The Denver Broncos are tied for the best record in football and control their destiny for the top seed in the AFC. And yet, you’d think they are a fringe playoff team if you asked most media members outside of Denver. It’s a strange situation that seems remarkably close to how things were back in 2015, but with Peyton Manning’s star power it was far more subdued.
The funny thing is these 2025 Broncos have more wins and fewer losses than that fabled 2015 squad. I like where they are at and if they are getting
faded by the national media then that is a good thing for this young team to hear. They seem to perform better when no one believes in them.
Here is where the Broncos rank heading into Week 18:
NFL.com: 4th
How much do the loss to the Jaguars and the close win over a stripped-down Chiefs team change our perspective on the Broncos’ playoff potential? They’re in great shape for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and yet, there’s lingering doubt about just how dangerous they are. If Denver can run the ball and control the clock like it did in Kansas City, things should be OK. The defense can clean up most missed opportunities, but it’s also a unit that has been stretched to the limit by some quality offenses this season. This will be a pretty telling January for Bo Nix as to where he is in his readiness to handle bigger challenges, but it can’t all be on him playing hero ball. The second-year pro could use more help from the rest of the offense doing the little things better.
Yahoo Sports: 2nd
It’s hard to keep the Broncos at No. 3 after the past two weeks. They lost decisively to the Jaguars in Week 16 and barely won as a big favorite over an injured Chiefs team on Christmas. But the body of work is good. If they beat a Chargers team that is resting Justin Herbert in Week 18, they’ll be 14-3 and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They’re not unbeatable, but nobody in the AFC or behind them in these rankings is this season. It’s still a very good and often disrespected Super Bowl contender.
CBS Sports: 4th
They won another close game at Kansas City, and if they beat the Chargers this week, they are the top seed in the AFC. Winning close games makes you battle-tested, but does it show faults, too?
ESPN: 3rd
Logic and the swirl of numbers through the years always seem to show that close, one-score win ability is not a sustainable thing each season. But these Broncos don’t care much about all that — as linebacker Alex Singleton said, “At this point, let’s just play all one-score games.” The 2025 Broncos, with a title-worthy defense, are 11-2 in one-score games including 3-2 in those decided on the final play (four on field goals and one when linebacker Nik Bonitto swatted away a 2-point conversion attempt in an overtime win in Week 13). That mojo isn’t likely to carry over to next season, but the Broncos certainly believe it could last into January and, they hope, February.
Pro Football Talk: 4th
If the road to Santa Clara goes through Denver, the Broncos may be making the trip.
USA Today: 6th
Why aren’t they No. 1 … even though they might wind up there in the overall AFC standings? The defense is as scary as any in the league. And while the Broncos consistently play to the level of their competition, that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you enter the postseason. But second-year QB Bo Nix remains something of a wild card, and his pattern of salvaging wins in the fourth quarter could be tough to maintain against top-level competition.
Fox Sports: 6th
Yet another close call. Remarkably, 11 of their 13 wins have been by one score or less. In some ways, they look like the AFC champion Chiefs did last year. In others, they look like a team that could get bounced in the first round.
Most of these outlets put the Broncos at 4th or 6th best in the NFL. That’s probably fair given how their wins have looked against inferior opponents. Their one loss since September was against a playoff team, so all other wins against playoff teams should be ignored if you were to ask these media members. Frankly, that’s perfectly fine with me. Let this team fly under the radar with disrespect coming from all sides.
All a team needs is to be in the tournament and if they get the bye this weekend playing at home throughout, their chances of succeeding are much higher. I’ll take those odds all day.
Do you think the Broncos are being fairly ranked heading into Week 18?
