Now that the Denver Broncos have defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, it’s time for a Power Rankings update. In fact, the Broncos moved up four slots this week. The question now becomes how good the Broncos actually are. Hot take: Based on the remaining schedule, this is a team that can make it to the AFC Championship. For now, though, let’s see where Denver is in the latest Power Rankings.
Assessing the Broncos After Week 11
PFSN’s Jacob Infante released his latest Power Rankings on Sunday. In it, he moved up the Broncos four slots. The Broncos are now No. 3 in the Power Rankings.
“The Denver Broncos’ seven-game winning streak going into Week 11, and their matchup against a perennial Super Bowl contender in the Chiefs was of significant interest on Sunday. Like their last matchup, it came down to a last-second field goal. Unlike their previous matchup, though, the Broncos hit a field goal to win. Now sitting at 9-2, Denver is undoubtedly one of the best teams in the NFL. Some wondered, going into their matchup against Kansas City, whether they were a serious contender,” Infante wrote.
Those wondering if the Broncos were a serious contender now know Denver is. It appears Weeks 9 and 10 were growing pains for quarterback Bo Nix, No. 17 in PFSN’s QB Impact Score, and not him reaching his ceiling. The Broncos have now attempted 35-plus pass attempts in two of their last three games. It’s a subtle shift to a pass-first offense in the second half of Year 2 of Nix. In fact, Nix was No. 12 in PFSN’s QB Impact Score for Week 11 as well.
While his completion percentage and passer rating are down this season, Nix has five come-from-behind wins this season — two more than last season. Every other major passing stat is nearly identical to last season. In other words, there’s no fall off. And now the football cognoscenti may be seeing elevation. Nix just has to be consistent. There are fleeting images of greatness he must string together coming out of the bye week.
We all know about Week 4 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals. Then there’s the fourth quarter in Week 7 vs. the New York Giants — and it’s carryover into Week 8 vs. the Dallas Cowboys. And most recently, Week 11 vs. the Chiefs. Nix, though, must start to string together these games consecutively to earn the franchise quarterback label. Time is our judge.
