While thier 3-3 record screams mediocrity, the Broncos might be poised to make a run, with most of their more difficult football behind them.
Their three losses are to division-leaders in the Falcons, Texans and Patriots, and they have a road win in the division (at San Diego) in their pocket.
And Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post points out an interesting stat: The six teams the Broncos have played already have a combined 24. The 10 teams remaining on the schedule have a combined 20 wins.
The only team left on their schedule with a winning record at the moment is the Ravens, and the Broncos won’t see them until December.
Beginning with Sunday night’s game against 2-4 New Orleans, the rest of the slate includes games against the one-win Browns and Chiefs (twice), along with the Panthers. And after being spurned in his quest for a lucrative contract leading to a messy divorce in Carolina, coach John Fox clearly wouldn’t mind hanging 50 on Jerry Richardson’s team, just for spite.
Of course, the Broncos will still need to have a winning streak (something they haven’t done since the Tebow Era of December 2011) if they want to be viewed as a legitimate contender.
But the way the schedule unfolds, putting a few together seems incredibly doable.