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The Broncos of the 1980s were hardly what I would call "mediocre" teams. Those teams had at least half a dozen Pro Bowlers most years, including a number of players who were among the tops in the league for several years at a time -- including offensive tackle Keith Bishop, defensive end Rulon Jones, linebackers Karl Mecklenburg and Michael Brooks, and defensive backs Dennis Smith, Steve Atwater and Louis Wright. If you want to tell me that their offense was usually mediocre, I'd concede that you're probably right.

They got their heads handed to them in all those Super Bowls for the same reason the Buffalo Bills lost four straight -- because they were built with smaller, faster players to win against other AFC teams but matched up very poorly against the larger, run-oriented teams that dominated the NFC in that era.

The Broncos of the 1980s were hardly what I would call "mediocre" teams. Those teams had at least half a dozen Pro Bowlers most years, including a number of players who were among the tops in the league for several years at a time -- including offensive tackle Keith Bishop, defensive end Rulon Jones, linebackers Karl Mecklenburg and Michael Brooks, and defensive backs Dennis Smith, Steve Atwater and Louis Wright. If you want to tell me that their offense was usually mediocre, I'd concede that you're probably right.

The Broncos were not favored to win the first three Superbowls. No one disputes that they had a good team. You don't go to three Superbowls in four years, but they were not dominant, especially against NFC teams. As far as the NFC was concerned, they were mediocre.

In 1987 the Giants beat the Broncos 39-20 with Simms throwing for 22 out of 25. In 1988 it was the Redskins turn to whip the Broncos 42-10. And in 1990, San Francisco whalloped Denver 55-10 with Montana at the helm. From 1982 to 1997, the NFC won every Superbowl except one when the Raiders beat Washington. Clearly, the AFC was overmatched.

y got their heads handed to them in all those Super Bowls for the same reason the Buffalo Bills lost four straight -- because they were built with smaller, faster players to win against other AFC teams but matched up very poorly against the larger, run-oriented teams that dominated the NFC in that era.

I'll agree with that. Pass-oriented teams place tremendous pressure on their own defenses. Quick-strike offenses keep their defenses on the field and wear them out. Ball control teams have greater time of possession, which allows the defense to rest. Also, as the old football adage goes, when you throw the ball three things happen and two of them are bad.