The Broncos, record-wise, are one of the three-best teams in the NFL through nine weeks. During the team's six-game win streak, they have come alive in the fourth quarter and have been able to mount many fourth quarter comebacks.
It's a bit nerve-wracking, but it's also fun to watch and see Denver close out a game. Despite the great record and being two games ahead of where they were in 2024, the Broncos still have some notable issues that have to get sorted out.
This team typically doesn't come alive until the fourth quarter and are really nothing special across the first three quarters of the game. Despite this, Denver is 7-2, so you'd have to think that this team could truly be dangerous if they figured out how to consistently play a complete game.
Denver Broncos near the top but have legitimate issues to fix
Here is Eric Edholm in his NFL.com power rankings and his reasoning for ranking Denver just ninth in the league:
Glass half full, the Broncos held the Texans to 3-for-17 on third downs in an important road victory and didn’t give up a touchdown even though they were without the injured Pat Surtain II. Glass half empty, Bo Nix struggled until the fourth quarter, Denver’s special teams cost the club points and more than half of the Broncos’ defensive efforts came against a backup QB. Sunday’s game was sort of a microcosm of this organization's season: Denver won a big game, but it came littered with questions and shortcomings. You can’t deny the Broncos’ fourth-quarter magic in 2025, but it’s the rest of the game that often makes them look human. Denver is minus-1 in point differential in the first three quarters, but a stunning plus-60 in the fourth. That’s both good and glaring, and it’s held me back from elevating the Broncos farther. -- Eric Edholm
The Denver Broncos essentially play every single team evenly until the fourth quarter. Some have joked that the Broncos should pretend that each game starts in the fourth quarter, and while the wild endings prove that Denver is becoming a lot better in one-score games, it also does paint a shaky picture.
Simply put, the Broncos cannot keep winning game by these slim margins, as it's going to catch up with them, and they surely can't be doing this in the postseason. Whatever the issue is, it has to get fixed. Fortunately, the Broncos have eight games left and do have about half the season to get this right.
They also have some very winnable games on their schedule and have two months to become the best version of themselves before the playoffs roll around. You can't really argue with the team's stellar record, but how they got there is certainly something to talk about.