The Denver Broncos are 4-2, and the split screen around this team is impossible to ignore. The defense keeps flashing, the wins keep coming, and the offense keeps looking like the piece holding everything up. With 11 regular season games left, Denver still has time to sort it out for a playoff push, but right now the story is pretty simple: the Broncos can win with this formula, but they’re asking the defense to do a lot of heavy lifting.
That tension showed up clearly in a fresh round of NFL power rankings, where the Broncos landed in a range that says as much about the team’s ceiling as its current problems. Nick Shook had Denver just outside the top 10, and his explanation centered on the same issue that has followed the Broncos all season: the offense is a mess, but the record is hard to argue with.
"It was difficult to justify keeping the Broncos in the top 10 after last Thursday night’s ugly win over the Seahawks. Denver has serious problems offensively but manages to continue winning on the back of its defense.
The opportunistic unit is returning to form as a quarterback-harassing group capable of swinging games in the Broncos’ favor -- even when Bo Nix can’t take his own training wheels off. We’ll see if they can keep surviving in such a fashion.
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Shook’s ranking put Denver at No. 10, and the note is a blunt one: the defense is carrying the load, and the offense has not done enough to make anyone comfortable about where this team is headed. The Broncos’ resume is still good enough to keep them in the neighborhood of the league’s better teams, but the offensive production is clearly dragging down the evaluation.
ESPN was in the same general area, slotting Denver at No. 10 as well. Jeff Legwold pointed straight at Bo Nix and the offense, which have been the biggest concern in a season where the Broncos have managed to stay afloat anyway.
"Nix won't blame possible aftereffects of two ankle surgeries since January for his struggles. Nor will he blame missing virtually all of the team's offseason program, or that coach Sean Payton took away playcalling duties from Davis Webb after just four games.
The bottom line is 2026 Nix doesn't look much like 2025 Nix or even 2024 rookie Nix. He resides near last in virtually every statistical metric, looking tentative in all facets of his game.
Payton has said "there are a lot of dirty hands." But at some point the defense can't keep saving this team's offense -- or its quarterback."
That’s the heart of it. Nix has obvious explanations around him - the ankle surgeries, the missed offseason work, the play-calling change - but the performance still has to improve. The Broncos would likely be in a much more alarming spot if those factors weren’t part of the picture and the offense still looked this shaky.
Mike Florio was more bullish on Denver, ranking the Broncos at No. 6 and summing up their outlook in one short line:
"They’ll go as far as the offense can take them."
That’s the whole equation in one sentence. Denver has already shown it can beat good teams and close games in a way most clubs can’t.
The defense is doing its part. The roster and coaching setup are strong enough to inspire confidence.
But if the Broncos are going to turn this into something bigger, the offense has to stop being the weak link and start pulling its weight.
In Other News...
Broncos Defense Gets A Timely Boost Before Arizona Test
The Broncos are getting a much-needed defensive lift at just the right time as they prepare for Arizona. Pat Surtain II has returned to full practice after an ankle injury, and his presence gives Denver a stabilizing force on the back end as the matchup with the Cardinals approaches.
Jonathon Cooper is also back in the mix after being reinstated from the Commissioner Exempt list, giving the pass rush another option for the first time this season. On the other side of the roster, rookie running back Jonah Coleman remains on the path back and is eligible to return from injury within the next 21 days, adding another piece to watch as Denver keeps managing its roster through the season. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have A Growing Problem They Can't Ignore Up Front
A unit that looked like one of the Broncos biggest strengths entering the 2026 season has become a much louder question as the offense has stalled in recent games. The line was viewed as the leagues top group in preseason evaluations, and Denver committed major money to the front, building around veterans Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey and Quinn Meinerz with the expectation that it would be a stable foundation for Sean Paytons offense.
Instead, the production has not matched the investment, and Payton has already acknowledged the need for better play up front if the Broncos want their offense to function more efficiently. For a team trying to establish rhythm and consistency, the concern is no longer just about one rough stretch. It is whether a unit built to be a strength can quickly become a problem Denver cannot keep working around. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Debate Gets More Complicated For A Broncos Team Still Winning
The Broncos quarterback conversation keeps getting louder even as the wins keep piling up, and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is pushing back on the idea that a change under center would automatically solve anything. Klatt pointed to Denvers strong defense as a major reason the team is still in the hunt, while also noting that the current debate is really about whether a different quarterback would actually raise the ceiling more than Bo Nix can.
For Klatt, the answer is still no. He suggested the Broncos best path is not a quick switch, but a better version of Nix himself, which is what makes this stretch so tricky for a team that is trying to balance patience with urgency. If the offense keeps sputtering, the question only gets harder, but for now the argument around Denvers quarterback spot remains as much about the long view as the next snap. [Read more 🡒]