The Denver Broncos have been one of the more confusing teams in the NFL, and true to form, a week after seeing a game-winning field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs get blocked, they stormed back in Week 11 to pick up a blowout 38-6 victory over the NFC South leading Atlanta Falcons. With the win, the Broncos further secured their standing as No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture.
The wild card race in the AFC isn’t all that much of a race, but it’s still a bit surprising to see Denver holding onto the final spot currently despite sporting just a 6-5 record. While the Broncos have more wins than losses, they haven’t exactly been as dominant as they were against the Falcons, which is why so many folks are struggling to truly get a pulse on this team.
Beating a true playoff contender in the Falcons in such convincing fashion, though, cannot be overlooked. While consistency isn’t exactly Denver’s strongsuit, they have devised a game plan to help them win games on both sides of the ball, and with this victory over Atlanta in the books, it’s clear that they must be taken seriously as a true playoff contender down the stretch of the season.
Why Broncos must be taken as a serious playoff contender
Expectations weren’t exactly high for the Broncos this season. They were fresh off an incredibly disappointing 2023 campaign, which resulted in them eating a huge chunk of money just to rid themselves of veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. They drafted his replacement in Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and while the move was exciting, it was viewed as a bit of a reach by Denver.
And yet, Nix won the starting job over Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham in training camp, and while he hasn’t been particularly great every time he’s taken the field, he has a knack for winning games. Perhaps more encouragingly, he’s gotten better with each passing game, with his outing against the Falcons (307 yards, four touchdowns, 84.8 completion percentage) being the best of his young career.
Denver has aided Nix’s growth by giving him a diverse cast of playmakers on offense. Aside from Courtland Sutton at wide receiver, there really isn’t a guy who is consistently producing on a weekly basis. It hasn’t mattered, though, because Nix is making due with whoever is on the field alongside him, with his 14 passing touchdowns on the year being spread out amongst nine different receivers.
It also helps that he has a top-tier defense on the other side of the ball. Four players on Denver have racked up at least five sacks, with Nik Bonitto leading the way with nine, which is good for second most in the entire league. In the secondary, Patrick Surtain II is arguably the best cornerback in the league, and he’s leading the way in the turnover column with three interceptions on the year.
With a 6-5 record, the Broncos have some wiggle room in the playoff picture, as their next closest competitor is the Indianapolis Colts, who have a 5-6 record as the No. 8 team currently. The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals lurk behind them as teams that could be dangerous if they get hot, but they have 4-6 and 4-7 records, respectively, so there’s still a pretty big gap for them to close right now.
It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Broncos keep on winning, and their demolition of the Falcons proved they are for real. They may not be able to play with the big dogs just yet (they suffered a 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens back in Week 9), but at this point, they have the inside track to find their way into the playoffs. And once you make it to the postseason, anything can happen, which is why Denver must be taken seriously over their final six games of the season.
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