After beating the Colts on Sunday, the Broncos secured their first winning season since 2016.
More importantly, they’re one win away from clinching their first playoff berth since the Peyton Manning era. It’s a short turnaround this week with a Thursday Night Football game against the Chargers. Win and you’re in.
Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 16:
The Athletic (No. 9) | Last week: No. 10
“Denver’s rookie quarterback threw three interceptions Sunday, but he also threw three touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter. Since Week 11, Nix is 11th in EPA per dropback (.13) and has thrown twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions (10-5). The Broncos have won four straight in that stretch and essentially clinched a playoff spot on Sunday,” Josh Kendall writes. See the full rankings.
Bleacher Report (No. 10) | Last week: No. 11
“Denver currently holds the AFC’s sixth playoff seed. Most franchises would be happy to be in a strong postseason position. For the Broncos, it’s a threshold that’s absolutely vital to obtain this season since the organization currently holds the league’s second-longest playoff drought. Denver now has a franchise quarterback in place with Bo Nix, and the squad is resilient, as Sunday’s effort showed. The Broncos scored 24 unanswered points starting in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Sean Payton loves his team’s grit, and he should,” Brent Sobleski writes. See the full rankings.
CBS Sports (No. 9) | Last week: No. 11
“Bo Nix had a rough outing against the Colts, but they still found a way to win a game where he didn’t play well. The defense makes a lot of big plays,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.
ESPN (No. 11) | Last week: No. 12
“In five of the first seven games of his rookie season, quarterback Bo Nix averaged fewer than 7.0 yards per attempt. He was also near the bottom of the league with five touchdown passes through Week 7, including four with none. However, his first three-interception game Sunday notwithstanding, the Broncos have found a better rhythm. Nix’s 20 touchdown passes are 10th in the league (first among rookie quarterbacks), and he has 10 over the past four games,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.
NFL.com (No. 9) | Last week: No. 10
“The Broncos notched a tough-minded win over the Colts, fighting back from a two-score deficit to run them out of the stadium in the second half, but it was no artful performance. Three fourth-quarter touchdowns were the difference, with the defense contributing one. That was much-needed, because Bo Nix threw three interceptions — all when he wasn’t under pressure — and averaged 3.9 yards per pass attempt. Adam Trautman scored a TD with just over five minutes left in the first half, and the Broncos put together a touchdown drive that ended with just over five minutes remaining in the game. In between those possessions, they netted 74 yards of offense. Nix has shown good poise more often than not as a rookie, but Sunday was not his finest hour. The Broncos badly need to add some fuel to this offense with the season winding to a close,” Eric Edholm writes. See the full rankings.
Pro Football Talk (No. 9) | Last week: No. 9
“Bo Nix had a bad day, and they still won by 23,” Mike Florio writes. See the full rankings.
The Sporting News (No. 11) | Last week: No. 14
“Bo Nix and the offense got out of the gate slowly vs. the Colts, but a big Jonathan Taylor mistake opened the door for the Broncos to pull even and then pull away. They should lock down the wild card soon,” Vinnie Iyer writes. See the full rankings.
Sports Illustrated (No. 10) | Last week: No. 12
“Denver is now the No. 6 seed in the AFC after a dominant second half gave them a win over the Colts. Now, the Broncos are in a prime spot to end up in the playoffs for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50,” Peter Dewey writes. See the full rankings.
USA Today (No. 10) | Last week: No. 13
“Nik Bonitto became the first linebacker since the merger to score touchdowns covering at least 50 yards in successive games – just one indicator of how dominant this defense has become, now tied with Philly for fewest points allowed this season,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.
Yahoo! Sports (No. 9) | Last week: No. 11
“Bo Nix is allowed a bad game. He’s a rookie. His 130-yard, three-interception outing might have ended any NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year debate, but Nix’s three touchdown passes helped save a win when he had an off day. It’s a blip as the Broncos keep marching toward the playoffs,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.