NFL.com: Broncos 'Several Parts Shy' of Contending in AFC
The Denver Broncos' 2024 season ended with a whimper, losing to the Buffalo Bills 31-7. The Broncos' improbable 10-7 record in a rebuilding year was impressive, and they’re much further ahead of schedule than it seemed heading into the season.
However, there's still a great divide between Denver and the contenders of the AFC, like Baltimore and Buffalo, as Eric Edholm expresses in the latest NFL.com power rankings. Denver finished the season ranked 12th.
“Well, at least the first drive was fun. History will remember this as a 24-point playoff loss, but honestly, the Broncos were very much in the game for longer than most will remember, trailing 13-7 with just over 18 minutes to play. If they stop the Bills on fourth-and-1, they get the ball back with a chance to take the lead going into the fourth quarter. But Denver's defense just didn't have it on Sunday, giving up a touchdown on the play and then a two-point conversion, plus 10 more points in Buffalo's next two possessions. The Bills moved the ball virtually every possession and kept ramming it down the Broncos' throats. The pass rush was there when Josh Allen dropped back, but the coverage was disappointing. Even first-team All-Pro CB Patrick Surtain II had a tough day at the office. Sean Payton has unquestionably turned this Denver team in the right direction, and the future looks bright, but the Broncos remain several parts shy of being able to challenge the NFL's sluggers in January," Edholm wrote.
The Broncos were simply outmatched by the talent that the Bills possess, and their deficiencies were on full display. Denver's off-ball linebackers couldn’t tackle, and a lack of difference-makers on offense, and a pass rush that disappeared all contributed to the team's Wildcard-Round exit.
However, the fact that Denver got into the Wildcard Round is a testament to Payton and his coaching staff squeezing what they could out of a young squad hamstrung by the salary cap. Despite the tough loss, Bo Nix got a taste of the postseason and is hungrier than ever to not only make it back but take the Broncos all the way to the Super Bowl.
The Broncos are a few pieces shy of being Super Bowl favorites, but they’re set up to fill most, if not all, of their holes through free agency and the draft, mainly because they’ll be taking the smaller cap hit from Russell Wilson's $34 million in dead money next season.
Denver is on the right path and ahead of schedule, but now the expectation is the AFC West crown. This offseason will make or break the Broncos' jump from the middle of the pack to an AFC juggernaut.
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