ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The last time the Broncos won a game after their bye, Peyton Manning was still their quarterback, their defense was on pace for a historic finish and the team was undefeated.



That was only three years ago, when Denver opened the season 6-0, then handed the Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season, a 19-point thrashing that became the Broncos’ pièce de résistance to their regular season. For that night, Manning was vintage Manning, completing 21-of-29 passes for 340 yards. For that night, the Broncos’ defense did what no other has against Aaron Rodgers and held him to merely 77 passing yards and zero touchdowns in a full game.



Problem is, the post-bye performances of the Broncos over the last two years have been just as defining, just as critical to their season’s finish.



For the wrong reasons.



The time to rest and recover spelled trouble for the Broncos, as they’ve struggled to...