Armour: Broncos defense comes up big as Manning leaves the field a champion

SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Grinders, that’s what the Denver Broncos call themselves.

Catchy. But Super Bowl champs has a much nicer ring.

Peyton Manning left the field for what likely was the last time in a shower of confetti not because of his arm, but because of a nasty defense that carried the Broncos just as it has all year long. The Denver D brought back memories of the Orange Crush with a record-tying seven sacks and four turnovers in the 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

One touchdown, too, the only one the Broncos could manage until three minutes left.

“I certainly knew with this defense, this team would have a chance,” Manning said. “They’ve been nothing but awesome.

“I’m just glad I was on the same team as our defense and I didn’t have to play against them.”

For all of the firepower in Denver’s lineup – Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Owen Daniels, C.J. Anderson – its offense never really found consistency or rhythm this season. Manning struggled just to stay healthy, to stave off Father Time for one more run, and almost every game was so ugly it should have come with a “Not Suitable for Family Viewing” warning.

Instead, it was a blue-collar, junkyard-dog defense that bailed Manning and the Broncos out time and time again. But for all of the games Von Miller and Co. saved during the regular season, they were at their best during the playoffs.

Facing three of the best quarterbacks in the NFL – Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Cam Newton – the Denver D had three picks and 13 sacks while allowing just one touchdown.

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Let that sink in for a minute. Those three have made impressive careers out of torching defenses, but they were the ones left with scorch marks after their run-ins with the Broncos.

Malik Jackson scored Denver’s first touchdown, and Von Miller stripped Newton late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. Miller, a no-brainer for the Super Bowl MVP, had 2.5 sacks and was in Newton’s face so many times Sunday night it’ll be training camp before the NFL’s MVP stops having nightmares about him.

“To do that to the guy that’s changing the game, unbelievable,” Broncos tight end Owen Daniels said, referring to Newton. “Our defense, you have to put them up there with the best ever.”

Newton and the Panthers aren’t likely to argue with that.

Newton had one of the finest seasons in memory, a deserving MVP who could shred defenses with his arms or his legs. The Panthers finished the regular season with the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense, and bolstered that resume with a beatdown of a very good Arizona team in the NFC Championship.

But Newton looked jittery – “stressed,” is how cornerback Bradley Roby described it -- even in Carolina’s pre-game warmups, bouncing around as if he was trying to burn off nervous energy. Sensing his unease, the Broncos responded by picked on him like a practice squad scrub.

Newton didn’t throw for a first down until the closing seconds of the first quarter -- by which point Miller had already strip-sacked him once. On Carolina’s second drive, Miller hammered him at the 4-yard line and forced a fumble.

Jackson jumped on it for the touchdown, and the Broncos had a 10-0 lead not even 10 minutes into the game.

Newton did come alive early in the second quarter, finding Greg Olsen for a 19-yard gain and connecting with Philly Brown for 13 yards. Aqib Talib was whistled for yet another penalty to move Carolina to the 1 yard line, and Jonathan Stewart then ran – well, technically he flew – into the end zone, cutting Denver’s lead to 10-7.

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But the spark was short-lived. All year the Broncos have been a team that bent but wouldn’t break, and this game would be no different.

Carolina didn’t get beyond the Denver 21 in the second half, and would manage only nine first downs after halftime.

“This game was much like the season has been,” Manning said. “It tested our toughness, our resilience and our unselfishness. It’s only fitting it turned out that way.”

It may have been a performance only a defensive coordinator could love, but the Broncos have never been too concerned with style points. They’re grinders.

And, now, Super Bowl champions.

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