Troy Renck: Will Pepto-Bismol become Pepto-Dismal? The Broncos boast a 10-2 record, and continue to lead the league in causing indigestion. Denver has delivered four straight walk-off wins over the Giants, Texans, Chiefs and Commanders this season. It has left coach Sean Payton making no apologies. Why would he? This team believes, and victories like Sunday night’s 27-26 pulse-racer only reinforce that confidence. But suspicious minds cannot help but wonder: Is this Denver team a reincarnation of the 2015 Broncos or getting lucky like the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs?
Sean Keeler: The 2015 Broncos went 6-2 during the regular season in games decided by six points or fewer. The 2025 Broncos are … 6-2 in games decided by six points or fewer. Yeah, Sean Payton and Bo Nix have ridden some serious luck at times, but it hasn’t been the kind of wink-wink-from-the-referees “luck” that the Chiefs turned into low comedy a year ago. (KC went 7-0 in those six-points-or-less games, by the way.) Although, um, (makes Rodney Dangerfield face, adjusts collar) there may be some, um, replay evidence of Troy Franklin and Dondrea Tillman to the, um, contrary.
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Renck: The Broncos cause heartburn and nausea — and that is just from the inconsistent offense. Denver refuses to do anything easily. Good opponent. Or miserable. The Broncos remain comfortable driving the car into a hairpin turn before zooming ahead in the final straightaway to take the checkered flag. The Broncos are 8-2 in one-score games. The 2015 team went 9-3. The difference was the latter group had a defense that created takeaways, scored touchdowns. The current Broncos don’t really do either. It leaves a rail-thin margin for error. It means apples-to-apples could quickly become, how about them apples?
Keeler: Super Bowl champs shouldn’t be juked out of their jocks by a 32-year-old Marcus Mariota on national TV. Although I agree with Payton on this much: When you’re 10-2 in this league, you make zero apologies for how you got there. Every NFL team has talent. What separates good teams from the “meh” and the great teams from the good usually comes down to a.) coaching; b.) your QB; c.) a team’s confidence/belief in itself because of both. Title teams have guys who make crazy plays when it matters — Nix’s falling TD throw at the end of the first half, Nik Bonitto’s game-ending pass deflection — and are too stubborn/proud to ever give up on a down.
Renck: Forget the record for a moment. The real issue is how the Broncos are winning. Remember when we all bemoaned the Chiefs slithering away with victories because of a penalty, a receiver out of bounds by a toenail, a fumbled snap, a blocked kick? The Chiefs set an NFL record by going 11-0 in one-score games last season. Their good fortune ran out when they were smashed in the Super Bowl. And it continued this season as they are 1-6 in one-score games. The Broncos can reach the Super Bowl. The path is available. But the comparisons to the 2015 team are premature, if not a stretch, when looking at the Hall of Famers on defense and the presence even of a diminished Peyton Manning. Can the current Broncos survive like this without a better run game, without massive improvement on wide receiver screens? What if the Broncos are more lucky than good? It is a question worth running up the flagpole, and frankly the schedule over the last month will determine if this team is capable of sending delirious fans climbing up lampposts.
Keeler: If there’s a lingering worry, it’s that Mariota and Kliff Kingsbury might’ve unlocked how to beat a Vance Joseph defense — throw it quick or take off before this pass rush can close in for the kill. Although the Broncos also helped with some shoddy, post-bye tackling. Living dangerously in the regular season doesn’t mean you’ll meet a premature end in the playoffs — the last five Super Bowl champs averaged six tilts decided by six points or fewer and went 4-2 in those games. Trust matters. Belief matters. Better starts and a better run game matter, too. If these Broncos get down 24-0 at the half in the Super Bowl, the way last year’s Chiefs were, that might be bridge too far for even Nix to cross.
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