After their monumental victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos sit alone atop of the AFC West. Winners of eight straight and sporting a 9-2 record, the Broncos now have a comfortable two
game lead in the division. Even better? They head into their much-needed bye week to help rest and recover and finish their last six games strong.
While just the regular season, Sunday’s gridiron battle had the aura of a playoff caliber matchup. Despite making the postseason last year, yesterday’s win arguably was the biggest of the Sean Payton era. It was major statement victory and hopefully symbolic of good things to come as Denver prepares for their final six games of the season.
“Obviously it’s a division win. Look, I’d be lying right to everyone if I didn’t say it was a big win. It got us to nine, and it kept them at five,” stated Payton in his post-game presser.
There is plenty of season left to play. However, with the Chiefs dropping to 5-5, it’s safe to say their nine-year reign at the top of the AFC West is nearly over. The big question that looms is whether or not the Broncos are the team that will wind up dethroning them as kings of the West. As things currently stand, and if they continue to play like they did on Sunday, they have a great shot of making that happen.
All season long; Broncos Country had been waiting for a complete game in all phases. While there were some issues after their first two drives, Bo Nix and the offense hit their groove in the second half. Vance Joseph’s defense was lights out once again held the Chiefs to under twenty points once again. Let’s not forget the special teams’ unit—which had struggled all season long—played their best game of the season.
It was a tremendous team victory and easily the most impressive of Denver’s 2025 campaign.
“They were at the top and if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Some say, ‘If you’re scared, go to church.’ If you’re going to play this sport, if you’re going to play this game for too long, you can’t really be intimidated or there’s really no sense in going out there,” stated Nix after Denver’s statement victory—echoing thoughts I had made earlier in the week.
And through all four quarters, the Broncos displayed the toughness, grit, and tenacity to gut out another close game. All hands were on deck, and a variety of players had some of their best games of their careers. One player who came up clutch against the Chiefs was cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian. The savvy nickel cornerback had six tackles, two sacks, and a game-changing interception.
In fact, it was the first time in franchise history that a cornerback had registered two sacks and an interception in the same game. That’s quite the accomplishment. Especially when you consider the number of top-tier corners the Broncos have had throughout the years. His efforts earned him praise from everyone in the locker room and he received a well-deserved game ball for his efforts.
“He’s got that dog in him. That’s the type of player that we need on this team and this defense, and he’s been playing incredible, and he’s continued to make plays for us year after year. I can’t say enough good things about him, he shows up, works hard and it shows up on the field,” remarked All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz in praise of McMillian.
Sunday’s efforts against the Chiefs were what fans all across Broncos Country were hoping for. After last year’s heartbreaker to Kansas City, yesterday’s events were quite serendipitous. Now, the Broncos have the bye week to recuperate before they square off against the Washington Commanders on the road at the end of the month.
Even with a two-game lead in the AFC West, the Broncos can’t be complacent moving forward. What they have accomplished thus far is great, but finishing off the last six games on a high note will be what delivers them their first AFC West title in a decade.
“At the end of the day, it’s not the Super Bowl, it’s just another game that we have to win. That’s part of the journey each and every time. We get this Bye Week to help get our bodies back,” stated safety Talanoa Hufanga. “The Commanders are a good team, regardless of the injuries they have had. It’s a good team that we have to face.”
