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For this week’s FanPulse, I’m going to focus more on the national poll than how downtrodden Broncos Country is as the Denver Broncos stand at 0-3 to start the season. In that poll SB Nation asked which winless team was most likely to make the playoffs this year.
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I covered these results in the Something Something Broncos podcast above, as well. In that clip, I asked whether people are way too high on the Pittsburgh Steelers who lost Ben Roethlisberger for the season. I think so and if you really look at each of those winless teams, the Broncos come away with the best shot of making the playoffs.
If I were to rank them myself, I’d even put the Cincinnati Bengals ahead of the Steelers at this point. Their offense has been efficient without A.J. Green and could make some waves in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens.
After that, I’d say the Arizona Cardinals and Steelers were more likely to be equals. Then, of course, those two sad, sad AFC East teams at the bottom.
Of course, we also have the weekly confidence poll for the Broncos to review. Despite the loss to the Green Bay Packers, fans came away a little more encouraged by the team. They must have expected a miserable blowout loss. Instead, we got a game that would have been won if not for three costly turnovers.
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That’s something, at least. I imagine this confidence will rise again if the Broncos can top the Jacksonville Jaguars at home for their first win of the season.