The Denver Broncos are finally bringing through doubters around after an impressive win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The offense was far more efficient in this game than the previous two, which was truly the difference in the game. Some massive penalties kept the Chiefs in the game despite being otherwise dominated by Denver’s defense.
That’s how the NFL goes. You cannot control how some penalties are called, but a team must overcome them at times. The Broncos defense overcame the NFL picking
on Riley Moss heavily and overcame having a pick six removed to dominate what the national media considers the greatest quarterback and coach of this era. Surely that performance would lead to a huge boost in their perceived NFL power ranking for this week.
Here is where the Broncos rank heading into Week 12:
NFL.com: 5th
The biggest difference between the 2024 and 2025 versions of the Broncos? Winning the close ones. A year ago, Denver was 1-6 in one-score games. With Sunday’s win over the Chiefs, they moved to 7-2 in tight contests over the last three months. As much as we’ve needled the Broncos for their sometimes-sluggish offensive starts — often produced by self-inflicted errors — their fourth-quarter performance is above reproach. Bo Nix rallied from a tough game against the Raiders to deliver some big throws against the Chiefs, especially given how little help he received from the run game. Denver’s defense also stepped up once more, this time without two key starters, and the special teams were excellent. Those little details are the difference, and it’s why the Broncos are looking ripe to dethrone the one-time close-game champs, the Chiefs, for AFC West supremacy.
Yahoo Sports: 5th
The Broncos will just keep winning games while everyone decides they’re not really that good. The offense is inconsistent, but a defense without Patrick Surtain II and Alex Singleton still had a great day against the Chiefs. Maybe at some point they’ll get their proper respect.
CBS Sports: 5th
The fourth-quarter magic is real. They have a true shot to be the top seed in the AFC.
ESPN: 5th
It was Payton before the season, and it’s Payton now. He unapologetically touted his team’s Super Bowl worthiness in training camp, and lo and behold the Broncos are tied for the NFL’s best record amid the team’s longest win streak since 2012 (eight games). But among the narratives that continue to swirl — narratives Payton joked after Sunday make him want “to cry” — are the team’s balky offense and his handling of quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos have a title-worthy defense that keeps them in position for Nix’s clutch fourth-quarter performances. So if the offense can’t pick up the pace, a lot of eyes will be on Payton, his playcalling and Nix’s performance.
Pro Football Talk: 3rd
There’s a new sheriff in town.
USA Today: 5th
Bo Nix flailed for a while in a slog at Mile High Stadium. Then, with the game on the line, he read the Chiefs’ defense perfectly and put an inside dot on a covered Troy Franklin’s fingertips to set up a game-winning field goal. Denver has a 3.5-game lead on Kansas City in the AFC West. While Nix’s inconsistency remains a concern, the Bronco defense can do enough to cover for him when he needs it.
Fox Sports: 5th
Winning ugly is still winning. They’ve got a championship-caliber defense that seems more than capable of carrying an offense filled with flaws.
Sports Illustrated: 6th
I watched this clip a few times on Monday night with some spacey, instrumental music playing in the background and as the flags came pouring down on Payton it was sort of…beautiful?
This win was clearly the win the Broncos needed to shift national prognosticators from placing them solidly in the Top 10 and into the Top 5. The tone is still laden with doubt around these Broncos — especially around Bo Nix. Has he struggles at times? Sure. However, I don’t see a bust or a bad quarterback and, trust me, I’ve seen enough of those in the last ten years to know better at this point. Nix is a legit franchise quarterback and these people will realize that once Sean Payton adds a few more key pieces around him.
They will miss J.K. Dobbins terribly at some point this season and they definitely need to address wide receiver and tight end again this offseason. Offensively, there is work to do. Defensively, that is why this team could absolutely go all the way in 2025. There isn’t a team in this league they cannot beat with the level of defensive play Vance Joseph has this team playing at. We’re in for a fun two months, Broncos Country!
Do you think the Broncos are being fairly ranked heading into Week 12?
