Broncos NFL power rankings tracker: How…
Broncos NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 11
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant (87) sits on the bench with just a few minute left in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Nov. 15, 2020. The Broncos lost 37-12.
By Joe Nguyen | jnguyen@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
November 18, 2020 at 5:45 a.m.
From the opening kickoff when Diontae Spencer ran backward to give the Broncos a terrible starting position, Sunday was not a good day for Denver.
A 37-12 loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas was among the Broncos' worst of the season. In terms of the worst in head coach Vic Fangio's tenure, Denver Post Broncos beat writer Ryan O'Halloran writes, "If it wasn't, it's definitely in contention."
At 3-6 for the fourth straight season, Denver has a difficult road ahead. Next up: The surging Dolphins, who have won four straight.
Here's a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 11:
Bleacher Report (No. 28) | Last week: No. 25
"If there was any question as to whether the 2020 Denver Broncos were bad, it was answered Sunday in Las Vegas. Every facet of the team stunk against the Raiders. But the most depressing of all had to be second-year quarterback Drew Lock, who threw four interceptions and finished with a passer rating of 37.3. It's becoming clearer by the week that Lock is not the long-term answer under center for the Broncos, unless the question is 'who will lead the Broncos to six 5-11 seasons in a row?'" See the full rankings.
CBS Sports (No. 22) | Last week: No. 24
"Drew Lock looked ordinary at best against the Raiders, which is not a good thing for the long run. He has to quit turning it over," Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.
ESPN (No. 23) | Last week: No. 22
"Passing on Bolles' fifth-year option will cost Denver in the short term. Had the Broncos engaged Bolles' option, he would have been paid slightly more than $11 million next season. While Bolles led the league in holding penalties during his first three seasons, he worked this past offseason to get stronger, and he has played with more composure as well as better hand technique. Some personnel executives believe he has played as well as any tackle in the league. The Broncos will face a decision, as well as competition for his services, when he is an unrestricted free agent in March. They'll need to cut a big check to keep him," Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.
ANFL.com (No. 25) | Last week: No. 23
"It is not too early to be worried about Drew Lock. The second-year quarterback's hot-and-cold sophomore season hit a nadir on Sunday with a four-interception meltdown against the rival Raiders in a 37-12 loss. Lock has thrown 10 interceptions in seven starts this year and continues to play recklessly with the football — a cowboy style of football that doesn't quite sync up with his skill level. Lock is very young and still relatively inexperienced — his game has clear mechanical flaws and his play could improve with good coaching and better decision-making. But will John Elway and the Broncos have the patience to live with the growing pains? Lock might need a strong finish in the final seven weeks to keep the faith," Dan Hanzus writes. See the full rankings.
Sporting News (No. 23) | Last week: No. 21
"Drew Lock seemed to have turned a corner with the Chargers and Falcons games, but his breakdown against a shaky Raiders defense isn't all that inspiring, especially for John Elway. Now other parts of Vic Fangio's defense are starting to fall apart, too," Vinnie Iyer writes. See the full rankings.
Sports Illustrated (No. 25) | Last week: No. 24
"Lots of questions about where the Broncos go from here, and the big one might concern how they approach the quarterback position," Albert Breer writes. See the full rankings.
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USA Today (No. 24) | Last week: No. 23
"They better learn how to compete in AFC West after surrendering 110 points in their initial three-game swing through the division," Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.
Yahoo Sports (No. 28) | Last week: No. 24
"Drew Lock has a 66.5 passer rating this season. Of all players with 100 attempts this season, only Sam Darnold has a worse rating (Darnold's collapse is a story for another day). If Lock doesn't play better over the last seven games, it would be very tough to sell Broncos fans on another season of him at quarterback," Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.
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Joe Nguyen | Online Sports Producer
Main daytime sports producer for The Denver Post. Previously he was the online prep sports editor. Prior to that, he covered Adams County and Aurora in the YourHub section. He also writes about beer, professional wrestling and video games.
jnguyen@denverpost.com
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