The Denver Broncos have been a complete revelation after the team's abysmal 1-5 start winning five straight games to put them at 6-5 and right in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt. The team has picked up crucial wins against the Bills and Browns who are both also fighting for wild card spots.
However, according to Pro Football Focus the team's most crucial game is this Sunday against the Houston Texans who are also in the playoff hunt. The upcoming game has severe implications for the team's chances of making the postseason and may be the biggest game for the franchise in nearly five seasons.
With the playoffs seemingly on the line this weekend, the Broncos will rely on these three factors to guide the team to its first playoff berth since the team won Super Bowl 50 in 2015.
Broncos defense is playing lights out
After playing awful for the first month of the season including giving up a ridiculous 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, the team has drastically turned it around. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has the unit firing on all cylinders with an NFL-leading 22 turnovers including 12 fumbles in the 2023 campaign.
Denver has an unthinkable 16 turnovers during its five-game winning streak and has forced some of the NFL's best to struggle mightly against its defense. Patrick Mahomes threw two interceptions with zero touchdowns while Josh Allen threw two as well with his team coughing up a pair of fumbles. It is time to put some respect on a defense that has caused the best of the best to turn the ball over, especially in crunch time.
NFL analysts have been saying for weeks that the turnovers are not sustainable, yet week after week the defense continues to produce them. This may not be the 2015 Super Bowl Champion Broncos defense but it is certainly playing elite enough to carry the team to a deep playoff run.
Russell Wilson has been elite
Although his numbers are not gaudy by any means, the quarterback has been playing phenomenally under head coach Sean Payton this season. Wilson has an NFL-best TD to Interception ratio sitting at 20 to 4. The veteran has been an elite game manager and has not turned the ball over which has kept the team in games allowing its defense to get cooking.
Wilson's season is sneaking by many yet he is tied for fifth in the league with his 20 TDs and has been a magician at creating scoring opportunities especially late in games. He has had two beautiful touchdowns in back-to-back weeks throwing beautiful passes to Courtland Sutton and Adam Trautman, both with expected completion percentages in single digits. The Broncos quarterback also leads the league in fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives with four. Both of these marks are his best since the 2019 season with six games to go.
The veteran quarterback already has a pair of Super Bowl appearances in his career including one ring and his playoff experience is a perfect recipe to pair with its booming defense. The team will face Houston who has seemed to be in offensive shootouts more often than not which will put the pressure on Wilson. He needs to keep setting up the run game with Javonte Williams which can set up the play-action where he has thrived his entire career. Another strong asset to Chef Russ' game is rolling out of the pocket where he can make magic happen out of a broken play. If Wilson can stick to the recipe he has been cooking with all year, he can take the team to a deep playoff run with ease.
Reinforcements en route for Broncos
The team is bringing back key reinforcements such as Brandon Johnson and Kareem Jackson to add to an already booming team. Wide receiver Brandon Johnson practiced Wednesday for the first time in a month after dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. He will be another key piece on offense after showing a nice tandem with Wilson earlier in the season.
Johnson has posted a stat line of eight catches, 122 receiving yards, and a trio of touchdowns in seven appearances thus far. The sophomore wide receiver provides the team with another physical playmaker to pair with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Marvin Mims.
Denver also is waiting on the return of stud safety Kareem Jackson who was suspended for a second time this season after a high hit on Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs in the team's Week 10 win. The safety is eligible to be elevated to the active roster after the conclusion of Week 15. Jackson has been phenomenal this season with 51 tackles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups in eight appearances thus far.
Jackson provides another veteran to the secondary and is a scary duo when paired with standout Justin Simmons. His physical play injects energy into an already hungry defense unit and can be just what the doctor ordered late in the season with the team pushing toward the NFL playoffs.