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PRO FOOTBALL TALK - 1
Nine straight wins are enough to put them straight at the top of the stack.
ESPN - 2 (Last week: 2)
After nine consecutive wins and with the Browns and Chiefs remaining on the schedule, there's no reason the Broncos can't win out.
Yahoo! Sports - 3 (Last week: 3)
After losses to the Falcons, Texans and Patriots, the Broncos got their signature win of the season when they went into Baltimore and trounced the Ravens 34-17 on Sunday. With their offense and defense both ranked in the Top 5, the Broncos have positioned themselves for a first-round bye. With back-to-back home games with the Browns and Chiefs remaining, Peyton Manning & Co. won't have to leave the Mile High City until mid-to-late January.
SB Nation - 1 (Last week: 3)
Last week I called the Ravens game a "good barometer" for where the Broncos stand. They beat the Ravens by three scores ,notching their ninth consecutive win. Any more questions?
CBS Sports - 1 (Last week: 3)
They have won nine consecutive games and have played better than anybody else in that span. They've earned this spot. Take a bow, Peyton Manning.
NFL.com - 5 (Last week: 4)
The Denver Broncos refuse to blink. John Fox's team has won nine in a row, scoring at least 30 points in seven of those contests. The only teams to keep them below 30 in that span? The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, believe it or not. Yet another banner performance for Knowshon Moreno, who leapfrogged Ed Reed en route to 118 yards rushing and a touchdown in the 34-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Tell me you saw Moreno's premium play coming and I'll call B.S. all day.
In terms of the Broncos dropping a spot...Well, where would you like me to put them? Denver's three losses came against the three teans directly above in this pecking order. And that other team, the 49ers, just beat last week's no. 1 squad on its home turf. Not to mention, San Francisco's a more well-rounded group than this one.
Are you kidding me? How can NFL.com make us drop, when we have the second best record in the NFL, the second seed in the AFC, 9 game winning streak and we are five? I can understand 2 or 3 because you can make arguments for the other teams, but where is the respect for what we do on every side of the ball? Unbelievable.
We are the second seed but I hope we do not take Cleveland lightly. I have always thought we would be due for a loss against a bad team and Cleveland has been playing decent lately. This a huge game for the Broncos and there is no time for rest. This team can rest when they earn that bye at 13-3.