Copyright The Denver Post
The Broncos won an ugly, gritty game against the Raiders on Thursday. But the important part was that they won. Denver improved to 8-2 on the season after its 10-7 victory over Vegas. While the offense struggled, the defense continued staying stout, allowing just 17.3 points per game (third-fewest in the NFL) and recording a league-leading 46 sacks. The scourge behind Broncos, Bo Nix’s lack of offensive rhythm? Penalties. Can the Broncos keep it rolling on Sunday against the Chiefs? Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 11: The Athletic (No. 7) | Last week: No. 8 "Denver expected Talanoa Hufanga to help when they signed him to a three-year, $39 million contract in the offseason after four years in San Francisco, and he has. Hufanga led Denver with nine tackles Thursday night and recorded his second sack of the season and the fourth of his career. He has 70 tackles, which is already the second most of his career," Josh Kendall and Chad Graff write. See the full rankings. Bleacher Report (No. 7) | Last week: No. 7 "To their credit, the Broncos found a way to win when the offense wasn't at its best. The Denver defense is as good as any in the NFL. But if this team is going to make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl berth, it needs more consistency on offense," Gary Davenport writes. See the full rankings. CBS Sports (No. 9) | Last week: No. 8 "Where is the offense? Bo Nix just isn't playing well right now. It's up to Sean Payton to fix him," Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings. ESPN (No. 9) | Last week: No. 7 "Nik Bonitto is putting together a formidable Defensive Player of the Year campaign, but he is surrounded by defensive players who are producing Pro Bowl seasons. And in reality, much like when a coach gives game balls to the entire defense after a win, the Broncos' MVP is really coordinator Vance Joseph's swirling, aggressive, bring-it-on, man-to-man coverage scheme. Bonitto and Zach Allen lead the league in quarterback hits, Bonitto's quick pressure rate leads the league, the Broncos lead the league in defensive EPA and 30 of the team's league-leading 46 sacks have come with four or fewer rushers. At times this season, Bonitto and the Broncos have presented a front that can't be blocked," Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings. NFL.com (No. 8) | Last week: No. 9 "I've been hearing it from Broncos fans who believe I have their team ranked too low, but Thursday's ugly win reaffirmed the feeling that slow-playing Denver a bit is the right call. This defense obviously is championship-quality when Patrick Surtain II is in the lineup, and it's still pretty darned good without him. The Broncos undoubtedly have their eyes on the 1984 Bears' single-season sack record of 72, needing 27 in the final seven games to break it. But expecting the D to cover for the offense most weeks when the lulls kick in just isn't a foolproof formula. Bo Nix and Co. have shown enough flashes all season to keep me interested and ready to bump up the Broncos when they show some sustained offensive success, especially early in games. And the penalties have to stop at some point, right?" Eric Edholm writes. See the full rankings. The Ringer (No. 7) | Last week: No. 7 "If all you evaluated week-to-week was the Broncos’ play on the field, you’d never guess they had such control over their future. Quarterback Bo Nix has been one of the league’s worst starters, and has clearly regressed in spite of head coach Sean Payton’s best efforts. I think the Broncos will win 11 or 12 games this year, but they’re still a mile away from climbing the mountain to Super Bowl contention," Diante Lee writes. See the full rankings. USA Today (No. 4) | Last week: No. 3 "Their 46 sacks are the most by a team through 10 games since 1990 − and the pass rush can hardly afford to let up given this offense may not total 46 points for the rest of the season if it doesn't escape its current rut," Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings. Yahoo! Sports (No. 7) | Last week: No. 6 "The Broncos are winning games, but that will not continue if the offense doesn’t get better. And after 10 weeks, is that really going to happen? Bo Nix’s regression in his second season has been undeniable. Denver hosts Kansas City this week. The offense needs to show up," Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.
