Broncos Climb NFL.com Power Rankings After 28-14 Panthers Win

The Denver Broncos have something interesting brewing behind Bo Nix.

Oct 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles with the ball in the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos handled business at Empower Field at Mile High, defeating the Carolina Panthers 28-14. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix had his best game as a pro yet, as Denver inches closer to securing a playoff spot and is now a game away from sweeping the NFC South.

The road ahead is treacherous, as the Broncos' next two games are on the road against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. Before worrying about those matchups, let’s examine how the Broncos' latest victory impacted their NFL.com power rankings.

Here's Eric Edholm’s view on the Broncos' win on Sunday and why they catapulted one spot to stand at No. 11, just one slot out from the top 10.

“The Broncos once again took care of business against a lesser opponent, but these next few games will be the real test for whether this team has legs. Back-to-back road games against the Ravens and Chiefs loom, and they’re followed by a home game vs. first-place Atlanta. All eyes turn to Bo Nix, who is coming off a career-high 284 pass yards against Carolina, and he almost set that mark by halftime, with 220. He also had three TDs passing and one more on the ground, and Nix took just two sacks in 39 dropbacks. The rookie's athleticism will help against this tough stretch of upcoming games, and Nix getting Courtland Sutton back in the regular passing-game rotation was a big development. So was involving the tight end position heavily, which is perhaps a sign of bigger things for that group. Denver’s strong defense should be able to hold up its end of the bargain, but how Nix plays could define how the season ends up," Edholm wrote.

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Indeed, Nix played much better this week after a weak performance against the New Orleans Saints. He was much better at setting his feet when making throws, which boosted his accuracy.

The Panthers are by no means a powerhouse on defense, but the Broncos can only play who’s in front of them, and offensively, they did what was expected. It's slightly concerning that the Broncos didn’t make much noise on offense in the second half, but they secured the win nonetheless.

The emphasis on involving the tight ends was encouraging as Nate Adkins and Adam Trautman found the end zone and made some outstanding plays on what happened to be National Tight Ends Day. 

The Broncos' next outing against the Ravens won’t be as easy as the last few weeks, as Lamar Jackson is on pace for another MVP. The Ravens will be extra motivated after a tough loss to the Cleveland Browns, so Denver must be prepared for a dogfight in hostile territory.

If Nix can continue to build upon his performance against Carolina, the Broncos will be a formidable foe no matter who lines up against them.

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