Why the Denver Broncos have already won, regardless of what happens in Buffalo

The Denver Broncos are preparing for perhaps the toughest playoff game a team will face this weekend when they travel to Buffalo to take on a 13-4 Bills team that many expect to contend for the Super Bowl.

The Broncos are the No. 7 seed in the AFC and will have to overcome a preseason Chiefs squad to make the playoffs after failing to qualify with losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. But no one should feel bad and no one should hang their head.

And that should be the case even if the team is embarrassed by a strong Bills team. Why is that? Because this season is already a win for the Broncos. After about week 11, it was officially a win.

In Week 10, Bo Nix took his team on a last-minute trip to Arrowhead Stadium for a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He would have succeeded without a blocked field goal on the last play of the game. In Week 11, the Broncos responded to that depressing loss by defeating a good Atlanta Falcons team, defeating them 38-6.

To kick things off, Bo Nix posted one of the HARDEST videos you’ll ever see on his IG #Broncos first playoff game.

pic.twitter.com/78lvxvtzG1

– Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 8, 2025

In that game, Nix went 28 of 33 for 307 yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos improved their record to 6-5 and were firmly in the playoff race. But what had the team learned at this point?

It learned that Nix was the quarterback of the future. At that moment all questions were answered. Playing anything but a newbie, Nix answered the biggest question that needed to be answered. This season was all about finding out what you could do as a quarterback. The Broncos figured that out and now everything else is a bonus.

The Broncos are playing in the playoffs with house money

So the Broncos have their quarterback. Nix appears to be on his way to becoming a successful quarterback in this league, and that goes beyond the numbers he put up as a rookie. Here are some important factors to consider.

The Broncos finally managed to get to the postseason despite an offseason that included the biggest Dead money salary cap reached in NFL history due to Russell Wilson’s contract. It’s like winning a fight with one hand tied behind your back.

So what does that mean? That means Nix did all of this with probably the worst roster of his career, or at least in many years.

After the season, the Broncos will have more flexibility and more room to add more talent to the roster. Imagine how good Nix would be with a more consistent running game, a top-notch wide receiver and a tight end who can stretch the field.

The Broncos are on the way up no matter what happens in Buffalo

This season is definitely a success at this point. The Broncos will be able to make the roster even better and be even more competitive next season. They’ve created a place that free agents may be more likely to consider than in recent years.

As long as the team has Nix and Sean Payton and continues to do so Build defense the same waythis team will continue to follow a positive path.

All the best teams had to fight their way through before they got to the top. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls fell to the Detroit Pistons three years in a row before eventually overcoming that deficit to win three straight NBA titles.

Peyton Manning lost to Tom Brady many times before finally having to overcome him and the New England Patriots to win his first Super Bowl. And for a closer reference, John Elway and the Broncos lost three Super Bowls before finally putting together the right team and winning two straight Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.

Being the best takes time. It is a process that requires patience and the right attitude. The Broncos now have strong leadership at the top, the right head coach and the perfect quarterback.

The Denver Broncos are building a juggernaut that they will soon unleash on the league.

The Broncos are playing in the playoffs with house money

The Broncos are on the way up no matter what happens in Buffalo

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