Over the next few weeks, “Shutdown Corner” will pay homage to “Office Space” (TPS reports) as we take a quick look back at each team’s 2012 season and a look at what lies ahead for the 2013 offseason. We wrap up the AFC with the Denver Broncos. 2012 record : 13-3 What went wrong : Aside from Rahim Moore breaking the “deeper than the deepest receiver” rule of prevent defense in the final minute of a divisional playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens , very little went wrong for the 2012 Broncos. Of course, Moore might not have been in that position had the team not lost running back Willis McGahee to a knee injury in November. McGahee was averaging 4.4 yards per carry at the time of his injury and his replacements – Knowshon Moreno, Ronnie Hillman and Lance Ball – each finished with yards per carry under four on the season. What went right : Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway was one vote shy of winning the NFL Executive of the Year Award. Elway’s success was his ability to land the biggest free agent fish in the pond in quarterback Peyton Manning, who led a resurgent Broncos offense all the way to an AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs. The Broncos had the NFL’s fourth-ranked offense in terms of yardage and were the league’s second-ranked scoring offense. After missing the 2011 season following multiple neck surgeries, Manning played 1,110 of the Broncos’ 1,143 snaps in 2012, passing for 4,659 yards with 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a passer rating of 105.8, second-best in the league behind Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Manning was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year and, by remaining healthy, will guarantee himself an additional $40 million of the five-year, $96 million contract he signed on March 21, 2012. Manning’s arrival also expedited the development of wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, a pair of big, physical 2010 draft choices who slogged their way through sophomore seasons while trying to catch passes from Tim Tebow. Thomas and Decker combined for 179 receptions, 2,498 yards and 23 touchdowns and were ranked third (Thomas) and fourth (Decker) in Football Outsiders’ receiving DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) metric . Playing with an offense that routinely put 30 points was beneficial to the Broncos’ defense. The Broncos were second in total yards allowed per game, first in yards allowed per play and were the fourth-ranked scoring defense, allowing 18.1 points per game. The Broncos defense excelled on third downs, thanks largely to a pass rush that tied for the NFL lead with 52 sacks. Edge rushers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller combined for 29.5 sacks, while rookie defensive lineman Derek Wolfe added six sacks and outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard, a special teams ace who stepped into a starting role for a suspended D.J. Williams, added 5.5 sacks of his own. Woodyard also led the Broncos with 114 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. Woodyard’s increased playing-time triggered a $1 million salary escalator in his contract. Coaching/front office changes : The Broncos lost offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who is now the head coach of the San Diego Chargers. To replace McCoy, the Broncos have promoted quarterbacks coach Adam Gase. Estimated 2013 cap space : $14.93 million
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‘Shutdown Corner’ offseason TPS report: Denver Broncos (Shutdown Corner)
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