Broncos 2024 NFL power rankings tracker enters NFL Week 9

After eight weeks, the Broncos are 5-3 and on a two-game winning streak against some not-so-good teams. And while Broncos Country dreams of playoff hopes for the first time since the Peyton Manning era, national analysts are tempering expectations for this Denver team.

Here’s a look at how several national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 9:

The Athletic (No. 15) | Last week: No. 17

“Denver is 20th in the league in scoring (21.63 ppg), but it is 30th in first downs per drive (1.4). That means a lot of short possessions, which puts a lot of pressure on quarterback Bo Nix. The rookie was good Sunday, completing 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos had a season-high 400 yards. Denver has scored 61 points over the past two weeks,” Josh Kendall wrote. View the full rankings.

Bleacher report (no. 16) | Last week: No. 19

“I’m certainly not going to throw Nix into the Rookie-of-the-Year conversation, but he has shown an impressive amount of growth since stumbling out of the gate. The Broncos defense was good enough to overcome its early growing pains, and Denver is now starting to look and play like a balanced team.

“I would say the Broncos are better with Nix right now than they were with Russell Wilson in 2023. That team won eight games. This one has already won five and could push his way into a wildcard spot. Upcoming road games against the Ravens and Chiefs should tell us exactly how much of a threat Denver can pose,” Kristopher Knox wrote. View the full rankings.

CBS Sports (no. 13) | Last week: No. 17

“Sean Payton has this team at 5-3 as they head to Baltimore for a big matchup with the Ravens. Bo Nix is ​​getting better every week,” writes Pete Prisco. View the full rankings.

ESPN (No. 16) | Last week: No. 17

“Rookie quarterback Bo Nix is ​​showing progress, but the jury is still out on whether Russell Wilson or Jarrett Stidham would have done as well against the Broncos’ dominant defense. Franklin-Myers, acquired in a weekend trade with the Jets, has allowed others along the defensive front to switch to assignments that better suit them. Zach Allen, who is coming off an All-Pro worthy season, has credited Franklin-Myers’ arrival with facilitating much of his own impact. The Broncos have 12 players with at least half a sack and the highest pass-rush winning percentage in the league (55.8%),” Jeff Legwold wrote. View the full rankings.

The sports news (no. 13) | Last week: No. 16

“The Broncos should get more attention now as Bo Nix takes full command of Sean Payton’s offense. They take the first big step, beat bad teams and prove that they are far from being one,” writes Vinnie Iyer. View the full rankings.

Sports illustrated (no. 21) | Last week: No. 20

“The Broncos, like the Saints earlier this year, are feeling like themselves after two wins against extremely undersized opponents (in this case, a Derek Carr-less Saints team and the Carolina Panthers). Sean Payton certainly enjoyed himself. Let’s check in after the back-to-back games against the Ravens and Chiefs. One more note: I wrote about this Sunday, but it deserves a second mention: Ja’Quan McMillian had one of the most impressive picks I’ve seen all season,” Conor Orr wrote. View the full rankings.