Broncos Stay Hot, Eye AFC West Crown - But the Real Test Starts Now
Don’t look now, but the Denver Broncos are suddenly one of the hottest teams in football - and they’re making a serious push for the AFC West title. With their 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, the Broncos improved to 11-2, extending their win streak to 10 games and putting themselves firmly in the mix not just for the division crown, but potentially the AFC’s top seed.
That win wasn’t flashy - and let’s be honest, beating the struggling Raiders by a touchdown won’t make anyone jump out of their seat - but it was efficient. And right now, Denver’s doing what good teams do in December: stacking wins, even if they’re not always pretty.
A New AFC West Landscape
The division picture looks a lot different than what we’ve grown used to. The Kansas City Chiefs, who have owned the AFC West for years, dropped to 6-7 after a loss to the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers kept pace with a narrow 22-19 win over the Eagles, moving to 9-4.
That leaves the Broncos and Chargers in a two-team race for the division title - and yes, you read that right: the Chiefs are on the outside looking in.
Power Rankings Nod, But Bigger Challenges Await
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm kept Denver at No. 3 in his latest power rankings, and while the ranking didn’t change, the significance of their latest win did. By sweeping the Raiders, Denver picked up a key tiebreaker over the New England Patriots based on common opponents. That could prove huge if both teams finish with identical records - giving the Broncos a potential edge in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Bo Nix led a sharp, mistake-free offense that finally broke a long drought - Denver scored its first opening-drive touchdown since Week 2. The Broncos didn’t let up from there, controlling the game even if the scoreboard didn’t quite reflect it. A late touchdown and field goal from the Raiders made the final score look closer than it really was.
Still, this wasn’t about style points. This was about business. Denver handled a lesser opponent the way a contender should - and that’s what matters in December.
Winning Ugly, But Winning Consistently
Here’s the thing about this Broncos run: it hasn’t been dominant in terms of margin. In fact, their last five wins have all come by seven points or fewer - a combined margin of just 17 points.
But they’ve all been wins. That’s the kind of grit and resilience that defines playoff teams.
They’ve figured out how to close games, how to make the right plays late, and how to win in different ways.
That’s a credit to Sean Payton and his staff, who have completely flipped the script after a bumpy start to the season. Remember, this team dropped back-to-back games to the Colts and Chargers earlier in the year.
Since then? Nothing but W’s.
The Road Gets Rougher From Here
Now comes the real test. The Broncos’ final four games are no joke: they’ll face the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers. That’s a gauntlet, and it’s going to demand their best football yet.
The matchup with the Packers looms large, especially with Green Bay fighting for playoff positioning in the NFC. Then it’s a Jaguars team that’s been tough all season, followed by a potentially desperate Chiefs squad - even if they’re eliminated from playoff contention by then, don’t expect them to roll over.
And the regular-season finale against the Chargers? That could very well decide the division.
Bottom Line
The Broncos have put themselves in position to do something special. They’ve won 10 straight, they’re in the hunt for the AFC’s top seed, and they’ve shown they can win the close ones. But now comes the stretch that will define their season.
If Denver can navigate this final four-game stretch, they won’t just be playoff-bound - they’ll be battle-tested and dangerous. The AFC is wide open, and the Broncos are right in the thick of it.