Broncos 2021 NFL power rankings tracker: How national experts rank Denver entering Week 13 – The Denver Post

It’s Week 13 and the Broncos are in second place in the AFC West after crushing the Chargers, 28-13, on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.

But with injuries devastating the offensive line and a final stretch that includes four division games — including two against the Chiefs — can Denver weather the blows and possibly make its first postseason appearance since the Peyton Manning era?

It’ll be a tough road. Five of the Broncos’ final six games are against teams with winning records — the Lions (0-10-1) in Week 14 being the lone exception.

Next up: The Chiefs. At Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City has won the previous 11 meetings, including the last five at home.

Here’s a look at how various national experts rated the Broncos in their power rankings entering Week 13:

Bleacher Report (No. 21) | Last week: No. 24

“Keeping those playoff aspirations on course won’t be easy. Starting on Sunday night against the Chiefs in Kansas City, five of Denver’s last six games are against teams with winning records. Four of those matchups are inside the AFC West, including two games with the Chiefs and a Week 17 rematch with the Chargers.” See the full rankings.

CBS Sports (No. 14) | Last week: No. 24

“At 6-5, they are in the playoff hunt. The defense was outstanding against Justin Herbert. That unit could carry them to the playoffs, but they face a tough one against the Chiefs this week,” Pete Prisco writes. See the full rankings.

ESPN (No. 15) | Last week: No. 22

“The Broncos are 6-0 when the quarterbacks are under center 50-50 as compared with the shotgun — as well as averaging just over 30 rushing attempts. They also have all of their pass completions of at least 40 yards on the season in those games. The team is 0-5 when it lines up in the shotgun most of the time and runs the ball an average of 18 times a game,” Jeff Legwold writes. See the full rankings.

NFL.com (No. 19) | Last week: No. 23

“When the Broncos traded Von Miller to the Rams, it signaled the start of a new era for the defense. The kids were alright in Sunday’s 28-13 win over the Chargers. Denver heavily featured four rookies on defense and harassed Justin Herbert into three sacks, 10 QB hits and two interceptions. Both picks came courtesy of first-year corner Pat Surtain II; one snagged in the end zone with the Chargers looking for the tying score, the other a pick-six that effectively put the game on ice. At 6-5, the Broncos have the chance to move into a first-place tie in the AFC West with a win over the division-leading Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. This Broncos relevance snuck up on you, didn’t it?” Dan Hanzus writes. See the full rankings.

Sporting News (No. 15) | Last week: No. 21

“The Broncos came out smashing the Chargers out of the bye, with more of their strong running game and their best defensive effort in weeks for Vic Fangio, controlling the action up front against the run and with the pass rush,” Vinnie Iyer writes. See the full rankings.

Sports Illustrated (No. 14) | Last week: No. 20

“This feels a little rich, yes, to have Denver here. But Vic Fangio’s group is playing opportunistic defense, and finding ways to win,” Albert Breer writes. See the full rankings.

USA Today (No. 17) | Last week: No. 22

“Only two teams have allowed fewer points, and only four have turned it over fewer times than Denver. Certainly not a sexy formula, but it’s a winning one that has this team in the wild-card mix,” Nate Davis writes. See the full rankings.

Yahoo Sports (No. 18) | Last week: No. 21

“Javonte Williams had 54 yards rushing and a touchdown, led Denver with 57 receiving yards and made a few plays that showed again how good he is. The Broncos coaching staff is being strangely stubborn with the rookie. Nothing against Melvin Gordon, who is also playing well, but Williams should be the Broncos’ lead back,” Frank Schwab writes. See the full rankings.

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