The Broncos appeared to be headed for another lost season after a 1–5 start. But a five-game winning streak has revived their chances and put them in contention for an AFC wild-card playoff spot.
What fueled Denver’s turnaround? The defense has been strong, allowing fewer than 20 points in three of the past five games. Quarterback Russell Wilson is playing better, but hasn’t passed for 200 yards in four of his past five games. More importantly, he hasn’t thrown an interception during the Broncos’ winning streak.
According to coach Sean Payton, the true inspiration is another team that recently rebounded from a 1–5 start to finish with a winning record last season. The 2022 Lions started even worse than Denver at 1–6 but went 8–2 in the second half of the campaign to compete for a playoff spot in the final week of the regular season.
