Denver Broncos fans are feeling great ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup. They share the best record in the league at 9-2, sitting comfortably atop the AFC West standings. On paper, the Broncos should be cruising into the playoffs.

In reality, however, the rest of the season will be vital for the Broncos. Despite their dominance in the standings, their play on the field hasn’t quite shown that same dominance, at least offensively. Of their nine wins, just one has come against a team with an above .500 record. This is the defining statistic for the Broncos’ season, according to Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon.

The Broncos have played three teams this season with winning records: the Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles. In those three games, the Broncos only pulled out the victory against the Eagles thanks to an 18-point fourth-quarter comeback in Week 5. Having a 1-2, nearly 0-3 record against winning teams is certainly cause for concern in Denver.

Denver’s inconsistencies this season have come on the offensive side of the ball. Countless times this season, the offense has been stagnant and not looking like that of a true playoff contender. Most of the time, it suddenly jumps into life in the final quarter of the game, and thanks to an elite defense, the Broncos have come out with a win time and time again.

Their ability to win games at any cost, no matter how great or poor they’re playing, is impressive and a key trait you’d like for a playoff team to have. This doesn’t mean it’s been ideal for Denver, though. If the defense wasn’t so elite, the offense wouldn’t be given the chances to come back in the final minutes of games. 11 weeks through the season, fans would’ve hoped to see the offense catch up to the defense in production, but the Broncos are still in search of that consistency.

Yes, head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos squad are getting to done so far, even if it’s not always pretty. The hope, however, is that by the season’s end, they will play like the dominant force they are on both sides of the ball for all four quarters of a game. Only then will the doubt stop hanging over Denver’s head.