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Defending Super Bowl champs sitting out the playoffs (The Associated Press)

DENVER (AP) -- The one team that best found a way to neutralize Von Miller, Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and Chris Harris Jr. in 2016 was the Denver Broncos themselves.

The Super Bowl 50 champs won't get to defend their title despite a powerful pass rush and stellar secondary that were even better than the ones that carried Peyton Manning across the finish line in February.

Denver's five-year playoff run that featured two Super Bowl trips came crashing to a halt with a late-season slide that revealed both flaws in the foundation and fissures in the locker room .