With about one month remaining in the regular season, the Denver Broncos (6-6) are currently sitting at .500, but the overall record does not tell the whole story.
So far this season, Denver has not only played the toughest slate in the NFL, but of the teams with the top-5 most difficult schedules, the Broncos and Titans are the only squads to not have losing records.
More impressive than surviving Denver’s gauntlet of a schedule with its dignity intact though, the Broncos were able to snap the Chargers’ six-game winning streak in Week 11, before doing the exact same thing to the Steelers the following Sunday. And if Brandon McManus would not have missed his game-winning field goal attempt against Houston on Nov. 4, the Broncos would have defeated three straight opponents with winning streaks of five or more games.
Even in a pair of losses to Kansas City, the Broncos were one of two teams in the league to hold the Chiefs to under 30 points, and Denver is the only team that held the high-powered Los Angeles Rams to less than 30 points in 2018.
With a favorable end-of-year schedule down the stretch that includes the 49ers, Browns, Raiders and Chargers, it will be interesting to see how playing such a tough schedule out of the gate will benefit the Broncos in the playoff race.
A wildcard berth is well within reach and after playing the league’s best, the Broncos now have a chance to bully some of the weaker teams.
