The Denver Broncos have been building on their unexpected success from last season when they went 10-7 and made the playoffs. They currently have an 8-2 record, which puts them in first place in the AFC West and is the best record in the conference and their defense has been excellent.
Quarterback Bo Nix, who is in his second season, is getting the job done despite a low completion percentage, and they’re getting strong production from running back J.K. Dobbins.
Denver is coming off a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, but the game was about as pretty as a cleft palate. The team scored just 10 points and had an anemic 220 yards of total offense, and Nix went just 16 of 28 while throwing two interceptions and just one touchdown pass.
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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” that the Broncos aren’t as good a team as their record would suggest, and he said their offense is the culprit.
“Sean Payton, who is known for his offensive genius, and he’s the play caller,” Smith said “I was happy to hear him say, he has to do better because he has to do better. It’s a pretty bad situation in Denver right now. They are not what their record says they are. They are 8-2, that is true, but it’s because of their defense.”
In Thursday’s game, both teams punted the football seven times apiece, and the only points scored in the second half came on a Will Lutz field goal near the end of the third quarter.
The Broncos are third in points allowed, second in total yards allowed and first in passing touchdowns given up. But their offense is certifiably mediocre, and they have failed to get to 300 total yards of offense in four games this season, including both of their last two contests.
While Courtland Sutton, their best wide receiver, is a solid player, he isn’t quite a next-level pass-catcher, and Dobbins, despite averaging a robust five yards per carry this year, isn’t exactly the second-coming of Terrell Davis.
Payton, who coached the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021 and had the legendary Drew Brees under center for all but one of those seasons, doesn’t quite have the same tools to work with right now in the Mile High City. He will have to find a way to elevate the team’s offense enough to allow it to compete hard with the AFC’s best by January.
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Speaking of the AFC’s best, Denver will host the two-time defending conference champion Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday, Nov. 16. A win against Patrick Mahomes and crew would go a long way in silencing doubters such as Smith.
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