For years, the Denver Broncos were one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NFL, but in 2023, so far, other teams have taken over that role. And if the Broncos weren't totally dysfunctional, like in 2019 and 2021, for example, they were simply irrelevant. Well, now in 2023, the script has totally flipped for the team.
Not only do they not appear to be a dysfunctional franchise anymore, with stable front office and ownership presences, the team is stacking wins, have above-average QB play, and are right back in the playoff hunt in the AFC. Things seem to be coming together for this team that has needed winning football for years.
And to make matters even sweeter, other teams are taking over that dysfunctional role for the Denver Broncos. The Las Vegas Raiders have bad QB play (again) and an interim head coach. The franchise continues to swing and miss. The Los Angeles Chargers are 4-6, have a head coach on the hot seat, and may even wipe their front office clean this coming offseason.
The Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers both fired their offensive coordinator. Teams like the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans have no solution at QB, only a handful of wins and don't seem to have a clear future. And don't even get me started with the NFC. It'd be pretty low of me to include injuries into the dysfunction, but I will say that the Denver Broncos have stayed relatively healthy the entire season, so they have that going for them as well.
There's also a ton of very, very poor QB play across the NFL. This should only make the Broncos feel more secure about their own QB situation. Sure, Russell Wilson may not be elite anymore, but he's been very efficient and isn't turning the ball over. Overall, the arrow is pointing up for the Denver Broncos, and it's nice to finally not be viewed as a laughstock of the NFL.
There are so many more teams that deserve much more criticism than the Denver Broncos do, and that hasn't happened for a while.