The Seattle Seahawks will travel to Denver to face the Broncos in a rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII in a preseason game on Thursday.

Let’s not forget this was a Super Bowl that the Broncos lost, and lost emphatically.

So emphatically was the loss that viewers were begging for a reprise of the halftime show just minutes into the third quarter. (Which, in fairness, was a pretty great halftime show, save for the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing with instruments that weren’t plugged into anything.)

The Broncos are futures favorites at 13-2 odds to win this year’s Super Bowl, just ahead of the Seahawks who follow a close second at 7-1, according to Vegas Insider.

Here’s why the Broncos just might win Super Bowl XLIX.

The Last Super Bowl

Team GM John Elway said the entire team gathered before the offseason to watch the footage from last year’s title game. Every single cringeworthy minute. From the first-snap-fumble-safety snafu to the final whistle. They’ve been under a microscope since that absolute beating; probed, questioned, examined. How could a team that had been so excellent for the lion’s share of the season lose by such a wide margin? What happened? Were they scared of the Seahawks defense?

They have plenty of headline clippings to plaster all over the locker room to motivate them to prove the naysayers wrong.

On top of that, four quarters of mediocre football doesn’t negate a season. The Broncos were excellent last year and they will learn from their mistakes in the final game.

Off-season spending

Despite making it to the big one last year, the Broncos defense really wasn’t all that great. They came in 19th in total defense. Which isn’t last, but it’s also not first, like the Seahawks defense was.

Their defense was also plagued by injuries last season, and a lot of those players are returning from injured reserves. Von Miller. Rahim Moore. Kevin Vickerson. Derek Wolfe. Chris Harris Jr. In addition, Denver has made some pretty solid moves in free agency. They brought in strong safety T.J. Ward, handsy former-New England Patriots corner Aqib Talib, and pass rusher DeMarcus Ware.

Peyton Manning

He’s still Peyton Manning. He threw seven touchdowns in last year’s season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, or have you forgotten? He also finished the season with 55 touchdown passes, nine games with four or more touchdown passes, and 15 90+ passer rating games, all of which are the most ever.

Sure, Thursday night’s Super Bowl rematch will be a preseason game featuring the key players from last year’s Super Bowl for only a few snaps, but it’ll feel like a statement game. The Broncos are looking to redeem themselves for the franchise’s third title, and they just might get it.

The Denver Broncos will play the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, August 7 at 9 p.m. ET.