NFL.com Reacts to Broncos' Big Win Over Chiefs With New Power Ranking
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The Denver Broncos finally vanquished the Kansas City Chiefs, 24-9, to end a 16-game losing streak that haunted them for eight long years. The Denver defense made Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense about as exciting as getting a toothbrush and vegetables in your Halloween candy basket.
Time and time again, the Broncos were in striking distance of knocking off Kansas City, only to come up short. This year was different, thanks to the combined efforts of Sean Payton and the surprising turnaround of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
With this win, the Broncos have taken a modest leap in NFL.com's power rankings. Here’s Eric Edholm’s take on the Bronco’s victory and defensive awakening.
Broncos Ranking: 24
Talk of playoffs might be premature, but this team has completely changed its stripes since giving up 70 points to Miami in Week 3 and a sub-.500 season is no longer close to a sure thing. Offensively, things remain somewhat unvarnished, but a month of incremental improvements bore fruit: Denver’s first win over the Chiefs since the Peyton Manning days. That’s a testament to a defense moving in the right direction (how about guys like Ja’Quan McMillian, Zach Allen, and Baron Browning?) and a run game that has become Denver’s engine. The Broncos hit the Week 9 bye knowing four of their next six games are on the road, but there’s at least a sense of steadiness that simply wasn’t there a few weeks back.
While we shouldn’t talk playoffs just yet, the Broncos have absolutely improved as a unit. While the offense hasn’t been explosive, it has been efficient enough to grind out games.
The Broncos' run game finally carried the load like we thought it would entering the 2023 season. The combined efforts of Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Russell Wilson totaled 153 yards on the ground, keeping Mahomes on the sideline.
Wilson was efficient enough to secure the win, but he still needs to improve on helping his offensive line out. He still puts a lot of strain on his blockers by holding the ball too long or bailing out unnecessarily, which led to six sacks in Week 8. Wilson's role in the offense, at this point, is to simmer rather than cook, and this has proven to be a recipe for success.
It’s time to give Joseph his flowers. After his defense relinquished 70 points in Week 3, it seemed that his firing was but a matter of time.
However, over the past two games, the Broncos' defense has returned from the dead, like Michael Meyers, to terrorize NFL offenses. Baron Browning's return as Denver’s top edge rusher has brought the pressure that has been lacking in his absence. Browning, Jonathon Cooper, and Nik Bonitto are a solid young rotation and a core to build around going forward.
McMillian has been a pleasant surprise as well. He played well in preseason and now is a great option to play in the slot.
The Broncos' defense forced five turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble from Mahomes. The Chiefs couldn’t manage a single touchdown, and Travis Kelce was held to 58 yards, as much as he had in Denver’s last win over Kansas City.
Seeing Mahomes looking ghoulish on the sideline and Kelce running to the locker room without shaking a single hand makes this victory sweeter than a Starburst.
The Broncos will get to enjoy themselves for a few weeks due to their bye, but they’ll return to the gridiron to face the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 10.
The Bills have looked inconsistent thus far, and if the Broncos can steal a win in primetime, then anything is possible going forward. It’s up to the Broncos to prove they weren’t just a cheap jumpscare but a curse that had been lying dormant, biding its time to be unleashed.
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