Things are looking up for the Denver Broncos following a 19-point win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road on Sunday. That starts with a big jump in the power rankings.
For the first two weeks of the 2024 season (and all offseason), the Broncos have been positioned at or near the bottom of just about every power rankings list out there. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News has moved them up to a much better spot following the win over Tampa, slotting them in at No. 23. Iyer had this to say in his summary:
"The Broncos saw from Bo Nix what made him their first-round draft pick: Toughness, athleticism, and uncanny playmaking, even in a compressed offense. The defense still is fine vs. the pass despite the run struggles."
This was a season-saving win for the Broncos, who can now turn their attention to the New York Jets in Week 4 and the chance to start stacking wins.
Things were much different for the Broncos on Sunday. They decided to let Bo Nix make some deeper throws down the field, ditching the dink-and-dunk approach for a more open passing game. It seemed to allow Nix to see the field better, adjust to the defense and make the kinds of plays we saw him make at Oregon.
Okay, rook. 👏 pic.twitter.com/cwbYtXdP9b
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 23, 2024
He completed 18 passes to wide receivers. Last week against Pittsburgh, just nine of his completions went to wide receivers.
Did the Broncos figure out a sustainable approach for the rest of the season on Sunday? Or will they revert back to what we saw in Weeks 1 and 2 when they face the Jets this Sunday? This will be a crucial game for this Broncos team as a win over the Jets could turn the entire season around.
The Jets come in at No. 11 on Iyer's most recent power rankings and will be favored to win that game as the home team.
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