Why Knowshon Moreno's Resurgence Is Key to a Denver Broncos' Super Bowl Run

 The 2013 NFL Season has been quite kind to Denver Broncos fans. They've been enjoying quarterback Peyton Manning gel with his stacked receiving corps and a strong defensive front seven control the run and get to opposing quarterbacks en route to a 9-1 record. 

Another facet of the Broncos that has been fun to watch this year has been running back Knowshon Moreno, who has transformed himself from a draft bust to one of the league's most reliable and quietly successful backs. Moreno's transformation, and subsequent resurgence, is the key to the Broncos making a Super Bowl run this year. 

One area of the game where Denver has looked very beatable as of late has been protecting Peyton Manning. The offensive line did not allow any sacks or hits on Manning in last Sunday night's win over the Kansas City Chiefs, although he had been dropped eight times in the previous three games. Perhaps contributing to the supreme protection of Manning this past Sunday was their insistence to run the rock. 

Denver handed the ball off 36 times against the Chiefs, with Moreno receiving 27 of those carries. In their previous three games against the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers, Denver did not run the ball as much with Moreno or as a whole, and the result was their star quarterback finding himself on the ground a lot more frequently. 

Opponent	Total Running Plays	Total Moreno Carries	Sacks on Manning
Colts	20	15	4
Redskins	34	13	2
Chargers	22	15	2
Chiefs	36	27	0

When Denver has a rushing attack to match its passing game, Manning does not need to drop back on nearly every play and face the wrath of oncoming pass-rushers. Moreno and the rest of the Denver running backs are taking a huge weight off of Manning (literally) and single-handedly improving the statistics for a Denver offensive line that has suffered due to injury this season. 

While some Denver fans may have been griping over the draft pick that was spent on Moreno in 2009, they are now grateful that the former Georgia Bulldog has become the player he really is, rather than the injury-ridden, somewhat ornery young man that he once was. 

Moreno has matured, and it couldn't come at a better time for the Denver Broncos.