Broncos land back in top 10 in latest NFL power rankings

The Denver Broncos were searching for the signature win of the Sean Payton era. Even though the past two years have been more successful than the years before Payton got to town, they were filled with a lot of wins over subpar teams and close losses to the best teams in the league.

After things looked bleak on Sunday for three quarters in the City of Brotherly Love, the Broncos flipped a switch, scored 18 unanswered points against the defending champions and finally captured that signature win that had been so elusive throughout the start of Payton’s tenure as the franchise’s 20th head coach.

"AND THE BRONCOS HAVE THEIR SIGNATURE WIN!" – Jim Nantz pic.twitter.com/xhH1GVmK6q

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 5, 2025

The 21-17 victory was one that was much needed for the Broncos, as they had already dropped two games against solid opponents and a third would’ve put them in a peculiar position heading into their battle across the pond against the Jets. Instead, they’re right back at the top of the AFC West and are in a great position to make a push towards the top of the conference in the next month.

Sunday’s win also vaulted the Broncos back into the top 10 of the latest NFL power rankings. They had dropped all the way to 14 after losing to the Chargers in Week 3, then climbed to 12 after an easy-peasy win over the Bengals in Week 4, and now find themselves back amongst the cream of the crop. They jumped their division foes, the Chiefs and the Chargers, after they both suffered defeats over the (extended) weekend.

Denver is also the third-highest AFC team on the list, behind the Bills (No. 3) and the Colts (No. 8). The NFC is shaping up to be much more top-heavy than the AFC this season, something that plays to the Broncos’ favor.

Although the win on Sunday was a massive step in the right direction for Denver, there were still some negatives that will need to be improved upon. They committed 12 penalties for over 120 yards, and the offense fell into yet another lull in which they punted on seven of their first eight drives. The defense looked shaky in the first half when they ran a lot of Cover 1, something that allowed Devonta Smith and Saquon Barkley to make big plays in the pass game, but settled down once late-game adjustments were made.

It’s early in the season, so those things will be able to be improved upon throughout the year. This win was huge for the Broncos, and the jump in these NFL power rankings show that they can compete with the league’s top teams when they play at their best.

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