Renck vs. Keeler: What qualifies as a successful season for Broncos?

Renck So much attention has been paid to the Broncos surprising playoff berth last season that it has left little time for hand-wringing about a sobering reality they haven t accomplished anything Sean Payton did not leave the golf discipline in Coeur d Alene and the set of Fox Sports to go the postseason something he accomplished nine times in New Orleans He took the Broncos job to win his second Super Bowl His words not mine Against that backdrop it raises the question What qualifies as a triumphant season Winning the AFC West Returning to the postseason Hosting a playoff tournament Winning one Keeler The Chiefs can be had You know it I know it Bulk importantly Payton knows it This thing has just scratched the surface The best part about nailing QB with Bo Nix and nailing that position with a rookie is that it opens up time money for now and sweat you can pour into everything else You ve got the best offensive line in the AFC On paper you should have the best defense Coach and QB are crooning from the same hymnal If this squad hosts a playoff tournament in January that s progress Renck The Broncos exceeded external expectations with wins in That is the floor The ceiling remains unsettling The Broncos are better and could finish with nine or victories again because of the Kansas Chiefs who have posted nine straight AFC West titles and surging Chargers But the Broncos are not looking to qualify for the playoffs It s about doing damage when they get there That is why they were so intentional with their roster upgrades This association was built to win the West especially with its edge rushers and secondary Failing to reach this goal would not prevent a playoff run but it would be a letdown since we are all exhausted by the Chiefs Keeler I m with ya but here s the thing The rest of the neighborhood hasn t exactly gotten easier to deal with The Raiders got Broncos Country s draft man crush in Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and are trying to become Seahawks South by reuniting Geno Smith and Pete Carroll Don t know if that plan will work but it s a plan which is more than you can usually say for Mark Davis The Chargers drafted Omarion Hampton our other man crush Much as we want the Bolts to take the hint and go away they re going to be feisty until Jim Harbaugh whips out the flamethrower and starts burning bridges again Renck Payton is obsessed with winning another title He knows the Chiefs despite a slightly improved offensive line are vulnerable Broncos players recognize they have entered their window as legitimate contenders They don t have to win their first AFC West crown since to look back fondly at this season They have to win a playoff challenge Full stop They are not as young as but they still have peach fuzz And their hunger has not been quenched If anything the embarrassment in Buffalo has left them starving to reach the next step advancing to the NFL s elite eight Related Articles Broncos training camp primer Position battles storylines numbers and subplots as Year under Sean Payton begins Broncos training camp Five breakout candidates to watch this summer Broncos Nik Bonitto feels he s in good position for extension as training camp nears Keeler Broncos offensive line has stomach for Super Bowl run for Sean Payton in Broncos position preview High expectations after offseason of change for Denver s special teams Keeler Let s lower that bar a tad Why Precedent The three longest non-active hello Jets AFC postseason droughts this century were snapped by the Bengals seasons Bills seasons and Browns seasons respectively None of those teams made the playoffs the year after they d snapped their streaks The schedule says wins History says eight If the Broncos split the difference and make the postseason with nine or victories even if it s not a huge step forward it s still a step in the right direction Want more Broncos news Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis