How these Broncos together with their 'play-dough' quarterback could end that Kansas City Chiefs' dominance.
Former Buffalo Bills coach an analyst serves as a football expert and plays for the UK's flag football team.
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NFL 2025 season: Week six
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We're in the sixth week in the football calendar , following recent discussion about two top teams being a potential Super Bowl match-up, they both lost their perfect starts.
Notable during those contests were the amount of penalties both conceded. The Eagles committed them in key moments meaning they essentially defeated themselves having led by two touchdowns entering the fourth period against Denver, who play overseas this weekend.
However it proved positive to observe that Denver's QB Bo Nix was able to overcome that deficit and then lead three scoring drives on three possessions in the fourth quarter, to win the game by four points.
The Broncos have the defensive player of the year in cornerback their star corner. They are first in goal-line defense, whereas Philadelphia are number one in red zone offence, yet Denver won that battle.
They had effective strategies regarding disguised blitzes. They did not always rushing extra defenders instead they might plug two linebackers in the interior then drop them out and send a slot defender off the edge.
Early on in the campaign, it was noted on a program how Denver might emerge as this season's dark horses. They finished last season well then excelled in continuing that momentum.
Could Denver be this year's dark horses?
New TE their tight end has stepped up big while recent RB their rusher is a guy they believe in. He's currently 5th in the NFL for rushing yards (402) and tied for fourth for rushing touchdowns (4).
It's impressive that head coach the Broncos' leader displays "RUN IT!" at the top on his call sheet.
This demonstrates how the Broncos represent a squad aiming to prioritize the run, since you can achieve much based on that approach. It slows down the pass rush while keeps you in positive down and distances.
This has helped QB Bo Nix, who came the NFL as a first-round selection last year, passing for 29 touchdown passes – just behind a star QB in rookie records (31 back in 2020).
Other elite QBs possess powerful arms to pass all over, however they lack in the same way that Nix has. He boasts incredible passing ability, which is different, and he is highly agile.
His assets are his mobility, the capacity to throw on the run, as well as using different arm angles to make throws as he moves outside protection, on rollouts. He is able to deliver that layered pass across the middle or past defenders.
For a young quarterback, aged 25, he's got a lot of poise in the pocket and isn't really fazed by extra rushers. He tries to evade a sack whenever possible and can pass in tight spots. He possesses sharp intelligence and is very decisive.
When you consistently run the ball it eats up the clock and makes the defence to be in play for longer, and if you have an athletic quarterback the defence has to cover the field downfield and horizontally. This proves draining.
Nix has bitten back at Payton during games sometimes and I think Payton likes that fire, that he's such a competitor. I think it's exciting for the coach to coach a rookie QB that is kind of like play-dough. The coach can truly develop him how he wants to shape him. I believe it's a unique opportunity for the coach.
The head coach owns a championship and now passed Bill Parcells for career NFL wins (173 - tied 14th overall). He has witnessed everything. In my opinion the success the Broncos are having on offence is mostly due to his guidance, his play-calling, his game sense – and the pairing with the QB aids shape him what he is.
You wouldn't want a more qualified person in your ear, to assist you through some of the tougher situations and build self-belief.
I believe in Denver's defence, in Bo Nix's tenacity and composure. Yet is the team good enough to face an elite team at full strength? Because that wasn't a Super Bowl performance from Philadelphia last Sunday.
Currently, it's unlikely the Broncos are incredible. They're working above average, which is a solid position to hold the AFC West. The key to do is maintain this path.
They're really good at embracing their strength, that is the ground game, and this is precisely what they must do versus the New York Jets in London. It will likely be the JK Dobbins show, essentially.
New York have surrendered 140 yards on the ground per game (sixth worst), five rushing touchdowns so far (10th worst), and they're the only team without a win any game.
Ever since the league began tracking takeaways in 1933, this team are the first team to be without a single takeaway through five games, this is kind of shocking considering that the head coach Aaron Glenn a defensive coach at the Detroit Lions.
Patrick Mahomes stated the Chiefs are off to a poor start following Monday's defeat by the Jaguars.
After the upcoming matchup, the Broncos face a manageable slate until their bye (in week twelve) - the Giants, the Cowboys, Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders prior to the Chiefs.
Looking at the AFC West, the Chiefs are 2-3 while Denver are tied with the Chargers at 3-2 so they could challenge at leading the West.
It depends upon which form Kansas City shows up they face since Denver {beat|def
