Maybe the biggest game of the season in Week 11, the Denver Broncos host the Kansas City Chiefs in what could turn into a huge indicator of who wins the AFC West. If the Broncos win, they move to 9-2 and would send the Chiefs packing at a measly 5-5.
It would feel incredibly difficult for KC to overcome that deficit, and the Broncos would continue to maintain a lead over the LA Chargers as well. The Broncos also have an easier than expected schedule to end the season with how the Washington Commanders and Jacksonville Jaguars have recently looked.
Anyway, Denver is a legitimate contender, and these three statistics prove it.
The Broncos are a legitimate contender, and these statistics prove it
Broncos have the best third-down defense in the NFL (28.1%)
The Denver Broncos are 'money' on third downs and actually have the best third-down defense in the entire NFL, allowing a fresh set of downs to their opponents less than 30% of the time. Denver being excellent on third downs is going to come in handy late in the season, as the Broncos figure to keep themselves in the race for the AFC West and for a top seed in the AFC playoff race.
Getting off the field on defense also obviously helps out the offense. Denver's third-down defense is elite.
Broncos have the best redzone defense in the NFL (37.5%)
They also sport the best redzone defense in the NFL. This statistic shows how likely it is that an opposing offense scores a touchdown when they advance into the redzone. It feels like the Broncos have typically always had a great redzone defense, and this is another outstanding thing to be good at, as it's obviously super close to the end zone and the place where offenses have to cash in.
Opposing offenses settling for three points when they get into the redzone most of the time is how teams win games, and with how many close wins the Broncos have had this year, the RZ defense will continue to come in handy.
Bo Nix has the lowest sack percentage in the NFL (2.78%)
Bo Nix might already be the best QB in the NFL, at avoiding sacks. His sack percentage, which is how often he gets sacked when attempting to pass, is less than 3%. For some context, Nix was sacked just 24 times in 17 games last year and immediately excelled at avoiding sacks. His sack rate in 2024 was 4.06%.
Another huge indicator of how good a team can be is how they limit the bad plays. Bo Nix rarely ever fumbles and does not get sacked a lot, so Denver has stayed ahead of the sticks in that regard.