NFL Championship Ring Denver Broncos 2015 Peyton Manning

The Broncos’ fate in Super Bowl 50 was far from preordained. The 2015 season had gone well, to be sure — Denver was the top seed in the AFC, after all. But it had not come easily. Quarterback Peyton Manning tore his plantar fascia and missed almost half the season after leading the Broncos to a 7-2 start.

As the offense tried to pick up the pieces with longtime backup Brock Osweiler leading the way, Denver’s defense provided the reliable backbone upon which the team could rely. Manning ultimately returned in the season finale to help beat the Chargers to secure home-field advantage through the playoffs.

In the postseason, the Broncos eked out narrow victories over Pittsburgh and New England largely on the strength of their defense. The AFC Championship came down to the wire, as Denver only clinched the win after intercepting a two-point conversion attempt. Narrow win or not, though, the battle-tested Broncos were heading back to the Super Bowl.