The Denver Broncos broke through in the 2024 NFL season by making the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2015. Since that championship run, the team had managed just two winning seasons and only one year with 10 or more victories.
Looking ahead to 2025, Fox Sports NFL reporter Henry McKenna has bold expectations for head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos. In his postseason projections, he picked Denver to win the AFC West and secure the No. 3 seed in the conference, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills.
If McKenna’s prediction comes true, it would mark a significant milestone for the franchise, which hasn’t won a playoff game in 10 years. Although they reached the postseason in 2024, the Broncos were soundly defeated by the Bills, 31-7, in the Wild Card round.
Explaining his reasoning in a May 15 article, McKenna wrote, “The Chiefs gave everything they had chasing a three-peat and fell short in dramatic fashion. While Andy Reid has historically had the upper hand over coaches like Sean McDermott and John Harbaugh, I don’t think that dynamic applies to Sean Payton. I believe Payton will knock off a worn-down Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce this offseason.”
McKenna Sees Same Story, Different Chapter for Denver in the Divisionals
Broncos fans will appreciate McKenna’s forecast that includes a playoff victory over a division rival. Still, he ultimately envisions Denver’s postseason ending in familiar fashion—with another loss to the Buffalo Bills. Unlike last season’s lopsided 31-7 Wild Card defeat, McKenna projects a much closer battle this time, with the Bills edging out the Broncos 17-14.
While a narrow three-point loss would mark clear progress, it would still extend Denver’s struggles against Buffalo. The defeat would lower the Broncos’ all-time record versus the Bills to 17-25-1. Even more concerning, it would mark their fifth loss in the last six meetings, according to Football Database. In the playoffs, Denver would remain winless against Buffalo, falling to 0-3 in postseason matchups.
McKenna’s Colleague Predicts Different Outcome for Broncos
While Henry McKenna sees the Broncos making modest progress in 2025, fellow Fox Sports reporter Ben Arthur offers a more cautious outlook. Arthur predicts Denver will regress slightly, finishing the season with a 9-8 record.
In his May 15 analysis, Arthur wrote, “But this is not the easiest third-place schedule, and teams now have a season’s worth of tape on Nix. Don’t be surprised to see the Broncos finish with a worse record than they did last year when they won 10 games.”
The contrast between McKenna’s and Arthur’s projections highlights the unpredictable nature of the NFL. Still, Arthur acknowledged some positives, noting that Denver’s upgraded secondary and an improved supporting cast around quarterback Bo Nix could help them stay competitive throughout the season.
