5 Reasons for Optimism Despite Broncos' Crushing Loss to Chiefs

The future could actually be very bright for the 5-5 Denver Broncos.

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) celebrates with quarterback Bo Nix (10) after scoring against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Of all the losses the Denver Broncos have taken this season, Sunday's 16-14 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, no doubt, hurts the most. Not only did the Broncos lose to a division rival, they lost on a blocked field goal after a strong drive to get them into field goal range as time expired.

However, despite the loss, the Broncos did a lot of good things, and there's plenty of reason for optimism in the weeks to come. Let's examine the reasons why Broncos fans can find reasons to look forward to what's to come, even after a loss that certainly stung.

Nix Played Well Against a Top Defense

While Bo Nix's statistical line might not have been overly impressive, he was playing with more confidence than he had in previous games. Finishing with a 73.3 completion percentage, 215 passing yards, and two touchdowns, he also put zip on his passes and stood tall in the pocket under pressure.

There were times when Nix might not have been quick enough to get out of the pocket, but for the most part, he made good decisions and found ways to extend drives. Two plays stood out, both passes to Courtland Sutton.

Nix's second touchdown pass of the game saw him throw a great ball to Sutton, who beat Trent McDuffie in coverage. The second pass went to Sutton on the Broncos' final drive, a key third-down throw that got the Broncos into Chiefs territory.

To do the things Nix did against a top defense — and that's really where the Chiefs' biggest strength lies — says a lot about how far he's come this season.

Young Players Can be Playmakers

Again, there weren't a lot of players who stood out in the box score. But as the game progressed, we saw young offensive players who showed that they can make a difference on the field.

Rookie running back Audric Estime had easily his best game of the season. He ran with purpose, showed good vision at finding the hole and, most importantly, he took care of the ball. Estime showed he has what it takes to be a featured back.

Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. played with more confidence at Arrowhead. He seems to have found a role on the offense, including as a running back, as somebody who can work out of the backfield and get yards on the bubble screen when the blocking is there. Mims also had one of his better punt returns this season.

Rookie wideout Devaughn Vele is coming around after a rib injury sidelined him earlier this season. He made several clutch catches and ran a good route that led to the first touchdown of his NFL career.

The Broncos can certainly use more help on offense but there are some players already on this team who can contribute. All they need is more experience and more work by the coaches to find their proper roles.

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Defense Made it Hard on Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes entered the game with an ankle injury, but make no mistake — the Broncos got after him on offense and the pressure was getting to him at times. The Broncos had four different players who sacked Mahomes.

Nik Bonitto might have had more than one sack, were it not for a penalty on one play and Mahomes somehow throwing the ball away on another. Evidence of the pressure came after Mahomes had a wide-open Travis Kelce in the end zone late in the game, but the ball sailed on him. True, Mahomes wasn't 100%, but that's still a throw he usually makes.

After a tough outing against the Baltimore Ravens, the Broncos defense could have easily allowed Mahomes and the Chiefs to dictate the game. And though the Chiefs made some plays, the Broncos defense didn't make it easy.

Broncos Expect to Win

You would expect teams to be unhappy about the one that got away, particularly a game in which the Broncos were in position to get the game-winning field goal. But while the players clearly weren't happy, their attitudes gave a different signal than teams of the past. Rather than acting like they were resigned to their fate, they made it clear they need to do better.

It's easy to criticize the Broncos for not being more aggressive on the final drive, but it was clear what the intent was — to ensure that Mahomes and the Chiefs offense never got the ball back. Sean Payton even got Andy Reid to use his timeouts once Kansas City saw what was happening.

From start to finish and after the game, the attitude of the Broncos is clear: they expect to win. There's a winning culture being built here and that's a credit to the coaching staff.

Upcoming Schedule Doesn't Look so Intimidating

Going into the season, plenty of people thought the Broncos might be lucky to win five games. Now that 10 games are out of the way, a glance at the upcoming schedule shows the Broncos have a good chance to easily surpass five wins.

The Atlanta Falcons are good but flawed and are coming off a loss to the lowly New Orleans Saints. The Las Vegas Raiders are struggling after a 2-2 start to the season and the Cleveland Browns have also struggled.

After the Broncos bye week, they get the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, and Cincinnati Bengals — all teams with issues. While nothing can be taken for granted, the Broncos have plenty of winnable games ahead.

If the Broncos can put together a strong effort over the next three games, they could go 3-0 going into the bye week. That would keep them in the playoff hunt — something that few pundits expected to happen this season.

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