All things considered, the Denver Broncos benefited immensely from having a bye week, at least when it comes to power rankings. In last week's SB Nation NFL Power Rankings, the Denver Broncos fell to No. 32, worst in the league. It was well deserved, because the team lost a game to the San Francisco 49ers on easily avoidable mistakes. There's no place left to go but up after that.
And that's what happened with Denver this week. The Broncos took No. 30 in this week's SB Nation NFL Power Rankings, and this is what Joel Thorman had to say about them:
The Broncos have a big divisional game against the Chiefs next week. A win there could put their season on the track to respectability.
I'll agree with Joel. This is the game that makes or breaks the season. With five games against the AFC West in the remaining eight, the Broncos set the tone for the rest of the season when they take the field against the Chiefs this Sunday.
The two teams that fell below the Broncos? The 1-7 Dallas Cowboys who were destroyed by the Green Bay Packers and then fired head coach Wade Phillips. The 1-7 Carolina Panthers took No. 32 after the Saints throttled them and lost starting quarterback Matt Moore for the season.
The 0-8 Buffalo Bills came in at No. 29 and still don't play like a winless team.
In other power rankings, the Denver Broncos stayed at No. 29 in WEEI.com's power rankings. As they point out, the Broncos allow too many points (27 a game) and have no rushing attack. Improvement during the second half of the season will be key for the Broncos.