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Denver Broncos
Overall: 19
Title track: 11
Ownership: 17
Coaching: 32
Players: 25
Fan relations: 54
Affordability: 84
Stadium experience: 59
Bang for the buck: 7
Change from last year: +1
You'll have to excuse the Denver Broncos and their crowd for a little bit of the "duh" face with all of this. The team has sold every ticket since 1970, it has had more Super Bowl trips than losing seasons since Pat Bowlen became an owner in 1984. Last season was the franchise's eighth trip to the Super Bowl overall, seventh in Bowlen's time with the franchise and the Broncos won their third championship.
What's good
Two Super Bowls (and one title) in three years goes a long way for a title track ranking -- up 18 spots to 11th this year. The team also ranks well in bang for the buck -- lots of wins and a reasonable ticket price will do that -- and in ownership (17th this year). With Bowlen having stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the team because of Alzheimer's disease, the team is run by the Bowlen Family Trust, with president Joe Ellis and GM John Elway guiding the franchise. Bowlen's influence remains, though: "When I get to a point when decisions need to be made, I know we are all mindful of what Pat would want us to do and we operate with his belief that the Denver Broncos should strive to be the best at everything," Ellis said.
What's bad
The only sore spot for Broncos fans comes from their ticket pricing, which while almost $40 cheaper on average than our highest team (the Giants) at $87.96, is still in the bottom 10 of NFL teams. And the cost to attend a game -- including a hat and concessions -- is in the bottom half. At least the fans are usually getting a win for their money, though -- the Broncos are 32-4 at home since 2012.
What's new
There were many who raised some eyebrows when, after four consecutive division titles, Elway and the Broncos parted ways with John Fox. And a few more were raised when Elway breezed past many candidates to hire his former roommate, Gary Kubiak, as the team's head coach. But the Broncos responded to Kubiak's way with a Super Bowl win last season, and the fans responded with a 25-point jump in coaching, the Broncos' biggest jump this season. This team overcame injuries, won close games and closed the deal with a 24-10 win in Super Bowl 50, evidence that the Broncos were the most prepared team on the field. A 22-point jump in the players rank (to 25th overall) also helps explain how the Broncos have kept things humming along as they leave the Peyton Manning era (they're the AFC's only team with a 4-0 start in 2016). It doesn't hurt that fans feel like they have the game's best defensive player in Von Miller, who signed a six-year, $114.5 million contract in the offseason and has played up to every dollar in that deal.
Next: Kansas City Chiefs | Full rankings