The Denver Broncos were 3-2 at this point in the 2024 NFL Season, but it's clear how much stronger this entire team is, and it's showing. You really cannot overstate just how big of a win the Broncos had in Week 5 - it has the ability to be franchise-altering if you ask me.
Denver finally got a signature win in the Sean Payton-Bo Nix era, and it now seems like people have begun to take the Broncos a bit more seriously. Now yes, the season does not end after a big win, so Denver will have to keep their foot on the gas in the coming weeks.
The Broncos are set to face the New York Jets, New York Giants, Dalllas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Kansas City Chiefs in the coming weeks before their bye. Of these six games, you'd love if Denver won at least four and entered the bye with a 7-4 record, but winning five of six feels possible as well. At the moment, though, their chances at making the postseason are quite high.
Broncos given a 73% chance to make the postseason through the first five weeks
NFL.com's playoff picture page gives the Broncos a 73% chance to make the playoffs in the 2025 NFL Season, and that number would rise to 78% with a win over the New York Jets in Week 6. Right now, the Broncos are in sixth place in the AFC, so they'd be the second Wild Card team. Their loss to the LA Chargers a couple of weeks ago currently has Denver looking up in the AFC West.
Among all teams in the AFC, Denver's 73% chance is the third-highest, only trailing the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts, so the odds are very much in the Broncos' favor, and when you look at their remaining schedule, it is not hard to see at least seven more wins, but eight or more could be on the table as well.
Much of this hinges on just how much better Bo Nix and the offense can play this year, as that's really the missing piece. We have seen bits and pieces of what could be an elite unit, but it's still a work in progress to an extent.
If the offense settles in, Nix explodes in the coming weeks, and the defense remains stout, it is not out of the realm of possibility for the Broncos to win the AFC West and earn a top-4 seed when the playoffs roll around.