Of all of the Broncos’ wins this season, Sunday’s victory over Washington was certainly one of them.
Denver (4-4) climbed back up to .500 after that nearly disastrous final offensive drive where Javonte Williams fumbled on first down, Teddy Bridgewater rolled out and made an incomplete pass on second and then Melvin Gordon III fumbled in which Washington recovered.
Thankfully for the home team, safety Justin Simmons snagged his second interception on the game’s final play to secure the victory.
Next up? The 6-1 Cowboys, who may be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott. And with the Broncos sans Von Miller after trading him to the Rams on Monday, those young edge rushers are sure to be tested.
Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 9:
Bleacher Report (No. 20) | Last week: No. 18
“Denver sacked Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke five times, and safety Justin Simmons notched a pair of interceptions, including one with 49 seconds left should have sealed the game That it didn’t (the Broncos gave the ball right back on a Melvin Gordon fumble) was a reminder that while these Broncos may be 4-4, they aren’t especially good. And with a trip to face the one-loss Dallas Cowboys next up on the schedule, getting back above .500 in Week 9 isn’t all that likely.” .
CBS Sports (No. 22) | Last week: No. 24
“The defense played well against Washington, but the offense continues to flounder. They have to throw it better,” Pete Prisco writes. .
ESPN (No. 18) | Last week: No. 21
“The Broncos currently reside in a points-scoring neighborhood where they’ve spent the past six seasons. They are one of 10 teams averaging fewer than 20 points per game this season, and of those 10 teams, only the Broncos (4-4) and the Steelers (4-3) do not have losing records. In short, that’s not where a legitimate playoff hopeful finds itself. The Broncos haven’t averaged more than 21 points a game in any of the previous four years and haven’t averaged more than 23 points per game since 2014,” Jeff Legwold writes. .
NFL.com (No. 23) | Last week: No. 21
“An unsightly 17-10 win over the Washington Football Team obviously wasn’t enough to convince the Broncos braintrust it had built a contender. Denver traded the longtime face of its defense on Monday, sending Von Miller to the Rams for second- and third-round picks in 2022. It’s a fairly modest return for a franchise great, but you understand the decision. Denver is a middling team, and Miller is a 32-year-old outside linebacker making a ton of money. His age means he’s unlikely to be part of the next contending Broncos team, but it’s still sad to see his often-brilliant tenure with the franchise end with a trade-deadline transaction involving mid-round picks. The Broncos feel adrift,” Dan Hanzus writes. .
Sporting News (No. 21) | Last week: No. 24
“The Broncos followed the Panthers in getting back to .500 by taking down a beatable weak NFC opponent. There’s still plenty of evidence they are the worst team in the AFC West, not the Chiefs,” Vinnie Iyer writes. .
Sports Illustrated (No. 20) | Last week: No. 25
“I originally had the Broncos up a couple of spots from here after stopping the losing streak against Washington. But the Von Miller trade gave me pause. Itap buyers and sellers season, and I’ve chosen to punish the sellers,” Mitch Goldich writes. .
USA Today (No. 22) | Last week: No. 20
“End of an era with a saddened Miller departing Denver. But the draft picks he returns – a second- and third-rounder next year – could be the currency Broncs need to make a run at (once again) addressing the quarterback position in a more significant manner,” Nate Davis writes. .
Yahoo Sports (No. 21) | Last week: No. 22
“The Broncos are .500 and should think they can be a wild-card contender. But a chance to be a one-and-done playoff team shouldn’t and didn’t dissuade them from taking the Rams’ Von Miller trade offer. Miller is 32, his body might be breaking down and the Rams were willing to give up a second- and third-round pick for the pending free agent. Miller can come back to Denver years from now and get his name put in the ring of honor, but this was a trade the Broncos could not refuse,” Frank Schwab writes. .
