The Denver Broncos have emerged as a Super Bowl contender and can prove it with a win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 15.
Denver has won 10 straight games and now own the tiebreaker over the New England Patriots, who share the same record at 11-2.
The Broncos are coming off a 24-17 victory over the rival Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, a game in which all three phases played sound for 60 minutes.
Quarterback Bo Nix had a clean game, completing 31 of 38 passes for 212 yards while rushing for 15 yards and a score on three carries. Nix was “spreading the love” to 11 different receivers, with Courtland Sutton leading the team with six receptions for 62 yards.
The rushing attack was headlined by rookie RJ Harvey yet again and he did an excellent job against a middle-of-the-pack rushing defense. He logged 17 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown while catching all six of his targets for 25 yards.
The Broncos defense had another strong showing, recording four sacks to continue their path down history. Denver’s defense has been on a tear all season long and they took care of business against an abysmal Raiders offense.
Denver’s defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is responsible for this unit’s success and is becoming the most popular head coaching candidate among former head coaches.
“The coaching pool is strongest on the defensive side this year, and Joseph is well-positioned among available defense-oriented candidates,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote Wednesday. “His Broncos defense set a franchise record with 63 sacks in 2024, which this year's defense easily should break, with 55 sacks through 13 games. Former head coaches will be a theme this year, and Joseph has head coaching experience. Much will depend on exactly what teams are looking for and the interview process, but he should get plenty of chances. If Miami opens, remember that Joseph was a finalist for the Dolphins job that went to Mike McDaniel in 2022 and is still well-regarded there.”
The New York Giants and Tennessee Titans jobs will be open for hire and there are several teams that may join that list in the coming weeks.
“Joseph seems to be the name we're hearing the most, because of Denver's defensive success and his previous head coach experience (with Denver, oddly enough),” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote Wednesday. “People close to the situation point out that Joseph never had a stable quarterback situation in his first head coaching stint and didn't have full autonomy over the hiring of his staff, so it would seem unfair to completely hold his 11-21 record against him. I think he gets several interviews and could be a strong candidate in a place such as Las Vegas, should that job come open.”
Expect Joseph to be one of the first candidates off the board when the time comes.