The Denver Broncos have won nine of their last 12 games and are right in the doorstep of the playoffs. Their slow starts actually reveal how dangerous they are. In six of the Denver Broncos nine wins this year, they have started out very slow. It's been a disappointing trend for this team, but when you have perspective on the situation, it's not totally unexpected.
Denver struggles to consistently establish the run, and this team is also young all over the place. Furthermore, they have a rookie QB still figuring out how the NFL works, so them starting slow in the current state they are in makes sense. The Broncos have had slow starts in their wins against the Las Vegas Raiders (both times), New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts.
Now yes, all of these teams are bad, but check out the final score from each of these 'slow start' games:
34-18
33-10
28-14
29-19
41-32
31-13
The Broncos slow starts reveal something encouraging
So, despite their slow starts, Denver has won by multiple scores in each of those games, putting up no less than 28 points. In total, the Broncos have won these games by a combined score of 196-106. They have a +90 point differential in these wins, which comes out to an average margin of victory of 15 points.
Now just think for a second; once this team learns how to not start slow, imagine how good they could be...?
The slow starts, in my opinion, can be attributed to the Broncos not having a viable running game and Bo Nix being a rookie QB. Struggling to establish the run early is a near death sentence for many NFL teams. However, the Broncos have been able to continually find a way to finish strong, and they do it in multiple ways.
Their latest win coming after a slow start featured Denver force a ton of turnovers against the Colts and again have a defensive touchdowns. The Broncos are truly almost there, and despite them having a poor run game and rookie QB, they're still 9-5 on the season. Once this team brings in a viable running back and sees Bo Nix take a leap in year two, we could be talking about the Broncos being an elite, contending team.
Their slow starts are frustrating, yes, but there is a silver lining here. It's clear that the team knows how to rally and play well in late-game situations, and when you look at this team from a more aerial perspective, they aren't missing much. I could argue that a viable run game is all that this team is missing, and it would make offense that much easier.
Denver should seek to add a stud RB in the offseason, add another playmaker and tight end and wide receiver, and ensure the defense does not see a drop-off in talent. Once those things are done, the Denver Broncos may be Super Bowl contenders.