The 2025 NFL season has produced several surprises, but looking at the top of the AFC is where you will find the biggest ones.
The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are not among the best teams in the AFC. Instead, the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, all 8-2, are vying for that top spot.
Despite getting a win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football (albeit an ugly one), the Denver Broncos were lambasted by the national media due to how poor the offense looked in that game. How can they contend with this offense? Are they really as good as their 8-2 record? Those were the questions that were being asked.
But Vinnie Iyer of AllSportsPeople brushed all of that aside when he made his power rankings this week, placing the Broncos at No. 5.
"The Broncos were sloppy at home against the Raiders but Las Vegas was even sloppier. Denver's defense gives them a chance, but they need to find a way to (score) more points", wrote Iyer.
Though the Broncos are listed behind the Colts and Patriots in the ranking, their defense is going to give them a chance to be in any game. The offense does need to find some quick fixes, and the Broncos will get a stiff test this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. If the offense is improved and the Broncos win that game, you can make a case for them to be in the No. 1 spot in next week's rankings.
On the flip side of that coin, if the offense is stagnant again and the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, many will argue that they should fall way down in the rankings, easily out of the top 10 and perhaps even further.
READ: Broncos get even weaker at ILB with Karene Reid placed on IR
There is no doubt that, at least to this point, the Broncos will play their most important game of the season on Sunday.
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