Ways the Denver Broncos and their malleable quarterback could end that Kansas City Chiefs' dominance.
Ex NFL team coach Phoebe Schecter serves as an NFL pundit who also represents Great Britain's national squad.
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NFL 2025 season: Week six
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We're in the sixth week of the football calendar and after recent discussion about the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles being a potential Super Bowl match-up, they both lost their perfect starts.
Notable in those games was the number of penalties each committed. The Eagles did so at crucial times so they essentially beat themselves after leading 17-3 entering the fourth period versus the Denver Broncos, who play overseas this weekend.
However it was positive to see that Denver's QB the rookie was able to have that deficit and then direct three scoring drives on three possessions during the final period, securing the game by four points.
Denver boast the top defender with cornerback Pat Surtain II. They rank number one in goal-line defense, while Philadelphia are number one in red zone offence, yet Denver prevailed in that contest.
They executed effective strategies in terms of disguised blitzes. They weren't always sending extra defenders instead they might position two linebackers in the 'A' gap before drop them out and dispatch a slot defender off the edge.
At the start in the campaign, we said during a show how the Broncos could be the current year's dark horses. They ended the previous year strongly then excelled of building upon that.
Are the Denver Broncos this season's underdog story?
New tight end Evan Engram has excelled significantly while recent RB their rusher is a player the team trusts. He now ranks fifth in the NFL for rushing yards (over 400) as well as tied for fourth for rushing touchdowns (4).
I love that the coach the Broncos' leader has "RUSH!" at the top of his playcall sheet.
This demonstrates how the Broncos are a squad aiming to prioritize the run, because you can achieve much off the back of that. It slows down the pass rush while keeps you in positive down and distances.
This has benefited quarterback the young passer, who came the NFL as the 12th overall draft pick in the prior draft, throwing 29 TDs – second only to a star QB for the rookie record (31 in 2020).
Josh Allen and Herbert possess the arm strength to throw all over, but they lack in the same way that Nix has. He has incredible arm talent, which is different, and he is highly agile.
His strengths include his mobility, being able to throw while moving, and finding varied release points to make throws when he rolls out of the pocket, the bootlegs. He can throw precision throws over the middle or over the corner.
As a rookie QB, aged 25, he's got great composure under pressure and isn't really fazed by the blitz. He tries to evade a sack as much as possible and can pass in tight spots. He has sharp intelligence and remains very decisive.
When you consistently run the ball it eats up time and makes the opponent to stay on the field for longer, and when you've got a mobile QB the defence must defend the area downfield and horizontally. It can be draining.
Nix has bitten back at Payton during games sometimes and it seems the coach appreciates that fire, that he's such a competitor. In my view it's fun for the coach to have a young quarterback who's kind of like play-dough. The coach can really develop him the way he desires to build it. I believe it's a special experience for him.
Payton owns a championship and now passed Bill Parcells for career NFL wins (173, tying for 14th). He has witnessed everything. In my opinion the success Denver are experiencing on offence is mostly due to his guidance, his schemes, his game sense – and the pairing with the QB helps shape him what he is.
You wouldn't want a better guy in your ear, to assist you during difficult moments and build self-belief.
I believe in Denver's defence, in Bo Nix's tenacity and composure. Yet are they good enough to face a top squad at full strength? Since that was not a Super Bowl performance from Philadelphia in their last game.
Right now, I don't think the Broncos are elite. They're performing better than most, which is a solid position to hold their division. All they need is to continue this path.
They excel at leaning into their forte, that is running the ball, and this is exactly what they should do versus the Jets in London. It will likely be the JK Dobbins show, in essence.
The Jets have allowed 140 rushing yards per game (among the worst), five rushing touchdowns this season (10th worst), and they're the only team without a win a game.
Since the NFL started recording takeaways in 1933, this team are also the first team to go without any turnovers through five games, this is surprising when you think that their new coach was previously defensive co-ordinator at the Detroit Lions.
The Chiefs' QB says the Chiefs are off to a poor start after a recent loss to Jacksonville.
After the upcoming matchup, the Broncos have a manageable slate until their bye (in week twelve) - the New York Giants, the Cowboys, the Texans plus the Raiders before the Chiefs.
Looking at the AFC West, the Chiefs hold a losing record and the Broncos are even with the Chargers at 3-2 so they could challenge for the top of the division.
This hinges upon which form of the Chiefs they meet since Denver {beat|def