Mile High Report
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:
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.
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.
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?
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...
