Unless you live under a rock, or are one of those really boring people who don’t watch sports, you probably already know how crazy this NFL season has been. There have been a lot of surprises so far. For example, look at how many teams are still undefeated. We are six weeks into the regular season, and there are five teams that are still undefeated. If you ask me, that’s pretty awesome.

The Bengals have been great with Andy Dalton having a career-best season so far. The Patriots, not surprising at all, are undefeated. The Packers are also in that boat, with Aaron Rodgers once again looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The Carolina Panthers have surprised many, starting out 5-0, with Cam Newton putting the offense on his shoulders. Finally, you’ve got the Denver Broncos. They are 6-0, but the fact that they are still undefeated is very surprising. With Peyton Manning leading the league in interceptions, you may wonder how in the world these guys are winning. I will dissect this team to find out what makes them tick. Also, I will discuss Manning’s declining performance on the field and what this means for the Broncos this year, and the following years.

To start, the offense. According to ESPN, in 2015, the Broncos have averaged only 23 points per game. That’s good for 13th best in the league. Not horrible, but not what you would expect from a team that is a major contender for this year’s Super Bowl. Their pass offense (Peyton Manning) averages 240 yards per game, which is 18th best in the league. Again, this isn’t what would be expected from a team that has reached the playoffs on a consistent basis.      

Their rush offense is slightly under par, averaging 85 yards per game. By slightly, I mean almost dead last, ranking 30th in the league. With an offense that is under performing, how are they winning? Defense.

Denver’s defense, coached by Wade Phillips, according to ESPN, only allow an average of 17 points per game. With a top 5 defense, the Broncos are the favorite to win the AFC West. Not only do they allow  17 points per game, but they are getting almost all of the turnovers.

They are 2nd in the NFL with nine interceptions. They are 1st in the NFL with 13 forced fumbles. Also, they are first in sacks with 26, and to add insult to injury, from those sacks they have the most yards lost by far with 168. Do you get the picture? This is why they are winning. They not only have a good defense, they have one of the best defenses. Who knows just how great this team would be if the offense could pick it up. This leaves the question, what’s the deal with Manning?

Aside from this year, Manning no doubt has had the better career of the Manning brothers. But at 39, there has got to be some decline. I have wondered when this time will come. Unless Manning picks it up, you have got to say that it is from his old age, and the natural decline every NFL quarterback will have as he gets older.

I saw this meme from the Facebook page, “NFL Memes” the other day saying something like this, “Only 7 touchdowns, leads the league in interceptions, leads the league in consecutive drives without a touchdown, noodle arm, throws dead ducks. Broncos 6-0. Deal with it.”

With a quarterback rating of 72.5, that is 24.4 points lower than his career rating, 96.9. I mean, Denver signed a 35-year-old quarterback, recovering from neck surgery, to a long term contract. They got three amazing, record-breaking years out of him, but without a Super Bowl win. I believe it was a good move, as they took a chance with Manning, and he came through for them. But in his 18th season, you have to expect some decline.

Yes, Manning can pick it up some as the season moves on, but he simply isn’t the quarterback he used to be, and frankly, he doesn’t need to be. As long as this defense stays great, Manning no longer has to put the team on his back. It will be interesting to see what the plan will be after he retires, but for now, Broncos fans can sit back and enjoy the ride.