The Broncos' current average ranking among these publications is about 22nd overall.
ESPN.com
Current rank: No. 21
Last week: No. 17
The Broncos won a Super Bowl with a great defense and below-average quarterback play, but this season, their QB play has bottomed out. Denver ranks 29th in Total QBR this season and has seen a drastic fall in the standings and our rankings as a result.
Bleacher Report, Chris Simms
Current rank: No. 23
Last week: No. 16
Falling to 3-5 isn't the end of the world for Denver, but an inability to play through its championship-caliber defense is.
Sports Illustrated/The MMQB
Current rank: No. 22
Last week: No. 17
I'm not sure Brock Osweiler was any better (or more careful with the ball) than Trevor Siemian had been, but he'll draw a second straight start because . . . what else are you going to do? The good news is that the Patriots are coming to town and Tom Brady has never beaten Osweiler in Denver. It is his white whale.
Here's how Broncos Country saw Sunday's game against the Eagles in Philadelphia. (Photos via Instagram, unless noted)
AP Images
David Dermer
USA Today
Current rank: No. 20
Last week: No. 19
Issues under center are legit. But previously top-ranked defense just embarrassed itself. Expect losing skid to reach five vs. rested Patriots.
Yahoo! Sports, Frank Schwab
Current rank: 22
Last week: 20
The Broncos are turning back to Brock Osweiler at quarterback this week, and that's not surprising. What is surprising is coach Vance Joseph's explanation: "It felt good to our team — it was a confident week and the energy was better. It was urgent, it was detailed and the meetings were better. Brock's experience and Brock's personality really helped our team bounce back and gave us confidence going into this week. I think Brock's earned it from that standpoint." The Broncos lost 51-23 on Sunday and looked horrendous, the worst they've looked for a few seasons. I suppose Joseph is trying to keep everything positive during a bad streak, but talking about how Osweiler helped preparation and urgency before an embarrassing loss is not going to play well with an angry fan base.
Washington Post, Mark Maske
Current rank: No. 28
Last week: No. 25
Is anyone surprised that starting Brock Osweiler on Sunday against the Eagles didn't fix the Broncos' QB problems? The next move must be to Paxton Lynch as soon as he's deemed ready to play, as he works his way back from his preseason shoulder injury. In the meantime, Coach Vance Joseph is sticking with Osweiler. No matter what happens at QB, the defense must play far better than it did in Philadelphia.
NFL.com, Elliot Harrison
Current rank: No. 22
Last week: No. 21
Not sure anyone foresaw the Broncos getting absolutely throttled in Philadelphia on Sunday. Losing? Sure. But my Twitter feed suggested that my prediction of the Eagles winning 27-13 was off because there was no way Philly would score that many points on THAT defense. Right. The Eagles didn't -- they scored 51, almost doubling the way-off prediction.
DenverBroncos.com, Andrew Mason
Current rank: No. 21
Last week: No. 18
The Broncos still rank first or second in forcing three-and-outs, net yardage allowed per possession and first downs allowed per possession, but they dropped from seventh to 15th in net points allowed per series after Sunday's loss at Philadelphia. Denver allowed seven touchdowns -- as many as its defense had permitted in the previous five games combined.
