I feel compelled to write this in advance of for the 16th installment of versus and .No matter what happens at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, the are the best team in the NFL and should be considered the team to beat as we look toward XLIX. and these are akin to the Miami Heat during LeBron James' stay in South Beach. Fairly or unfairly, it's about getting to championships and winning titles. LeBron made the NBA Finals in each of his four years with the Heat, snagging a pair of rings. That's a succe s, even if the total didn't quite match the bevy of titles LeBron nonchalantly guaranteed in his introductory dance party. ()Manning has the great games, the surreal moments, and the 38-year-old is fresh off arguably the greatest regular season ever for an NFL quarterback, one that netted him .But he needs a ring in Denver. It's or bust. And this time around, Peyton should finish the job.This is not like last year, when I certainly . I thought Denver, despite Manning's genius, was flawed on the offensive line and most especially on defense. I thought the AFC winner would get beat when it went up a cla s to fight a more physical team from the NFC. And that's exactly what happened, as the were on Sunday.I don't have that feeling this fall.This version of the is loaded, thanks to a brilliant offseason plan by John Elway.Elway went back to the drawing board after the embarra sment. The ' general manager set out in search of defensive additions this past offseason -- and he slammed it out of the park. He pilfered from the rival , and Talib has been splendid as Denver's No. 1 corner. , a needed pickup at safety, has lived up to the billing. was signed to help the pa s rush, and whaddya know: The are averaging over Luka Doncic Jersey three sacks a game. Of course, 's re-emergence has a lot to do with this, too. The playmaking linebacker is healthy and appears to be in the right place mentally. He's terrorizing opposing quarterbacks every Sunday, playing at a first-team All-Pro clip. Miller's turnaround from a year ago, when he mi sed nearly half the season due to suspension and injury, is a game changer for Denver, a bar-raiser for the 2014 .Phil Simms appears weekly on my SiriusXM Radio show, "Schein on Sports," and the two-time champ made a tremendous point heading into Thursday's highly anticipated - bout (which Denver ended up winning, ): "Forget the stats. Right now, the have one of the best -- if not the best -- defense in the NFL right now. They can do everything on every level." I told Phil my gut instinct was to loudly disagree, but I couldn't. He's right: The boast the best defense in the NFL. This unit's better than the usual suspects from Seattle, San Francisco and Cincinnati. It's better than the ' upstart D and the resilient outfit in Arizona. The stop the run. They defend the pa s. They get to the quarterback and create turnovers. It's a dominant bunch, plain and simple.And here's a scary thought: Denver's offense, which set an NFL record for points in a season last season, is even more complete around Manning in 2014. represents another Elway offseason masterstroke. earned a bunch of green paper to wear green for the (who are now 1-7). After Decker's departure via free agency, Denver signed a better player. Sanders torched San Diego for three touchdowns on Thursday. He adds a fantastic speed element to the equation. How do you defend an offense that presents the freakish talent of , the speed of Sanders, the experience of and the mismatch quality of ?And now the backfield's getting it together, to boot. has been a pleasant surprise in October, filling in for -- and seemingly "Wally Pipping" -- injured running back . Hillman, like Sanders, adds pure speed and sizzle to the ' attack. As long as Hillman doesn't go back to his fumbling ways of yesteryear, he upgrades the RB position. And one thing that helps everyone in this offense: is back and healthy at left tackle, which makes the offensive line stout.Manning is having another terrific season, with 22 touchdown pa ses against just three interceptions. But only one thing matters for Peyton: winning another title.New England, the opponent in and the next opponent on this season's schedule, has always been a nemesis. Belichick's defense has, at times, been Manning's kryptonite. Brady has more rings. And after getting through a sluggish first quarter of the 2014 Dennis Smith Jr. Jersey campaign, New England is firing on all cylinders, . But the Pats' talent just doesn't compare to that of the , especially on defense, where New England has lost for the year and currently lacks top pa s rusher . This is the time for Manning and the to own the conference.Who else in the AFC can challenge? I love and the , but they showed they aren't quite ready to make a title run with the way they just played . The are beaten up, and even when healthy, they feel like a 10-win wild-card team. Baltimore is solid, but not a true title threat. Cincinnati doesn't get it done in the big spot.Yes, the NFC is loaded. in the back in August, and I stand by that pick. Arizona is legit, as I've have written many times. Dallas is for real, between , the best offensive line in football, and a vastly improved defense. The will get better as they get healthier -- don't discount 's bunch. Detroit has shown remarkable resiliency (and rare defense!). Seattle still lurks as an obvious player. And the are a dangerous team under .Denver is better -- Denver is more balanced -- than all of the above.There is immense pre sure on . Denver's head coach knows what he has to deliver (a Lombardi Trophy).Every NFL team faces potential pitfalls. Every NFL team has to deal with adversity. Denver will lose again this season, maybe in New England on Sunday. (Though I personally don't see that happening.)But barring injury, this team cannot -- and will not -- lose in January or February. Denver has . Denver has the best all-around squad.Manning needs a second title to cement his legacy. It's championship or bust. And right now, bust is hard to fathom.Follow Adam Schein on Twitter .