How the Denver Broncos can return to the playoffs this season

With the offseason chugging along, the Denver Broncos look to be rounding into form. Bo Nix appears to be separating himself from Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham. Tim Patrick says this is the best he's ever felt. Courtland Sutton has been practicing consistently with the team. Having those two veteran pass catchers run alongside Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin will help make Nix's job much easier.

So what are the Broncos' realistic expectations in 2024?

After dissecting the schedule, I fully believe the Broncos are playoff-bound as soon as this season. Head coach Sean Payton appears to be much more relaxed and loose. If Payton is in a better mental space than he was last season, combined with fully trusting in Bo Nix to run his offense, I believe we will see a much improved scoring attack from the 2024 Broncos team.

And that is how the Broncos will find themselves in one of the coveted seven spots representing the AFC for the playoffs. Scoring. With the Broncos having multiple weapons to turn to in a slew of offensive schemes, they can play to the strengths of Nix while finding ways to get in the endzone.

It doesn't stop there either. Javonte Williams is looking to bounce back to form being yet another year removed from his torn ACL. Last year he noticeably wasn't the same player from his rookie season. However, with the added pressure from Audric Estimé, I fully expect Williams to not only have a better season but also provide that special ability to gain yards after contact once again.

Rounding out the offense, Lucas Krull appears to be moving his needle further to the positive side. After attending Tight End University this offseason, he appears ready to take the steps to cement himself as a legitimate option in the passing game. In combination with that, everyone knows how special Greg Dulcich is when he's on the field so if this can finally be the year that Dulcich stays healthy, the Denver Broncos' stable of options continues to appear infinitely better than previous seasons.

Sean Payton has quietly turned what looked to be an impossible situation with Russell Wilson's contract into a positive note. The added benefit of healthy players combined with finding the possible quarterback of the future in Bo Nix proves -- so far, at least -- to be worth the investment. The AFC is loaded with top-end talent so the challenge won't be a walk in the park. But with how the team is being put together combined with the eagerness and hunger to prove doubters wrong, the Broncos appear to not only be going in the right direction but with a massive amount of momentum behind them.