The Denver Broncos were supposed to be in the midst of a breakthrough. A defense loaded with young talent was ready to make the leap from good to great. An offense in search of a reliable quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement finally found its guy in Seattle Seahawks perennial Pro Bowler Russell Wilson.
This, combined with a new, offensive-minded head coach who’d led Aaron Rodgers to back-to-back MVP awards late in his career, was supposed to revitalize a franchise in the midst of a seven-year playoff drought.
