Denver Broncos' Updated Super Bowl Odds With Peyton Manning at the Helm

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was brilliant in his new team's tough win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in Week 1, but this team isn't a Super Bowl contender right now. 

There are currently three AFC teams better than the Broncos right now: the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. 

Here are a couple of reasons why the Broncos are still on the outside looking in for the chance to represent the AFC in New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII.

Offensive Line

The offensive line of the Broncos scares me. Manning has taken some big hits already this year, and if he goes down, the team has no chance of winning the Super Bowl.

The big men up front did a decent job of protecting Manning against the Steelers on Sunday Night Football (only two sacks), but the Steelers were not at full strength. James Harrison, one of the best pass-rushing outside linebackers in the NFL, was out of the game, along with safety Ryan Clark.

As a result, Dick LeBeau called a more conservative game plan, and Manning shredded the depleted secondary of the Steelers. 

The Broncos' schedule presents many challenges for this offensive line that gave up 42 sacks a year ago. Here are the games that concern me:

Week	Team
3	Houston Texans
5	@ New England Patriots
6	@ San Diego Chargers
11	San Diego Chargers
12	@ Kansas City Chiefs
15	@ Baltimore Ravens
16	Cleveland Browns
17	Kansas City Chiefs

Any one of these defenses has the pass-rushing firepower to take Manning out of a game, and unless the offensive line of the Broncos drastically improves, this will be an area of deep concern.

Run Defense

The Broncos weren't good at stopping opposing teams from running the ball in 2011 (22nd in the NFL), and I'm not convinced this team did enough to make any real improvements in this area for 2012. 

You can't look at the game against the Steelers as a template for what to expect the rest of the year. It's no secret that the Steelers have turned into the Green Bay Packers in that regard, and their No. 1 running back, Rashard Mendenhall, was out of the game. 

I expect to see opposing teams not named the Steelers, Patriots and Chargers pound the ball against the Broncos in an effort to keep Manning off the field as much as possible. The Steelers attempted the same strategy, only Roethlisberger used short passes instead of runs. 

There are some terrific running teams on the schedule this year for the Broncos, too. Until this team proves it can stop teams like the Texans, Chiefs, Raiders and Ravens from running the ball, I'm not sold on the Broncos as a Super Bowl contender. 

Conclusion

Winning playoff games in the NFL (or any game, for that matter) starts in the trenches. The biggest weakness for the Broncos on both sides of the ball is up front, and until this team improves its pass protection and run defense, it will not be one of my favorites to go to the Super Bowl. 

The season is still young, though, and the Broncos could drastically improve in both of these areas. Time will tell. One thing is for sure, Manning is back, and he's better than ever. 

Super Bowl odds: 40/1

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed.