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Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs into the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter of the NFL Week 4 Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 5 Power Rankings Show NFL Still Unsure About the Broncos

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Dylan Von Arx | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 3:14 PM ET

The Denver Broncos’ confidence level is at the highest it’s been since the offseason after smashing the Cincinnati Bengals 28-3 under the primetime lights. Getting back into the win column is essential for this team to get on the right track and into the playoff conversation, even in the first month of the season.

With a win, the Broncos sit at 2-2 and have risen in various power rankings across the NFL web, and there’s much to be said, starting with analysis from the On SI publishers, followed by Sports Illustrated, NFL.com, and ESPN.

The Broncos' average ranking? 14th.

On SI: 16th

"RJ Harvey has begun to build up a head of steam behind J.K. Dobbins. The second-round pick totaled 98 yards from scrimmage in Monday night’s commanding win over the Bengals, and he scored his first NFL touchdown (through the air). The other rookie slowly being given more bites at the apple is wide receiver Pat Bryant. In back-to-back weeks, Bryant has shown his unselfish willingness to block for his teammates, springing big plays, including a Marvin Mims Jr. touchdown on Monday.That led to Sean Payton giving Bryant bigger opportunities as a pass-catcher. Bryant’s time will soon come," Chad Jensen wrote.

Sports Illustrated: 15th

“The Courtland Sutton touchdown before the half was a bit of an exorcism for this offense, which was at the RJ Harvey wildcat level of goal line desperation before a wildly ill-advised throw from Bo Nix. Still, he remains in my 'keep shooting' territory of young passers…because of moments like that,” Connor Orr wrote.

Despite the win, there is still much to approve on when it comes to this iteration of the Broncos. Whether it’s desperation or not, the Broncos’ offense has to find new ways to pick up yards and ultimately put points on the board, and we saw that work with the end-around to Marvin Mims Jr. that resulted in a touchdown.

Nix has been erratic, and sometimes that results in meltdowns, while at other times it makes magic. He will continue to “keep shooting,” and hopefully, he can become more calculated in the shots he takes.

NFL.com: 12th

“After an opening three-and-out, they scored on three of their next four possessions, and it could have been 4-for-4, but Bo Nix threw an end-zone interception. The Broncos controlled the game from about the second quarter on, but they couldn’t quite put it away until the mid-fourth. They had some annoying penalties (three by Luke Wattenberg) and four drops (including two by Troy Franklin). Nix did a lot of good things, and the run game offered signs of real hope, minus the flags," Eric Edholm wrote.

Even in victory, the Broncos made some mistakes that would cripple them against more competent opponents. Yes, the Nix interception was awful, and Franklin needs to hit the Jugs machine, but the most frustrating part of the Broncos’ performance on Monday was the number of penalties, especially from Wattenburg.

Wattenburg was called for holding twice and once for a snap infraction and illegal man downfield. The offense has already had several problems thus far, and Wattenburg has been a major contributing factor in the ineptitude.

ESPN: 13th

“Even in a 512-yard outburst against the Bengals, which included 326 passing yards from quarterback Bo Nix and 101 rushing yards from running back J.K. Dobbins, the Broncos could not escape their growing penalty problems. 'Penalties still bit us,' coach Sean Payton said. Currently, Denver's offense is tied as the fourth-most penalized offense. Center Luke Wattenberg has been flagged six times in 2025, including four penalties on Monday night. He leads a group of nine different offensive players who have been flagged this season. They've had at least seven penalties in three of their games," Jeff Legwold wrote.

Penalties will be a problem until Payton and the Broncos' coaching staff can get their players under control. Some officiating crews are stingier than others, and unfortunately, in the modern NFL, there’s an element of game-planning based on which crew is calling the game.

Ultimately, the blame falls on Payton, who must instill discipline in his roster and possibly even consider benching certain players (Wattenburg) if issues persist.

Despite securing a victory on Monday, the NFL media still has questions about how good the Broncos really are. Sure, 28-3 is a dominant finish, but the box score doesn’t always tell the whole story.

If the Broncos want to stay in the win column and continue their ascent in the weekly power rankings, they must clean up their penalty epidemic and find their identity, or be left treading the waters of irrelevance.