Denver Broncos power rankings around the web for Week 14

The Denver Broncos continue to win in the most amazing ways. On Sunday Night Football, they needed a Nik Bonitto batted pass on a two-point try in over time to move past the Washington Commanders.

At 10-2, they are one of just two double-digit win teams in the NFL after thirteen weeks of football. At the end of the day, all that matters is wins and losses and the Broncos are stacking the wins in incredible fashion. The more wins they stack, the harder it will be for national media to throw shade on these Broncos.

Here is where the Broncos rank heading into Week 14:

NFL.com: 3rd

Perhaps we should start looking at Denver’s late-game heroics as a feature, not a bug. I know it’s difficult when you see a team living as dangerously as the Broncos are, but no one has been able to make them pay for their mistakes since mid-September. They’ve won nine straight games now, seven of those by one score. The past four victories came by a total of 10 points. Can they keep living on the razor’s edge? Well, these Broncos seem to thrive amid the danger, perilous as it might feel. Sunday night’s 27-26 overtime win at Washington nearly slipped away from them a few times, and they were on the right end of some fortunate calls, but the results are ultimately what matter most. The Chiefs won nine straight last season in similar fashion and ultimately got to a Super Bowl. Who’s to say the Broncos are not capable of a similar outcome, even with the doubt they cast?

Yahoo Sports: 3rd

The Broncos have a great record and a good shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but the lingering issues kept them from moving up this week. Their offense could not put away a game against the Commanders in the fourth quarter Sunday night, whiffing on all four drives while they nursed a small lead. The defense gave up two long drives to Marcus Mariota with the game on the line, though it got the play it needed when Nik Bonitto knocked down a pass on a 2-point conversion. But Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes there’s value in winning close games. “The journey of a good team’s season involves games like this, and then you believe you can do it again,” Payton said.

CBS Sports: 2nd

It wasn’t pretty in Washington, but good teams find a way. They just keep on winning close games.

ESPN: 3rd

With J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve (foot), Harvey is clearly the team’s RB1 and the only “big” back on the roster at 205 pounds — no other player at the position is over 200 pounds. He has shown improvement in pass protection, so that should give him some additional third-down snaps in the weeks ahead. But the Broncos need him at his decisive best as a runner if their run game is going to be more than ornamental.

Pro Football Talk: 2nd

The No. 1 seed is inching within reach.

USA Today: 5th

In some respects, they resemble a Rocky Mountain version of the Seahawks, sporting an often dominant D and a quarterback who can be great … and also a total wild card.

Fox Sports: 3rd

They’ve now won nine straight games despite trailing at some point in each one. Their past four wins were by a combined 10 points. Why do they make everything so hard?

Sports Illustrated: 7th

Opponent aside, I thought this was another great survival test for the Broncos who, despite the circumstances, are getting the critical plays when necessary, be it an efficient rushing drive or the generation of a free runner on defense who can shut a play down. That’s a coaching difference and remains Denver’s biggest advantage to this point.

The consensus seems to be that the Broncos are among the top three teams in the NFL right now. The outlier being Sports Illustrated who dropped the Broncos from 4th to 7th after their win on Sunday. That writer is off his rocker, obviously. By and large, the Broncos record is demanding the respect most of these writers don’t want to give. That will likely continue even if they win another game next week over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Respect is earned and beating the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs wasn’t enough. The real test will come in those final four games against the Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs, and Chargers. The stars are aligning for one heck of a finish to this regular season.

Do you think the Broncos are being fairly ranked heading into Week 14?