Broncos' Week 6 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Rising On the Winds of an Upset

The Denver Broncos are beginning to make believers out of the NFL media world.

Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts as he walks off the field after a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos shocked the world by defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 in Week 5. Being on the right end of a comeback victory is oh so sweet after losing twice on last-second field goals, and it might be what the Broncos needed to build confidence.

Speaking of confidence, the Broncos have climbed multiple spots in this week’s power rankings roundup. Let's examine where the Broncos stand entering Week 6, starting with Sports Illustrated, followed by NFL.com, and ESPN.

The Broncos' average ranking? 10th. That's up four spots from last week's average of 14th.

Sports Illustrated: 11th

“The Broncos and Courtland Sutton in particular went after the largely avoided Quinyon Mitchell on Sunday with, according to NextGenStats, three catches for 64 yards alone in the fourth quarter. That’s more than Mitchell has given up to a single wide receiver in a game all year,” Connor Orr wrote. 

While three catches for 64 yards against Mitchell doesn’t sound impressive, the few catches Sutton did have were very critical in the Broncos' fourth-quarter dominance. Two of his best catches came on the Broncos’ touchdown drive to give them the lead, both of which were first downs.

Sutton may not have had a superstar performance, but he showed up in the moments he was needed most. 

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Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) and cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

NFL.com: 10th

“Slow starts remain a huge issue; asking the defense to hold teams down while the offense figures things out feels like a shaky roadmap for success. But it worked Sunday in Philadelphia, with Nix and the attack roundly struggling prior to the fourth quarter. The second-year QB completed nine of his 10 passes in the final period for 127 yards and a touchdown (adding another completion on a two-point conversion) to deliver the rousing victory. And now, with this Sunday's London tilt coming against the winless Jets, there's a golden opportunity to exorcise some of those slow-start demons,” Eric Edholm wrote.

Slow starts still plague the Broncos’ offense, and that can bite them like we’ve already seen against the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers. Playing from behind for a large portion of this week’s contest isn’t a recipe to win every week, but their defense affords them more chances to score while holding the opposition back.

Bo Nix played poorly for three quarters, but when the Broncos needed him most, he stepped up and delivered in the clutch like a franchise quarterback should. If Nix keeps developing and shows this team he can carry them when called upon, he’ll undoubtedly be the man in Denver.

ESPN: 9th

“In the Broncos' Week 4 win over the Bengals, Dobbins had the first 100-yard rushing game for Denver since Latavius Murray in the 2022 season finale. It was also the first 100-yard rushing game of Sean Payton's tenure as Broncos coach. Payton has steadily moved Dobbins into a firm RB1 role, and Dobbins followed his 100-yard game with 20 carries in Week 5. The Broncos have used Tyler Badie in their two-minute offense, and rookie RJ Harvey will continue to get snaps, but Dobbins has been the one to help the offense move,” Jeff Legwold wrote.

J.K. Dobbins has been the most impactful signing for the Broncos’ offense, which sounds crazy after also adding tight end Evan Engram, who has been shaky. The Broncos desperately needed a ground game that could take pressure off Nix and would grind down teams throughout a matchup, and it seems Dobbins was the missing component.

The one-two punch of Dobbins and Harvey is starting to materialize, and that should scare any defense lined up across from them.

The Takeaway

This week, the Broncos travel across the pond to London to face the winless New York Jets. Denver may have beaten the defending champs, but that doesn’t mean it can overlook the Jets, who have some nasty players on defense.

If the Broncos can take care of business in London, they’ll have a shot at the top in the AFC West.