Broncos Climb Two Spots in NFL.com's Week 5 Power Rankings, Urged to Push

The Denver Broncos won ugly but it didn't stop them from climbing the power rankings.

Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates the win over against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

If you’re a fan of defensive football, then the Denver Broncos' 10-9 win over the New York Jets was just what the doctor ordered. Both teams have strong defenses, which was very apparent as the only explosive plays for most of the game were tackles for loss, sacks, and fumbles.

Only throwing for 60 yards, Bo Nix and the Broncos offense escaped from New York in an uglier fashion than Kurt Russell, and the win pushed them to a 2-2 record. After embarrassing Aaron Rodgers and Robert Saleh, Denver jumped up two spots in NFL.com's power rankings to 20th, good for third in the AFC West.

Here’s what NFL.com's Eric Edholm had to say about Denver’s win and the possibility of making a run at a division title.

“Style points are one thing, but at least in the case of Sunday's game, the Broncos will take a second straight road win. The defense has now allowed 29 points over the past 12 quarters and held each of its past three opponents to 251 yards or fewer. The weather Sunday might have helped keep the score down, as did the Jets’ rash of penalties, but there’s no denying this Broncos defense has come out with its hardhats on this season. They took Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson out of the game and sacked Aaron Rodgers five times with an aggressive, blitz-heavy approach. You’d like to see more from Bo Nix and his wide receivers, but they did just enough with two second-half scoring drives to (barely) finish it off. Is the AFC West open now with the Chiefs and Chargers banged up? The chance to make a run is now, with three of the next four at home against a softer part of the schedule," Edholm wrote.

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The Broncos defense is an elite unit, and no one would’ve thought Vance Joseph could make that happen. Outside of Patrick Surtain ll, there’s not a Broncos defender that someone outside of the fandom would consider a star, but Joseph has managed to maximize every man on the gridiron.

The Broncos lost inside linebacker Alex Singleton for the season and edge defender Baron Browning to short-term injured reserve. However, the defense didn’t miss a beat, with Justin Strnad taking Singleton's place, who looked like more than a special teamer on Sunday. 

While Nix and the offense looked very shaky through most of the game, Javonte Williams seemingly found his confidence and gashed the Jets late in the game on both of Denver’s scoring drives. Nix finally scored through the air, finding Courtland Sutton in the back of the end zone for the Broncos' first points of the game.

Suppose this offense could be middle-of-the-pack. In that case, the Broncos could seriously compete in the AFC West, especially with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert banged up and the Kansas City Chiefs possibly losing Rashee Rice to a significant knee injury — Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 target. 

This week, the Broncos are back home to face the Las Vegas Raiders, who may be without Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby. If the Broncos continue to dominate on defense and Nix grows on offense, this team could be a surprise to make the playoffs this season.

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