Denver Broncos
The Broncos are no longer the sure horse to bet on in the AFC West race. It was only a matter of time before another team ousted Denver out of its top status.
Many would not have thought that the Oakland Raiders would have tallied 12 wins to make the postseason in 2016. The Kansas City Chiefs also put the shaft to the Broncos with their own dozen wins.
Meanwhile, the Super Bowl 50 champions ate crow and won just nine games with its young quarterback cast. This is not a status that a John Elway-run organization is used to seeing. Since 2001, the Broncos finished only one season worse, coming in fourth place in the division in 2010.
Denver’s fourth-ranked defense ran a tight ship in 2016. Unfortunately, the offense could not keep up and finished 27th. If the Broncos want any shot at a playoff berth, they can’t afford to lose anymore than a small handful of games in 2017. That is how brutal their divisional competition has gotten.
As such, both Trevor Sieman and Paxton Lynch are under tremendous pressure to improve over the summer. How that situation plays out will likely determine the Broncos’ status in 2017.