Another week, another down-to-the-wire win for Denver.
Fresh off their bye week, the Broncos held off the Commanders in a nail-biting 27-26 overtime win on Sunday.
Is current team great like 2015 Broncos? Or lucky like 2024 Kansas City Chiefs?
The win improved the team’s record to 10-2, giving them a two-game edge over the Chargers for the AFC West lead and a half-game out of owning the AFC’s No. 1 seed, currently occupied by the Patriots (11-2).
Up next: At the Las Vegas Raiders at 2:05 p.m. Sunday.
Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 14:
The Athletic (No. 3) | Last week: No. 2
“It certainly wasn’t pretty (once again) for the Broncos on Sunday night, but they (once again) found a way to win as Bo Nix threw for 321 yards. The drawback for them is that after a matchup in Las Vegas next week, their final four opponents are all at .500 or better,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff write. See the full rankings.
Bleacher Report (No. 2) | Last week: No. 3
“It still feels like Bo Nix and the Broncos offense are only efficient for a few drives each game, but with a top-five defense, that’s been enough. There’s still time to find an offensive rhythm ahead of the postseason, and this is already a team no one will want to face in Denver in January,” Kris Knox writes. See the full rankings.
CBS Sports (No. 2) | Last week: No. 3
“It wasn’t pretty in Washington, but good teams find a way. They just keep on winning close games,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.
ESPN (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“With J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve (foot), Harvey is clearly the team’s RB1 and the only ‘big” back on the roster at 205 pounds — no other player at the position is over 200 pounds. He has shown improvement in pass protection, so that should give him some additional third-down snaps in the weeks ahead. But the Broncos need him at his decisive best as a runner if their run game is going to be more than ornamental,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.
NFL.com (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“Perhaps we should start looking at Denver’s late-game heroics as a feature, not a bug. I know it’s difficult when you see a team living as dangerously as the Broncos are, but no one has been able to make them pay for their mistakes since mid-September. They’ve won nine straight games now, seven of those by one score. The past four victories came by a total of 10 points. Can they keep living on the razor’s edge? Well, these Broncos seem to thrive amid the danger, perilous as it might feel. Sunday night’s 27-26 overtime win at Washington nearly slipped away from them a few times, and they were on the right end of some fortunate calls, but the results are ultimately what matter most. The Chiefs won nine straight last season in similar fashion and ultimately got to a Super Bowl. Who’s to say the Broncos are not capable of a similar outcome, even with the doubt they cast?” Eric Edholm writes. See the full rankings.
The Ringer (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“The most confusing thing about it is how little Nix’s inconsistencies make a difference. Last week, I picked the Broncos to be the AFC’s top seed because of their defense, and I’m not budging on that even after they barely escaped Washington on Sunday night. But there’s nothing I wouldn’t give to divorce that stellar defensive unit from the mess that’s been Denver’s passing game,” Diante Lee writes. See the full rankings.
USA Today (No. 5) | Last week: No. 4
“In some respects, they resemble a Rocky Mountain version of the Seahawks, sporting an often dominant D and a quarterback who can be great … and also a total wild card,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.
Yahoo! Sports (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“The Broncos have a great record and a good shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but the lingering issues kept them from moving up this week. Their offense could not put away a game against the Commanders in the fourth quarter Sunday night, whiffing on all four drives while they nursed a small lead. The defense gave up two long drives to Marcus Mariota with the game on the line, though it got the play it needed when Nik Bonitto knocked down a pass on a 2-point conversion. But Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes there’s value in winning close games,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.
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