Are the 2016 Broncos better than last year’s Super Bowl winning team?

In 2015, the Denver Broncos started out 3-0. They ranked atop the NFL in defense. And they won a Super Bowl despite a diminishing Peyton Mannning and middling offensive production.

So, with an improved offense and a still stout defense, could the 3-0 2016 Denver Broncos be better than the Super Bowl 50 squad?

Tyler Polumbus, who played on last year’s title-winning team, says “hand down” the ’16 Broncos are better.

“I have no problem saying that. When I watch this team play, I think hands down right now this team is a better football team than we were early in the season last year,” said Polumbus, who filled in for “Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mark Schlereth Wednesday.

“Even late in the year, when things were coming together a little bit, the offense was starting to find a little bit of a groove toward the end of the year, I never saw the offense have an identity like we do now.”

Through three games last season, Denver amassed 872 yards of total offensive and 74 points. Comparatively in 2016 the team’s racked up 1,062 total yards and 84 points.

Thus far, Denver’s offense have averaged nearly a half-yard per play more than the team’s 5.4 yards per play average last season.

Said Polumbus: “I think in many aspects this is a better football team. I think the defense is right where they were last year. Are they better? Are they worse? I don’t, they look the same to me. That defense looks the exact same to me. But offensively, there’s no doubt about it. This offense is vastly improved.”

On defense, however, Denver’s fallen slight in terms of production, giving up an average 19 points per game compared to 18.5 in 2015, along with 4.6 yards per play to 4.4, respectively.

And a piece of that has to do with Malik Jackson’s departure in the offseason, said “Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mike Evans, which has allowed teams to run up the middle on the Broncos.

“There have been some times where teams have been able to run right up the gut against these guys,” Evans said.

However, Evans deemed it as not that big of a weakness because “not only do they have the willingness to be able to adjust but when you have a secondary that can cover, then it really kind of allows you to say, ‘OK, we’re struggling right now, but we have more options to combat that without exposing ourselves on the back end.’”

“If there’s been a soft spot on this defense, it’s been the rush defense, and in particular right smack up the middle, not the wide zone running game,” Polumbus said. “They’re not being us around the edge. No fly sweep type stuff. I’m talking about smash mouth football right up the middle.”

Follow 104.3 The Fan digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.