Coach Sean Payton got emotional about his 200th win on Sunday, which sent Denver Broncos to 6-2 and placed them in the penthouse of the AFC West. Payton's team scored a come-from-behind 28-24 win over a red-hot Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs that restored hope in the team's Super Bowl chances after an incredible Broncos goal line stand.
Denver now has the second-best record in the AFC behind Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, tied with Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals are nipping at their heels as the NFL reaches its halfway point.
The Broncos have reached their current waypoint despite star quarterback Bo Nix not having his best season and the running game remaining a work in progress.
Jonah Coleman helped solidify the backfield with a big game against the Chiefs, which bodes well for the Broncos' Super Bowl chances going forward.
Denver has an outside shot to make the Super Bowl, and it starts with their bend-but-don't break approach on defense.
Denver defense makes timely stops
The Denver Broncos' defense doesn't get a ton of attention or credit as most of their players aren't well known, outside of Patrick Surtain II, of course.
The Broncos give up a considerable amount of yards each game on defense (349) but are in the top ten league-wide in terms of least points given up, with an average of 20.1 points given up per game. Brian Flores' Vikings are far and a way the leader in that category with 12.3 points per game given up, nearly five points more per game than the second-tier group that includes the Broncos.
The playoffs will demand that defenses step up in the big moments, something that Vance Joseph's unit did against the Chiefs. With playmakers like Surtain, Alex Singleton, Brandon Jones (if he gets over his latest injury) and Talanoa Hufanga (if he returns from injury as expected) in the defensive lineup, Joseph has enough ammunition to slow down opposing offenses in crunch time, as his defense showed in Week 8.
Bo Nix has plenty of experience
Nix has led the Broncos to the playoffs before and has a ton of experience under his belt, which he combines with relative youth (26 years old) on an offense that is still finding its way.
Payton is known as an offensive guru which gives the Broncos hope to rediscover their high-scoring ways, something they found again against the Chiefs. Nix tossed two touchdown passes and threw for over 200 yards while Jonah Coleman was sensational in a variety of roles.
The Chiefs outgained the Broncos, which isn't surprising given the talent of Eric Bienemy's group, but Nix, Coleman, Courtland Sutton and others were there to go blow-for-blow with Patrick Mahomes' crew. Week 8's game is the kind of win that a team can look back on and use as fuel for when the going gets tough in the playoffs. The Broncos proved they can beat the best-of-the-best not just in a random early season game, but also when positioning for the division crown is on the line.
Nix and the Broncos will remember their win over the Chiefs and use it as motivation headed into the playoffs.
Article Continues BelowJonah Coleman emerges as RB1
Jonah Coleman brings a whole new dimension to the Broncos' offense that plays well to Nix's strength. He didn't have a back playing the way Coleman is now during past playoff runs which is giving Nix an opportunity to learn more about himself and the different skills he possesses.
Coleman is just 23 years old and has overcome injury difficulties this season with the Broncos. He ran 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs while adding four receptions for 63 yards, showing off his versatility. Power backs who can catch the ball well out of the backfield are rare, and Coleman is one of a select few.
The combination of teams having to load up to stop inside runs from the former University of Washington star and to defend him sneaking out of the backfield plays into the hands of Nix, who is as good as they get at precision passing, moving the pocket, and helping his team to convert on third downs.
The little things the Broncos do well as a team don't always stand out on the stat sheet, but they are championship habits and they have them in spades. The Broncos are a fringe Super Bowl contender right now who might be well served by making a trade before the upcoming deadline. If not, they could sneak into the big game, the same way they snuck into first place in the AFC West after Week 8's win.