There’s no question that the 2024 Denver Broncos season was a massive success.
Now that it’s been a couple of days since the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs, that much is clear.
Denver found its QB of the future in Bo Nix. The Broncos had a winning record for the first time since 2016. The team made the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Is it fair to nitpick what happened in Western New York on Sunday afternoon? Of course.
Wil Lutz hitting the upright on a 50-yard field goal that could’ve tied the game at halftime stung. The Broncos going three-and-out on two critical second half drives was frustrating. Especially because head coach Sean Payton’s play-calling went run, run, incompletion… twice.
And down 13-7 late in the third quarter, Josh Allen threw a 24-yard touchdown on fourth-down in which I’m still not sure Ty Johnson caught the ball or was inbounds. If Denver gets the ball back, only down six points, we could be talking about an entirely different game.
But that’s what happened. From that moment on, the Bills turned it on and proved they were the better team in a dominant 31-7 victory.
This didn’t sting like playoff losses of the past, though. Not like the defeats in 2012, 2013 and 2014 with Peyton Manning at quarterback. Those all felt like Super Bowl or bust seasons. The Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts had other ideas.
Think about that. This was the first time the Broncos had lost a playoff game since Jan. 11, 2015. It was almost 10 years to the day. That in and of itself should make you realize this past season was special.
When the schedule came out last May the predictions weren’t pretty. Some folks said Denver would go 3-14, 4-13 or 5-12. Even Vegas set the over / under at 5.5 wins. There were no real expectations for this season. And the Broncos shattered the lowly ones that were out there.
The journey was an exciting one. Winning two games on an East Coast road trip to go from 0-2 to 2-2. The Pat Surtain II pick-six against the Raiders. Throttling the Saints in Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans. Dominating the Falcons at home, the Monday Night Football game against the Browns and obliterating the Chiefs backups in Week 18 to punch a postseason ticket.
The list goes on and on, but for the first time in a long time we’ll remember a Broncos season for the good times, not the bad ones.
There is work to be done this offseason. Nix needs more playmakers around him, specifically at running back and tight end. The defense could use upgrades at inside linebacker. And another solid draft is paramount in building a young roster.
I wrote in this space a couple of weeks ago the Broncos had to make the playoffs. Perspective could wait until that task was complete. Well, it got done, and here’s your perspective.
A sure sign this team is back was how much the losses hurt. The crushing defeats in Kansas City, Los Angeles and Cincinnati all lingered for days. That means the passion has returned, living and dying with the Broncos every week.
In 2025 the goal should be to win a playoff game. That’s the logical next step. The easiest path to do that is by challenging the Chiefs for the AFC West title for the first time in forever. It won’t be easy, but as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones get older, K.C.’s window shuts a little more while Denver’s cracks further open.
It’ll be a long offseason, but an intriguing one. How the roster is tinkered with will be fascinating to watch. And finally we don’t have to think about who the next quarterback will be.
Soak it all in, Broncos Country. This season was a fun one in which a solid foundation was laid for the future. That’s exactly what we were all hoping for six months ago.
