The Denver Broncos came one game away from crowning one of the greatest seasons recorded by a team, but saw their hopes dashed in an embarrassing Super Bowl defeat to the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium.
Quarterback Peyton Manning had a record-breaking season where he broke the single-season touchdown record throwing 55 strikes to shatter Tom Brady's record, while he also threw for the most yards ever thrown in a single campaign.
However, it was all in vain as John Fox's side fell short in Super Bowl XLVIII and yet another season ends in disappointment for Manning, despite his team's first AFC championship win since 1998.
Sports Mole looks back at their 2013 season.
Pre-season expectations
The Broncos crashed out of the 2012 playoffs in the divisional round to the eventual Super Bowl winners the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field despite boasting the best record in the AFC. They were expected to do better in Manning's second season with the club as they loaded up with offensive weapons as they signed wide receiver Wes Welker from the New England Patriots and guard Louis Vasquez from the San Diego Chargers, while running back Montee Ball was added in the Draft. Despite losing All-Pro linebacker Von Miller to a six-game suspension, Fox's side were tipped to be in the mix once again to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Highlight of the season
On an individual note Manning's record-breaking touchdown pass to Julius Thomas should rank very highly as he beat the record set by his great rival Tom Brady against the Houston Texans. However, the moment was surpassed by the Broncos in their commanding win over Brady's Patriots in the AFC championship game. Fox's side dominated from the off at Sports Authority Field and earned their place in the Super Bowl and their first conference title since the 1998 season.
Biggest disappointment
It's harsh to criticise a team for getting to the Super Bowl, but the Broncos' performance at MetLife Stadium was abject and embarrassing. They were widely tipped to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy with their record-breaking offense taking on the Seattle Seahawks' vaunted defense. However, it all went wrong from the first snap of the game as they conceded a safety when Manny Ramirez's snap flew over the head of Manning. Seattle proved to be too physical for the Broncos' receivers, while Manning threw two interceptions as the Seahawks cruised to a 43-8 victory.
Player of the season:
No quarterback in the history of the NFL had a better regular season than Manning. He was absolutely brilliant in the majority of his side's 16 games and set the tone early for his magnificent campaign by equalling the NFL record for most touchdowns thrown in a single game, with seven strikes against the reigning Super Bowl champions the Ravens in the first game of the season. He didn't let up as week after week he and his offense kept racking up the points, at one point throwing 20 touchdowns to zero interceptions. Manning continued to close the gap on rival Brady's record of 50 touchdowns in a season and eventually he surpassed him in week 16 against the Houston Texans as he found Julius Thomas in the endzone for his 51st touchdown. He rightly earned the Most Valuable Player of the Year award, his fifth of his career. Despite his campaign ending a humbling defeat, it will most certainly go down in history as the best season by a quarterback in the history of the game.
Unsung hero
With all their firepower on offense, one area of the team that went unnoticed for large parts of the season was their run defense. This was led by Terrance Knighton, who helped his side rank seventh overall in rush defense in the regular season. He ate up blockers in the middle of the line and restricted the opposition into becoming one-dimensional, while helping other members of his side make plays around him. Knighton really came to fore in the playoffs as he shut down the San Diego Chargers run game, which had caused the Broncos problems earlier in the season. He did the same the week after to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, and had one vital sack of Brady on a fourth and two which helped kill the game. Even as his teammates struggled around him in the Super Bowl he still helped limit back Marshawn Lynch to just 39 yards.
Off-season changes
The Broncos will need to improve their defense despite their improvement in the latter half of the season. They have several players whose contracts are up at the end of the league year including defensive end Shaun Phillips, who led them in sacks this year, and starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They should be priority re-signings for Fox's side, but one player who might not return is wide receiver Eric Decker who maybe too expensive to re-sign as he will chase number one wideout money elsewhere. Wes Welker could also be cut if the Broncos choose to trim their salary cap and find a cheaper slot receiver, as the 32-year-old struggled with concussions late in the year.
2014 prospects
With Manning at the helm the Broncos will always be competitive in the NFL. It will be extremely hard for them to match their offensive production of last season but if Von Miller can find his form again after a year hit with suspension and injury their defense can improve with some savvy additions, which John Elway always seems to find there's no reason they can't reach the Super Bowl again. Especially playing in the AFC, where they will face some weaker sides compared to the stronger NFC conference.
