Will the Broncos be able to make a playoff run after their bye week?

The Denver Broncos are heading into their bye week. After making no moves before the trade deadline, what does it mean for the team going forward?

Before the Chiefs game, the Broncos were taking calls on numerous players, like Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Patrick Surtain. If the price was right, it was a done deal. The team and fans were ready for a fire sale until the unimaginable happened.

After ending their 16-game losing streak against the Chiefs with a 24-9 victory that saw Denver’s defense hold Patrick Mahomes to zero touchdowns, those conversations ended quickly.

The Broncos were dead-set on their asking prices, and if teams weren’t willing to match it, there was no deal. Sean Payton had no urgency to make a trade happen unless it was the right situation.

Adam Schefter reported that the Broncos turned down a third-round and fifth-round draft pick for Jeudy. He also said that no team even came close to the Broncos asking price for Surtain.

Adam Schefter finally gives us the details on what happened ahead of the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/Va2AsQLjEx

— Denver Sports (@DenverSportsCom) November 2, 2023

It’s apparent that the organization’s mindset has completely changed overnight. Players like Javonte Willams genuinely believe that they have a chance at making a playoff run this season.

Javonte Williams: "… If the defense do their job, the offense do their job, we got Marvin Mims back there on special teams, so, I feel like everybody's doing their job. Yeah, I feel like the playoffs — that's just the bare minimum, though. We trying to make a Super Bowl run." pic.twitter.com/h3KLYN04Ev

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 30, 2023

Payton felt that the team’s performance over the last two weeks was good enough not to make any trades before the trade deadline. He sees potential in these players, and after beating the Packers and Chiefs back-to-back, it was an eye-opener that this group potentially has what it takes to make a run for it.

The Broncos are 3-5 right now and heading into a streak of games that they have a chance to win. It won’t be an easy task taking on the Bills next week in Buffalo, but it’s not impossible to walk away with a win. The Broncos have two weeks to prepare and should be able to take on whatever the Bills throw at them.

The team has found its rhythm over the last few weeks and has to stay focused on short completions and staying committed to the run game. It’s about maintaining time of possession and keeping the defense fresh. They have three very good running backs in Williams, Samaje Perine, and Jaleel McLaughlin, who must be utilized more to control the game’s flow.

Everyone saying that Russell Wilson is a bust and should be dropped is not considering the fact that he’s playing at a much higher level this season and is almost identical in stats to Mahomes. Wilson is not the problem. He’s been able to move the ball downfield efficiently and put points on the board. It could be better, but he’s been much more productive this season.

The problem this year has revolved around Vance Joseph and the defense. While the defense has shown some significant improvements over the last three weeks, the finger just gets pointed at Wilson whenever something goes wrong more than anyone else because he’s the face of the franchise.

The Broncos need to be ready to prove themselves week after week and can’t lose focus on what matters. Don’t get caught up in the draft or playoff scenarios; play to win, and that’s it. This team needs to understand what it feels like to win again, and this game was their “Lazarus effect” moment. It brought the team back to life, and if they can beat the Chiefs 24-9 and hold them to zero touchdowns, they can beat any team in the league right now.

Anything can happen once the game starts. No one is guaranteed a win in the NFL, and the Broncos have a chance to turn their season around in the next three weeks and have a 6-5 record if all goes to plan.

The season is not over yet.

Payton’s been trying to change the culture within the organization since the day he got here. He wants to bring back that winning mentality that the team has been missing for years now, and he just gave them their first real taste of victory, and it’s given the organization a boost of much-needed confidence all around.

As a Broncos fan, it’s been easy to be skeptical and critical of the situation. For the last eight years, it’s been a complete disaster up until now. For the first time in a long time, this team has a true leader who can lead them in the right direction. We have to trust the process at this point, stop questioning Payton’s judgment, and be 100% on board with this team.

Since Payton became head coach of the Broncos, he’s improved Wilson’s play significantly from last year. He’s drafted and obtained a young group of players he can build a team around, and he was able to end the 16-game losing streak and beat the Chiefs for the first time since 2015. For being only eight games into the season, it’s not much, but it’s more than Broncos country has seen in eight long years, and they should be grateful the team is finally taking steps in the right direction.

Everyone knew that Payton wouldn’t be able to fix this team overnight. There would be some obstacles along the way, and it would take some time to rebuild. Now, we must give them that time and let them rebuild.

We’re just starting to see the progress this team made so far this season, and it’s only just the beginning.

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