Broncos land just outside top 10 in latest power rankings

The Denver Broncos are 1-0. It might not have been the prettiest showing on Sunday when they took down the Tennessee Titans, 20-12, but at the end of the day, a win is a win, no matter the deficit.

The day after the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton emphasized that winning in the NFL is difficult, especially to open the season, something that the orange and blue haven’t done since 2021.

After the win, the Broncos landed just outside the top 10 in ESPN’s Week 2 power rankings at No. 11, the same spot they were held in the preseason rankings. However, the Broncos were jumped by the division-rival Chargers and the Buccaneers. For the rest of the division, the Chiefs landed at No. 5 after losing their opener to the Chargers while the Raiders slotted in at No. 21 after their victory over the Patriots.

An aspect of the rankings was identifying who the best newcomer was for each team around the league, and the Broncos’ player was safety Talanoa Hufanga, to no one’s surprise. The fifth-year safety was flying all over the field on Sunday with 10 total tackles and had a textbook ‘Peanut Punch’ to force a fumble.

DJ Jones stonewalling Lloyd Cushenberry and Talanoa Hufanga with a perfect peanut punch to force the fumble. Hufanga will be a fan favorite in no time. pic.twitter.com/MUblpTCb5w

— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) September 8, 2025

The Broncos’ defense is most of the reason why their ranking is this high. They had rookie quarterback Cam Ward in a cell all day long and made it next-to-impossible for the Titans to move the ball. On the other side, the offense and special teams were the reason why the orange and blue weren’t ranked higher. Bo Nix was sloppy throughout the game with three turnovers and just 176 yards on 40 attempts. His footwork was sloppy and has a lot to improve upon if this team wants to compete for a conference title in January.

The special teams also showed some flaws, as Marvin Mims Jr. muffed a critical punt late and didn’t opt to take a touchback on multiple kickoffs, a decision that cost his team a good chunk of yards.

This ranking is in the right neighborhood for a Denver team that has lots to prove. The big thing that showed this weekend is that the Broncos are not in the same class as the Bills and the Ravens — in reality, almost no team is — and have much to improve upon going forward if Sean Payton wants to back his words of saying that the Broncos can compete for a Super Bowl.

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