ESPN: Denver Broncos have just announced the return of their 24-year old veteran star to the starting roster…..Read more

The 5-3 Denver Broncos are eager to play in the spotlight. This squad has matured as it has won five of its previous six games after starting the season 0-2. Courtland Sutton and other longtime Broncos players believe their club has a shot at winning the AFC West. Sutton had a message for the national (and even some local) people who continue to say the Broncos don’t have any skill on their roster.

With Wednesday’s statement, Sutton assured fans that his squad could compete in the division. Many people judge us just by the players we’ve had, and that’s totally OK in my opinion. That made our day. Being the underdogs in these games is something we really enjoy. As 9.5-point road dogs, the Broncos face off against the Ravens in Week 9. That spread looks excessive when you consider that both teams are 5-3. The oddsmakers, though, still don’t see the Broncos as winners.

For Sutton, the 9.5-point spread represents the open disdain it is.

“As I said last week, going into these games with people not having as much confidence in us being successful as we do in ourselves,” added Sutton. “We believe we can compete with anybody if we go out there and execute to our best ability while minimizing negative plays and things that can hurt us.”

After Week 9, the Broncos return home to get ready for Week 10, when they will play the Chiefs on the road for the second week in a row. The Broncos requested this, according to right tackle Mike McGlinchey’s Monday statement: meaningful games in November and December.

The Broncos’ ability to find a way to win these games determines their significance. If the Broncos can split their next two road games against formidable AFC opponents and return home to meet the Atlanta Falcons with a 6-4 record, then even the most ardent orange-glasses supporter would be pleased.

However, the youthful leadership group of the Broncos, including Patrick Surtain II and Sutton, is aiming to secure victory in both games. Many naysayers and critics would be quieted by that.

“I simply believe we’re extremely mentally prepared,” Surtain stated on Wednesday. Just keeping moving through the season with things we conquer. We are well aware of the difficulty of the task ahead in the next weeks.

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Despite suffering the loss of numerous important players, notably Surtain, the Broncos managed to pull themselves out of a 0-2 hole. The Broncos played nearly the entire game in Week 6 against the Chargers without the Pro Bowl cornerback after he suffered a concussion on the opening play of the game.

The Broncos had to continue playing without Surtain because he couldn’t recover sufficiently to clear concussion protocol in time for their next game against the New Orleans Saints, which was on a short week. It was an overwhelming triumph.

It was necessary for the Broncos to win both of their road games on the East Coast in order to recover from an early 0-2 deficit. And then in Week 7, it was back to Louisiana. The Broncos are right in the middle of things as we head into November.

“This time of the year is very critical, as far as getting to that next step, to that next stage, and we’re prepared for this opportunity,” said Surtain. “We know what the road ahead looks like and we just have to keep on building the building blocks and set us up for success at the end of the day.”

The Broncos certainly have every reason to believe that the Ravens and Chiefs are just as formidable as those formidable East Coast road opponents, thanks to their experience overcoming such barriers. It goes without saying that Bo Nix, the rookie quarterback, is aware of the difficulty of the Baltimore defense.

On Wednesday, Nix acknowledged that the upcoming football match would be physically demanding. We have faith that they will be game-ready. It’s imperative that we excel in every facet of the game now that they’ve seemingly found their groove. In the end, all that matters is that we match our good plan. We are aware of what it will be. Their level of physicality, emotion, and intensity will be comparable to ours, and we must equal it.

An indication of Nix’s competitive nature may be found in his comment about how much he enjoys facing the Ravens because of the learning opportunities that matchups like these give to young teams like the Broncos.

“I’m excited for the challenge because these are the type of games that you go through, you play and they’re extremely difficult,” said Nix. “They’re challenging right now, but you’ll emerge from them much stronger as a player. You discover a great deal regarding your group and about yourself. Traveling to compete and coming out on top is a once in a lifetime experience for any organization. We will be prepared, albeit it will not be easy.

For a first-year player, that’s a really sophisticated and mature perspective. It will undoubtedly be an unfamiliar experience for Nix, regardless of the outcome. Although the Broncos have encountered strong defenses thus far in the season, facing a three-phase behemoth like Baltimore will be no easy task.

There is a chance for the Broncos if they play their game. Just think of the confidence and bravery Payton’s rising club will get if they can pull off the upset on the road against the two-score favorites.

The most important thing is to keep the ball safe. There will be uniform discipline as well. I’m curious to watch if the Broncos can keep up with the seasoned Ravens’ level of energy, if not surpass it. Keep watching.

This is a chance to improve and move up the AFC rankings. How prepared the Broncos are for it is something only time will reveal.