Dan Orlovsky crowns Broncos’ defense as the key to their Super Bowl push

It’s no secret that the Denver Broncos are a legit Super Bowl contender after their big win over the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Thanks to a defense that’s playing at a historic level and a talented coaching staff that knows how to set players up in a position to win, the orange and blue aren’t going anywhere.

While there has been struggles and inconsistencies on the offensive side of the football, that unit hasn’t had to score 30 points a night thanks to a defense that’s allowing south of 18 points per game and has the most sacks in the league by a wide, wide margin.

ESPN Football Analyst Dan Orlovsky claims that the defense is why this team is in a prime spot to compete for a Super Bowl.

“Denver’s definitely a legit Super Bowl contender,” Orlovsky said on “Stokley and Evans with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan Wednesday. “This defense is ridiculous, it’s ridiculous. It’s one of the best defenses, if not the best defense, in football. Everybody knows that’s going to matter in the playoffs, and there’s no offense in the AFC right now that really scares you.”

Across the NFL, the Broncos rank third in total defense (274.4 yards per game), fifth in pass defense (185.8 yards per game), fourth in run defense (88.5 yards per game) and third in scoring defense (17.5 points per game). The Houston Texans are the only other team to also be in the top five in each of those four categories.

Individually, Nik Bonitto’s 9.5 sacks are the third-most in the league while Jonathon Cooper’s 7.5 sacks are tied for the 10th-most. Alex Singleton’s 89 tackles are the 11th-most in the league, despite missing last week’s game against Kansas City, and Pat Surtain II has still played like the best cornerback in football.

There’s still some chemistry to be built on the defensive side of the ball as well, as Dre Greenlaw is still figuring out things on the fly since he missed the first six games of the season and sat out the Cowboys game in Week 8 due to a suspension. With Singleton and Surtain aiming to return from injury soon, there’s a good chance that this current rendition of Denver’s defense isn’t its best.

Defense wins championships, and it helps that Denver has a head coach who’s been there before. Payton has only made it to the Super Bowl once, as he’s lost in the Conference Championship game two other times, but he emerged victorious the one time he made it in 2009 with the Saints.

“I think there’s no question, because of the defense they’re a Super Bowl contender and they’ve got a coach who’s won it.”

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