Lombardi Trophy and Peyton Manning Retirement Are Both on the Horizon in Denver

February 1, 2015. University of Phoenix Stadium. Glendale, Arizona. 

The Denver Broncos are Super Bowl XLIX champions, beating the Green Bay Packers by a score of 35-27, and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is named the game's MVP. He hoists the Lombardi Trophy at midfield, confetti flying in all directions, and within 48 hours, will announce his retirement from the NFL. 

Well, lo and behold, I don't have a crystal ball in front of me, so it remains to be seen whether this prediction comes true or not, yet I do believe Manning will retire from football when this postseason finishes up. The reason I believe this with so much conviction is because I believe the Denver Broncos will win the Super Bowl three weeks from now. 

It looked like the cards were aligned for a Denver Super Bowl victory last season, yet the Seattle Seahawks quickly exposed the Broncos as an unbalanced football team. Their offense was built around one thing—the pass—and when Peyton Manning's targets were tightly covered, the offense stalled. With a stagnant offense, the Broncos weak defense, which had been exposed all season, was no match for the multi-faceted Seahawks offense, led by the very dangerous Russell Wilson. 

This year is a different story however. The Broncos are no longer the pass-first juggernauts that they were last season. Manning has attempted almost 100 fewer passes than last year and thrown 16 less touchdown passes (his 39 touchdown passes were still the second-most in the league this season).

On paper, it looks like the Denver offense lost some of its magic. Their power to overwhelm defenses by putting up three scores in one quarter is gone. What's so special about a team with a 38-year-old quarterback if he's not going to be ridiculously more potent than all other passers in the league? 

Like all good things in life, football is a game of balance, and Denver has acquired boatloads of it this season. They realized in the Super Bowl last season that they were easily shut down when their modus operandi was limited. This year, however, their M.O. is a mystery to defenses, and therefore, it is very tough to shut down entirely. 

Although health has been a major problem this season among Denver running backs, finding a productive runner has not been an issue. When Montee Ball went down to injury, it was backup Ronnie Hillman who filled in admirably. When Hillman was also bitten by the injury bug, relatively unknown third-string running back C.J. Anderson took the reins, and since taking over, he has been one of the league's most productive backs. 

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Anderson is far from the quickest or flashiest runner in the game, yet he's as reliable as Coca Cola on a hot day. He can handle a tremendous workload, has great hands for a man of his stature and has a nose for the end zone. With Anderson lining up in the backfield, defenses cannot afford to ignore him or any of the Broncos talented pass catchers. With the dual-threat offense in place, Denver has the ability to confuse defenses, keep the offense on the field longer and win slower-paced, lower-scoring games. 

When taking on a great opponent (i.e. the Green Bay Packers or the Seattle Seahawks), giving the defense time to rest in between series is crucial. Denver's more conservative offense provides the defense with this vital time to reboot, and as a result, the Denver defense has been able to become one of the league's best and most underrated units this season. 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

It is still the Denver offense that garners the attention, yet the defense has quietly become the league's third-best defense in terms of yards per game. Offseason signings like defensive end DeMarcus Ware and safety T.J. Ward have been huge successes in the Mile-High City, while young players like cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and linebacker Brandon Marshall have found their stride working with a defense that starts a beautiful mix of veterans and youngsters.

The balanced Denver offense also eliminates the situation of opposing offenses needing to play from behind. Last season, the Denver defense was protecting the deep ball for nearly three quarters per game; this season, teams are willing to try and run the rock (although the Denver defense allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game this season).

This 2014 Denver Broncos squad is the best team that Peyton Manning has ever played for, and fortunately for the future Hall of Famer, he should be able to go out on top, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in his storied NFL career. With a passing attack, a running game and a stingy defense, I find it hard to believe that any team remaining in the NFC can beat the Broncos on neutral turf.

Their biggest challenge may very well come in the AFC Championship Game next weekend. A trip to Foxborough, MA to take on the New England Patriots could spoil Denver's Super Bowl chances. Luckily, the Broncos already faced the Patriots this season, so they likely have a game plan in place to avoid a second loss to New England.

Of course, this is the NFL, and anything can happen. The Broncos still have to get past the Indianapolis Colts this weekend, while the Patriots have a tough opponent in the sneaky Baltimore Ravens.

With this being said, everyone in Denver is saying two things this weekend as they sit down to watch playoff football: "Go Broncos! Go Ravens!"

All stats courtesy of NFL.com. 

Joe Rapolla Jr. is a Denver Broncos Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He tweets—rarely.