The Denver Broncos put on a show on Sunday night, defeating the Washington Commanders 27-26 in an overtime thriller. Keeping games close and competitive is the Broncos’ bread and butter, and while I may need a pacemaker before I turn 30, I can’t deny their playstyle makes for electric games every week.
Nine straight wins is a very impressive feat for a Broncos team that has been very inconsistent, but buckling down in the closing minutes of a game is a trait of a playoff contender.
The three primary publications we monitor for the weekly power rankings still place the Broncos in the top 10, with an average rank of No. 4, a slight drop from last week’s No. 3.
As always, we’ll start with Sports Illustrated’s take on Denver’s nailbiter from Sunday night.
Sports Illustrated: 7th
“Opponent aside, I thought this was another great survival test for the Broncos who, despite the circumstances, are getting the critical plays when necessary, be it an efficient rushing drive or the generation of a free runner on defense who can shut a play down. That’s a coaching difference and remains Denver’s biggest advantage to this point,” Conor Orr wrote.
The coaching difference is very apparent in Denver, and while Dan Quinn had a great game plan, it’s hard to prepare for the grit and determination of the Broncos. Denver has been in critical situations all season, except for the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys game, and thrives under pressure.
The Broncos playing up or down to their competition has been a point of contention for fans and analysts, but at the end of the day, they’re consistent in one thing: winning.
NFL.com: 3rd
Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in overtime of the game at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images
“Perhaps we should start looking at Denver’s late-game heroics as a feature, not a bug. I know it’s difficult when you see a team living as dangerously as the Broncos are, but no one has been able to make them pay for their mistakes since mid-September. They’ve won nine straight games now, seven of those by one score. The past four victories came by a total of 10 points. Can they keep living on the razor’s edge? Well, these Broncos seem to thrive amid the danger, perilous as it might feel. Sunday night’s 27-26 overtime win at Washington nearly slipped away from them a few times, and they were on the right end of some fortunate calls, but the results are ultimately what matter most. The Chiefs won nine straight last season in similar fashion and ultimately got to a Super Bowl. Who’s to say the Broncos are not capable of a similar outcome, even with the doubt they cast?” Eric Edholm wrote.
Call it a feature, a bug, or a glitch in the Matrix, but keeping games close and delivering in the clutch is in the Broncos’ DNA. It was easy to dismiss the Broncos a few weeks back, but they’ve beaten both Super Bowl teams from last year (Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles), and their two losses came way back in September.
The Chiefs had an improbable run last season, riding the razor’s edge all the way to the Super Bowl, and were praised endlessly, but the Broncos haven’t been nearly as successful over the past decade, so they’ll have to continue to fight to prove they belong. Expect no benefits of the doubt.
ESPN: 3rd
“With J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve (foot), Harvey is clearly the team’s RB1 and the only ‘big’ back on the roster at 205 pounds — no other player at the position is over 200 pounds. He has shown improvement in pass protection, so that should give him some additional third-down snaps in the weeks ahead. But the Broncos need him at his decisive best as a runner if their run game is going to be more than ornamental,” Jeff Legwold wrote.
The glaring issue for the Broncos is undoubtedly their lack of a run game since Dobbins’ injury. Rookie running back RJ Harvey has not filled his role very admirably as he’s only managed 65 yards on 24 carries, averaging 2.7 yards per carry.
The Broncos tend to shy away from the run game, but when Harvey and the rest of the backfield leave as many yards on the field as they have, it’s hard to feel confident in pounding the rock. Harvey has been exceptional as a receiver, but the Broncos need explosive plays in the run game, or they’ll be dangerously one-dimensional on offense.
The Takeaway
The Broncos’ final five-game stretch will be the ultimate test of whether they can make some noise in the postseason. The Las Vegas Raiders, Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers will all look to block Denver from earning the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC, while the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars are also fighting hard to take the lead in their respective divisions.
It could be ugly and downright hard to watch these next several weeks, but that’s exactly how the Broncos like it.
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