The Denver Broncos arrived at the latest possible bye week being owed apologies from a whole gaggle of NFL prognosticators. The early sentiment was that the over under was too high, and everyone should take the over.

The least talented roster. Bo Nix is garbage. Sean Payton is going to be fired. The defense is Pat Surtain II and nothing else.

The story of the Denver Broncos in 2024 has been proving the league, the pundits, the doubters, wrong. Ian and I talked about the possibility of the Broncos making the playoffs on Odds and Endzones.

Sitting at 8-5 after a whirlwind Monday Night Football game, Denver controls their opportunity to make the playoffs. The magic number is probably 10 wins. Winning a majority of the rest of their games will keep the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts in the rearview mirror.

Denver should come out of their bye week ready to extend their lead over the Colts. Anthony Richardson has played better since being benched for tapping out of a game earlier this season. Both teams will be looking to solidify their hold on a spot in the post season.

For Denver, it’s not just about holding on. They could move up in the seeding if they can take care of business. And it won’t be just about the Colts. The Broncos will have a short turn around to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The bye week will give players like Riley Moss a chance to get healthy. He is definitely needed to secure the other half of the field. He and PS2 have proven to be one of the best CB duos in the game.

The defense looked tired against the Cleveland Browns. The offense played well enough to win, but this time off will help get everyone healthier for a big push down the stretch.

The questions about talent and whether this team would compete have been answered. The question about whether or not this team could make the playoffs is almost answered (gotta be sure, so I will wait). The next question will be about how dangerous Bo Nix and Company will be.

I think the answer could be, “very.”