Not many predicted the Denver Broncos to win the AFC West in the 2026 NFL Season, and it came one year after the Broncos had already shocked the NFL world with a 10-win, playoff season in 2024. For most inside of Broncos Country, the success isn't all that surprising when following the team closely.
It does seem like things have happened rather quickly in the Sean Payton era, but that isn't a bad thing. As training camp slowly but surely approaches, the Broncos are again poised to be in a great spot to capture the division title.
The Broncos last won the division two years in a row during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Among the other roster advantages that the Broncos, along with an elite coaching staff and a clutch quarterback, the team has one notable advantage that could end up deciding the division in 2026.
Denver Broncos collection of trench play is the best in the AFC West, and can decide the division
Honestly, while it's simple in theory, it's a tough thing to achieve. The Broncos play in the trenches - offensive line and defensive line - is not only the best in the AFC West by a large margin, but it's among the best in the NFL.
In today's NFL, and this is almost how it's always been, the teams who win in the trenches win each week. That's where the 'rubber meets the road,' if you will. It starts with the run game. We've seen defenses get better at taking away the big plays in the passing game, so offenses have since reverted to prioritizing the run more.
The Broncos, though, excelled at stopping the run in 2025, ranking just 2nd in yards allowed per game, and also allowing the 2nd-fewest yards per carry. Denver stopped the run better than most teams in the league last year. Denver also had 68 sacks, which led the NFL. The next closest team was the Atlanta Falcons, with 57.
On offense, while the Broncos did struggle to run the ball for much of the season, the team was enjoying quite an efficient year from J.K. Dobbins before his injury, Not only that, but pass protection has been the offensive line's bread and butter. Yes, quarterback Bo Nix's ability to avoid sacks is huge here, but the team's offensive line itself is already one of the better pass protecting units in the NFL.
With the Broncos being so strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball, it does allow Denver to, among other things, control the clock and win the time of possession battle. It keeps the quarterback out of harm's way and allows him to operate the passing game the way it needs to be.
It also makes the secondary's job a lot easier, so even with that unit already being loaded, it creates what has been a top-3 defense in the league for 2.5 years now, dating back to 2023's mid-season turnaround.
The Broncos being so strong in the trenches, and clearly better than their AFC West foes, will end up being a deciding factor in a likely second division title in a row.
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