Broncos Power Rankings: Week 6 Edition
By Tylor Walden
Oct 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws a pass against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos survived a scare against the Oakland Raiders with a 16-10 victory on Sunday afternoon. Despite their 5-0 start to the season, they still have yet to gain any respect from everyone else.
Some are calling the Broncos the weakest undefeated team. As Broncos fans, we know that the team have a lot to work on, but the fact that they are at least three games up in the division speaks volumes. As long as they keep winning, they will figure things out and get better.
All of the talk after the game is Peyton Manning. That he has lost it. While things are not looking pretty, I am still optimistic that he will pull off a 2012 Manning that struggled out of the gate. Then a big game against the Chargers on Monday night three years ago propelled them to things clicking.
Yes, I am still a Manning believer. For those calling for Manning to be benched in favor of Brock Osweiler or Trevor Siemian, calm down and slow your roll. Remember what happened in 2006 when Jake “The Snake” Plummer was benched for Jay Cutler? I thought so.
Anyways, let us take a look at where the Broncos sit in this week’s power rankings.
NFL Network- Broncos Remain at No. 4
Elliot Harrison of NFL Network decided to keep the Broncos right where they are in his power rankings, keeping them at No. 4. This is a fair assessment with the Pats, Packers, and Bengals ahead of them. But Harrison had this to say about the Broncos.
“Another W for the defense, another week questioning Peyton Manning’s effectiveness. That’s Broncos football these days, and that may not seem like a bad thing.”
“It’s not all too different from the 2000 Ravens, who realized that Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer might only put up 17 points per game, if that. By the way, that sack strip from Von Miller… That boy good”
Harrison key’s on how the Broncos compare to the Baltimore Ravens squad of 2000. And that team on defense was ferocious. That comparison between the two is nice. It’ll be interesting to see how the team does against the elite offenses of the Packers and Patriots. But defense looks pretty heading into Cleveland.
ESPN- Broncos drop one spot to No. 4
ESPN was not so kind to the Broncos this week. After sitting at No. 3 last week, their power rankings dropped them one spot to No. 4 despite a win.
The biggest thing that they pointed out was the Broncos defense has scored three second half touchdowns, which is the same amount the offense has scored in the half.
There is no denying that. But perhaps the Broncos offense can pick it up, especially with a visit to Cleveland.
The MMQB- Broncos drop two spots to No. 5
I’ll start with a little bit of light and make the remark that Peter King started out this with “Rocky Mountain Revolt!” And I am sure a lot of fans will revolt after hearing what he has to say about the Broncos this week.
“I drop Denver from three to five. I love the defense, but the offense scares me. At some point, perhaps against the Packers and Patriots, it will have an effect. I just think the Broncos would lose on a neutral field against the four teams above them.”
Now, the four teams that Peter King has above the Broncos are the Patriots, Packers, Bengals, and Cardinals. I’ll give him that perhaps against the first two teams that is the case. The Bengals, maybe. But I just don’t see it with the Broncos and Cardinals playing each other on a neutral field.
While the Cardinals are a solid team, I just don’t trust them right now, especially with their showing against the Rams. Perhaps my mind will change if they can fair well against higher competition.
For now, I can see the first three, but I do not see Arizona beating Denver on a neutral field.
Those are my takes. What do you guys think of the new power rankings? Leave your comments below. Go Broncos!