The Broncos are 2-2 through four games, and the record says one thing while the schedule says another. Denver has already survived a brutal opening stretch against the NFL’s four best teams, and now comes a run that could tell us a lot more about where this season is headed.
That next four-game stretch starts with the Chargers, and there’s no reason for the Broncos to treat an 0-4 division opponent like a soft landing. Los Angeles may be winless, but it’s still a road trip to a division rival, and Sean Payton still hasn’t won at SoFi Stadium as Denver’s head coach. The Broncos are also 1-3 against Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, so this one carries more bite than the records suggest.
From there, Denver comes home on a short week for Seattle on Thursday Night Football, then gets 10 days to get ready for Arizona on the road before the rematch with the Chiefs at Mile High. If the Broncos can reach Week 9 at 4-4 or better, they’ll give themselves a real chance to take advantage of the softer part of the schedule and stay in the AFC West race. That matters because the 4-0 Chiefs and the 3-1 Raiders still have plenty of tough games ahead, including the NFC West, the Bills and the Patriots.
For now, though, the focus is on taking care of business against a Chargers team that badly needs a win at home. With that in mind, here’s a look at the Broncos who are moving in the right direction - and the ones who need to pick it up.
Barron was forced into a bigger role after Patrick Surtain II left with an injury, and then Riley Moss followed with a rib injury, which put even more pressure on the second-year corner. Barron handled it well.
He led all Broncos cornerbacks in snaps and allowed just one completion in coverage while tackling cleanly. For a player the Broncos hoped would grow into a starting-caliber corner, it was exactly the kind of showing they needed to see from their 2025 first-round pick.
Bo Nix, meanwhile, has work to do. His stat line against the 49ers looked fine at first glance, but 14 of his 25 completions went to running backs.
He leads the NFL in passes behind the line of scrimmage, and the bigger issue is that he hasn’t looked eager to challenge defenses downfield. That may be tied to the quality of the defenses Denver has faced, but it’s still a pattern the coaching staff has to sort out.
Sean Payton and offensive coordinator Davis Webb need to get to the bottom of it, and Nix needs a sharper showing against a Chargers defense that ranks 16th in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed at 26.5 per game.
RJ Harvey has been carrying a huge load since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him Week 2. Against San Francisco, he caught 10 passes and essentially became the offense, with Nix leaning on him over and over again.
The problem was that the 49ers tackled well, so Harvey’s catches usually ended after three or four yards. He also ran the ball seven times for 25 yards.
Even so, he’s been the engine of this offense since coming back, and the Broncos need more receivers to join the party.
Courtland Sutton is in a strange spot right now. Nix has targeted him 22 times, but Sutton has only nine catches for 86 yards.
That kind of production used to be a normal single-game line for him. Some of that comes down to how defenses are playing Denver, and some of it falls on Nix, but Sutton also has to do more.
The aggressive, my-ball edge that has defined his career hasn’t shown up enough lately, though there’s still time for the soon-to-be 31-year-old to turn it around.
Jonathan Allen continues to look like a force. Even in the loss, he made five tackles, led the Broncos with four hurries on Brock Purdy, and all four of those hurries were hits.
He also had a blocked field goal at the end of the second quarter that helped keep Denver within reach going into halftime. Through four weeks, he’s been relentless, and with a team-high three sacks, this may be his best season as a pro.
Jonah Elliss is still waiting to make his mark. With Jonathon Cooper on the commissioner’s exempt list, Elliss has been starting opposite Nik Bonitto, but the production hasn’t followed.
Against the 49ers, he played 40 snaps and finished with zero pressures. That won’t cut it.
He still hasn’t recorded a sack this season, and the Broncos need more from him - just as they do from Bonitto.
Tyler Badie keeps earning more trust. When Denver has given him touches, he has responded.
Against San Francisco, he ran twice for 10 yards and added two catches for 32 yards, helping move the chains. He also scored a two-point conversion by taking the direct snap and finishing behind All-Pro right guard Quinn Meinerz.
With Jonah Coleman on injured reserve and J.K. Dobbins still searching for rhythm, Badie has become a useful piece.
Dobbins could be due for a big game against his former team this week, but Badie has already shown he can make the most of his chances.
In Other News...
Broncos Finally Get A Chance To Fix Whats Holding This Offense Back
The Broncos have spent the early part of the season fighting for answers on offense, and now they get a chance to make some progress against a Chargers team dealing with plenty of its own problems. Los Angeles is still looking for its first win, and the issues around Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels system have made that side of the matchup far from clean. For Denver, it is the kind of opponent that can either provide a reset or expose how much work still remains.
After a stretch against stronger competition, the Broncos should see this as an opportunity to finally settle some of the things that have held the offense back. But a winless team can be a dangerous one if it is treated like a soft landing spot, especially in the AFC West where little margin exists for careless football. Denver does not just need the result, it needs proof that the offense can take advantage when the matchup is there. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Mims' Costly Mistake Has Broncos Fans Asking About Accountability
Marvin Mims spent the aftermath of a rough outing doing what players are supposed to do after a mistake, even if the admission was uncomfortable. The Broncos wide receiver said he did not go back and review the film on the play where he fumbled, and he went so far as to call it possibly his worst NFL game. For a Denver offense still trying to find cleaner execution, the moment landed as another reminder of how thin the margin can be when a key touch turns into a turnover.
The larger conversation around accountability did not stop with Mims, either. Former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw took aim at Sean Payton after the game, and Payton did not push back in his postgame availability, instead responding positively to Greenlaws comments. Meanwhile, across the division, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak was already talking about changing the approach around Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington, a sign that coaches on both sidelines are feeling the pressure to fix problems before they harden. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Need One Eagles Move Before The Trade Market Shifts
Philadelphias roster has already started to look different in the wake of the Cam Jurgens trade, and that kind of movement can reshape the market before the rest of the league catches up. The Eagles are dealing with a changing front as well, with Lane Johnson retired and the club sitting at 2-2, which makes any evaluation of their veteran talent more interesting for teams watching for an opening.
From Denvers side, the name worth tracking is Zack Baun, the inside linebacker who has recently earned both Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition. His contract is considered movable, and if the Eagles decide to keep adjusting their roster, the Broncos could make sense as a team ready to act before trade talks around the league shift into a more crowded market. [Read more 🡒]