The Denver Broncos were on their bye in Week 14. Where do the experts rank the team in the latest NFL power rankings? Coming out of their bye, there has never been a more important game for the team in the post-Super Bowl 50 era than their Week 15 matchup. They host the Indianapolis Colts, a team that has a cupcake schedule the rest of the way.
The Broncos, after Week 15, still have to play the Chargers, Bengals, and Chiefs to close out the season. If Denver is able to win this game and get to 9-5, they end up being in amazing shape to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 NFL Season.
For a couple of weeks now, the Broncos have slowly been rising in the recent NFL power rankings. Even with Denver on their bye in Week 14, did they have any movement? Let's check out where some of the experts power-ranked the Broncos after Week 14.
Broncos power rankings roundup: Where do the experts rank Denver?
"They come off their bye with a monster game in terms of playoff seeding against the Colts. Win it, and they are basically a playoff team."Pete Prisco
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports ranks the Denver Broncos at 11 in his recent NFL power rankings. This feels about right for Denver. Somewhere around the 10-12 range is probably where Denver falls at the moment, but if you think about it, they're doing this with a ton of dead cap and a rookie QB, so they're a year ahead.
"The Broncos emerge from the bye week with a very good chance to make the playoffs, but it's hardly a certainty. A loss to the Colts or Chargers (or both) could be quite harmful to their chances. There also are looming questions on both sides of the ball. We still don't really know the backfield hierarchy. Denver's had five different leading rushers in games this season; every week, Sean Payton appears limber enough in his approach to pivot in whichever direction he wants there. We also don't know when Riley Moss will return. If the secondary can get the cornerback back from a knee injury prior to the end of the season, it will be a huge lift. The Broncos won't want to depend on Levi Wallace or have to turn to rookie Kris Abrams-Draine in the playoffs, or with a berth up for grabs. With three straight wins, it's no time to panic, but there also are some reasons to not fully trust Denver."Eric Edholm
Eric Edholm ranks the Denver Broncos as the 10th best team in the NFL in his recent power rankings.
"During the offseason and training camp, coach Sean Payton talked about a good defense and a productive run game as two of the best "allies'' for a rookie quarterback. And then he proceeded to put the first rookie starter he has coached in dropback mode early and often, with 434 pass attempts so far. Bo Nix has responded positively for the most part, but he has thrown more passes than Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson, and he's tied with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. It's a good bet a lot of folks didn't see that coming, perhaps even Payton, when the season began"Jeff Legwold
ESPN ranks the Denver Broncos as the 12th-best team in the NFL as we approach Week 15.
"The Broncos can feel that playoff berth with rookie QB Bo Nix, thanks to his growing confidence and some key defensive support, but they need to be ready to turn back the scrappy Colts next."Vinne Iyer
The lowest ranking of the bunch, Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News pegs the Denver Broncos as the 14th-best team in the NFL, which definitely feels a bit low to me. Sure, power rankings are all objective, but it's nice to see that Denver is getting the attention they're getting, as this team was largely ranked near the bottom of the league in the offseason and through the first couple weeks of the season.
Since starting 0-2, they've gone 8-3 across their last 11 games and have won three in a row since their Week 10 loss. Denver now has a chance to win their fourth game in a row in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts. A win in Week 15 does not guarantee them to make the playoffs, but it gets them very, very close.
The Broncos are going to embark on the single most important stretch of the franchise's post-Super Bowl 50 win, and while that has been thrown around a lot, this time it's actually true. Can the Denver Broncos perhaps rise in the next NFL power rankings and earn a win over the Colts in Week 15?