Broncos pathetically predicted to regress in 2025 despite encouraging 2024

The Denver Broncos put the NFL on notice in 2024, but it seems like people still are not buying in. The Broncos and Bo Nix seemed to not fully get the respect they deserved in the 2024 NFL Season, and this was especially true of Nix.

Despite how well he ended up playing, many weren't sold, and it was just a weird dynamic across the NFL landscape. Well, Bo Nix was so bad that he threw for the fifth-most touchdowns in the NFL and helped lead the 10th-ranked scoring offense in the NFL.

Denver finished with 10 wins and earned their first winning season since 2016, when they finished 9-7. Well, some people are still refusing to fully buy into the Broncos, as one outlet is predicting them to regress despite their encouraging 2024.

The Broncos haters are out in full force

Here is Moe Moton from Bleacher Report and his reasoning for his prediction of the Broncos going 9-8 in 2025:

"In 2024, the Denver Broncos made the playoffs with a top-10 scoring offense and defense. Bo Nix was the second-most impressive quarterback from the 2024 draft class, throwing for 3,775 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 66.3 percent completion rate.

However, the Broncos only beat two teams with winning records last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs, who rested their starters in the final week of the season. So, it's no surprise that the Buffalo Bills dismantled them in the AFC Wild Card Round.

Denver made a few notable acquisitions to bolster its offense. However, there's a downside that can limit each player's production.

Head coach Sean Payton found his "joker" in tight end Evan Engram. Keep in mind he's coming off an injury-riddled campaign and turns 31 in September.

Rookie running back RJ Harvey has the hands be a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield, though he could be part of a committee with Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin.

Rookie third-rounder Pat Bryant may be the No. 3 option in the passing game behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.

First-year cornerback Jahdae Barron and All-Pro Pat Surtain II will shut down some passing attacks this year. However, the Broncos must keep their fingers crossed that safety Talanoa Hufanga stays healthy with his injury history. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is currently dealing with a quad injury.

Last year's Denver team isn't as good as its record showed, and its offseason acquisitions seem hit-or-miss. The Broncos regress slightly but stay above .500."

Moe Moton

Moton misses the mark here. He wrongly suggests that Pat Bryant could be the third option at wide receiver behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr - that is likely belonging to Devaughn Vele. He also claims that Denver was not as good as their record indicated in 2024, but I would argue to total opposite.

Six of their seven losses in the regular season were by just one score, so they only got blown out once. They also played teams like the Chiefs, Chargers, and Bengals extremely closely, and you could argue that a small bounce here and there could have allowed Denver to win those games against the teams I mentioned.

It's just odd analysis overall, and wrong, frankly. The Broncos have quite the manageable schedule in 2025 and do have a path to seven or eight wins in their first 11 games before their Week 12 bye. I guess the Broncos could always regress, but with the way this team is built, their coaching staff, and how good they were in 2024, it's more likely that they take a step forward.

The biggest thing for me team-wise is them being able to figure out how to close-out and win those close games. They lost by thin margins against the Chiefs, Chargers twice, and Bengals in 2024. Those right there are four losses, and even if Denver figures out how to win half of those, they all of a sudden have 12 wins.

There is a much more realistic path for this team to finish with 12 wins than eight or nine.