The Broncos have scored just 97 points in five games — ranking 26th out of the 32 NFL teams. Thankfully for Denver, the defense has been playing out of its mind.
Entering the fourth quarter down seven to the Chargers on Sunday, the Broncos defense held the Los Angeles offense to just 19 net yards and forced three turnovers, leading to 13 unanswered points and a 23-17 win.
The Broncos are 3-2, but questions remain about their stagnant offense. And the secondary is beaten up with injuries to Talanoa Hufanga, Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss.
Next up: Denver has a short week as it hosts the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football” at 6:15 p.m.
Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 6:
The Athletic (No. 9) | Last week: No. 9
“Sean Payton took over play-calling duties, but the hard truth is it didn’t make much of a difference. On the one hand, they’re still finding ways to win ugly, offering hope for what could come later this season if they figure things out. On the other, the Broncos have not looked like the Super Bowl contenders they were supposed to be,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff write. .
Bleacher Report (No. 8) | Last week: No. 11
“If the Broncos’ defense can build on what it accomplished in Week 5, it will give Denver chances to stack wins. However, the offense has to start finding answers soon. The 224 total yards it compiled on Sunday were the fewest the Chargers have surrendered all season,” Kris Knox writes. .
CBS Sports (No. 8) | Last week: No. 11
“They rallied to beat the Chargers, but it’s not like the move to Sean Payton calling plays changed things in a big way. Bo Nix has to be better,” Pete Prisco writes. .
ESPN (No. 10) | Last week: No. 10
“For a defense that continues to flash its teeth when the Broncos really need it — they gave the offense the ball in Chargers territory on four of their five scoring drives Sunday, including three in the fourth quarter — missed tackles continue to plague the group. From an astounding 19 missed tackles in the season opener to three missed tackles on Chargers running back Kimani Vidal’s 42-yard touchdown run Sunday, Denver could get back to elite status if it cleans up its tackling. After giving up the second-fewest yards per game last season (278.2), the Broncos rank 22nd in 2026 (347.4),” Jeff Legwold writes. .
Fox Sports (No. 7) | Last week: No. 8
“Sean Payton took over the playcalling from OC Davis Webb and, what do you know? The Broncos’ offense is still a mess. They beat the Chargers, so … Hooray! But QB Bo Nix is still struggling, especially in the first three quarters, and the Broncos running backs aren’t doing anything positive at all. Good thing they can play defense, and that Payton is savvy enough to keep them sharp in the fourth quarter of games, especially when they’re behind,” Ralph Vacchiano writes. .
NFL.com (No. 8) | Last week: No. 5
“Denver notched a win on Sunday, but boy was it ugly. The Broncos finished with 224 total yards and required excellent field position in order to produce points (four of their five scoring drives started in Chargers territory). Sean Payton’s takeover of play-calling produced some operational chaos along the sideline and a few strange game-management decisions in the second half. I expect that to improve over time, and eventually, perhaps this offense will creep closer toward the effectiveness of the defense, which deserves the credit for the comeback victory,” Nick Shook writes. .
Sports Illustrated (No. 9) | Last week: No. 9
“I care so much less about the Broncos’ palace intrigue at playcaller than I do the fact that Vance Joseph continues to get no credit for carrying this iteration of the team alongside this defense. Ten of Denver’s 14 regular season wins were games in which the Broncos held opponents to 20 points or less in 2025. In ‘26, two of three wins have come with an opponent held to 20 points or less, and a third win came down to a pick six,” Conor Orr writes. .
The Sporting News (No. 9) | Last week: No. 10
“The Broncos played a strong defensive game in Los Angeles to hold off the Chargers minus top two cornerbacks Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss. Bo Nix, however, was much the same QB going from Davis Webb to Sean Payton as his play-caller. Week 4: 59.5 completion percentage, 5.1 YPA, 80.9 passer rating. Week 5: 59.3 completion percentage, 4.6 YPA, 82.8 passer rating,” Vinnie Iyer writes. .
USA Today (No. 4) | Last week: No. 4
“Would have liked to see the offense show a bit more life in Sean Payton’s first week back in the play-calling saddle. But at least the defense finally seems to be coming back around for another team that seems very well positioned to take off anew,” Nate Davis writes. .
Yahoo Sports (No. 14) | Last week: No. 14
“For a 3-2 team, the Broncos should probably be lower in the rankings. The winless Chargers had numerous injury issues Sunday and yet the Broncos still trailed 17-10 with less than 10 minutes left. The Chargers’ decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at their own 41, and then not converting a quarterback sneak, turned around the game. The Broncos deserve credit for stopping that streak and rallying to win, but anyone thrilled with where the Broncos are after five games is ignoring the problem signs,” Frank Schwab writes. .
