The Denver Broncos are not the worst team in the NFL. And they are far from the best.
But the Broncos could be much closer to the best teams in the league than to those below. However, when it comes to the national media, the Broncos have mostly grouped themselves with the doldrum dwellers in the NFL power rankings in 2020.
It is understandable, but so wrong. National experts watch the rankings and see Denver finish below .500 for the third consecutive year.
Regardless of Drew Lock’s appearance as a quarterback (he was a rookie with a small sample size, you don’t know), and what the Broncos did this offseason to bolster the roster, the national perspective has lost the forest to the trees.
Just for the sake of posterity, the Broncos had put together just three wins by the time Week 13 arrived. Once Lock was inserted as the starting QB, the team would win four of their last five games to finish 7-9. Real momentum had been established.
So what would be a fair power ranking? Especially considering the improvements the Broncos made on the inside O line and offensive skill positions?
For the first time in a long time, I can say that Pro Football Talk has provided the correct answer. In its 2020 NFL power standings, PFT placed Denver at n. ° 15. This is what Mike Florio said:
15. Broncos: With a potential franchise quarterback finally in the fold, the Broncos are building something much better than they’ve had. If they didn’t have to deal with the Chiefs in their division, Denver could be poised to become an elite team.
What happens next to the Broncos? Don’t miss any news and analysis! Take a second and Sign up to receive our free newsletter and receive the latest Broncos news in your inbox daily!
The Chiefs present an unenviable hurdle for the Broncos, but with the new NFL playoff format, there will be an additional seat at the table. Instead of the traditional six playoff teams from each conference, there will be seven.
Added up, that’s 14 teams. PFT has the Broncos 15th, for now, just outside the postseason. But well at a surprising distance.
I’ve written so many stories focused on power lists and rankings, that I’ve already taken advantage of to provide additional information. It is a list.
But I wanted to put it in front of the Mile High Huddle community because it’s the fairest power ranking I’ve ever seen and accurately represents the Broncos’ trajectory. This is a talented enough team to have a shot at the playoffs, regardless of whether Kansas City maintains its giant status.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
