How the Broncos and their flexible QB could end the Chiefs' dominance.
Ex NFL team assistant coach Phoebe Schecter serves as a football expert and represents Great Britain's flag football team.
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NFL 2025 season: Week six
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It's week six of the football calendar and after last week's discussion regarding the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles as possible championship contenders, each lost their perfect starts.
Striking in those games were the amount of penalties each conceded. Philadelphia committed them in key moments so they essentially defeated themselves having led by two touchdowns entering the final quarter against the Denver Broncos, set to play overseas this Sunday.
But it proved good to see that Denver's QB the rookie was able to have that deficit and then lead three scoring drives in three attempts in the fourth quarter, to win the victory by four points.
Denver boast the top defender with CB their star corner. They are first in red zone defence, while the Eagles lead the league in red zone offence, and the Broncos won that battle.
They executed effective strategies in terms of disguised blitzes. They weren't always rushing more than four pass rushers but they might plug two linebackers in the 'A' gap then withdrawing them and send a slot defender from the outside.
At the start of the season, we said on a program that Denver could be this season's surprise contenders. They finished last season strongly and did a good job of building upon that.
Could Denver be this year's underdog story?
Recently acquired tight end Evan Engram has stepped up significantly and new RB their rusher is a player the team trusts. He now ranks 5th in the NFL for rushing yards (402) as well as tied for fourth in rushing scores (four).
I love how head coach Sean Payton has "RUSH!" prominently on his call sheet.
This demonstrates that the Broncos represent a team aiming to prioritize the run, since you can achieve much based on that approach. It reduces down the pass rush while maintains in favourable situations.
It's also helped QB the young passer, who came into the league as the 12th overall draft pick last year, throwing 29 TDs – just behind a star QB in rookie records (31 back in 2020).
Other elite QBs have powerful arms to pass anywhere, but they lack the mobility that Nix has. He boasts exceptional arm talent, a unique trait, plus he is highly agile.
His assets include his movement, the capacity to throw while moving, and using varied release points to deliver throws when he rolls out of the pocket, on rollouts. He is able to deliver precision throws across the middle or over the corner.
For a young quarterback, aged 25, he's got great composure under pressure and is not bothered by extra rushers. He tries to avoid a sack whenever possible and can throw under pressure. He possesses a high football IQ and is quick to decide.
When you constantly run the ball it eats up time and forces the opponent to stay in play extended periods, and when you've got an athletic quarterback the defense must defend the area downfield side to side. This proves draining.
The quarterback has bitten back at Payton on the sideline at times and I think the coach likes that fire, seeing him as such a competitor. In my view it's exciting for the coach to have a young quarterback who's similar to moldable clay. He can really develop him how he desires to shape him. I think it's a special experience for the coach.
Payton has won a Super Bowl and now passed Bill Parcells for career NFL wins (173 - tied 14th overall). He's seen everything. In my opinion the achievements the Broncos are experiencing offensively is largely down to his leadership, his play-calling, his game sense – and the combination with Nix aids shape him into who he is.
There's no better a better guy guiding you, to assist you during difficult moments and boost confidence.
I believe in Denver's defence, in the QB's grit and calm. But is the team strong enough to go against an elite team at full strength? Since that was not championship-level play from Philadelphia in their last game.
Right now, I don't think the Broncos are incredible. They're performing above average, which is a good place to hold the AFC West. The key to do is maintain this path.
They excel at embracing their strength, which is the ground game, and that's precisely what they should do against the New York Jets at Tottenham. It will likely be the JK Dobbins show, essentially.
New York have allowed 140 yards on the ground per game (among the worst), five rushing touchdowns this season (in the bottom ten), and they are the sole squad yet to win a game.
Since the league started recording turnovers decades ago, this team are the first team to go without any turnovers in five outings, which is surprising when you think that their new coach was previously defensive co-ordinator with another team.
The Chiefs' QB says the Chiefs have 'already lost too many games' after Monday's defeat by the Jaguars.
Following the upcoming matchup, Denver face a smooth-ish schedule until their bye (in week twelve) - the Giants, Dallas Cowboys, the Texans and Las Vegas Raiders prior to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the AFC West, the Chiefs hold a losing record while Denver are even with the Chargers at 3-2 meaning they could make a run at leading the West.
This hinges upon what version of the Chiefs they meet since the Broncos {beat|def