The Denver Broncos surely have an argument to be the best team in the NFL, and that's a fact at this point in time, but many have taken note of the close wins this team has had during the nine-game win streak. Some have gone as far as to say that the team is a fraud since they typically only win in close fashion.
But, whether you think so or not, the truth of the matter is that this team could clinch the AFC West as early as Week 15, and they are, right now, all but guaranteed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row and will have back-to-back double-digit win seasons as well.
It's a great new era for Broncos Country, but fans would not be wrong in being a littie bit worried about the team typically winning in close fashion. In their last four victories, they have won by 3, 3, 3, and 1 point, respectively. Well, at the end of the day, this is who the Broncos are, and it's likely going to continue.
Broncos ranked no. 3 in NFL.com's power rankings, but with a catch
Eric Edholm ranked the Broncos third in his latest power rankings following Week 13, but his blurb about the Broncos is on the money and a harsh truth that others might not want to hear about this team:
Perhaps we should start looking at Denver's late-game heroics as a feature, not a bug. I know it's difficult when you see a team living as dangerously as the Broncos are, but no one has been able to make them pay for their mistakes since mid-September. They've won nine straight games now, seven of those by one score. The past four victories came by a total of 10 points. Can they keep living on the razor's edge? Well, these Broncos seem to thrive amid the danger, perilous as it might feel. Sunday night's 27-26 overtime win at Washington nearly slipped away from them a few times, and they were on the right end of some fortunate calls, but the results are ultimately what matter most. The Chiefs won nine straight last season in similar fashion and ultimately got to a Super Bowl. Who's to say the Broncos are not capable of a similar outcome, even with the doubt they cast? -- Eric Edholm
Edholm is right. We are very late into the season, so the Broncos being in all these one-score games is a feature of the team, and his comparison to the Chiefs last year is a good one, as KC won a ton of tight games during their nine-game win streak in 2024.
In fact, here is their margin of victory across their 9-0 start from 2024: 7, 1, 5, 7, 13, 10, 7, 6, 2. They didn't win a game by more than 13 points and had three victories by five points or fewer. Sometimes, this is how teams win games, and it doesn't mean the team is a fraud.
Sure, it would be nice to see the Broncos blowout the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, but if they don't and still win, who cares? There is a legitimate chance that the Broncos make the Super Bowl this year, and if they were to win it all, I don't think a single Broncos fan would care how many points they won by.