Despite an 8-2 record, the Broncos' offense falters, relying on defense. Can they truly contend for a Super Bowl with such narrow victories?
After another unconvincing performance in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Denver Broncos have managed to stand pat in the latest Bleacher Report power rankings. They remain as the No. 7-ranked team in football despite their league-leading 8-2 record.
It’s no surprise that the Broncos haven’t claimed a top-three spot in the rankings just yet. Though their record is undoubtedly impressive and suggests a true playoff and even Super Bowl contender, it doesn’t quite paint the full picture.
Denver managed to beat the Raiders by just three points in a 10-7 victory last week. Playing on Thursday Night Football against a division rival with just two wins, the final score should have been much different. The offense floundered once again, as has been the theme of this season, but the elite defense yet again kept them in the game enough to just barely win it.
Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) on X
Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins: "The defense is winning us the games, and we're not helping them. We're not doing them any justice. We're not. I feel bad the way we play on offense and the way they play on defense because they're doing so great and then we're doing so bad. And they're
The Broncos' offense finished with just 220 total yards on Thursday – a discouraging total for a team with its eyes on a Super Bowl run. The passing game wasn’t there, nor was the rushing game, and penalties plagued Denver all game – it was a sloppy performance for Denver.
If somebody were to tune into Thursday’s game who hadn’t watched a lick of football all season, they’d likely assume it was a matchup between two teams in the bottom half of the league. In reality, however, it wasn’t at all.
Denver has managed their way into a now 8-2 record despite all the inconsistencies and discouraging outings. They have proven they can do just enough to win the game, but not much more. At some point, you’d have to expect this way of winning to come to an end.
Six of Denver’s eight wins this season have been by just one possession, highlighting the theme of close games that somehow always end up in the hands of the Broncos. If they want a higher spot in future rankings and amid contract tender conversations, Denver needs to prove it can have some sort of consistency right now. Heading into Week 11, there’s no more time to wait.