The final rodeo is over; Carolina was left in the dirt last Sunday; the football season has ended; the parade has passed; and normalcy has returned to Our Dusty Old Championship Cowtown.

But don’t fret or fuss.

The mighty, gosh almighty Broncos will be back in the Super Bowl next season.

Pooh-pooh my preposterous prediction.

However, on July 26, 2015, I wrote: “This man’s opinion is that the Broncos will get a W in Super Bowl L,” and I forecast that Peyton Manning would surpass 200 career regular-season and postseason victories (he ended with exactly 200); the secondary would be the best in the NFL (it was No. 1); and the defense would finish with 100 combined sacks and turnovers (102, including the Super Bowl).

I prophesied that the Broncos would win 12 regular-season games, finish first in the AFC West, earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed and reach the Super Bowl, ultimately beating Dallas for what would be a 15-4 record. Tony Romo’s injury prevented a perfect sweep. “I’m driving the bandwagon. Get aboard. The calliope and the Broncos are about to start playing.”

There were a few bumps and bruises, and plantar fasciitis, along the way, but the season turned out OK.

NostraDrowmus now envisages:

Manning goes on vacation with his wife, Ashley, and twins Mosley and Marshall, talks to them about his retirement, then meets with his mother, Olivia, his father, Archie, and brothers Cooper and Eli, and other family members, and tells them his decision. Feb. 27, one month before he turns 40, Peyton announces he is retiring.

The Broncos sign Von Miller to a five-year, $110 million contract. Brock Osweiler agrees to a four-year, $40 million deal with the Broncos. John Elway, the executive of the year and the decade, reaches terms with Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and Ronnie Hillman, and extends Brandon Marshall’s contract. DeMarcus Ware, Antonio Smith, Ryan Harris, Evan Mathis, Louis Vasquez, Bubba Caldwell and Vernon Davis don’t return, clearing cap space (along with Manning’s retirement). Ryan Clady renegotiates down.

With 10 picks (unless Elway, as he always does, trades up), and drafting last in the first round, the Broncos will select a safety, two offensive linemen, a wide receiver, a tight end, a running back, a cornerback, a defensive lineman and an inside linebacker. Their first-round pick will be safety Darian Thompson, guard-tackle Jack Conklin, tackle Taylor Decker or tight end Hunter Henry.

Elway and Gary Kubiak will bring in a veteran, free-agent, cheap backup quarterback — T.J. Yates (who played for Kubiak in Houston) or Brandon Weeden (Elway considered drafting him before Manning signed with Denver).

The defense is virtually intact. The Broncos lose Ware, but they have Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett waiting. And Kenny Anunike comes off injured reserve.

The offense is needier, but the Broncos will get to look at tight end Jeff Heuerman, drafted a year ago and injured on the first day of practice, and, from the practice squad, wide receiver Jordan Taylor (Manning’s caddie), tight end Nick Kasa, tackle Kyle Roberts and center Dillon Day. Running back Kapri Bibbs gets one more chance.

Except for quality control assistant Brian Callahan, the coaching staff fortunately should be the same.

According to 2015 regular-season records, the Broncos’ strength of schedule for next season is in the middle of the league (14th), but I think it’s easier than this past season’s. The Broncos will play six teams that were in the playoffs, but they get four of those games at home (Kansas City and Houston and, yes, folks, New England and Carolina). They play the Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.

All three division teams will be improved. The Chargers can’t get any worse; the Raiders have all the cap money in the world; and the Chiefs frightened the Broncos this past season. The excellent news is that the Broncos play five lesser lites on the road, all at warm-weather sites — San Diego (still there), Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Nashville and New Orleans (only indoor game). In addition to Cincy, the Broncos have to travel, as usual, to Oakland (still there too) and K.C. They also have home games against Indianapolis (no more drama) and Atlanta.

The Broncos will win seven of eight in Denver — losing to the Panthers or to the Patriots (both with revenge upon their minds). The Broncos have won 15 consecutive games on the road against division opponents, but the NFL-record streak will be stopped in Oakland or in Kansas City. Yet the Broncos will win five away from ODOC.

The Broncos will finish 12-4 again, earn the No. 1 seed, beat Pittsburgh and New England in the playoffs (sound familiar?) and advance to their ninth Super Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.

The Cowtown will beat the Cowboys.

Six words to remember: Back. To. Back. La. Ti. Da.

Woody Paige: woody@woodypaige.com or twitter.com/woodypaige