{"id":655793,"date":"2026-01-05T11:46:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T11:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/655793\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T11:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T11:46:15","slug":"the-jury-is-still-out-on-the-broncos-as-they-sputter-to-the-finish-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/655793\/","title":{"rendered":"The jury is still out on the Broncos, as they sputter to the finish line"},"content":{"rendered":"

The evidence is in. Both sides have made their arguments. The case has gone to the jury.<\/p>\n

After 17 games, it\u2019s time to make a decision on the Broncos. Are they a legit Super Bowl threat, one about to make a run in the playoffs? Or are they a total fraud, a team about to be exposed in the postseason?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s certainly plenty of evidence on the side of Denver being a championship-caliber team. They finished the regular season with a 14-3 record, tied with the Seahawks for the best mark in the NFL. They\u2019re the No. 1 seed in the AFC, giving them a first-round bye and a two-game path to Santa Clara instead of three. And they boast a top-flight defense, finishing second in both total yards and points allowed.<\/p>\n

In almost every season, that\u2019s a resume that is good enough to garner a lot of attention. That would make a believer out of the biggest pessimist. But with this year\u2019s Broncos, well, it\u2019s just not enough.<\/p>\n

Why? Because so many of the team\u2019s wins were in unimpressive fashion.<\/p>\n

Denver finished the season with an 11-2 record in one-score games. That\u2019s a positive because it shows that they know how to execute down the stretch, with the outcome on the line. But it also suggests a bit of smoke-and-mirrors. Having a .846 winning percentage in 50\/50 contests feels like a hot streak that could come to an end at any point; it\u2019s just a matter of time before the law of averages evens things out.<\/p>\n

And a lot of those close victories were less than satisfying. In games that should\u2019ve been more lopsided, the Broncos limped to an ugly win.<\/p>\n

Sunday was a prime example. The Chargers didn\u2019t play Justin Herbert and a lot of their other starters. But even against L.A.\u2019s JV team, Denver sputtered.<\/p>\n

The Broncos offense managed just 13 first downs and 240 total yards in Sunday\u2019s win. They failed to reach the end zone, settling for four field goals. Denver\u2019s defense accounted for more points than their offense, posting a pick-six and forcing a fumble that set up a \u201cscoring drive\u201d that netted -2 yards.<\/p>\n

But even the good performance on that side of the ball felt hollow. Trey Lance was totally ineffective at quarterback in place of Herbert. The Chargers offense was anemic from start to finish. Holding them to three points wasn\u2019t anything special.<\/p>\n

That continues a trend that\u2019s been happening all season. Yes, the Broncos defense has been good. But a lot of their glossy numbers have been posted against bad QBs.<\/p>\n

Denver\u2019s 14 wins have come against a litany of journeyman and so-so signal callers. They\u2019ve beaten Cam Ward, Jake Browning, Justin Fields, Jaxson Dart, Davis Mills, Geno Smith (twice), Marcus Mariota, Chris Oladokun and Lance along the way. Yes, they also beat Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Jordan Love, but those feel like exceptions to the rule.<\/p>\n

Their three losses came against Herbert, Daniel Jones and Trevor Lawrence. So the Broncos were 10-0 against lesser QBs and only 4-3 against capable signal callers.<\/p>\n

In the playoffs, they\u2019ll be playing quarterback who fall into the second category. In the divisional round, they\u2019ll face either Herbert, Josh Allen, C.J. Stroud or Aaron Rodgers. In other words, there are no more gimmes.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the jury is leaning toward the Broncos being a fraud. It feels like they\u2019re about to be exposed. It seems like the clock is about to strike midnight.<\/p>\n

In the last three weeks of the season, the Broncos haven\u2019t good. They got dominated by Lawrence and the Jaguars at Empower Field, losing 34-20 on their home field. They snoozed through a 20-13 win over the Chiefs and their third-string quarterback. And then they sputtered to a win over the Chargers<\/a> backups, winning 19-3 in the season finale.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t exactly inspire confidence. It doesn\u2019t scream that Denver is peaking. It doesn\u2019t suggest that Sean Payton has figured out what ails his team.<\/p>\n

Winning the AFC West is great. Getting the No. 1 seed in the conference is awesome. But those aren\u2019t things that are celebrated in the Mile High City.<\/p>\n

Broncos Country is all about Super Bowls. The fan base wants championships. They demand parades.<\/p>\n

Does the 2025 edition of the Broncos have what it takes to bring a fourth Lombardi Trophy to Denver? Amazingly, that question is tough to answer, even after 17 games.<\/p>\n

But based on what was on display in Sunday\u2019s win over Los Angeles, it doesn\u2019t feel like it. With a final verdict looming in two weeks, the naysayers have to feel good about the case they\u2019ve made.<\/p>\n

Follow @jamesmerilatt<\/a><\/p>\n

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