ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- John Elway's signing of Peyton Manning moved the Denver Broncos into Super Bowl contention for the past three seasons.

But it could be the Denver defense that carves the team's path back to the Super Bowl this season. To see this defense up close is to be surprised by the speed, like a televised horse race in which the tape speed is one-and-a-half times reality. It's pretty clear the Broncos' defense is under the radar. With Wade Phillips in charge as the defensive coordinator, the group is primed for improvement, and potentially the better unit on this team.

As I watched last Tuesday's practice, linebackers were shooting through the blocking scheme so fast that they reached Manning twice before he was able to get the ball out. On another play, the pressure was instant, and Manning scrambled to his right and tossed the ball away to avoid the sack. Of course, a "sack" in camp is merely an obvious case of a defender being there before the ball would come out. But because you can't hit the red jersey, defenders can slow up, and make the offense look better than it is. In this case, the speed with which Denver defenders could be near Manning was striking.

Speed. That's the buzzword for the Broncos' defense. DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller and Shane Ray fire through and into gaps with speed. The inside linebacking corps has range and speed.

"You just think about the guys in general -- me, Von, Shane, Derek Wolfe and others," Ware said. "We have guys who are very athletic. We don't have the typical 3-4 guys who are doing two-gap. We are more of a pass-rush, dynamic 3-4. I am amazed how guys are hustling and getting to the quarterback."

In the preseason opener, the Broncos sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks seven times and forced Pete Carroll to make two changes along the line to fix the problems created by the Broncos. In two preseason games, the Broncos have a total of 12 sacks.

Because of the star power of the Broncos' offense, the defense often gets overlooked. Under John Fox, who used a hybrid 4-3 scheme that dabbled a little with the 3-4, the Broncos finished third last year for fewest yards allowed and had 41 sacks.

Phillips thinks they can get better.

Shane Ray could be used in a rotation with DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller, making this a deep pass rush. AP Photo/George Bridges

"The sky is the limit for us," Ware said. "We are trying to be the best defense in the NFL. That is testament to what Wade brings to the game and how he plays guys. We have those types of guys who run and get to the quarterback. We shoot gaps. And the linebackers are fast and quick."

Ware is probably the biggest benefactor of the Phillips hire. Ware had 60.5 sacks in the four seasons Phillips was with him in Dallas. At 33 and in incredible shape, Ware might be ready to return into the 16-to-20 sack level for at least another season with Phillips calling the defensive plays.

"It's a comfort level," Ware said. "Those were some of my top years playing in Wade's defense. You can see it with Von now. He's 100 percent healthy. Wade knows how to stunt guys and when to drop them in coverages. For offenses, you don't know who is coming."

Miller should be a candidate for defensive player of the year in this scheme. He has 49.0 sacks in his first 56 games in the league. He looks natural in Phillips' 3-4 pass-rush scheme. Miller is a unique talent. Ware compares him to Derrick Thomas, the former Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame pass-rusher.

"Von comes off with so much speed and tenacity trying to get to the quarterback," Ware said. "He has so many different types of rushes. He can spin. He can duck underneath blockers. He's a short box guy, but he just has so much power. He can get his body so low. That's what the coaches always like. He can get around the corner and still keep his stability."

Don't underestimate Ware's ability either. He has 127 career sacks and has eight trips to the Pro Bowl. Those qualifications alone make him a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame down the road. The Ware-Miller pass-rush tandem ranks among the best in football. And don't forget rookie Shane Ray. Considered one the top pass-rushers in the NFL draft, he fell to the Broncos and could allow more of a rotation, keeping Miller and Ware fresh.

Phillips is arguably the best coach in football when it comes to taking a base 4-3 defense and converting it to the 3-4. Transitions in San Diego and Houston dot his NFL résumé. He laughs off the idea that it's a complex transition, saying the only difference in the schemes is whether one defender plays with a hand on the ground or not.

Some 3-4 schemes force defenders to handle two gaps. Phillips stresses the one-gap approach and players love shooting those gaps in trying to get to the quarterback.

"When players in Wade's system come to the games, it's not like it's, 'OK, I got to butt this tackle or butt this guard or I've got to play the A-gap and the B-gap,'" Ware said. "You know you are playing one gap and there are 10 other guys who have their own gap responsibility. Bill Kollar [the defensive line coach] came in here and said we aren't two-gapping anymore, we aren't going to be sitting ducks. We are a pass-rush 3-4 team.'"

The Manning-led offense might have more questions than it has had since he arrived, but it will benefit from not playing the Denver defense.

From the inbox

Q: Do you see a team deep at the WR position trading with a team that desperately needs WRs like Carolina?

Alex in Bellevue, Washington

QUESTIONS, PLEASE Do you have a query for John Clayton?

Click here to send a note to his mailbag.

A: It's possible but unlikely. Ron Rivera probably will use more two-tight-end sets with Greg Olsen and Ed Dickson. Rookie Devin Funchess will need to step up and give Cam Newton the big target he will missing with the season-ending knee injury to Kelvin Benjamin. The other three options for Newton are Corey Brown, Ted Ginn Jr. and Jerricho Cotchery. Replacing Benjamin won't be easy but it's also pretty clear a trade wouldn't fully replace a No. 1 receiver.

Q: I don't see a good reason why the Chargers and Raiders would have to change divisions if they both move to L.A.

Michael in Council Bluffs, Iowa

A: The situation would be similar to the New York Giants and New York Jets, who share a stadium. New York is the No. 1 market. Fox and CBS wouldn't allow one conference or one network to have two teams in the No. 1 market. Los Angeles is the No. 2 market. It would be unfair to Fox, which has the NFC schedule, to let CBS to have the Raiders and the Chargers.

Q: The Cowboys seem to have an "opportunity" to go with a running back by committee. My question is whether that ever really happens for a good running team. It's like the bullpen that has a closer by committee -- they're just saying they don't have a closer they like. Am I right?

Darren in Trenton, New Jersey

A: It's hard to find more than eight to 10 elite running backs who can dominate a game. Because of that, more teams are using the committee approach at running back. But the Cowboys clearly are gambling that their offensive line is good enough for their run game to work without DeMarco Murray. Even as a tandem, I still wonder if Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden can stay healthy for a grueling 16-game schedule. Teams that don't have that every-down back have to use the committee approach. We'll see how the Cowboys did with this gamble.

Q: Did Tyrod Taylor's performance against the Browns make you think he's the guy to beat for that job? Sure felt that way to me.

Dave in Rochester, New York

A: I still think Matt Cassel is going to win the job. Last week was an important one for Taylor because he had the No. 1 snaps in practice and in the preseason game against Cleveland. He did some good things. His mobility and athletic abilities could help the Bills' ground-and-pound approach to the offense. For the Bills to get to 10 or 11 wins, they need a quarterback who isn't going to turn over the football. Because Cassel has the experience, he's still the leading candidate for the job. EJ Manuel still looks the odd man out in Buffalo.

Q: Is Kam Chancellor going to miss a regular-season game?

Sarah in Spokane, Washington

A: No. Something will happen to get him back with the roster at some time. I don't think he wants to miss regular-season game checks, and the Seahawks can't afford to go into the opening games in St. Louis and Green Bay without him. This is a tough situation for general manager John Schneider. If he gives more money to Chancellor, he could have a half-dozen Seahawks holding out for more money next year. Pete Carroll, meanwhile, has to worry about winning the first two games. They need Chancellor in camp.