Still, criticism persists. Some believe there is a better chance AI drives humanity into extinction than J.K. stays healthy.

My money is on Dobbins. I am more into Phish the band than Phish the scam. And who is ready to call it quits on earth anyway?

Dobbins, in so many ways, symbolizes the Broncos’ hopes and flaws. If he plays, there is no reason they cannot win Monday and defend their AFC West title.

But on another steamy September Thursday at practice, the truth remains. The Broncos’ Super Bowl dreams will last as long as Dobbins does. They need him.

He is the Splenda in the tea, the B-vitamins in the Red Bull.

The running back room is better — “We have more depth behind him now,” said center Luke Wattenberg of R.J. Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman — but if Dobbins is gone, the Broncos will be gone again too soon in the playoffs.

Let’s be honest, had Dobbins played in the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos would have knocked out the Patriots.

There is just no one like him on the roster. In the huddle. Or in the locker room.

Teammates talk about him like they are discussing skydiving or white-water rafting.

“Just having him on the field jolts the energy of everybody,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “His attitude is infectious.”

The easy narrative is that the Broncos will go as far as Bo Nix takes them. And if his surgically repaired ankle is fine, the Broncos will stand up to every challenge.

The truth is more complicated, the reality more sobering. For Nix to reach his potential, he needs a consistent run game. For Davis Webb to help Nix approach his ceiling, he needs to be able to call play-action.

The problem? The Broncos ground attack is built around a fragile star, a 27-year-old whose medical file could meet any deductible.

During camp, Dobbins pinky promised that he would log 17 regular-season games and win the rushing title. If he does, the Broncos offense will give the entire league a middle finger.

“When he gets rolling,” left guard Ben Powers said, “it is something.”

The Broncos have talked for months about the importance of starting fast. In September, when coach Sean Payton owns a 4-7 record with the Broncos. And in the first and second quarters, when their early down efficiency ranked near the bottom last season.

Dobbins provides a solution. But tweaks are necessary. The Broncos would be well-served to focus on one or two blocking techniques rather than a litany of schemes that feel like raffle tickets picked out of a cap.

They must simplify upfront. And use Dobbins in a variety of ways.

Last season, the former Ohio State star averaged nine carries per game on first down, the ninth-highest in the league, according to Inside Edge. Cut that number to six. Make Dobbins less predictable, especially with Coleman ready to work.

And give Dobbins a few third downs, despite the receiving prowess of Harvey.

The Broncos are motivated to “Go The Distance,” to reach the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 2015 season.

For that to happen, they are betting on Dobbins after flirting with signing free agent Travis Etienne Jr. In fact, had the Broncos landed Etienne — he cashed in with the Saints for well over what Denver wanted to pay him — Dobbins was heading to Jacksonville to replace him.

But if you believe Payton, he only had eyes for Dobbins. He thinks he can stay on the field. Views him as a “multiplier” with everything he brings to the team.

“I don’t try to be anything. I am just me. Me being me, that’s what comes with it. They trust me. They trust me to lead the way for the young guys and whoever needs help, to bring them along. I appreciate that from them,” Dobbins said. “It is why I say I was born to be a Bronco because everything this organization stands for I stand for.”

Can Dobbins reward Payton’s faith?

Those who watch practice every day, long after the prying eyes of the press have been dispatched following stretching, insist Dobbins looks like he did last season when he rushed for 772 yards and four touchdowns.

Actually, some believe he is poised for a better performance because of his comfort level with the offense. A year ago, he signed at the end of mandatory mini-camp, so the Broncos were unsure of what they had.

That is no longer the case. Dobbins has shown them burst and features a mean jump cut. He didn’t need exhibition snaps to show it or regain confidence in his foot.

“Do you know what happened to me my second year (in 2021)? The very last preseason game I blew my entire knee out. So I have really never been a big fan of preseason games. That injury was a nightmare, one of the hardest things I have been through,” Dobbins said. “We practice hard every single day. I go against the best defense, and I think I can get enough work that can prepare me.”

It is not a stretch to say that Monday’s outcome will be determined by who plays better between Dobbins and Chiefs’ marquee offseason addition Kenneth Walker III. Walker set the running back market with a three-year, $43 million contract after winning Super Bowl MVP honors.

He represents a huge upgrade for the Chiefs. No one was better running up the middle last season, even though questions persist on whether his patient style is a fit for the Chiefs’ scheme. And he excels as a receiver out of the backfield.

The Chiefs paid for him to be better than Dobbins. Dobbins is capable of topping him, though he refused to take the bait.

“I have love for all the running backs in the NFL. I want Walker to do well, just not this week,” Dobbins said. “My job is to run the ball well. Listen, I love to compete. I love to bring out the best in my teammates. You will see it on Monday. I am a passionate guy. You can’t cheat the game. It’s going to be good. We are going to be ready to go.”

Dobbins speaks with such enthusiasm that you want to believe him. But the question lingers.

Will he get injured? Or become a healed savior?

The answer will determine the success of the Broncos’ season. No pressure.

It wound up being slightly more serious.

“I played with a torn labrum,” Harvey told The Post this August, standing outside Denver’s practice facility. He mutters. He does not like the public eye. “I don’t know. I’m good now. I feel great.”

His parents would fly out from Florida for home games last season in Harvey’s rookie year in Denver, and Harvey eventually told his dad, Robert, that he’d done something to his shoulder in camp. He wasn’t sure what. But nobody knew how serious it was until Harvey got his end-of-season physical, and an MRI revealed damage.

He returned home to Florida this offseason and told his parents he needed surgery.

“We was like, ‘On what?’” Robert Harvey recalled.

“That����ap just who he is,” the father said later. “He doesn’t complain about anything.”

Harvey did not complain — publicly or privately, by all accounts — about the shoulder in 2025. He did not complain when he was hardly seeing touches early in the season. He did not complain when he was seeing a lot of touches, after starting RB J.K. Dobbins‘ mid-season injury. He did not complain when he injured his rib in Week 15 and didn’t miss even a dash of practice. And he did not complain about a remarkably drastic shift in his role from college to the NFL, where head coach Sean Payton hinted he could be his long-awaited “Joker” weapon in the passing game.

That “Joker” moniker has now vanished from the ����apountry lexicon, a casualty of Internet overuse. Harvey doesn’t hear it anymore; he smiles. And yet he appears plenty more ready for it in 2026, between good health and good wisdom.

“I wasn’t overwhelmed,” Harvey said, speaking on his utilization as a rookie. “It was just something that I didn’t do a lot of in college. So just watching a lot of Darren Sproles cut-ups in college, and seeing how he ran his choice routes and his wheel routes, and seeing how decisive he was out of his cuts. That����ap something that I focused on during the offseason, and I feel a lot more comfortable with my route-running this year.

“I’m just going to continue to get better and develop,” he continued. “And, yeah, it����ap going to be a great year.”

After down-shifting from bell-cow status at UCF to a primary pass-catching back for much of 2025, Harvey kicked back into gear after Dobbins’ Lisfranc injury in Week 10, a rookie second-round running back emerging as one of Payton’s most important offensive pieces. He racked up 326 rushing yards in the Broncos’ final seven games; Harvey averaged just 3.4 yards per carry down the stretch, though, and Payton abandoned Harvey handoffs in Denver’s AFC wild-card win in favor of 12 carries for quarterback Bo Nix.

The Broncos’ running-back room has only cluttered further in 2026, as the club re-signed veteran favorite Dobbins to a two-year deal and drafted steady Washington back Jonah Coleman in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft. But Harvey established himself early in training camp as the Payton’s go-to running back in third-down and two-minute passing situations — and will be “certainly in that position” in 2026, as Payton said in August.

“The more I do it, the more comfortable I’m going to get,” Harvey tells The Post. “And I feel like I’m getting great chemistry with Bo.”

This journey started in May 2025, when Payton introduced Harvey to his Library of Perfect Plays — a collection of touchdown film from his days in New Orleans. Admission required one second-round draft ticket, and the resources were practically endless. And Payton, the man who had carved Swiss Army Knives from blunt-force instruments, dusted off a few volumes of one of his old favorites: Sproles.

It was a new world for Harvey, then a quiet 24-year-old who is now a quiet 25-year-old. Sproles was a classic scat-back who had more catches than carries in three years in New Orleans. Harvey was a bell-cow back for two years at UCF who hadn’t spent much time learning the nuances of passing-down activity. And here was Payton, in May 2025, pulling up New Orleans touchdown clips of running-back choice routes with a clear directive: Study.

Harvey did, and turned himself into an open-field tornado in the passing game: 47 catches for 356 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. In June, he trekked to Austin, Texas for a . He told reporters this summer, too, that he’s watched a “lot of film” in the offseason of 49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey, Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs.

And Harvey has showcased obvious growth as a route-runner in his second NFL training camp.

“Just being more decisive,” Harvey told The Post, on what he’s learned from studying Sproles’ tape. “Just floating out of your cuts, out of the breaks, on the option routes. Choice routes. Just turning your shoulders and head around quick, and that����ap what I’ve been working on this offseason during camp.”

That’s a tantalizing thought for another go-to option for Nix, as Harvey led all NFL rookies in 2025 with 12 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Those stats, of course, masked some obvious flaws in the Florida native’s game. Denver and Nix visibly didn’t trust Harvey in pass-protection situations early in his season, and Harvey too often operated with happy feet when running between the tackles.

Dobbins will no doubt command Denver’s room on the ground in 2026, and Coleman could eat into situational touches. But Harvey has earned the trust, in camp, to fully sprout his Joker wings.

“Year Two in the system,” Harvey said in June, “I feel way more comfortable. And it’s only going to get better, from where I left off.”

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ probable offensive two-deep come the fall, with some by-committee approaches at running back and receiver.

Quarterback

Bo Nix | 10
6-foot-2, 217 pounds, 26 years old, 3rd season, Oregon

The ankle not-initially-heard ’round the world ended what was an inconsistent but promising second season for Nix, who has ended the year better than he’s started in two NFL campaigns. He hit a visible new level as a decision-maker from Week 11 on, with just three interceptions in 262 attempts in that span. Now, can he improve his efficiency under pressure and more consistently stretch the field between the hashes?

Jarrett Stidham | 8
6-foot-3, 215 pounds, 29 years old, 7th season, Auburn

Stiddy’s back for a fourth — and potentially final — season in Denver. His AFC Championship fill-in performance for Nix left little to be desired, but Stidham remains a solid if flawed backup.

Running back

J.K. Dobbins | 27
5-10, 212, 27, 7th season, Ohio State

Dobbins was one of the NFL’s most productive running backs before suffering a season-ending broken foot in Week 10 in 2025. After re-signing in Denver on a two-year deal this offseason, Dobbins will again bring his feisty personality to lead the Broncos’ rushing attack — if he can only stay healthy.

RJ Harvey | 37
5-8, 205, 25, 2nd season, UCF

Harvey had a mixed rookie season, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry but scoring an NFL-rookie-leading 12 touchdowns. Another year in Sean Payton’s system should benefit him as a runner, and Harvey is only continuing to grow as a route-running weapon out of the backfield.

Jonah Coleman | 20
5-8, 220, 22, Rookie, Washington

Coleman checks almost every box Denver could want in an instant-impact mid-round running back: not prone to fumbling, not prone to drops, smart, tough between the tackles, and terrific in pass protection. He could take rotational snaps right away.

Wide Receiver

Courtland Sutton | 14
6-4, 216, 30, 9th season, Southern Methodist

The Broncos’ ol’ reliable racked up a second straight 1,000-yard season as Bo Nix’s favorite target in 2025, and made his second Pro Bowl. Sutton could see slightly less volume with the addition of Waddle, but will still be the go-to guy on late downs.

Pat Bryant | 13
6-2, 204, 23, 2nd season, Illinois

Bryant became an instant fan favorite for his blocking and timely playmaking in the second half of Denver’s season, but his growing role was marred by a string of injuries. He’s a breakout candidate if he can stay healthy.

Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle | 17
5-10, 185, 27, 6th season, Alabama

The Broncos’ blue-chip addition of the offseason, Waddle racked up 5,039 receiving yards over the course of five seasons in Miami. His explosiveness in and out of breaks and after-the-catch burst have been on full display in training camp, and he could provide several doses of rocket fuel to Denver’s offense.

Troy Franklin | 11
6-3, 180, 23, 3rd season, Oregon

This spot could well fall to Marvin Mims Jr., too, as Denver really has five receivers. Franklin could find himself as the odd man out in a crowded room, but still enters the 2026 season as the Broncos’ second-leading receiver from last season.

Tight End

Evan Engram | 1
6-3, 240, 31, 10th season, Ole Miss

The “Joker” that was promised never materialized in 2025, as Engram often went invisible for long stretches of games during his first season in Denver. The Broncos chose to keep the veteran tight end rather than cut ties, though, and Engram still was easily the most productive receiving TE on the roster last season.

Adam Trautman | 82
6-5, 253, 29, 7th season, Dayton

Have blocking, will not travel. Trautman is now set to play his sixth out of seven NFL seasons for Payton dating back to New Orleans, and signed a new three-year deal this offseason as a blocking-forward TE.

Left Tackle

Garett Bolles | 72
6-5, 300, 34, 10th season, Utah

The Broncos’ eldest statesman continues to only get better with age, putting together the first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro season of his career in 2025. Bolles has now played 51 straight regular-season games in Denver.

Frank Crum | 73
6-7, 315, 26, 3rd season, Wyoming

Frank the Tank made a splash with a trick-play touchdown in the Broncos’ AFC wild-card win over Buffalo last season, and continues to earn considerable trust and buzz in the Broncos’ offensive-line developmental pipeline.

Left Guard

Ben Powers | 74
6-4, 310, 29, 8th season, Oklahoma

Get this: Powers missed much of the 2025 season with a torn bicep, returned later in the year, broke his foot, played the entire rest of the season on that broken foot, and then took a pay cut after the year. He’s still an integral part of Denver’s run-blocking efforts.

Kage Casey | 78
6-5, 310, 22, Rookie, Boise State

The Broncos loved Casey’s versatility enough to snag him in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft, and Casey has worked throughout the summer and training camp at left guard in an obvious succession plan for Powers.

Center

Luke Wattenberg | 60
6-5, 300, 28, 5th season, Washington

Payton has praised Wattenberg’s intelligence on multiple occasions, and the Broncos handed the starting center a four-year, $48 million extension last year.

Alex Forsyth | 54
6-4, 312, 27, 4th season, Oregon

Forsyth has stepped in seamlessly over the past two seasons when Wattenberg has missed time with injury, and continues to play a valuable depth role in the Broncos’ offensive line plans.

Right Guard

Quinn Meinerz | 77
6-3, 320, 27, 6th season, Wisconsin-Whitewater

Meinerz said that during this training camp, he was dealing with personal issues throughout 2025, but the star guard still earned his second straight first-team All-Pro nod. He wasn’t quite as consistent in pass protection as he was in 2024, and he struggled in the Broncos’ AFC Championship Game loss, but Meinerz remains a top-tier offensive-line talent in the NFL.

Right Tackle

Mike McGlinchey | 69
6-8, 315, 31, 9th season, Notre Dame

Like his tackle partner, McGlinchey continues to improve with age. The veteran turned in arguably the most consistent end-to-end season of his career in 2025, and has rounded into a leader on Denver’s front.

Alex Palczewski | 63
6-6, 314, 27, 4th season, Illinois

Palczewski slid all the way across the line last season to fill the injured Powers’ spot admirably for 10 games, and earned himself a nice two-year offseason extension in the process. He could be the first man up both at tackle and at guard in any case of injury.

Kicker

Wil Lutz | 3
5-11, 32, 11th season, Georgia State

Lutz continues to knock on the door of the NFL’s highest kicking tier, putting home 28 of 32 field goals (87.5%) in 2025. He fell back to earth from 40-plus yards last year, though, with a 7-of-11 success rate from that distance.

Pat Bryant began to emerge late last season as a player to watch in Denver’s receiver room after he posted at least three catches in the regular season’s final five games. But after the Broncos traded for star wideout Jaylen Waddle this offseason, Bryant’s path to significant playing time was narrowed.

The second-year receiver responded with an excellent offseason, emerging as Denver’s No. 3 wide receiver. Bryant’s caught a majority of the balls thrown his way, earning the nickname “Patty Ice” from offensive coordinator Davis Webb during training camp. He can line up on the outside or in the slot, and his strong technique and route running have made him a favorite target of quarterback Bo Nix. Expect Bryant to play a big role in the Broncos’ passing attack this season.

Breakout Bronco from training camp?

Denver returns an established roster, but a few unproven players emerged this summer.

Denver enters the year as an established Super Bowl contender. It returns almost the entirety of a roster that was one win away from the NFL’s final Sunday. But as fans saw with Nix’s ankle injury in the Broncos’ playoff win over the Buffalo Bills, the margin for sustained success in the NFL is slim.

The reporters covering the 2026 iteration of the team had differing opinions on what could determine the Broncos’ fate this season. Some pointed to health, including the defense’s front seven and running back J.K. Dobbins, as key factors. After Denver’s defense finished tied for the fourth-lowest takeaways in the league last year, others thought turning opposing offenses over more was critical. And while the Broncos set the NFL record for second-half comebacks in 2025, two reporters pointed to Denver earning earlier leads as something to watch for.

What’s the swing factor for the season?

Here’s what reporters think could change the trajectory of Denver’s year.

As you can see, the reporters covering the Broncos are buying a leap from Nix. The third-year quarterback will be surrounded by the most talented core of his career and potentially the strongest running game of the Sean Payton era to aid him.

Several reporters said they envisioned Nix being in the MVP conversation, with one comparing Nix’s potential season to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s 2025 year. If Nix does take those strides, it’s not difficult to envision Denver playing far into the winter.

Team MVP for the year?

Several reports said they expect Bo Nix to be in the MVP conversation this season.

Only four players from Denver’s seven-person 2026 class remain on the 53-man roster after the preseason. Fourth-round rookie running back Jonah Coleman earned ubiquitous praise from the media.

Ironically, Coleman’s been advertised as an ahead-of-schedule player this offseason. Payton said Coleman “doesn’t feel like a rookie,” and draft analysts said the former Washington running back’s pass-protecting skills could get him on the field earlier than anticipated.

Coleman’s joining a talented room. J.K. Dobbins was one of the AFC’s top backs when healthy last year and R.J. Harvey is a skilled receiver out of the backfield who will play a large role on third downs. Coleman might not get many carries in the early portion of the season, but multiple reporters said the running back might be Denver’s “RB1 of the future.”

Kage Casey, a fourth-round guard out of Boise State, won’t start along the offensive line to begin the year, but could be in the Broncos’ future plans at guard.

Best rookie from Denver’s 2026 class?

Jonah Coleman, a fourth-round pick out of Washington, could play a larger role than anticipated in Denver’s backfield.

Every reporter predicted the Broncos would finish with a better record than the oddsmakers’ over/under win total prediction of 9.5 wins. Although both 11-6 and 12-5 would be a regression from last season’s 14-3 finish, the Broncos would almost assuredly make the playoffs with either record. Only two teams in the Super Bowl Era have missed the playoffs after finishing with 11 regular-season wins — the 2008 Patriots and the 1985 Broncos. Since the NFL expanded to a 14-team playoff in 2021, a team with 11 wins has never missed the postseason.

Record prediction for Broncos season?

Oddsmakers set the Broncos’ regular-season over/under win total at 9.5 wins.

AT KANSAS CITY

6:15 p.m., Sept. 14, ESPN

A “Monday Night Football” opener at Arrowhead, (likely) Patrick Mahomes’ return and the propensity of Sean Payton’s teams here to start slow? That����ap a recipe for disaster, right? Well, Denver’s also been good against the Chiefs recently. Bo Nix gets off to a rollicking start, Vance Joseph continues to do good work against Mahomes and the Broncos hype reaches a fever pitch.

Prediction: Broncos 24, Chiefs 16

WEEK 2

JACKSONVILLE

2:05 p.m., Sept. 20, KCNC-4

Small market alert! The Jaguars are defending AFC South champions, and they’ve got a terrific young play-calling head coach in Liam Coen. They were the only team to win in Denver during the regular season last year. They will not, however, make it two in a row. This time around, J.K. Dobbins is a difference-maker and the Broncos more effectively limit — though not without some struggle — Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence. A barnburner would be fun.

Prediction: Broncos 30, Jaguars 27

WEEK 3

L.A. RAMS

6:20 p.m., Sept. 27, KUSA-9 

The dream start is dreamy until Sean McVay brings his team to Denver for a blockbuster (as far as Week 3 games go) Sunday night matchup. The Rams have depth, talent and one of the most daunting defensive lines out there with the addition of Myles Garrett. Matthew Stafford’s flanked by too much offensive talent. But what about a potential mid-February rematch on the Rams’ home turf?

Prediction: Rams 24, Broncos 17

WEEK 4

AT SAN FRANCISCO

2:25 p.m., Oct. 4, KCNC-4

What a year to draw the NFC West. And the Broncos get the entire division in a five-game span. That����ap a pretty wild schedule quirk. The Niners figure to be really good again this year unless their local substation causes a bunch of injuries again — Joking! Mostly joking! — and this will be a tall task. Christian McCaffrey puts the dagger in Denver with a wheel route called by Kyle Shanahan. Ouch.

Prediction: 49ers 20, Broncos 14

WEEK 5

AT L.A. CHARGERS

2:05 p.m., Oct. 11, KCNC-4

The Chargers lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, which is a big one. They gained offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, which is a big one. L.A. should be able to run the heck out of the ball, and they get two All-Pro tackles back from injury to protect Justin Herbert. This game is tougher because of the brutal stretch it falls in, though the SoFi crowd will be largely blue and orange. Wil Lutz’s first walk-off attempt feels right.

Prediction: Broncos 19, Chargers 17

WEEK 6

SEATTLE

6:15 p.m., Oct. 15, Prime 

Hey, the Broncos have made it through a rugged opening five weeks at 3-2. That’ll play. Now, the Super Bowl champs roll into town on a short week. What if Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle in January? These teams probably would have played in February. Maybe they’ll make good in 2027. In the meantime, Mike MacDonald’s team is going to be a handful.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Broncos 17

WEEK 7

AT ARIZONA

2:05 p.m., Oct. 25, KCNC-4

Davis Webb and Co. use the bye week to spend a little extra time tinkering with their plans and decide more outside zone, under center and play-action game is the ticket. Will it hold up the whole season? Hard to say from here, but the hapless Cardinals take the brunt of a creative burst from the Denver offense. Nix has had some stat-stuffer games in his career. This one goes near the top of the list.

Prediction: Broncos 44, Cardinals 17

WEEK 8

KANSAS CITY

2:25 p.m., Nov. 1, KCNC-4

The Chiefs, perhaps not surprisingly, find their footing quickly after losing the opener to the Broncos. They roll into Empower Field on a roll. This rivalry, though, has turned on its head. Payton made the Chiefs one of his primary goals and now, suddenly, he’s got their number. If Denver beats Mahomes twice this year, there will be no discounting the season sweep. Come to think of it, that might be too much to ask. One last dose of Travis Kelce magic proves bedeviling.

Prediction: Chiefs 26, Broncos 24

WEEK 9

AT CAROLINA

11 a.m., Nov. 8, KCNC-4

It����ap kind of amazing that a road trip to a 2025 champion represents the start of the soft part of the Broncos schedule, but hey, here we are. Bryce Young has come a long way and the Dave Canelas/Dan Morgan regime has been a success overall so far. The Broncos, though, have too much pass rush and by this time will have a fully functional Nix/Jaylen Waddle connection rolling. Denver needs this game and gets it.

Prediction: Broncos 28, Panthers 17

WEEK 10

BYE

Normally a midseason bye is great, though the Broncos have benefitted greatly from having a later bye each of the past two years since they’ve been in postseason contention. A Week 6 TNF game and Week 10 bye is stacking the extra rest a bit early, though there’s more oddball game times to come. November, though, is too late for golfing in Idaho, so Payton gets a little R&R in Cabo instead.

WEEK 11

LAS VEGAS

2:25 p.m., Nov. 22, KCNC-4

Ah, at long last, the Raiders arrive on the Broncos’ schedule. This game would have so much more juice had Las Vegas hired Webb as its head coach. The only real question for the Silver and Black will be if No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza has taken over at QB for Kirk Cousins by this point. Either way, by the time this one is over, Mark Davis will wish he’d hired Webb. Or Vance Joseph. Or both.

Prediction: Broncos 27, Raiders 13

WEEK 12

AT PITTSBURGH

1 p.m., Nov. 27, Prime

Black Friday in the Steel City. This game will draw an absolutely massive number of eyeballs to Amazon on the biggest retail day of the year. Yay, corporate synergies! Last time the Broncos saw Aaron Rodgers, he was the New York Jets quarterback and they hit him a lot of times in the rain at MetLife Stadium in 2024. How about snow instead, three rivers instead of the Jersey swamp and probably a lot more hits on the by then nearly 43-year-old. One of them, like ‘24, will be a game-sealer.

Prediction: Broncos 21, Steelers 20

WEEK 13

MIAMI

2:05 p.m., Dec. 6, KDVR-31

When the Broncos made the playoffs in 2024, they did so with a whopping $89 million in dead cap. It was the biggest raw number of all time and just barely No. 2 by percentage of the cap ($34.8%). The Dolphins, as of this writing, have $179 million in dead cap. That����ap a shade under 60%. They have $112 million in actual player contracts on their roster. Preposterous. Waddle will score a pair of touchdowns against his own team and three if Miami at some point just runs out of players.

Prediction: Broncos 35, Dolphins 20

WEEK 14

AT N.Y. JETS

11 a.m., Dec. 13, KCNC-4

Don’t look now but the Broncos have won five in a row to get to 8-4 and right into the postseason mix. The Jets might as well be a division team at this point because they’ve ended up on Denver’s schedule nearly every year. This will be the seventh straight season they’ve played and the ninth matchup in 10 years. Payton’s team has won the past two, but they’ve been 11-10 (in London last year) and 10-9 in 2024. Is that a bad sign? This one could be ugly and still a relative breeze.

Prediction: Broncos 17, Jets 9

WEEK 15

AT LAS VEGAS

2:25 p.m., Dec. 20, KCNC-4

This one has all the trappings of a trap game. The Broncos are likely to be big favorites, it����ap in Vegas after playing on the East Coast before and it����ap heading into a short week before a titanic matchup against Josh Allen and Co. on Christmas Day at Empower Field. One of the hallmarks of Payton’s tenure in Denver, though? The Broncos have rarely lost games like this, where they’re clearly expected to win.

Prediction: Broncos 26, Raiders 14

WEEK 16

BUFFALO

2:30 p.m., Dec. 25, Netflix

If the season goes anything close to the way it seems primed to, this can be just a tremendous matchup. Standalone on Christmas Day. A rematch of a January postseason classic. Maybe No. 1 seed and almost certainly some form of postseason implications. Josh Allen. Bo Nix. Their mutual bestie Davis Webb. Sean Payton vs. protege Joe Brady. On and on and on. It has the chance to be so, so good. The bet here: This time, the kid from Wyoming does not turn the ball over four times.

Prediction: Bills 28, Broncos 27

WEEK 17

AT NEW ENGLAND

TBD

If there’s a game that will have some crazy travel plans scrambled by weather, this is the obvious favorite. Early January at Foxborough is just asking for a blizzard. Not just in the second half, either. Sorry. Buffalo and New England back-to-back down the stretch of this season might be vertigo-inducing, but so might the AFC playoff race itself. These teams fitted their third-year quarterbacks with A.J. Brown and Waddle this offseason. They know it����ap go time. They might even play again a couple weeks later.

Prediction: Patriots 23, Broncos 20

WEEK 18

L.A. CHARGERS

TBD

Man, back-to-back one-score losses to fall to 10-6 going into the final week of the season. After all the one-score magic in 2025, that would be enough to cause a little acid reflux. We’ve been calling for a Broncos Week 18 game where both teams need it for two years now. The third time is going to be the charm. Or, at least, that would be fun. With the way the AFC shakes out this year, 10-7 might be pretty bubble-ish. A team could get left off. In this case, it����ap at least for a playoff spot and maybe for the West division title. No pinky promises that J.K. Dobbins has played all 16 games, but he hammers home a winner late in this one. An 11-6 regular season. On to the postseason.

Prediction: Broncos 24, Chargers 22

A hard culture and roster reset orchestrated by Sean Payton and George Paton. The arrival of quarterback Bo Nix. A top flight defense deployed by Vance Joseph. So on and so forth.

Decidedly not on the list? Denver’s early-season performance in those two seasons.

In fact, if the Broncos get off to a fast start in 2026, not only will it be impressive because of the brutal nature of the club’s first six games, but it will also be the first time such a thing has happened in Payton’s tenure here.

“I’m pretty sure we haven’t,” Payton said last month, knowing full well the numbers. “So I think that����ap going to be important.”

Denver started 0-3 (and eventually 1-5) in 2023 before reeling off five straight wins. In 2024, the team lost its first two. Last year, a 1-2 start was followed immediately by an 11-game heater.

Payton overall is 4-7 in September as the Broncos’ coach. The good news? A 10-3 October mark that follows a career-long trend for Payton, who is 31-30 in September and 54-17 in October as a head coach.

Payton has tinkered with training camp, giving veteran players more frequent off days and eschewing joint practice with other teams altogether this summer.

The hope, of course, is that it all pays off with a faster start than in years past.

In that pursuit, there may be no more important position group on the roster than the Broncos’ offensive line.

Four of the five are going into their fourth season together and Luke Wattenberg enters his third year as the starting center. Payton likes to say that the offensive line is the one group that can permeate a team’s building. This group needs to do that and drive the bus early in the season, too.

The Broncos were among the most efficient teams running the football early in the season last year, but their production dropped off a cliff when J.K. Dobbins was injured in Week 10.

If the frontline can help Denver get back to running the football well out of the gate, that will not only make life easier on Nix, but it also opens up a world of possibilities for first-time play-caller Davis Webb.

“I’ve never been around somewhere that����ap been about to be four straight years of basically the same offensive line,” Webb said recently. “It����ap such a blessing because they’re good dudes, they’re coached well, they’re nasty, they take things personal. I think pass block-wise, they’ve been pretty consistent over the last few years and run-game wise, I think we’re trying to build on that consistency. Not saying it����ap been bad, but we can definitely be more consistent.

“That����ap a goal that we’ve tried to address this offseason. We’re just very blessed in all of our rooms that the offensive line’s been the most stationary. They’re the strength of our offense.”

They’re a key cog in helping to correct two of the trends Payton identified from last year that he’s harped on throughout the offseason — early-down efficiency and run game consistency, which go hand-in-hand.

“I think part of that was health last year when we lost J.K.,” Payton said. … “Per our run game, there’s some really good things I think that we’re doing. Then, ultimately, you kind of settle in on what type of run team you are relative to a zone scheme, a gap scheme and those types of things. So we certainly feel like we’re further along than we’ve been here in my three years, just with the depth in both (the running back and offensive line) groups.”

The Broncos have struggled to settle on one identity offensively in each season under Payton here. That����ap not to say they’ve been bad, but other than having a knack for finding ways to win close games, there hasn’t really been a set of core tenants around which the offense has been built schematically. Webb pointed to last year’s Los Angeles Rams, who eventually tilted toward heavy personnel and had success but took  a few weeks to sort that out before leaning all the way into it.

There will be a learning curve, to be sure. The offensive line can make it shorter and easier to navigate if it comes out of the gate playing the way a group of veterans with years of experience together should be capable of.

“I think it����ap just the understanding of what techniques we’re trying to apply on which plays, which looks, which leverages,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “Just kind of honing in on that. We had a pretty good grasp of all that before, and we’ve done it a long time together. Switching a couple of the techniques in and out depending on the scheme or the play or whatever it is, I think we’ve done a good job. It����ap been a great camp.

“Our group is ready to go, and I’m excited to see where we can go as the season unfolds.”

As if the Broncos needed any reminder of how close they came last year, the NFL season kicks off Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between New England and Seattle. Then, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams square off in Australia on Thursday night.

Denver plays all four of those teams this season and three of them by Week 6, but the Broncos have a long wait until Monday night, Sept. 14, before finally kicking off at Kansas City.

Tuesday marks six weeks since Broncos veterans reported for training camp. In that time, we’ve learned quite a bit about Sean Payton’s team. There also remain a handful of outstanding questions as prep for the Chiefs is set to kick into gear Monday and then really ramp up midweek.

Let����ap set the table as we head into the final week of the year without games that count on the menu.

What we’ve learned

Bo Nix has passed every test so far and looks primed for Week 1

When camp began in late July, Nix hadn’t opened up and ran in a practice setting since before he broke his ankle in January and had a follow-up procedure in April. It didn’t take long, though, for the third-year quarterback to show he felt good. Nix took every rep in training camp and he ran and cut hard off the right ankle. He showed no signs of any kind of rehab plan or workload moderation, outside of Payton mentioning that he likely still had scar tissue. The staff held him out of the preseason opener, but otherwise it����ap been full throttle for Nix heading into Week 1. And his teammates say he “is playing out of his mind.” The physically taxing part for all players is just beginning, but the summer has gone as well as it could have so far for Nix and the Broncos.

This should be the best collection of skill talent the Broncos have had in years

Camp featured glimpses of Denver’s offensive potential in 2026, but the whole No. 1 group has only played together in practice so far. Running back J.K. Dobbins didn’t play a preseason game snap and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle played six.

When this group hits the field for the first time against the Chiefs, though, it should be the most dangerous since Peyton Manning retired. Waddle’s arrival and Pat Bryant����ap ascension will certainly impact — and maybe transform — the wide receiver room. Payton and company have invested in the running back room and it finally appears to be in a good spot with Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman. The tight end room didn’t change much, but Evan Engram sees growth for himself, and the group could see residual benefit from the uptick in skill at the other positions. Bottom line: Nix and new play-caller Davis Webb have a lot to work with at their disposal.

The questions on defense are not where we thought they’d be when camp opened

The Broncos appear poised to cover the free-agency departure of John Franklin-Myers with players on the rise. Eyioma Uwazurike had one of the most impressive camps on the roster, Malcolm Roach continues to improve each year, and they pair with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones to make a high-quality top four. They’ll need Jordan Jackson to handle some snaps and rookie Tyler Onyedim to progress over the season, but this group looks ready to hit the ground running. When JFM got $21 million a year, it would have been a bit strange to think that safety P.J. Locke and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw would be the departures that left more lingering questions, but that����ap how it feels heading into Week 1.

Questions remaining

Will anybody get a contract extension before the opener?

Each of the past two seasons, the Broncos have inked a major contract extension with a defensive stalwart during Week 1 preparations. In 2024, it was cornerback Pat Surtain II. Last year, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.

The Broncos don’t have the kind of obvious to-do list they did last year when Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen both also got extensions during camp, but they do have a big group of key players entering contract seasons. These things can change fast, but it����ap been quiet on the contract front so far. There’s been no solid indication that an extension is on the immediate horizon for Ja’Quan McMillian, Riley Moss, Uwazurike, Bandon Jones, Marvin Mims Jr., Ben Powers or anybody else. Deadlines spur actions, of course, and Payton has expressed interest in having multiple players on that list around long-term, but nothing has materialized.

Payton and owner Greg Penner have downplayed the impact that Nix’s impending extension eligibility, which begins next offseason, has on Denver’s contract decision-making from here forward. It����ap also true that the Broncos have spent a ton to lock up their core over the past two years. Still, if nothing comes over the next 10 days, Denver will enter the season looking like a team that could well be entering its last season with such extensive continuity.

When will Jonathon Cooper’s criminal case be resolved?

When veterans reported on July 29, Payton said the Broncos stood firmly behind Cooper and that he thought resolution could come “sooner than later.” Six weeks later, Cooper’s been arraigned on felony assault for strangulation and other lesser charges stemming from a pair of domestic violence-related arrests in June. He is not on the Broncos’ 53-man roster and is instead on the commissioner’s exempt list, which is essentially paid leave. His trial date is slated for mid-November, after nine Broncos regular-season games. The league could conclude its review of Cooper’s case for potential violations of its personal conduct policy before a trial starts, but neither the league office nor the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office appears to have much incentive to rush to a conclusion. Cooper’s in line to miss the opening portion of the season, but beyond that, there’s still uncertainty about what resolution looks like and if and when Denver’s starting outside linebacker might be back on the field.

How will Payton handle his new game-day role when they actually count?

The biggest outstanding question for the Broncos, really, is how Davis Webb will fare as a first-time play-caller. Particularly against a run of top-flight opponents out of the gate. Players and coaches are confident. So, too, is Webb. The interesting undercard is how Payton himself handles game days. He swears he’s not going to be like his mentor, Bill Parcells, who he said sighed or questioned many of his calls as games unfolded. He’s adamant this is going to work swimmingly and he won’t be tempted to take play-calling duties back. He’ll have “some suggestions, some mandates,” he said with a smile. New-look Gameday Sean in the preseason is one thing. How it looks in the regular season will be fascinating. There will undoubtedly be plenty of camera shots along the way to help tell the story.

Everybody needs to eat. And eat fancy like.

The excuses left when Sean Payton made Davis Webb offensive coordinator and signed receiver Jaylen Waddle. Bo Nix no longer has to whip up Pot Mac and Cheese. He has all the ingredients for Baked Brie.

It all traces back to the top 10. If the Broncos achieve a top-10 offense, Nix will become a top-10 quarterback. If the Broncos achieve a top-10 offense, they will repeat as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The target number is 26 points per game. Last season, the Seahawks ranked eighth at 25.5. The Broncos checked in at 23.6 and lived more dangerously than MacGyver, left with the blue or red wire choice as seconds expired from the clock.

If the Broncos operate with the same margin for error, relying on leading the league in one-score wins again, they will finish closer to eight victories than 12.

The expectations have changed because of the changes. Nix has never guided a top-10 offense, finishing 11th in 2024.

This is the season for the conversation around Nix to change from potential to production.

There is no reason the Broncos cannot score 26 points per week, even with their booby-trapped opening six weeks. Waddle is a receiver who can get yards after the catch. Courtland Sutton is a possession target who is a security blanket on third down. Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman should win against heavy boxes and set up play-action strikes.

It is set up for Nix to pull out critics’ tongues. And Payton’s history suggests it should happen. It was in Drew Brees’ third year in Payton’s offense when he led the league in attempts, completions and yards, posting his first 5,000-yard season.

Nix is not Brees. But why can’t he post 4,000 yards with 30 touchdowns, 10 picks and five rushing touchdowns? What would it look like if the Broncos finally played with a lead, letting Nix let down his hair and go to the air without fear?

If the Broncos can start fast in September, in first halves specifically, the offense will flourish. No longer will a lack of talent hold them back. No longer will Payton’s painfully slow play calls and hockey line changes leave steam coming out of Nix’s helmet.

We know Nix is good. We know the Broncos view him as a franchise quarterback. This season will show why as Nix leads a top-10 offense deep into the playoffs.

Pros and Cons: I miss the days when headlines about a Judge meant Aaron hit another home run. Now, it is a weekly occurrence for a college team to find a sympathetic local judge to make players eligible. Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris returning from NFL training camps to college offends my sensibilities. The 2022 class feels screwed, not privy to the extra COVID year or the five-in-five for the 2023 athletes. You know what? So what? Once you sign a pro contract in football or basketball, there should be no turning back. LSU could do the right thing — pause for laughter for a team coached by Lane Kiffin — and just not play Wright and Harris rather than hoping for Congress to solve college sports’ problems. It is embarrassing.

Clipped: No one thought commissioner Adam Silver had the guts to suspend Steve Ballmer. His money made him the heavy, made him immune. Until his cheating was so blatant, with endorsement deals for Kawhi Leonard, that he left Silver no choice but to bench him for the season. Ballmer operates like the helicopter parent who calls the coach, principal, and superintendent about his child’s playing time. It is good for Ballmer to suffer consequences. And it����ap laughable that Leonard, who cost the Clippers 12 first-round picks and facilitated the trade of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to get Paul George, gets a small fine.

He did the night Nix was drafted, saying at No. 10 as part of trying to ensure Nix made it to No. 12.

He did last summer in proclaiming that Nix would be one of the top four or five quarterbacks in the NFL in the next two years.

This summer, Payton took to social media to lambaste an NFL analyst who said Nix looked like the same player he was in college, writing, “PAYTON.” After Denver’s preseason finale, he called that assertion “crazy”,” referenced “basement podcasts with the beer logo,” and said, “Everything is the opposite of what he was saying.”

Asked Wednesday why others had such mixed opinions on his quarterback — — Payton had thoughts.

“It����ap hard for me to answer that, but there’s two things I think can happen,” he said. “You can predetermine based on how you saw him coming out (of the draft) and slow to move off your draft opinion, which is very normal. And then oftentimes you’re not exposed to certain players based on television.”

Veteran tight end Evan Engram said Wednesday that he gives “no energy” to what other people think about Nix and said, “We know what we’ve got.”

Payton thinks so, too, of course.

“It����ap the one cool thing about our sport, though,” Payton said. “You can argue, any position, top 10, all those discussions. Generally, time will give you those answers. We love what we’re seeing (from Nix). They’re measured by wins and measured by certain things and ultimately that����ap how history will be written about any of them, but quarterbacks specifically.”

ESPN’s list did feature five Broncos: DT Zach Allen at No. 79, OLB Nik Bonitto at No. 56, RG Quinn Meinerz at No. 53, LT Garett Bolles at No. 37 and CB Pat Surtain II at No. 7.

Taysom Hill? Not at the moment

Payton earlier this offseason said he planned to check on long-time New Orleans tight end Taysom Hill after he was released by the Saints earlier this offseason.

Payton did talk to Hill at Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony last month, he said Wednesday, but said there hasn’t been any movement toward Hill potentially playing for Denver.

“No updates. Nothing. I would let you know if we had anything,” Payton said. “I talked to him at the Hall of Fame, but it was really just with a group of people.”

Payton, though, said he believes the Broncos’ current group of tight ends can operate at a high level.

“I kind of like where we’re at,” he said. “I thought retaining Lucas (Krull) was important to the practice squad. I like where that room’s at.”

Jarrett Stidham is the Broncos’ No. 2 quarterback

The Broncos have three quarterbacks on their active roster, but Jarrett Stidham is still the backup, Payton said Wednesday.

After Friday’s preseason finale, Payton was noncommittal between Stidham and Sam Ehlinger as the primary backup to Bo Nix.

On Wednesday, Payton said Stidham would be the second into a game, “now.”

J.K. Dobbins is ready to roll

Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins was one of a small group of players who did not see any snaps in the preseason.

Dobbins missed one day of practice with what Payton called a “soft tissue” injury, but otherwise has been healthy through camp.

“He’s moving well and he’s doing really well,” Payton said Wednesday.

Sean Keeler: Clearly, Badie found out who was taking pictures for Lil’Jordan Humphrey and got that dude under contract. I mean, I get it. I do. And I don’t. It’s a victory of film over eyeballs, the clever over the obvious. Badie blocks. Badie’s critical on special teams. Fine. Name something else he does better than McLaughlin. Tough yards north and south? According to Pro-Football-Reference.com data, Jaleel has a career “successful” rush rate of 53.5%. Badie’s at 35%. “Successful” reception rate? McLaughlin: 37.7%, Badie 37.1%. Fumble rate? McLaughlin has one in 285 regular-season touches. Badie’s had one in 43. Trust is a two-way street, but the only direction a Badie run play went last fall, by and large, was backward.

Renck: McLaughlin endeared himself to ����apountry with his ability and story. From sleeping in his car as a kid to making the team as an undrafted rookie from Youngstown State, McLaughlin made it easy to root for him. His work ethic was the stuff of legend, putting in a full day before teammates punched the clock. But, the reality is that keeping Badie made more sense. The fourth running back is a niche role. And Badie has responsibility as the up-man on the punt team, a spot he filled last season and during training camp this summer. He is also the reason the Broncos beat the Bills in the postseason. According to Sean Payton, a fake punt on fourth-and-11 in overtime — “Rutgers Special” — was called off despite the coach saying they got the right look. Video shows Badie scan the defense and look back at Jeremy Crawshaw before going ahead with the punt. If the trick play had not worked — the odds were against it — the Broncos would have almost certainly lost on a short field goal. That is a feather in the cap of the fourth back.

Keeler: So vetoing Sean Payton out of an embarrassing call on national television saves your bacon? That makes sense. Actually, it might be the only thing that makes sense. If you keep McLaughlin over Badie, you’ve got four backs who, in sets of two, sort of mirror each other. J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman are super early-down and between-the-tackle runners who can catch and block enough to keep defenses honest. RJ Harvey and McLaughlin are smaller, elusive scatback types, capable of a house call anytime they touch the ball — especially if that call comes on a wheel route. If McLaughlin is in the game, it might be a run. Might be a throw. If Badie’s in the game, defenders can pin their ears back and make a beeline for Bo Nix, because No. 28’s in there to block. How is that a strategic advantage?

Renck: Fake punts aside, Badie is more trusted as a backup, third-down back. McLaughlin really had no spot on the offense, barring injury. He was also hurt by the fact that he struggled to gain any yards after contact. Not that Badie padded his resume. He was the featured performer in a running back screen, a play that was so ineffective we can only hope that new offensive coordinator Davis Webb ripped it out of the playbook, buried it under the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse and demanded it never be spoken of again. In the end, having a slight foothold on third and fourth down gave Badie more traction for the final roster spot and I am fine with that.

Keeler: We scribes don’t play favorites when it comes to your most beloved team/player/coach. Honest. But, by golly, we do root for narratives, sometimes. And McLaughlin’s hooked our hearts, full-stop. But we already know that Payton’s soft spot is only about as big as the Grinch’s heart in early December, with the hugs reserved for guys who played for him in New Orleans. Mark my words, good sir: Badie might have rescued Sunshine Sean from himself once. Yet there will be a critical game in December, or in the postseason, when injuries or circumstances force Badie to be on the field when he shouldn’t. And we’ll remember this day. And shake our heads.