How the Championship Broncos Put Together Their 2015 “No Fly Zone”

As head of Admissions Geek, Dr. Lawrence Hernandez leads a team that offers college application and essay preparation solutions. An avid sports fan, Dr. Lawrence Hernandez considers the boxer Muhammad Ali an inspirational figure and is also a longtime Denver Broncos fan.

One of the storied aspects of the Broncos legacy in recent years has been their “No Fly Zone” defense. This was highlighted by the 2021 retirement of safety T.J. Ward, who was a lynchpin of a feared secondary that combined lights-out defense with a smothering pass rush, resulting in a 2015 Super Bowl championship season.

The backdrop was a decisive defeat for the Broncos the year prior in Super Bowl 49. Entering 2015, general manager John Elway sought to augment a team that relied on injury-impacted Pro-Bowl players such as cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and edge rusher Von Miller, as well as defensive end Derek Wolfe.

The squad Elway put together included cornerback Aqib Talib, released from New England, and safety T.J. Ward. The Broncos selected first-round draft pick cornerback Bradley Roby and signed DeMarcus Ware, destined for the Hall of Fame, when he was released by Dallas. At the same time, linebacker Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson were elevated to leadership positions. Additional weapons in the arsenal included safety Darian Stewart, acquired when Raheem Moore was released, and incoming linebacker Brandon Marshall.

A key to putting this all together was Wade Phillips, a past Broncos head coach who was given the pivotal role of defensive coordinator in 2015. His strategy was to combine relentless pressure at the line from every direction, with a secondary committed to tight man-to-man coverage. In addition to getting large personalities to mesh, sacrificing individual statistics for group achievement was key to developing a defense that teams around the league quickly learned to fear. Pressure in the pocket and sacks were compounded by turnovers on fumbles and interceptions by elite quarterbacks such as Manning, Brady, Newton, and Roethlisberger. This led the Broncos to a resounding defeat of the 15-1 Carolina Panthers, the NFL’s top offense, in Super Bowl Fifty.