The Denver Broncos beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 to move to 5-2 on the year, notching their third win in a row and fifth win in six games. The 'October' Broncos are here, as this team seems to turn it on in October and November.
With four games coming in November, the Broncos can realistically continue this win streak, and while winning 11 games in a row this year might not be likely, it is possible that Denver keeps this ball rolling in the right direction.
And when you look at the Broncos compared with the other teams in the AFC, it's clear that this team is right where they need to be and 100 percent inside the Super Bowl bubble.
The Denver Broncos are once again right where they need to be in the AFC
All of the primary contenders in the AFC have some sort of notable, perhaps even major issue:
Kansas City Chiefs: Over-reliant on Kenneth Walker III, no consistent threat at WR, average roster
Buffalo Bills: 30th-ranked scoring defense and a first-year head coach
Jacksonville Jaguars: Good-not-great roster
Cincinnati Bengals: Too inconsistent, subpar head coach, haven't made playoffs since 2022
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson's health, considerably worse in the second half of games, first-year head coach
New England Patriots: Drake Maye's turnover issues, little success against good teams
We could spend 400 words on each team above and further talk about each of their issues more in depth, but the points here still stand - even the 'best' teams in the AFC all have issues that may or may not get sorted out this season.
Of note, the Broncos have not been able to run the ball that well this season and are only now seeing the offense put a complete performance together, and Bo Nix has not played all that well this year as a whole.
When you look at the 2025 season and how it compares to 2026 in the AFC, it really does not feel like a ton has changed overall. Sure, there are some teams that have disappointed big-time like Houston and Los Angeles, but those teams have essentially been 'replaced' in the AFC race by the return of familiar faces in Kansas City and Cincinnati, for example.
While the AFC playoff race is absolutely going to heat up, and it's far from a guarantee that Denver secures the top seed or even wins the division again, this team is right in step with the other top teams in the conference.
The Broncos homefield advantage and play from their defense at home might end up being the single biggest advantage that any team could have in the AFC as well. While some were talking about a potential regression this year, Denver doesn't seem to be approaching that territory, and, luckily, the other teams they're looking to beat in the AFC en route to a Super Bowl run all have issues of their own.
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