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It's a great point, absolutely the Broncos should have stepped up and fought back -- but it's not their team's character. You can't fake it I don't think. E.g., Carolina Panthers tried to act tough against SF in the first half, but it just came off unfocused and paradoxically made them look weaker (and the refs weren't having it either). SF just smirked at all the nonsense, and ran them off the field. Compare to SF-Seattle, two teams that embody controlled, confident, and well-coached aggression. (Meanwhile Carolina too, like Denver, has a front-running QB who slumps and pouts when the going gets rough. The QB is critical to overall team attitude.)