The defense never rests.
So the Denver Br50ncos and the sovereign nation of 50range are marching triumphantly to their eighth wonder of the world — Super B50wl.
In the franchise’s past 38 seasons, the Broncos have qualified for Super Bowl Nos. 12, 21, 22, 24, 32, 33, 48 … and now The Big 5-0.
The Broncos defeated the New England Patriots in the mind-boggling, heart-rendering, nail-chewing, breath-seizing, soul-searching, down-to-the-very-end AFC championship game Sunday and will confront the Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara, Calif.
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“To be the best, you must beat the best,” Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. “And we just beat the champs.”
The Broncos attacked Tom Brady persistently and unmercifully — hitting him 20 times — and caused havoc and ambiguity among the usually unflappable Patriots.
And Peyton Manning, who has won three consecutive conference title games against Brady, gets another opportunity to play and win the Super Bowl.
In two playoff games, the Broncos’ offense has scored only three touchdowns. But the defense has permitted only three touchdowns, and the Broncos have won an NFL-record 11 regular-season and postseason games by seven points or fewer.
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“Defense wins championships,” Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said. “And we proved it again, just as we have all season.”
As the rejoicing and revelry continued in the locker room, the stadium, the parking lot, throughout downtown Denver and the entire state of Colorado, the Pat Bowlen family took the Lamar Hunt AFC championship trophy home to present it to the patriarch of the Broncos through 32 seasons and seven of those Super Bowls. Bowlen is suffering with deteriorating Alzheimer’s and may not have totally realized what happened.
But the one in two weeks will be for Pat.
He would have treasured the effort by Orange Crush 2.0.
Brady threw 56 times, completed only 27 (for 310 yards), was intercepted twice and was sacked four times. He threw for only one touchdown.
The Broncos’ effort was phenomenal considering that they lost both starting safeties to injury in the second half, had linebackers covering receivers deep and moved Chris Harris to safety, a position he never had played.
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“I was learning on the run and trying to get in the right position,” said Harris, who still was cringing on every play because of a deep bruise in his shoulder. “We were definitely angry because everybody said we couldn’t cover (the Patriots’ receiving corps). … We lost a lot of guys, but at the end of the day, they had only 18 points.”
But the Patriots didn’t bow without a struggle at the end.
Brady threw to the Gronkasaurus — Rob Gronkowski — for 40 and 4 yards in the final seconds to bring New England within a two-point conversion and a potential overtime.
“We doubled him (Gronkow ski) on both plays, and he’s just that great,” Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. But we’ve got some pretty good players, and they did the job on the (two-pointer). I couldn’t be prouder. And I feel OK myself. A year ago, I didn’t have a job.”
On the tying try, the Broncos doubled Gronk again, and Brady targeted Julian Edelman.
“He was my man, and I just reacted when I saw Brady throw. Got a hand on it,” Talib told me. The tip became an interception by Bradley Roby, who began running up the field. If he had scored, the Broncos would have gotten two more points. Instead, the ball was popped away from Roby, who had caused the critical Pittsburgh fumble a week ago.
The Broncos then had to endure an onside kick, and Shiloh Keo, the last defensive back standing, recovered. End game.
Bookend rushers Von Miller and Ware were sensational. Both will play in their first Super Bowl. (Miller was hurt two years ago; Ware hasn’t been close before.)
“I’m just living in the moment,” said Miller, who had five tackles, 2½ sacks, an interception (when he dropped to envelop Gronkowski) and four quarterback hurries.
Manning got a $2 million bonus for starting and winning the AFC championship game. Miller will get a $100 million-plus contract off this game.
Ware, who had half a sack and was responsible for seven hurries and a lot more Brady worries, addressed the Broncos on Saturday night. From the Broncos’ trophy case, he brought the team’s first Super Bowl trophy.
“I sat it on the table, and I just got really quiet. I saw in all the guys’ eyes how they felt, and what they felt, because I felt the same way,” he said.
The Broncos’ Phillips Screwdriver defense is No. 1 in the league for a reason. It was quite evident in the Pittsburgh and New England games.
This defense is Super Bowl worthy. One more victory, and the defense will be ranked above the original Orange Crush and above all the Purple People Eaters and other colors in history.
“We are never scared of anybody,” Talib said.
The offense has Manning the Merlin, and his Magical Mystery Tour is not over.
The 50 shades of Orange and the Denver Br50ncos: California, here they come!
Woody Paige: woody@woodypaige.com or @woodypaige
