It really doesn't feel like the Denver Broncos should be 4-2 right now given how bad the offense has been, but it goes to show you just how much better the team is at closing out games than their opponents.
Even with having an incredibly tough schedule to begin the season, the Broncos are 4-2 and right in the mix for not only the AFC West title, but also the No. 1 seed in the conference as well. There is a long way to go, and a lot can change, but the Broncos are in a solid spot.
With that being said, unless these four players, among others, simply play better, this season could soon spin down the drain.
These Denver Broncos underperformed big-time through the first six weeks
Bo Nix, QB
It's no secret that Bo Nix has struggled this year, and James Palmer laid most of it out on Monday:
Yes Bo Nix isn't playing well. Yes it's concerning. Yes the Broncos think he can play himself out of it. Details below:
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 19, 2026
There are the numbers, he's 18-3 in last 21 starts. That's what the Broncos are leaning into as this conversation continues. And why wouldn't they? Nix has…
If you ask me, this is mostly a major mental hurdle with the ankle injury that he simply has not been able to leap over. It's absolutely not an ability issue, as we have seen Nix use his legs at an elite level and push the ball down the field consistently many times throughout his career.
And while his struggles do appear to be mental at the moment, that doesnt mean he has not underperformed this year. The Broncos schedule was insanely tough to begin the season, so there is reason to believe that things will begin to look easier on offense, but regardless of the future opponents, Nix simply needs to up his game.
It's easy for me to say as I sit at my desk and type these words, but it's the truth. The Broncos are right in the middle of a Super Bowl window, and Nix himself has a long-term contract extension on the line. However it looks, the Broncos third-year quarterback has to begin stacking some good performances together, as the team's ceiling will continue to be capped if he can't.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
Another huge underperformer has been J.K. Dobbins, the team's running back. Dobbins has just 270 yards on 81 attempts this year, which is good for an atrocious 3.3 yards per carry.
He has two touchdowns, averages 45 yards per game, and has a success rate of just 38.3 percent. Through six games in 2025, Dobbins had 91 attempts for 442 yards and four touchdowns, which was good for 4.9 yards per carry.
Dobbins played in 10 games for the Broncos last year and averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Not yet 28 years old, Dobbins has struggled with injuries for his entire career, and it really does seem like those lower-body injuries are catching up to him, unfortunately.
He's not nearly as explosive through the hole as he was earlier in his career, and he also just looks a lot slower. When rookie Jonah Coleman returns to the lineup, it's not wild to think that the Broncos need to give the bulk of the carries to him and RJ Harvey.
Dobbins just doesn't appear to have it anymore, and his getting the main workload will continue to limit this offense.
Ben Powers, LG
PFF certainly isn't always the most accurate, but if you're one that looks into PFF grades, it's not pretty for Ben Powers. He owns an overall grade of 52.8, which is good for 55th among 76 qualified guards.
His pass blocking grade of 38.4 is good for 70th of 76 guards. The play seems to match up, too. Powers had a rough time in Week 6 with the Seattle Seahawks defensive line, and I am not sure there have been many successful rushing attempts running behind him.
Even when he has to pull on certain plays, it looks lost and isn't always able to put hands on a defender. His performance this year speaks to why the Broncos brought him back on an adjusted contract, as he's clearly regressing. He is also in the last year of his deal, and with the team having key backups like Alex Palczewski and Kage Casey in the mix, it's fair to assume that one of those two would slide into Powers' spot in 2027 and beyond.
Courtland Sutton, WR
Courtland Sutton has 13 receptions for 123 yards this year. Speaking of regressing players, Sutton is another one of them. He managed two 1,000-yard seasons in a row in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, though, he's on pace to finish with 349 yards. According to Pro Football Reference, Sutton has a 31.4 passer rating when targeted and already has three drops this year. His drop rate of 10.7 percent would be significantly higher than his 6.5 and 6.7 percent in 2025 and 2024.
Having just turned 31, Sutton's age does also line up with the possibility that he just isn't nearly the player he once was. He's never been a good separator and has struggled with drops at times, and with his play in 2026, we could be seeing the rest of his game falling apart.
Sutton is pacing to have the absolute worst season of his career, and while his 2024 and 2025 seasons weren't spectacular, Sutton did turn out to be a very efficient late-down target for Nix. His skillset could still be valuable for this offense, but Sutton himself has to simply improve for it to be showcased the rest of the season.
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