Nothing is really stopping the Denver Broncos from being a successful team in 2024. However, their success does hinge on these three major factors. Things like penalties, turnover differential, and other statistics come into play for every team, but there are three obvious factors that will make or break the Denver Broncos 2024 season.
The team is more talented on paper and could realistically win more than eight games. It would be a remarkable turnaround from their five-win, clown show of a 2022 NFL Season. The team has a clear path forward with Sean Payton and his staff, and it's a huge breath of fresh air.
The team recently hired a respected football mind in David Shaw, and between their free agency, NFL Draft class, and existing personnel and staff members, Denver might be in a great spot to be a breakout team for 2024.
Let's cover three of the biggest factors for the Denver Broncos success in 2024.
Denver Broncos 2024 success hinges on these three major factors
Bo Nix's performance as a rookie
Obviously, perhaps the biggest factor to the Denver Broncos success in 2024 is how Bo Nix performs as a rookie. Now yes, he has not officially been named the starting QB of the team, but to me, he will eventually earn that spot, and that announcements could come very late in the offseason, perhaps not coming until the preseason is over.
Nonetheless, Nix performing well as a rookie can help the Broncos win more than eight games, their win total from 2023. If he is one of those rookie QBs that needs a year to really figure it out, Denver may win less than eight games. NFL teams go how their QB goes, so this should not be a surprise to anyone. Bo Nix does have the skillset, personnel, and coaching to have a very strong rookie season.
Was the correct defensive personnel added?
The Denver Broncos have several new faces across the defense like John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, Angelo Blackson, Jonah Elliss, Cody Barton, Levi Wallace, and Brandon Jones, among others. Denver did clearly embrace fixing their weakest parts of this unit, which allowed a metric ton of yardage in 2023.
It didn't seem like the scheme that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was running was the issue, but rather it felt more like a personnel problem, so simply put, the team just needed better players, and they got them. The Broncos don't have an elite defense on paper by any means, but the unit is significantly more stout up front now than it was at any point in 2023.
Games in the NFL are won and lost in the trenches, so this is a huge plus for Denver heading into the 2024 season.
Enough talent at RB to field a strong run game?
The Denver Broncos fielded an average run game in the 2023 NFL Season. Perhaps with Bo Nix being a better fit at QB, the Broncos run game can take a step forward. Javonte Williams will be one more year removed from his major knee injury in 2022, and the team did add a bruiser at RB in Audric Estime in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Right now, all of Williams, Estime, Samaje Perine, and Jaleel McLaughlin are in the room, but it's likely that one of them is traded or cut, and Perine seems to be the odd man out. A RB stable of Williams, Estime, and McLaughlin might be better on paper than what Denver had in 2023, and maybe them being another year immersed in the offense can help the unit perform better.
Having a strong running game is one of the single best things a team can do for their young QB. It's imperative that the Broncos have one of these in 2024 if Bo Nix wants to succeed, and more broadly, if the 2024 Denver Broncos want to be a competitive club.