10. Denver Broncos (8-5)
The Denver Broncos lost in a heartbreaking fashion in Week 10 to the Kansas City Chiefs. So what did they do after that? They won three games in a row and entered into their bye week at a strong 8-5 record. They beat the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns into their Week 14 bye.
The Broncos are favored to make the playoffs this year, and in their Week 15 contest, they’ll face off against the Indianapolis Colts at home. If they beat the Colts, Indy would lose that tiebreaker and would clinch their eighth loss of the season, which means that they would not be able to finish above the Broncos in the AFC playoff picture.
For the Colts, their Week 15 game against the Broncos is essentially their season. And for the Broncos, they have proven a ton of doubters wrong this year. Many thought that this team was going to win half of what they currently have, and it’s not crazy to suggest that Denver gets to 10 wins this season.
It’s been the defense and the Bo Nix show for the up-and-coming Broncos, who surely look here to stay. They have steadily risen in our NFL power rankings.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Playing on Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs, LA will either be 9-4 or 8-5 when the sun rises on Monday, but I guess they could also be 8-4-1 if the game ends in a tie! We haven’t had a tie this year, so you just never know. The Chargers won five games all of 2023, and with largely the same exact roster, this team is right on the cusp of a winning season, and they are also very likely heading to the postseason as well.
The Chargers do not have the top-end talent on their roster to compete with the best teams in the AFC or in the NFL overall, but them being 8-4 with this group of players does kind of tell you just how good they can be if GM Joe Hortiz can inject this roster with some needed talent, especially on offense.
Justin Herbert has been efficient, the run game has been very good, and the defense has been the best in the NFL. Just about everything is working for the LA Chargers in the 2024 NFL Season, so they should probably give the Chiefs some trouble on Sunday Night Football.