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Oct 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Empower Field at Mile High. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Mile High Momentum: Broncos Rise in NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Dylan Von Arx | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 2:10 PM ET

The Denver Broncos bucked off the Dallas Cowboys 44-24 in their most convincing win of 2025. The Broncos' offense looked unstoppable, and their defense bullied Dak Prescott to the tune of two sacks and two interceptions despite missing Patrick Surtain II for half the game.

A five-game winning streak goes a long way toward the Broncos' confidence and has bumped them up in the top NFL power rankings. The Broncos' average ranking this week?

Denver's average ranking this week is No. 8. That's up three spots from last week's average.

For this week's power rankings roundup, let’s start with Denver's highest rank yet by Sports Illustrated, where they’re in the top five.

Sports Illustrated: 4th

“The Broncos’ rookie class is soaring and, while RJ Harvey’s three-touchdown game was somewhat opportunistic, cleaning up the grunt work from J.K. Dobbins, his impact on the field reminds me of a Lions team that moved more toward Jahmyr Gibbs after a Gibbs/David Montgomery platoon,” Connor Orr wrote.

The Broncos’ top three picks all had great showings against Dallas, especially Harvey, who had three total touchdowns. Pat Bryant caught his first touchdown of the season on a beautiful fingertip grab in the back corner of the end zone while Jahdae Barron shut down Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and came away with an interception.

The tandem of Dobbins and Harvey was electric on Sunday, and if the rookie can rack up more yards on the ground, this could be a top-three duo in the NFL.

On SI: 9th

"The Broncos could be buyers. Entering Week 8, this team was as healthy as it gets, with all 53 active players practicing in full on Friday before the game. That changed, with several players going down vs. Dallas, including star cornerback Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos’ tight end room has been hit pretty hard. I could see Denver maneuvering for a tight end or a wide receiver ahead of the deadline," Chad Jensen wrote.

The NFL trade deadline approaches on November 4, and based on the rumor mill, the Broncos could be buyers. The Broncos signed veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis on Wednesday morning.

NFL.com: 10th

“Even if it came against Dallas' porous defense, that was exactly the kind of game Denver needed offensively. Bo Nix overcame his early pick to have a terrific day, and the run game really flourished. RJ Harvey hadn't gotten many touches lately, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the rookie log his first two NFL rushing touchdowns in a three-TD performance. The Broncos will encounter much tougher defenses before the Week 12 bye (this Sunday at Houston and Week 11 vs. Kansas City), but this 44-point outing bodes well for Sean Payton's attack. The news wasn't all good, with star CB Patrick Surtain II leaving with a left shoulder injury. Denver's defense did a number on the Cowboys most of the game, but Surtain missing significant time would be a problem,” Eric Edholm wrote.

Finally seeing the Broncos’ offense operate at a high level is very encouraging, even against an abysmal defense like the Cowboys’. The concern now turns to the defense, which will be without Surtain for three or more weeks due to pectoral strain.

Despite losing Surtain in the second half, the secondary played reasonably well, but now Kris Abrams-Draine and Barron will see an increased role against much stiffer competition. How these next 4-6 weeks go defensively could either significantly boost or harm defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s stock as a head coach candidate in the offseason.

ESPN: 9th

“After getting four touchdowns from rookies on Sunday, the long-term answer here could be different. But right now, fifth-year ball carrier Dobbins is third in the league at 79.3 rushing yards per game and second only to the Colts' Jonathan Taylor in runs of at least 10 yards. Dobbins is the first Broncos running back with two 100-yard rushing games in a season since Melvin Gordon had three in 2021. And with his reliability as a pass protector and a receiver, Dobbins has checked every box,” Jeff Legwald wrote.

Dobbins has easily been the best addition to the Broncos’ offense this offseason. On 120 attempts, he’s gained 634 yards and four touchdowns, with his yards being the third-best in the league. Dobbins’ pass protection and vision have been a welcome addition to the offense, adding another dimension that it didn’t have a year ago.

The Takeaway

The Broncos face the middling Houston Texans this week with a chance to shut out the entire state of Texas. The Texans' defense is a force to be reckoned with, but C.J. Stroud will be running for his life behind this horrid offensive line.

Moving to 7-2 would put them further ahead in the division race just before facing the Las Vegas Raiders and Kasnas City Chiefs through the next three weeks.