The 10 Best NFL Teams of the Last Decade
4. 2013 Denver Broncos
nERD: 12.48
Record: 13-3, lost Super Bowl XLVIII
This was supposed to be “the season” for the Denver Broncos. The second year with quarterback Peyton Manning on the team, the Broncos made some key additions in their hunt for a championship ring, including wide receiver Wes Welker and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. This team leveled the opposition, week-in, week-out.
The 2013 Broncos didn’t just light the league up on offense that year; they had the sixth-best Adjusted Offensive NEP per play of any year since 2000. This season, Manning set the season record for passing touchdowns and passing yards, and put up the second-best quarterback Total NEP score since 2000. Running back Knowshon Moreno had the third-best Total NEP among all backs that year, and wide receivers Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Welker all ranked top-25 in Total NEP at their position. Even tight end Julius Thomas ranked fourth at his position in this metric. They set the NFL record for points per game
The defense was solid, as well. They lost outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil to free agency (and a fax error) in the offseason, but Von Miller and Danny Trevathan led the team to a 13th place finish in Adjusted Defensive NEP per play.
Still, the Broncos allowed 22 points to the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of Super Bowl XLVIII, and never recovered from that point on. Manning would earn his ring two years later, but this was arguably his greatest season ever and certainly the Broncos’ best in the last decade.
