The Broncos have spent three weeks answering one question with a mix of frustration and force: which version of this team is real?
After getting embarrassed 31-10 by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, Denver has rattled off two straight comeback wins and suddenly looks a lot different than it did opening weekend. The latest was a wild Sunday night finish against the Los Angeles Rams, sealed when safety Talanoa Hufanga intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass intended for wide receiver Davante Adams on the final play.
That win followed another rally in Week 2, when Denver erased a 13-3 deficit against the Jacksonville Jaguars and pulled out a 20-13 victory. In both games, the Broncos had to dig out of early holes, and in both cases the same issue showed up again: the offense was slow to get moving in the first half.
That leaves Denver sitting third in the AFC West and seventh in the AFC.
So where does that put them? The short answer is somewhere between intriguing and unproven.
The Chiefs still look like contenders, and the Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the early surprises of the season. But there’s also reason to think that won’t last, especially with upcoming games against the Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Rams and San Francisco 49ers. If the AFC West ends up being a two-team race again, Denver will have plenty of work ahead of it after that Week 1 loss.
The Bills are another hurdle. Josh Allen’s team opened the 2026-27 season looking like the best team in the NFL, and that’s the kind of opponent Denver would have to get through if it wants to climb higher in the AFC picture.
It’s still too early to pin a final label on the Broncos, but the first three weeks have told us plenty. Bo Nix and the offense keep having trouble starting fast, and that kind of problem can wreck bigger ambitions if it sticks around.
At the same time, Denver has shown real resilience. When the game turns ugly early, this group keeps fighting.
The defense gave that resilience another edge against Los Angeles. Stafford was sacked four times, and Hufanga finished with two interceptions, including the pick-6 in the fourth quarter and the game-sealing takeaway.
After Week 1, the Broncos looked like a team trying to recover from a bad first impression. Three weeks later, they’ve pushed the conversation in a different direction.
In Other News...
Matthew Stafford Sparked A Broncos Debate With His Tunnel Exit
A postgame video from Empower Field gave Broncos fans something else to talk about after the win over the Rams, and it had nothing to do with the scoreboard. Matthew Stafford was seen walking through the tunnel and appearing to spit, with some viewers wondering whether it was aimed at Denvers 5280 sign, though there was no clear evidence or official confirmation of where it landed.
Stafford had just put together a big passing night in the loss, throwing for 390 yards and two touchdowns, but he also turned it over twice. For Denver, the on-field result was the headline, yet the tunnel clip added a little extra edge to a game that was already going to be picked over from every angle. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Fans Have A New Reason To Debate That Late Flag
Pat Bryant turned a chaotic late sequence into one of the defining moments of the Broncos comeback win over the Rams, and he did it with a little gamesmanship that will keep fans talking. Bryant acknowledged that he exaggerated the contact on the play that drew the pass interference flag, wiping out a late Los Angeles interception and keeping Denvers drive alive long enough for Bo Nix to finish it with the winning touchdown.
For the Broncos, the larger takeaway is that Bryant was productive beyond that one controversial snap. He caught multiple passes and scored a touchdown, giving Denver another useful piece in a game that swung on a handful of high-leverage plays. Still, the late flag is the kind of moment that tends to linger, especially when it directly helped set up the comeback finish. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Just Found A Huge AFC West Opportunity
The early part of the AFC West has already handed Denver a chance to breathe a little easier. The Chargers are off to an 0-3 start, and the issues have shown up on both sides of the ball, with the offense sputtering and the defense unable to steady things. For a Broncos team trying to keep pace in a rugged division, that kind of stumble in Los Angeles matters.
Justin Herbert has drawn criticism for some of his decision-making, while Jim Harbaugh has been publicly supportive and demanding at the same time, trying to push more from his quarterback and the team around him. There have also been signs of friction inside the locker room, with Derwin James calling out the sloppiness. Denver does not need a rival collapse to be perfect, but this is the sort of early opening contenders watch closely. [Read more 🡒]