NFL Power Rankings: Denver Broncos Claim No. 1 Spot After Stunning Kansas City Chiefs In Week 8

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos celebrate a 28-24 win over Kansas City Chiefs that lifted them to No. 1.© Image via: X/@NFL_DovKleiman

Sean Payton did not need a perfect afternoon. He needed one big stop. With the Kansas City Chiefs driving late on Sunday, the Denver Broncos got the pressure they rely on and held on for a 28-24 win. That result ended any talk of a season sweep and pushed Denver to No. 1 in the NFL power rankings entering Week 9. Last week it sat fourth. The Broncos still start games slowly, and quarterback Bo Nix still has flaws. But a team that can win a close one against Patrick Mahomes has earned the attention.

Bo Nix Proves His Ankle Is Fine For The Denver Broncos

Nix had doubts to erase. He underwent surgery on his right ankle, and people kept asking about it. So the week before the Chiefs game, he ran 62 yards for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. Next Gen Stats clocked him at 19.9 miles per hour. Afterward, the headline over his postgame comments carried the line "You believe me now?"

Fair enough. Still, the slow starts nag. Payton's offense keeps digging out of early holes, and a team chasing the top seed cannot do that forever.

BO NIX FLIPS IT TO JONAH COLEMAN TO SET THE BRONCOS UP WITH 1st & GOAL Denver has a chance to take the lead with 2 minutes remaining! https://t.co/R4B6Pt3JkX

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 2, 2026

The bigger hole sits in the backfield. Denver wants a runner who can take over a game in November, and two names keep coming up. Derrick Henry is struggling in Baltimore, with a success rate under 24 percent in each of his last two games. Jonathan Taylor plays for an Indianapolis Colts team sitting at 2-5 that looks ready to sell. Either would change how defenses treat Nix.

Kansas City Chiefs Slip As Seattle Seahawks And Buffalo Bills Climb

For Kansas City, the fall from first to fourth stings, mostly because of how it happened. Seattle held Mahomes without a touchdown drive the Sunday before, the first time that has happened in his career. Then came Denver. Kenneth Walker has not given the Chiefs the ground game they hoped for, and the receiver room needs help. They did add kicker Justin Tucker, though the move drew plenty of criticism.

Buffalo jumped to second after a 36-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Josh Allen looked off in the first half, and the Bills still won by 26. Seattle sits third and plays the Chicago Bears on Monday night, so the order near the top could look different by morning.