Mile High Report
After 17-regular season games, an AFC West crown, and sitting with the best record in the AFC, the Denver Broncos have shown the world that they have come to play in 2025. It’s not always pretty, but the grit and drive of this squad is undeniable. Regardless of the unit, offense, defense, special teams, Denver’s ability to dig deep to find a way to win is their orange and blue hallmark of this playoff season.
Offensively, the Broncos can move the ball. The running game is more effective than it’s been in year’s past with Harvey, McLaughlin, and Badie. Troy Franklin is good for a drop of two, but Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant can get chunks when thrown the ball. Bo Nix is excellent at spreading the ball around and is keenly aware of when to make plays with his feet once plays break down. Unfortunately, the Broncos are also always due for at least one questionable trick play that leaves fans and players scratching their heads. They also are seemingly incapable of scoring a touchdown on their opening drive of the game. To love these 2026 Broncos is to accept that they sometimes live and die by the leg of kicker Will Lutz.
Will Lutz as been accurate and reliable. The amount of work this team has asked him to do this year is remarkable, but he’s risen to the challenge and is directly responsible for many of the Broncos wins in 2025. Jeremy Crawshaw can either punt for 60+ yards or shank it out of bounds for only 20. While largely trustworthy, his punts always carry a chance to go awry. Long snapper Mitchell Fabroni has done a great job because nobody has heard his name all season. On returns, Marvin Mims has improved over last year and can break a big one at any time.
The enduring legacy of this year’s Broncos team is the defense. With 68-sacks on the season, the Broncos know how to get to the quarterback and disrupt the run game. With Patrick Surtain II, Nik Bonito, Ja’Quan McMillian, and Riley Moss headlining this defense, Broncos fans should be comforted that this unit is in great hands going into the playoffs. They can, as we saw against the Jaguars and the Chargers in their first matchup, tire out if the offense struggles to sustain drives.
As the Broncos enter the playoffs, fans should be proud of this 14-win team. It hasn’t always been pretty, but it’s tough to argue with a towering stack of wins and the best record in the NFL. Each unit contributes more than it detracts and the success of this team is a testament to how the coaching staff puts it all together on game days. The 2025 Broncos are far from perfect, but they’ve found the special sauce to win games. With just two wins separating Denver from their next Super Bowl, there’s no reason why the Broncos can’t make this season something incredibly special.
