Broncos Rise In Power Rankings Despite Loss To 49ers

The Denver Broncos are 2-2 on the season, and the latest game was a 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California. 

The Davis Webb-led offense took a big hit once again, and the struggles of the offense are certainly a surprise. 

The offense took a big hit as Pat Bryant is also dealing with an injury, and he will be out for a couple of weeks. 

Following Week 4, Nick Shook of NFL.com had his new power rankings, and Denver moved up to No. 5 from No. 6. So, it is a bit of a surprise that they moved up despite the loss. 

So, why did Denver move up? Here is what Shook wrote and, simply put, it is because the Buffalo Bills lost to the New England Patriots in a surprising AFC East showdown. 

"They also lost both of their starting cornerbacks to injury, taking some of the teeth out of their stellar defense and leaving me with the same disappointed feeling. Denver's slight tick up in this week's Power Rankings comes courtesy of Buffalo's fall."

Right now, there are plenty of concerns in Denver, but even still, the Broncos are a top-10 team in the power rankings, and they likely will remain in that conversation until they lose a couple more games. 

Sure, the offense hasn't been great, and the play-calling by Davis Webb has been surprisingly poor. 

Despite that, the Broncos have a 2-2 record, and Week 5 comes against the winless Los Angeles Chargers, so there is a lot of hope that Denver can get into the winning side of things. 

Then again, the Broncos are one touchdown away from a Week 2 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they are a pass interference call away from a Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. 

The offense in Denver has just been an absolute drag, and at this rate, it might not be too long before Sean Payton takes over the play-calling duties. 

Here's the thing: This team has too much talent on the roster and on the sidelines to have a .500 record. So, this shouldn't last long. 

It wasn't even 12 months ago that the Broncos were one win away from the Super Bowl, and they added Jaylen Waddle to the offense this offseason. 

Assuming Denver wins in Week 5, the ranking should increase. But, in the even the winless Chargers stun the Broncos, it should be a large fall for Sean Payton and Bo Nix.