Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse — a survey of fans across the NFL, powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team.
Broncos fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.
We have been tracking fan confidence in this weekly FanPulse survey all season and it has been quite a ride. Starting at 93% supreme confidence, it plummeted to the single digits by Week 6 and bounced around from there for a month as the Denver Broncos stumbled through game after game to a 3-6 record.
Then things began to change. By change, I mean they began to win. Confidence is now surging and above 50% for the first time since Week 3.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13606343/mile_high_report_14.jpg)
Last week marked the first time since the Arizona Cardinals game that fans predicted a win from the Broncos and they are predicting another this week against the San Francisco 49ers.
For me, this graphic perfectly resembles my overall mood about this team week to week. I can’t help but laugh at how much my overreaction to each close defeat to playoff contenders sent me even deeper into panic and despair. I think moving forward, I’ll try to be a little more even-handed with my mood swings. Even if its hilarious to reflect back on my own personal reactions from this season.
I have accepted that this Broncos team is close, but not quite there. They have the talent and ability to beat any team in the NFL, but come up short from joining the elite NFL teams in 2018. And that’s okay. They have still rebounded nicely from a disastrous 2017 season and the future looks pretty damn bright.