There's a lot of hype surrounding the Denver Broncos and young quarterback Bo Nix. Some of it is warranted based on potential alone but it's way too soon to declare them a true playoff contender just yet.
The Broncos are 2-2 after four weeks with wins over the Tennessee Titans (0-4) and Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) on their resume. Their pair of losses were by a combined four points to the Indianapolis Colts (3-1) and Los Angeles Chargers (3-1).
Many pundits value Denver as a Top 15 team in the league but that seems rather high considering their resume isn't all that impressive just yet. Seeing as the Titans are still winless, a Week 1 victory at home isn't something to celebrate and beating up on a Joe Burrow-less Bengals squad is just sad at this point.
Bo Nix and the Broncos still have a lot to prove this season
The Broncos face the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, which could very well expose them. Granted, just about any team appears destined to struggle against the defending Super Bowl champions but they'll need to put up a serious fight like they did against Indianapolis and the Chargers to keep fans hopeful.
Nix has played well, too, there's no question. But his four interceptions mar the seven touchdowns he's thrown through four games. That's not an impressive ratio and turnovers have stolen key possessions away from the Broncos in the biggest moments during contests. That's got to stop if they're going to convince folks they're for real.
What seems to have killed Denver the most in the games where they struggled were penalties. The Broncos offense is the fourth-most penalized in the league, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold, with at least seven flags thrown against them in three of their games this year. Discipline is a much more valuable asset to a team than most realize and if the Broncos can't get it under control, there will be more close losses than wins in their future.
Lucky for Denver, they have a relatively cushy schedule after suffering the Eagles. They play the New York Jets, Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders before finally facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 16. Even then, their division rivals are a mixed bag this year.
There's a decent chance Denver makes the playoffs but there's a lot more we have to see from Nix and Co. before we can declare them true contenders yet.