Just How Bad Are The 8-2 Denver Broncos?

The Denver Broncos are 8-2 and fresh off a Thursday Night Football victory over their division rivals the Las Vegas Raiders, but the game was anything but pretty.

The AFC West-leading Broncos were only able to squeak out a three-point home victory over the two-win Raiders, prompting many to ask the question: is this the worst 8-2 team in the history of football?

To the naked eye, it looks like the Broncos are going to follow in the footsteps of their "overrated" forefathers, such as the 2022 Minnesota Vikings or the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers: a superb regular season record followed by a collosal flameout in the first round of the playoffs.

But, as is usually the case, it's a bit more complex than that.

Let's start with the negatives first.

The Broncos may be 8-2, but their wins have come against some questionable opponents to say the least.

Their opponents have a combined record of 21-47-1, good for a .304 win percentage, and aside from the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, their best win was against the 3-5-1 Dallas Cowboys, a team with a fiery offense and a defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed with a tampon.

I understand you have to play the teams they put in front of you, but when you're discussing the best teams in the league, there is a reason the Broncos are rarely mentioned in that group.

Now for the positives.

The Broncos' defense is statistically one of the best in the NFL, ranking at or near the top of the league in sacks, pressures, points allowed per game, and total yards allowed per game.

While the offense won't be mistaken for the Greatest Show On Turf or even the 2013 Broncos, they're above average in a bevy of categories on that side of the ball as well.

The problem seems to be the quarterback play, as Bo Nix is inconsistent at best and woefully below average at worst.

To make a deep playoff run, you need stellar play from your QB, and I doubt that will magically appear in the Mile High City.

Head Coach Sean Payton is a quarterback guru, but he can only take a guy like Nix so far this season.

Maybe the Broncos' signal caller has some more growth in him after all, as he's only been in the league for a couple of seasons, but for this year, Denver has a clearly defined ceiling.

So, are the Broncos the worst 8-2 team of all-time? Probably not, but I wouldn't expect a Lombardi Trophy to be paraded through the 16th Street Mall this February.