Trying to identify the five teams most likely to get to the Super Bowl in October might be the ultimate NFL version of trying to hit a moving target, but the Denver Broncos are definitely moving up in the ranks.  

According to a trends piece written by Saad Yousuf of The Athletic, the Broncos now rate fifth, which is higher than the Indianapolis Colts despite the fact that Denver lost to the Colts a couple of weeks ago. 

The Philadelphia Eagles are still ahead of the Broncos at fourth, which is probably a tribute to Philly’s status as reigning Super Bowl champs, along with the fact that they went into Sunday's game undefeated. 

The deciding factors in Denver’s sudden rise include the leadership of coach Sean Payton, the continuing progress of second-year quarterback Bo Nix, and a swarming defense that’s going to get some key pieces back from injuries going forward. 

The surprise team on this list is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who appear to be the flavor of the month based on quarterback Baker Mayfield’s recent run. The Bucs haven’t really beaten a top tier contender so far, given that they’ve lost to the Eagles, so it seems an overly trendy to say they’re that much better than the Broncos. 

The other two teams on this list are the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills. There’s nothing surprising about these two names given how far both teams went last season, but the Lions face a big challenge this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs that will tell us a lot about where these two teams really sit. 

The Bills, too, have a game against the Chiefs in early November, which says a lot about the toughness of Kansas City’s schedule. It's turning out to be a serious meat grinder, as expected. 

As for Denver, they have a real opportunity at hand. They play the New York Jets in London on Sunday, and after that the Broncos get the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders before their first matchup against the Chiefs. 

Projecting off the schedule is always risky business, but that sure looks like an opportunity to be 8-2 waiting to happen. The Los Angeles Chargers schedule during that stretch includes games against the Minnesota Vikings and the Colts, so there’s a real opportunity for the Broncos to establish themselves as front runners going into November.