Well, that was fun.

Now that we’re more than a week separated from a gut-wrenching loss in the AFC Championship Game, it’s time to reflect on what was an unexpected and amazing season for the Denver Broncos.

Many, including Denver and Colorado Spribngs Gazette columnist Mark Kizla, have harshly criticized coach Sean Payton for going for it on fourth down when a field goal would have given Denver a 10-0 lead. The criticism is fair. It’s also fair to point out that many of the same critics would be lambasting Payton if he had opted for the field goal and the Broncos had lost anyway. It’s the job of a columnist or a television talking head to stir up controversy. It’s good for readership.

Denver knew it was getting a riverboat gambler when they hired Payton, who famously called for a (successful) onside kick to open the second half of Super Bowl XLIV. Some of the gambles will be game-changing successes. Some will be game-changing failures. But don’t act surprised. This is who Sean Payton is.

He’s also a culture changer.

Between winning the Super Bowl in 2015 and Payton’s arrival in 2023, Denver had six losing seasons and compiled a 44-70 record under five coaches. Since Payton’s arrival, the Broncos have gone 8-9, 10-7 and 14-3. The latter two of those records came despite a record dead-cap encumbrance of $85 million after cutting Denver’s most monumental football mistake – the Russell Wilson contract.

What the Broncos have done is nothing short of remarkable.

What’s also remarkable is the lack of respect. Despite being the AFC’s top seed and tying for the best record in the NFL, bettors are giving the Broncos no love. Denver’s odds are currently 20-1 to win next year’s Super Bowl. Thirteen teams have better odds. Funny how they still haven’t gotten the message after losing big the past two seasons on Denver’s over/under win propositions.

I’ll take Denver at 20-1. The Broncos are an ascending team with salary cap flexibility and a young roster with no real weaknesses. They have Pro Bowl worthy players at nearly every position, including the most important.

Quarterback Bo Nix is the real deal. Think about the greatest players in NFL history at that position. The common denominator is that when the game is on the line, that’s when they’re at their best. Bo Nix is at his best when the spotlight is brightest.

Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock and Russell Wilson all put up good passing numbers as Denver endured six straight sub-.500 campaigns. But when you needed a drive in the final minutes to win the game, none of these guys could deliver. For six seasons, Denver lost one-score games.

No longer. Nix engineered five fourth-quarter come-from-behind wins in 2025 and eight in his first two NFL seasons, which according to the team is the most in league history. He is the only quarterback in NFL history with 20+ wins, 7,500+ passing yards and 50+ passing touchdowns in his first two seasons. The only one.

So give the criticism the credence it deserves. Afterward, understand we got far more than we could have expected. What a ride.