Denver's defense fuels an improbable win streak, propelling them into the top five power rankings despite offensive struggles.
The Denver Broncos quieted doubters last Sunday when they took down the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19. Denver has now won eight consecutive games and is tied for the most wins in the NFL with nine.
In Bleacher Report’s latest NFL power rankings heading into Week 12, the Broncos have finally risen into the top five of the league.
“If Denver could get its offense rolling early in game, it could be downright dominant. Instead, the Broncos' defense is usually relied upon to slow opponents long enough until the offense finally gets rolling,” wrote Brent Sobleski in the rankings.
“Whatever the case may be, Sean Payton's squad keeps winning and is tied for the league's best record. More importantly, Sunday's win gives Denver a two-game advantage in the AFC West and 3.5 games over Kansas City.”
The reason it has taken all the way to Week 12 for the Broncos to make their way into the top five has been their inconsistencies. Looking at their record alone, it’d be a no-brainer for the Broncos to have been in at least the top five for weeks now, but that hasn’t been the case.
Denver has scraped out wins time and time again, often leaving the game down to the wire and relying on a late-game comeback. It has worked so far for head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos in terms of wins, but it hasn’t put faith in football fans that they are truly one of the top contenders in the league.
Even on Sunday against Kansas City, the Broncos offense showed its troubles that it’s had all season. They failed to match the level of the defense, scoring just one touchdown the entire game, instead relying on kicker Will Lutz to knock down five field goals.
Denver’s elite defense showed up as usual, hitting Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes eight times and sacking him three times, along with forcing an interception. The defense is undoubtedly that of a serious threat come playoff time, but the offense is still trying to catch up.
By this point in the season, you’d hope the offense would have figured it out and somewhat played to a level that at least comes close to matching the defense. Even with the offense still figuring it out, the Broncos have found ways to win games time and time again. Their ability to simply get it done can’t be denied, and it’s why they have finally earned their place in the league’s top five.