Broncos predicted to win AFC West, beat KC in the playoffs

After winning Super Bowl 50, it’s been a rough stretch for the Denver Broncos.

Losing seasons stacked upon no playoff appearances and no starting quarterback. To make matters even worse, the best team in the league over that period has been the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes.

Now, in the third year of the Sean Payton era in Denver, the Broncos are back in the national spotlight and expect to compete, not just for a playoff spot but to win the AFC West. Fox recently did a season preview, predicting Denver would win the AFC West. The story took it even further, saying the Broncos would beat Kansas City in the Wild Card round, 13-10.

From the story:

“The Chiefs just put their heart and soul into the three-peat and failed brutally on the biggest stage. And while I think there’s a big-brother complex where Andy Reid lords over both Sean McDermott and John Harbaugh, I don’t think that’s true of Sean Payton, who will bump a fatigued Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce out of the offseason.”

Please, please let this come to fruition.

This prediction then has Denver losing in the divisional round to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, 17-14.

Who knows how this coming season will unfold for the Broncos and what will happen. We’re only at the end of May, and Denver hasn’t even held OTAs yet. But the fact that more and more people are realizing the culture change instituted by Payton, and the fact that the Broncos finally have a starting quarterback in Bo Nix, are why this franchise has championship aspirations and expectations again. Throw in what is arguably the best defense in the NFL, and you see why people think so highly of Denver.

Needless to say, it’s been a long time coming. And the regular season can’t get here soon enough.