The Denver Broncos moved into first place in the AFC West for the first time this season on Sunday, beating the Kansas City Chiefs 28-24 at Empower Field to improve to 6-2. Denver has now won four straight games and split its season series with Kansas City, leaving the division race wide open with one game remaining before the Broncos' bye week.
The win also sharpens the focus on the NFL trade deadline, a little more than a week away. Coach Sean Payton conceded the offense remains a work in progress, saying, "We still have a lot of things to fix." Denver entered Week 8 averaging 20.6 points per game, the No. 25 mark in the league, and has missed 39 of 48 third-down tries since Payton took play-calling duties back from offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Against the Chiefs, the Broncos scored 28 points on just 294 offensive yards and averaged 3.3 yards per carry on 23 attempts.
That leaves Payton and general manager George Paton weighing a gut-check question: does Denver have enough playmaking to mount a run, or should it swing a trade? CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz raised the stakes during the game broadcast, noting the league-wide talk that Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor could be dealt and that Denver is said to be on the "shortlist of five" interested teams. A source told The Denver Post the Broncos have inquired about Taylor, though the club does due diligence on all kinds of players throughout the NFL calendar. Taylor, 27, has averaged 1,266 rushing yards over his first six NFL seasons and has never played in the postseason.
Any major move would come with complications. Denver parted with significant draft capital this spring to acquire receiver Jaylen Waddle and currently sits at less than $5 million in salary cap space. Taylor is also far from the only option, with Tennessee's Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, New Orleans' Alvin Kamara and the New York Jets' Breece Hall among the running backs who could become available.
Rookie Jonah Coleman made his own case that help may already be in the building. The fourth-round pick touched the ball 15 times, including 11 carries, and finished with 104 offensive yards and a touchdown, capping his day with a 51-yard catch-and-run followed by a 5-yard go-ahead touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Coleman is just finding his rhythm after missing four games on injured reserve with an ankle sprain. "We knew he had game from the first day he walked in the building," right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. Meanwhile, J.K. Dobbins has not had the same pop this season and RJ Harvey is out for at least the next three games.
Third-year receiver Troy Franklin, drafted out of Oregon in 2024 for his explosive playmaking, has added another dimension: a willingness to do the dirty work as a blocker. He contributed to two of Denver's biggest plays Sunday, drawing attention from safety Chris Roland-Wallace to free Waddle for a fourth-and-goal touchdown, then influencing two defenders on Coleman's long catch-and-run. "We block Level 1 and Level 2 on the offensive line, but when those guys dig out Level 3, that's when explosives happen," right guard Quinn Meinerz said. Franklin said the approach helps him stay on the field: "I'm trying to just find ways to stay on the field and being good in the run game, that will help me."
The victory also continued a defining pattern of Payton's tenure. His Broncos have now produced a winning streak of at least four games in each of his four seasons in Denver. In 2023 they climbed from 1-5 to 6-5, in 2024 they went from 5-5 to 9-5, and last season they reeled off 11 straight wins after a 1-2 start to capture the AFC West and the No. 1 seed.
Denver's defense delivered the game's decisive sequence with a late goal-line stand that featured standout moments from players not usually considered stars. Pat Surtain II opened the closing sequence with a strong tackle on Kenneth Walker, and nickel Ja'Quan McMillian provided sticky coverage on Xavier Worthy as Patrick Mahomes hunted for a path to the end zone.
The Broncos are early 2.5-point road favorites against Carolina before the bye. After that, the schedule softens considerably, with two games against Las Vegas, a home date with Miami and a road trip to face the New York Jets among their first five, the lone exception being a Black Friday visit to 6-2 Pittsburgh. Whether the front office adds a playmaker or stands pat, Denver has a little more than a week to decide.
