Despite AFC's top seed, controversy surrounds their ranking. Doubts linger over offensive consistency and playoff potential for Bo Nix and the Broncos.
The Denver Broncos have been one of the best teams in the NFL all season long, and that remains the case after they finished 14-3 and landed the top seed in the AFC, home-field advantage and a first-round bye.
Head coach Sean Payton and second-year quarterback Bo Nix seem like a perfect match for each other, although there are some reservations entering the postseason.
Eric Edholm of NFL.com had his final power rankings for the regular season, and the Broncos remained at No. 4 despite having the top seed in the AFC.
Here's why:
"Some might view it as controversial, with the Broncos earning the AFC’s top seed, to keep them here. They’ve only lost once since September and will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Yet, the loss to the Jaguars and a few close wins have me a bit concerned. Even Broncos fans seemed to sense it when they were mildly booing Denver's offense on Sunday with the team less than a quarter away from clinching said top seed. The Broncos have not been a dominant team this season; they’ve been consistently very good, while also being guilty of leaving the back door open at times. There’s absolutely a path for Bo Nix and the defense to play well enough to get to Santa Clara, especially in this year’s field. But there’s also a scenario where Denver doesn't score enough points and doesn't get that key turnover defensively in a disappointing playoff loss. Which way will it end up?"
Edholm is right: The Broncos have not been dominant.
But, they won 14 games, and two of the losses came to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers, who are in the postseason.
But, some of the wins were concerning, such as the 13-11 win over the New York Jets in London and the 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at the beginning of November, and then the season finale in a 19-3 win against the second-string Chargers.
So, there are plenty of worries about the Broncos entering the postseason, and whether or not Nix can live up to the hype in the playoffs will be one thing to watch.
At the end of the day, Payton has been here before, but the defense should be the bread and butter for the Broncos if they want any hopes of going to California for the Super Bowl in February.