The Denver Broncos started out 1-2 on the season, and things seemed to be shaky at best. However, the Broncos ended up winning the next 11 games and truly put the NFL on notice, but during this massive winning streak, it honestly felt like the doubt grew.
People didn't necessarily like that the Broncos were winning a ton of one-score games, but that is simply the way to sustain success in this league - winning close and performing when the stakes are at the highest is what makes Super Bowl champions. Denver blew out a ton of teams last year, and while it was fun to witness, that isn't a sustainable method of winning in the NFL.
And when you peel the curtain back a bit, you'll see just how solid Denver was this year against playoff teams.
The Denver Broncos have a 4-2 record against 2025 playoff teams this year
Here are the Denver Broncos six games against playoff teams this year:
Week 3 - Chargers 23, Broncos 20
Week 5 - Broncos 21, Eagles 17
Week 9 - Broncos 18, Texans 15
Week 15 - Broncos 34, Packers 26
Week 16 - Jaguars 34, Broncos 20
Week 18 - Broncos 19, Chargers 3
Even in the two losses to the LA Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Broncos had chances to win and close each game out. It's funny; the way some of the national media talks about Denver, you would think all this team did was lose against good teams.
But that hasn't been the case - Denver can only control the outcome of the game - they cannot control who they play, so some of the 'bad' teams that were on the schedule this year were taken care of. Denver didn't lose to any of those teams this year, either.
Overall, it's really hard to poke holes in the type of season that the Broncos had. They tied the franchise record with 14 wins and are now the top seed in the AFC for the first time since 2015. Every single one of the Broncos' wins this years meant a lot, as this team wouldn't be the first seed without that 14-3 record.
Denver now has to operate as of their record is 0-0. With the regular season officially over, it's time to put those dramatic finishes behind them and focus on winning the next three games, as that's all the team could have left this year.