The 2024 Denver Broncos could end up being one of the frisky teams in the NFL this season, and their magic number may already be known. Their magic number is 5, and if you ask me, this number is going to make or break their season. The Broncos started 0-2 for the second year in a row and were most definitely staring down an 0-4 start.
But all they did over the last two weeks is rattle off two-straight away wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets, perhaps two of the most impressive wins in the NFL over the last two weeks. The Broncos played three of their first four games on the road, so no matter how you slice it, this team splitting the first four is insane.
They will now embark on three of their next four games being at home, which gives them a huge opportunity to continue this win streak and go on a bit of a run. Obviously the Denver Broncos are not going to make any sort of deep playoff run this year, but through one quarter of the 2024 NFL Season, the AFC does not feel nearly as strong as we thought it was entering the season.
Teams like the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and even Kansas City Chiefs do not feel quite as good as we thought. The Broncos are far from the worst team in the conference, and with their next four games being winnable, you can clearly see how Denver can set themselves up here.
The 2024 NFL Trade Deadline comes after Week 9. In Week 9, the Broncos square off against the Baltimore Ravens, which is surely going to be a tough game, but that's for a different day.
The team has a "magic number," and what I mean here is that it's not crazy to think that the Broncos can add a young player or two at the trade deadline to make an unexpected playoff push. Younger players like Kyle Pitts, Travis Etienne, and Tee Higgins could not only be available at the deadline, but could also be pieces the Broncos can keep around for the long-term.
But they need to hit their magic number before they consider a move like that. Whether the Broncos are 5-3 after Week 8 or 5-4 after Week 9 does not matter, but this team needs to be at five wins no later than Week 9 of the 2024 NFL Season. Hitting this magic number would put them one pace for 9-10 wins in 2024, which could now be enough in the AFC to make the postseason.
Getting to this crucial magic number is going to dictate what the Denver Broncos do at the trade deadline.