Another week, another win for the Broncos.
Denver took care of business Sunday, systematically beating the Raiders 24-17 in a game that felt more one-sided than the final score showed. The Broncos are on a 10-game winning streak, and their 11-2 record puts them as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
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Next up: Hosting the Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) at 2:25 p.m. Sunday.
Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 15:
The Athletic (No. 4) | Last week: No. 3
“Think Raiders coach Pete Carroll knew the spread Sunday? The Broncos were 7.5-point favorites and led 24-14 with a minute left, but Las Vegas hurried its way to a 44-yard drive and a 46-yard field goal as time expired to provide the final score. Other than that, all went well as the Broncos won their 10th straight,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff write. See the full rankings.
Bleacher Report (No. 2) | Last week: No. 2
“Denver is balanced, talented and well-coached. It has also peeled off 10 straight wins. However, the last month of the season won’t be easy, as every upcoming opponent entered the week .500 or better,” Gary Davenport writes. See the full rankings.
CBS Sports (No. 2) | Last week: No. 2
“They continue to do good things on defense, but at some point, the offense needs chunk plays in the passing game. They’ll need that against the Packers this week,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.
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ESPN (No. 4) | Last week: No. 3
“Coach Sean Payton has often said the two things that make life easier for his second-year quarterback are a commitment to the run game and a high-end defense. ‘Those two things help your quarterback’s development,’ he said. Well, 13 games into the season, the Broncos undoubtedly have one of the league’s best defenses. But with a wavering commitment to the run game, Nix is now one of the league’s most active throwers. He was efficient against the Raiders, connecting on 31 of 38 attempts, but he’s still minus-2% in completions above expectation, per NFL Next Gen Stats,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.
NFL.com (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“By sweeping the Raiders, the Broncos secured a key tiebreaker with the Patriots, earning a common-opponents edge between the two teams if they finish with the same record. That gives them pole position for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, even if this thing could — and probably will — come down to the wire. Bo Nix led a very efficient offensive attack, with Denver scoring its first opening-drive touchdown since Week 2 and not letting up. There wasn’t anything mind-blowing about Sunday’s performance, but it was what was expected from a strong Denver team against a weak Las Vegas club, with the Raiders’ late TD and field goal making this contest look a lot closer than it actually was. The Broncos’ final four games are a real test, and don’t expect any mercy when they visit Kansas City in a few weeks, even if the Chiefs are officially eliminated from postseason play by then,” 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.
Sports Illustrated (No. 6) | Last week: No. 7
“Broncos fans are so jacked up that they are currently taking over … a Monday night football game in L.A. between the Eagles and Chargers. SoFi, of course, is easier to take over than Yakutsk on a Risk board,” Conor Orr writes. See the full rankings.
USA Today (No. 5) | Last week: No. 5
“They’re holding steady at No. 5 — but it could be tough to stay there, and on top of the AFC, given the only opponent among their final four not projected to reach the playoffs … is Kansas City,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.
Yahoo! Sports (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“The Broncos might need the Patriots to lose on Sunday to the Bills. Because there aren’t many other difficult games remaining for New England, and the Broncos have four tough ones left: vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers. The good news for the Broncos is they clinched the common opponents tiebreaker (second tiebreaker after conference record for non-divisional teams) over the Patriots with a win over the Raiders, a team New England lost to in Week 1,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.
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