFL.

We all know the story with Peyton Manning, who will turn 38 before the start of the 2014 NFL season. The talent is obviously still there, as he put up the best numbers for a quarterback in any season in the history of the game. Manning can still play with the best of them, but he still must await clearance from his medical team before he even thinks about hitting the field again. Wes Welker, who will turn 33 before next season, has taken so many hits to the head that you often wonder if he should even be on the field still. Denver’s offensive line is also getting up there, meaning the stability on offense could be affected as soon as next season.

The Broncos do have plenty of talented, young players as well, including Demaryius Thomas (26), Montee Ball (32), Julius Thomas (25), Von Miller (24) and Danny Trevathan (23), but they are countered with players such as Champ Bailey (35), Mike Adams (30), Quentin Jammer (34), Paris Lenon (36) and Dan Koppen (34). Many of these players will not be with Denver when they take the field to begin 2014, meaning that younger players can come in and compete for more playing time. Still, when you have so many key players who are reaching the twilight of their illustrious careers, the window gets smaller by the minute.

That is why the 2014 season could be the final one in which the Broncos can be expected to make a Super Bowl run. That could also mean that John Elway will go “all-in” this offseason, loading up for one final chance at a championship.

I hope that you have enjoyed the coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII as well as all of the story lines leading up to The Road To MetLife Stadium. Make sure to stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for more coverage and recaps as well as analysis of last night’s game in MetLife Stadium, as well as a look ahead to where the Broncos and Seahawks will go from here.

Finally, in case you have not yet seen the video of NFL players – both past and present – signing a collaborative version of the National Anthem, then what are you waiting for? I must admit that I went into it expecting to have some laughs, but these guys were pretty impressive. Current players such as Justin Tuck and Josh Brown of the New York Giants, Greg Jennings of the Minnesota Vikings and Nick Mangold of the New York Jets, as well as former stars including Emmitt Smith and Eddie George all got together to put out quite an impressive rendition of the National Anthem. If you have not yet seen it, make sure to check it out by clicking here.

Make sure to follow all of the latest on Twitter by using the #Road2MetLifeStadium and tag @MetLifeCentral, as well as checking back early and often to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest information regarding Super Bowl XLVIII in MetLife Stadium between the Broncos and Seahawks!