The Denver Broncos are now 6-2 on the season following another come-from-behind victory. The Kansas City Chiefs were the latest victim of the Broncos late-game heroics, and that win could not have come at a better time.
Now sitting in first place, the Broncos have the AFC West in their grasp. Having already lost a game to the Chiefs, though, the Broncos still might need some help from the Chiefs' remaining opponents to clinch the division for a second straight season.
Denver has nine more games left. Let's dive into how we think the team will play over their next three games.
Predicting the Denver Broncos next 3 games following a wild Week 8 victory
Week 9 @ Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are 3-4 on the season and have the 28th-ranked scoring defense in football. They actually fired former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was in the DC role for the Broncos years ago. The Panthers do have a potent offense, but their offensive line has struggled this year, and opposing defenses have gained 985 rushing yards on the Panthers through seven games.
This is a game where the Broncos offense, similar to Arizona, should have a good day away from home, but this could also be a higher scoring outing, as the Carolina offense can be a laser show at times.
Denver might have to again win with a lot of points.
Prediction: Broncos win 31-23
Week 11 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Broncos have their bye in Week 10 and get the Las Vegas Raiders at home in Week 11. Denver has wept the Raiders in the Bo Nix era, but this current Raiders team is actually a bit dangerous. The Raiders rank 6th in points scored per game, so they know how to get into the end zone, but, like the Panthers, struggle on defense, ranking 31st in points allowed per game.
Both Carolina and Las Vegas are very similar teams, but where the Broncos have a clear advantage is with their pass rush, as, in Week 11, the Broncos still hopefully get to tee-off against Kirk Cousins, an immobile QB who won't be able to do much of anything outside the pocket. Cousins, though, does have 19 passing touchdowns through the first eight weeks of the season, so this offense will be dangerous at times.
While the Raiders are formidable, the Broncos have a really good matchup up front and should be able to pressure and get to Cousins enough to stall out the offense.
Prediction: Broncos win 27-20
Week 12 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
This could be a very tough game. While the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't a great team, they're 6-2 on the season and rank 4th in points allowed per game. The offense is fine, ranking 18th in points per game.
The Steelers have beaten up on bad teams, though, notching wins against Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Cleveland. It's not been the toughest of schedules by any means, and it's worth wondering if this 6-2 record is perhaps a bit misleading.
Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 23 times in eight games, so he's going down nearly three times per game. Denver has another advantage up front in this game, and with two good defenses facing each other, this could be an ugly, low-scoring game.
The Steelers do run the ball well and are able to stop the run, so we could end up dealing with another ugly offensive showing that requires more late-game heroics. We're picking the Broncos in this one, as they have a higher team ceiling and also sport more talent on both sides of the ball. When a game gets close, talent and coaching is what separates the winners from the losers.
Prediction: Broncos win 20-17
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