Broncos' Record in 1-Score Games Impacts NFL.com Preseason Power Ranking

The Denver Broncos had their trials and tribulations early in the 2024 season, as is often the case with a rookie quarterback. Still, the defense and Sean Payton's coaching masterclass, paired with Bo Nix's rise, hoisted the Broncos back into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

The Broncos are poised to make another push for the postseason in 2025, and NFL.com’s Eric Edholm’s pre-preseason power rankings reflect that, listing them just right outside the top 10 at No. 11 overall. A massive portion of Denver's ranking is attributed to its stellar defense, but as Edholm says, winning the close games will decide how successful this team is this coming season. 

“The Broncos are a fascinating team that could be on the verge of breaking through. Bo Nix deftly answered a lot of challenges last season. The defense could be the best unit in the league; at worst, it’s a top-five group. Denver added some skill-position talent to the till. I don’t see many glaring personnel voids," Edholm wrote. "What the 2024 Broncos needed to do better was finish off close games and win more often against top-tier talent. They were 1-6 in one-score games, and after the Week 3 win at Tampa, there were really no more signature victories against good teams. (Beating a Chiefs team resting its starters in Week 18 doesn’t count.) The 2025 schedule is tougher, and I still wonder how much the offense really added to the backfield, but Denver is pointed in the right direction. If the Broncos can survive the AFC West gauntlet, the playoffs are within reach again.”

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Being 1-6 in one-score games is very unfortunate but not surprising, considering that Nix was in his rookie season with virtually no playmakers outside of Courtland Sutton and an anemic and at times non-existent run game.

With pieces added around Nix through the offseason — like tight end Evan Engram, running backs RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins, and wide receiver Pat Bryant — the offense will be more dynamic and make teams play the Broncos with much more caution.

The Chiefs and Bengals games stick out in terms of just how close Denver is to being a serious contender in the AFC. Even as a young team, the Broncos were a blocked field goal away from beating the then-defending Super Bowl champs and one drive away from stealing a win in Cincinnati.

The Takeaway

Nix, in his second year, will be sharper, faster, and more determined to prove that he’s better than the sixth-best quarterback in his draft class, and Payton is the man to help him forge that reality. Placing 11th in NFL.com's power rankings is a solid starting point, but the Broncos won’t be satisfied until they hoist the Lombardi Trophy once more, and that journey starts in a matter of weeks.