ESPN
Last week: 23
Sure, their bad moments have been really bad. They have 13 players on injured reserve (a list that includes Von Miller, Courtland Sutton and Jurrell Casey), have dealt with several COVID-19 cases, had an unexpected bye when the Week 5 Patriots game was moved and have 12 players 23 years old or younger on the roster. Yet they've kept digging in and shown some toughness, highlighted by Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins.
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com
Last week: 25
It was a great game overall for the Denver defense, which confused, bruised and battered rookie Tua Tagovailoa to the point that Brian Flores lifted his rookie in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick. That was all part of the plan for Fangio, who believed Denver could rattle Tua all the way to the bench with the right scheme. Mission accomplished for the Broncos, who could continue to give playoff contenders fits the rest of the way.
Nate Davis, USA Today
Last week: 24
Major roster questions loom given two of their top players of 2020, emergent LT Garett Bolles and S Justin Simmons, are headed for free agency.
Bleacher Report
Last week: 28
Lock didn't play great against the Miami Dolphins—18-of-30 passing for 270 yards and a pick. But the young quarterback made plays when he needed to, and Denver's run game and defense performed well in an upset win over the surging Dolphins.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports
Last week: 28
The Broncos gave Phillip Lindsay 16 carries and Melvin Gordon got 15. Both had more than 80 yards rushing. If the Broncos can get in a game script that allows that, it's great for them. That turns Drew Lock into a secondary piece of the puzzle, and that can cut down on the forced mistakes.
Sports Illustrated
Last week: 25
Should they be higher after beating a borderline top-10 team? Maybe, but the Broncos do match up particularly well with Miami. It was, however, nice to see them win on their terms, with the running game carrying the offense, a mistake-free Drew Lock making plays when he had to, and Vic Fangio's blurry coverages overwhelming an opponent's young QB.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Last week: 22
The defense came up big against Miami, which is a good sign. Now they get a chance to face Taysom Hill and his multi-dimensional quarterbacking style.
Mark Maske, Washington Post
Last week: 25
The win over the Dolphins was surprising. Coach Vic Fangio has done a nice job of holding things together each time it seemed like the season was slipping away from the Broncos.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
Last week: 23
The Broncos' defense finally showed up to support their sputtering offense with Drew Lock. Imagine what they could have been with more competent QB play.
