Despite a lopsided loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, the Broncos remain in control of their destiny.
Sitting at the No. 1 spot in the AFC, if Denver beats both the Chiefs and the Chargers in the final two regular-season games, it will earn a bye for the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Next up: Playing at the Kansas City Chiefs at 6:15 p.m. on Christmas.
Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 17:
The Athletic (No. 7) | Last week: No. 2
“Quietly, the Broncos defense has slipped in a big way. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, Denver ranked third in defensive EPA per play. Since then, it ranks 26th. A get-right game awaits, though, against quarterback Chris Oladokun and the Chiefs on Thursday,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff write. See the full rankings.
Bleacher Report (No. 4) | Last week: No. 1
“Expect the Broncos to get back on the winning track in a Thursday night battle with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are on their third-string quarterback, but Denver’s offense will need to regroup after scoring just 20 points in a crucial home game. If you had doubts about the Broncos because of late comebacks during their 11-game winning streak, this lopsided loss against a top-10 scoring team wouldn’t a surprise,” Maurice Moton writes. See the full rankings.
CBS Sports (No. 6) | Last week: No. 1
“The vaunted defense got shredded by the Jaguars, which was a shock. They have to flush it quickly since they play at Kansas City on Thursday,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.
ESPN (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“RJ Harvey’s 11 total touchdowns (seven rushing, four receiving), lead the team and all rookie position players in the league. The second-round pick is also tied for 13th in scoring, one spot behind Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and one ahead of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. And with J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve (foot) since Week 10, Harvey is without question the team’s RB1,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.
The Ringer (No. 3) | Last week: No. 2
“Based on how well quarterback Bo Nix had been playing in high-pressure situations, I assumed that Denver would be able to match high-scoring offenses in any game this season. Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars hasn’t ended my belief that Denver will win the AFC, but I’m now open to considering other possibilities. Nix wasn’t bad on Sunday, but a couple of turnovers, a few missed throws on key third downs, and a poor execution by the offense in the red zone decided this game. Nix needs to be tighter in the future, because the margins in this conference are slimmer than they were a month ago,” Diante Lee writes. See the full rankings.
USA Today (No. 6) | Last week: No. 3
“Basically the AFC’s version of Seattle right now — a lot to like about a team that generally seems to be ahead of schedule. But how much do you trust QB Bo Nix and this offense in high-leverage situations?” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.
Yahoo! Sports (No. 3) | Last week: No. 3
“We’re not going to overreact. Denver is now 11-1 in its past 12 games. Just because the loss came in Week 16 doesn’t mean it should fall in these rankings. As long as the Broncos beat a Chiefs team down to their third quarterback and then beat the Chargers at home in the finale, they’ll be the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Broncos are a very good team, and losing for the first time since Sept. 21 doesn’t change that,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.
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