It took the Denver Broncos a decade to get back to the top of the AFC West. After winning Super Bowl 50 and hoisting the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy, the Broncos have struggled in obscurity every season since 2015 and are nothing to write home about.
However, everything has changed. Bygones are bygones, and the future looks pretty bright for the Broncos. After beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Houston Texans last Saturday, they are once again the legitimate kings of the AFC West.
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In seventeen weeks, the Broncos have racked up an impressive thirteen wins. Decisive wins are rare, but the team’s passion for pulling off huge comebacks and trying to win hard-fought battles is one of the reasons they are so successful. Considering this is an area that has been troubled for years, this is a most welcome change.
But this year’s Broncos team is just structured differently. They are a strong-willed team that rarely gives in to adversity. They have a swagger and confidence that always seems to allow them to find a way to win when it matters most.
Before the season started, head coach Sean Payton talked with the team about their goals for the season. From the beginning of training camp, they felt like this team was capable of doing something special. Super Bowl aspirations are a lofty goal for any team, but Payton noted that this team was confident from the start that it would be achieved.
“We put ourselves in this position and we still have a lot of things to improve on,” Payton said.
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Denver can take some steps to better prepare itself for a deep playoff run. Being more consistent in scoring touchdowns on drives and finishing plays than scoring field goals is definitely one of them. Limiting the self-inflicted injuries and mistakes they make on penalties and falls would be another thing.
Many times, these two have been their main problem throughout the season. Even so, they got to where they are today. But these are not the main focus of future corrections. On top of that, Payton mentioned that generating turnovers is what needs to happen if they hope to give Denver its fourth Super Bowl win in franchise history.
“One area that needs improvement is revenue margin, which can happen. We’ve collected the total number of Super Bowl champions over the past 25 years. It’s probably over 114,” Payton said.
“The Rams have recently been the only team with negative-two revenue when the playoffs start. The rest add up to a crazy number, so that’s something we have to improve on,” Payton added.
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The Broncos have forced just 12 turnovers so far on defense and special teams while turning the ball over 17 times. The Broncos have a turnover margin of -5, which ranks eighth in the NFL. Is this Super Bowl caliber? Absolutely not.
The saving grace of the Broncos’ defensive efforts this season has been their ferocious pass rush, red zone defense and limiting teams on third downs. Alas, the Broncos have taken a slight step back in all three areas since the bye week.
If they can improve on those and start generating some game-changing turnovers, this could end up being the formula that helps them achieve the goals they set earlier this summer. With Justin Herbert scheduled to miss Sunday’s Week 18 game, the Broncos will have a chance to piss off Trey Lance. Lance, a former No. 1 overall pick out of North Dakota State, has four turnovers in 15 games since being drafted in 2021.
Will the Broncos rise to the occasion and take care of business this Sunday in front of an electric hometown crowd? I think they will. And, the belief is that forcing a turnover or two will be a key reason why they secure the top seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs.