The Denver Broncos could have a very underrated x-factor contribute to their success, or lack thereof, in the 2025 NFL Season. A ton of attention has been thrown the Broncos' way this offseason, and they do deserve it to an extent.
While I have yet to see a legitimate prediction having this team in the Super Bowl, you don't have to go far to find a prediction that has Denver winning the AFC West for the first time since the 2015 NFL Season. The primary arguments for the potential success center around second-year QB Bo Nix making a huge jump, the added weapons on offense, and the already-elite defense remaining elite.
However, things could easily blowup in their faces, unfortunately. Well, when you think about it, Denver truly has an underrated x-factor that could contribute in a massive way to the team's success in the 2025 NFL Season.
Rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw might be way more important than you think
Yes, the punter. The Denver Broncos took Crawshaw late in the 2025 NFL Draft after letting Riley Dixon leave in free agency. Dixon signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Well, Crawshaw was drafted to be the punter, as there is no competition and will not be one.
This could honestly go one of two ways - his big leg has been put on display many times this offseason, and it largely seems like he's done well. Furthermore, there is more to punting than kicking it as far as one possibly could.
But let's look back to 2024 for a second; Denver was in a plethora of high-leverage situations, and they really did need their former punter Riley Dixon to come through at times. In many instances, it felt like Dixon left a lot of meat on the bone and just wasn't producing what the Broncos needed him to.
With the Broncos much better on paper heading into 2025, there's reason to believe that Jeremy Crawshaw will be in insanely high-leverage situations, and him being able to pin the opposition deep in their own territory really does more for the momentum of the game than you think, as it makes life that much easier for the defense, and in turn, gives the Broncos' offense a much shorter field.
Overall, the Denver Broncos have a ton of potential x-factors in 2025, but Jeremy Crawshaw might be the most underrated one.