The Denver Broncos are now champions of the AFC West for the first time since the 2015 NFL Season, so this team will be guaranteed a home playoff game and is also in the driver's seat for the top seed in the conference as well.
Denver got here with stable coaching, great QB play, and an excellent roster, things that the rest of the division don't have. Both Kansas City and LA have very flawed rosters, and that ended up being a huge reason why the Broncos won the division this year.
Let's try to dig a bit deeper and look at three underrated players who can help Denver go on a Super Bowl run this year.
These underrated Broncos' players can help the team go on a Super Bowl run
Marvin Mims Jr
Marvin Mims Jr has a passer rating of 110.2 when targeted during his three-year NFL career thus far, but the main issue here is that he simply isn't getting the ball as much as some of us would like. Some have wondered if Mims just hasn't developed into a well-rounded wide receiver, which could be the case, but he's a big play waiting to happen and someone who would be able to really turn the tide in a playoff game. He's caught long touchdown passes a plethora of times and can also do some damage out of the backfield as well.
Mims is one of those weapons where opposing defenses must know where he's at whenever he's in the game. It really might only take one throw to bust-open a playoff game for the Broncos.
Jeremy Crawshaw
Jeremy Crawshaw has 29 punts downed inside the opponents 20-yard line and has simply turned into a consistent, good punter in this league in his rookie season. Fortunately, Crawshaw's shaky preseason was not a sign of things to come, and his ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory is huge for the Denver defense, especially at home. The best part of this unit is the pass rush, and opponents would have to deal with that at a higher level if Crawshaw is able to pin them deep.
This, in turn, can flip the field position back into Denver's offense's favor if the defense does their job and gets off the field. Having a good punter could come in very clutch during the postseason.
Talanoa Hufanga
Talanoa Hufanga has career-highs in passes defended, tackles for loss, and total tackles this year. He's also tied his career-highs in sacks and quarterback hits. Simply put, he's been all over the field and has honestly dropped about five interceptions this year as well.
The backend of the defense is in good hands with Hufanga, and you get the sense that he's always going to be able to make a big play for Denver. Creating negative plays is one of the best things a defense can do, and Hufanga excels at that, but being near the ball and breaking up passes is also key as well.
With how good he's been all year, and how much he's been around the ball, Hufanga could easily come up with a game-changing turnover or drive-stalling tackle. While most of the attention might be on the defensive front, Talanoa Hufanga is also someone that needs attention as well.