The Denver Broncos (10-7) clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs with a 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory that sent Denver to the postseason.
1. Garett Bolles and Courtland Sutton deserve this: Bolles (eight years) is the longest-tenured Bronco and he has now reached the playoffs for the first time in his career. Sutton (seven years) is the second-longest tenured player on the team. They were key members of the 2024 squad that helped Denver return to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
So happy for Garett Bolles man ðŸ˜ðŸ¥² https://t.co/6MAPCEg33h
— Lou Scataglia (@LouScatagliaPO) January 6, 2025
2. Take a bow, Nik Bonitto: The third-year pass rusher finished the year with 13.5 sacks, third-most in the NFL. He led a pass rush rotation that helped Denver lead the NFL with 63.0 sacks this season, the most in franchise history. After giving Jonathon Cooper a big extension this fall, the Broncos will likely turn their attention to Bonitto’s deal in 2025. Cooper was second on the team with 10.5 sacks in 2024.
3. Bo Nix had one of the best rookie seasons ever: Nix broke just about every franchise rookie passing record this season, and he now holds a team record for the most consecutive completions (17) to start a game and the best single-game completion percentage (89.7%) in Broncos history. He also broke several NFL records in 2024, including the most games (seven) with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions as a rookie. Nix’s 29 touchdown passes this season and the second-most in NFL history, only trailing Justin Herbert (31). His 34 total TDs rank third in league history behind Herbert (36) and Cam Newton (35).
4. Sean Payton has the Broncos back on track: When Payton arrived in 2023, Denver had gone six-straight years without a winning record and seven-straight years without a playoff berth. Payton’s squad finished with a winning record (9-8) in Year 1 and then made the playoffs (10-7) in Year 2. The veteran coached overcame a massive salary cap hit after cutting Russell Wilson and led the Broncos to the playoffs with a rookie quarterback under center. Payton should be in the Coach of the Year conversation.
5. Denver can win in Buffalo: The Broncos are considered big underdogs going into the Bills playoff game, understandably so. But fans and pundits shouldn’t forget that the Broncos went into Buffalo and won a 24-22 Monday Night Football thriller just last season. Both teams have undergone key roster changes since then, but it’s clear that Denver is a better team now than a year ago. The Bills are rightfully favored at home, but the Broncos have already proven they are capable of pulling off an upset. Let’s see what Denver can do.
[vertical-gallery id=620142]