The unit was assembled in the wake of back-to-back postseason fiascos, beginning with the 2012 Divisional Round upset defeat to the Ravens in which Joe Flacco forced overtime on a stunning 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones with 31 seconds remaining in regulation -- a desperation heave that inexplicably went over the head of out-of-position safety Rahim Moore. The following season ended in the aforementioned Super Bowl XLVIII disaster against the Seahawks, a game that convinced executive vice president John Elway he had to toughen up his defense.

That led to the free-agent signings of Talib, who'd spent the previous season-and-a-half with the Patriots, and Ward, a Cleveland Browns standout, both of whom would earn Pro Bowl selections in Year 1 as Broncos. And Harris, who'd torn his ACL in the Broncos' 2013 Divisional Round playoff victory over the San Diego Chargers, came back even better in 2014.

The quartet was completed last March when the physical Stewart, formerly of the Ravens and Rams, was signed as a free agent, giving newly hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips yet another heavy hitter.

"Stew's gonna knock some sense into you, for real," Talib said of the free safety. "But he's the guy who's gonna know everything about how we're supposed to line up, and he stays calm, cool and collected."

That's in sharp contrast to the equally aggressive Ward, a strong safety Talib likened to the Tasmanian Devil.

"He's the spark," Harris said of Ward. "If we're not awake, he's gonna wake us up, man. He's gonna give a speech before we come out; he gets us going."

Added Stewart: "There's no telling what he's gonna say, really. He's gonna make you high; you're going to be turned up. And definitely, he's our enforcer: People know that when they run the ball, or somebody catches it down the middle, they're gonna get banged.

When Ward gets overly hyped, he relies on Talib to calm him down. "Sometimes, I'll be flipping out, and 'Lib will be the guy who brings me back. He's like the uncle of the group."

That's a far cry from Talib's persona as a self-proclaimed wild child during his first four-plus seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. After a long string of off-the-field trouble, Talib was traded to the Patriots midway through the 2012 season, his career at a crossroads.

"I've come a long, long way," he said. "I remember the days when I got to the league, after practice I'd head straight out of the house, get back in at maybe 1 in the morning and set three alarms making sure I'd wake up and get to work. [Patriots coach Bill Belichick] definitely took a chance on me, and I'm very thankful. It was just a long way from football player to professional football player."