Broncos’ Doubters May Be Undervaluing One Crucial Factor

Although outlets like FOX Sports have the Denver Broncos at No. 1 in the post-schedule-release power rankings, the prevailing national opinion is that this team will take a step back in 2026.

On some level, a step back is almost a given. After all, the Broncos tied a franchise record with 14 wins last season, so campaigns like that are rare, even for a storied team like this.

But could Denver regress to a single-digit win total? The Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to prove that last season's six wins were a fluke, while the Los Angeles Chargers look as tough as ever under Jim Harbaugh.

NFL.com tandem Ali Bhanpuri and Tom Blair predicted a pretty bleak finish for the Broncos this season, contrary to the expectations within the fan base. Bhanpuri has the Broncos finishing at 10-7 and narrowly making the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, while Blair has Denver starting off the season 0-4, and finishing 9-8 without a postseason berth.

"Is Jaylen Waddle the missing piece in Denver's championship puzzle? Based on the Broncos' otherwise quiet offseason, they sure seem to think so. One of the league's most complete teams, Denver's season will be a tale of two halves: Can the Broncos hold up against an early-season onslaught that includes bouts with the Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Chargers and Seahawks, as well as both head-to-heads with the Chiefs? If they're still standing by their Week 10 bye (one-score wins are still wins!), their schedule sets up nicely for a second-half run," Bhanpuri wrote.

All the regression talk surrounding the Broncos misses some key realities about this team. The doubters are missing some crucial factors.

No Strangers to Adversity

Yeah, the Broncos' first eight weeks are brutal. But these NFL.com fellas write as if the Broncos are an upstart team. But Denver is no stranger to adversity.

The Broncos won 10 games in 2024 and made the playoffs with a day-one rookie quarterback. The Broncos then built on that by winning 14 games in 2025, knocking the Chiefs off the AFC West pedestal, securing the No. 1 playoff seed, vanquishing the desperate Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, and coming one ill-timed Bo Nix injury away from their ninth trip to the Super Bowl.

The Broncos earned this first-place schedule. Another way of looking at it is, the Broncos qualified for this tough schedule. And while the NFL didn't make it any easier on Denver with how it ordered the games, the Broncos aren't losing sleep over it.

One Game at a Time

Bo Nix and Sean Payton — Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talks with quarterback Bo Nix (10) during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Sean Payton will have this team ready to play one game at a time, starting with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, whom the NFL.com fellas have retaking the AFC West at 12-5. It may seem way too early to predict Week 1, but I'm telling you now, that game is not going to go the way guys like Bhanpuri and Blair think it is.

It's understandable that some national folks will take one look at the Broncos' schedule and circle the Chiefs as the division favorites, but remember, Kansas City also has to play every team in the AFC East and NFC West. Those two divisions produced five playoff teams last season.

Including two matchups each with the Broncos and Chargers, that means nine of the Chiefs' games this season will be against 2025 playoff teams, not counting teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts, who could be bona fide threats in 2026.

The Chargers have it even worse, with additional matchups with the Houston Texans, plus the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two teams that narrowly missed the playoffs last year but could be improved this season.

First Team to 12 Wins...

The one thing these NFL.com guys have right is that the first team to 12 wins likely earns the AFC West crown. Nobody is getting to 14 wins this season with the AFC West's schedule being what it is.

If the Broncos can weather the first eight weeks at 5-3 or even 4-4, they'll have a strong path to defending the division crown. If they come out of it at, say, 3-5, I'd still like the Broncos' outlook because the middle stretch of their schedule is so favorable, and the bye falls almost perfectly in the middle.

The final three games set up as being crucial, whether the Broncos start 6-2, 5-3, 4-4, or 3-5. But something tells me the New England Patriots are not going to be the threat they're currently perceived as by season's end.

The Takeaway

If Bo Nix returns healthy and stays healthy, all of the Broncos' goals will be on the table this season. We can talk about all the little things Denver needs to improve, but Nix staying on the field is the key. He's the tide that raises all ships.

If the Broncos can also keep running back J.K. Dobbins healthy, work Waddle into the passing attack seamlessly, and figure out how to replace John Franklin-Myers's 7.5 sacks from last year, this team is going to be a tough out for any opponent, including Mahomes and the Chiefs or the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Remember, the Broncos vanquished both Super Bowl teams last year. This team is used to bowing up for the right opponent, and with the leadership intact, including Payton, Nix, and all the team captains, don't expect it to be any different in 2026.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google