As the 2026 season begins, Broncomaniacs are wondering if their team will be better this year than the 2025 squad that went 14-3 and advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

The answer will be yes. And no.

The hard truth is that the Broncos could be a better team and have a worse record. First, the schedule is brutal, particularly early in the season. It’s feasible that Denver will match its loss total from last year by Week 6.

Even more telling is the nature of those 2025 wins. The Broncos tied an NFL record by winning 11 one-score games last year, forging an 11-2 record in those games.

The team they tied? The Kansas City Chiefs, who went 11-0 in one-score games in 2024. Here’s the scary part: Kansas City followed that up by going 1-9 in one-score games this past season. The Chiefs regressed from a Super Bowl participant to a 6-11 record. That’s how things roll in the NFL.

Don’t expect as big an adjustment for Denver, but some drop is inevitable.

Had the Broncos won seven of those close games — which is still more than half — they would have been 10-7 and playing in the wild card game.

I don’t expect that large a drop, though, because this team has improved.

The addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle adds a dynamic that the Broncos haven’t had since Demaryius Thomas — a run-after-the-catch dynamo. When paired with Courtland Sutton, Denver has one of the best starting duos in the league. Marvin Mims, Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin and Evan Engram give Bo Nix a deep, talented collection of receiving weapons.

The running game will also be improved. Denver was near the top of the league in rushing before J.K. Dobbins was hurt. This year, fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman looks to be able to pick up for Dobbins if there is another injury. R.J. Harvey will continue to be a dangerous change-of-pace back.

The team’s highly regarded offensive line returns intact.

Defensively, it’s mostly status quo for one of the league’s best units. The biggest change is Malcolm Roach replacing John Franklin-Myers at defensive end. Don’t expect a drop off.

The depth is also there.

For the first time in the Sean Payton/George Paton era, the Broncos cut three of their draft picks. They managed to get two of them back on the practice squad. The third, Justin Joly, was claimed by Miami.

Many of the talking heads are lamenting that the cuts indicate a bad draft. The premise itself is flawed because that won’t be clear for a couple more years. What the cuts are really indicative of is a really strong roster.

So, how will the Broncos ultimately fare?

Preseason showed us little as far as results. The Broncos got spanked once and did the spanking twice.

What it did show was how teams will attack the Broncos defense. They will run at the Broncos edge rushers to force them to hold their ground, thus slowing them down. They will also use quick slant passes to penalize a quick jump.

It’s unlikely that the Broncos will match last year’s sack total. It’s likely that they will create more turnovers.

But the biggest reason Denver won’t slide like Kansas City did wears No. 10. Quarterback Bo Nix has some magic to him. He can be frustrating to watch at times, but when the game is on the line, he’s at his best.

John Elway was one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, but until his final few seasons, he was hard to watch in the first quarter. He would be so jacked up that he would misfire, often throwing too hard or too high. My brothers and I would root for Elway to take a big hit early in a game. It seemed that after he got popped, he would settle down and be the great quarterback that he was.

Nix doesn’t necessarily need to take a lick, but when you need a 2-minute drive, he delivers.

So a great defense, exciting offensive weapons, elite depth and that Nix magic will keep Denver far away from a slide like the Chiefs suffered. But 14-3? I don’t think so.

I’ll go with 11-6. Possibly 12-5. Make the playoffs and be relevant in the Super Bowl mix.