3 Hard Lessons Broncos Can Learn From Both Super Bowl 60 Teams

Last Sunday was a tough watch for Denver Broncos fans who were longing for a Super Bowl appearance after one of the team's best seasons in its 65-plus-year history. The Broncos went 14-3 and reclaimed the AFC West crown for the first time since 2015.

It’s hard not to think of what could have been had Bo Nix not gone down with an ankle injury, but as hard as it is, it’s time to look ahead and build for 2026. The Broncos can glean many lessons from both the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots and claim the title of AFC champions next season.

Let's cover the three lessons learned from both Super Bowl teams.

Effective Ground Game

To elevate the Broncos’ offense, Denver’s coaching staff and front office should look no further than Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III. Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns on 221 attempts last season, splitting carries with third-year back Zach Charbonnet, who had 730 yards and a whopping 12 touchdowns on 184 carries.

In the Super Bowl, Walker rushed for 135 yards on 27 attempts and caught two passes for an additional 26 yards, putting the Seahawks' offense on his back on the way to winning the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy.

The Broncos’ run game has been inconsistent for the past several years, and just when they started to get things going this year, J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury after rushing for 772 yards (top five by Week 10) and four touchdowns on 153 attempts.

Rookie RJ Harvey had 12 total touchdowns (seven rushing and five receiving), but he was a terrible down-to-down back, only averaging 42 yards per game post-Dobbins injury, and averaged a measly 3.7 yards per tote.

Adding a veteran running back to pair with Harvey is paramount if the Broncos are to be a viable offensive threat. Dobbins was great to start the year, but he’s proven to be unreliable due to his injury history and should look to other options like Walker, Tyler Allgeier, Breece Hall, and Travis Etienne.

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Strong Defensive Line

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is pressured by Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91). — Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is pressured by Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) in the second half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Broncos aren’t slouches when it comes to terrorizing opposing quarterbacks after leading the NFL in sacks for the second straight season, but the Seahawks’ defense reaffirmed the insatiable need for an elite defensive line rotation.

Seahawks’ starters Byron Murphy II, Derrick Hall, Demarcus Lawrence, and Leonard Williams dominated against the Patriots’ offensive line, and when they needed a breather, the backups Rylie Mills, Jarran Reed, Uchenna Nwosu, and Boye Mafe stepped right in to disrupt Patriots quarterback Drake Maye with a Super Bowl record-tying seven sacks.

Although there’s still time for the Broncos to extend John Franklin-Myers, they haven’t made any efforts to strike a deal with him, which would mean losing the 14.5 sacks he's totaled over the past two seasons on Denver’s defensive line. D.J. Jones had a solid year with three sacks and 39 total tackles, but he's 31, and Franklin-Myers's backup, Sai’vion Jones, is young and unproven going into his second year.

Denver has to be able to shuffle out its defensive line to remain a top-tier unit. The Broncos must add talent through this year’s draft, which has a plethora of options at the position.

Continue to Invest in the O-Line

Keeping a strength a strength is always a good idea, especially when it comes to keeping your franchise quarterback upright. The Broncos’ offensive line was ranked as the best unit in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, as they only surrendered a league low 23 sacks, even with injuries to starting center Luke Wattenburg and starting left guard Ben Powers.

To ensure they can stay consistent in keeping Nix clean, the Broncos have to add more talent across their entire offensive line. Left tackle Garett Bolles is getting older, as is right tackle Mike McGlinchey.

It’s clear by the abysmal performance of rookie left tackle Will Campbell and the rest of New England’s offensive line that holding up in the trenches will make or break a game, as it did for the Patriots’ offense. Continuing to add to the offensive line will keep the Broncos competitive and ensure Nix has a long and prosperous career in the Mile High City.

The Takeaway

The Broncos didn’t make it to the dance this time around, but their Super Bowl window is wide open for the foreseeable future. Learning from where the Seahawks and Patriots went right and wrong throughout their Super Bowl tilt can help propel the Broncos not only back to the playoffs, but to Super Bowl 61 in Los Angeles.