The Denver Broncos tried to run with an AFC powerhouse in the Baltimore Ravens last week and came up woefully short. A 41-10 loss hurts the Broncos’ confidence but also drops them to No. 15 in NFL.com’s Week 10 power rankings four spots, raising some questions about this young team.

Eric Edholm weighed in on the Broncos’ loss and raised an important question about their ability to play against the NFL’s top teams. 

“Sunday’s blowout loss to Baltimore was a hard fall for a Denver team that had won five of its previous six games and not dropped a prior contest by more than seven points. The question now: Can the Broncos handle opponents above their weight class? Three of their four losses have been to teams currently above .500, and they’ve only beaten one team that has not fired its coach or benched a quarterback this season: the Bucs in Week 3. That comes into play when we consider whether the Broncos will still be over .500 after their next two games, which are against quality opponents (at Kansas City, vs. Atlanta). They’re currently in line for a playoff spot, but performing well against better teams is a must if that’s going to remain the case come January,” Edholm wrote.

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This year’s iteration of the Broncos was supposed to be more of a rebuilding effort, evaluating current talent while developing rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix. Thus far, the Broncos have exceeded expectations, winning five games with Nix, with no star power at any skill positions.

The Broncos haven’t beaten the best teams, but they did their job by winning the games they should’ve. This probably isn’t a team primed for a deep playoff push despite currently sitting with the No. 7 Wildcard seed in the AFC.

Can Denver make it to the postseason? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos are ready to compete with the Baltimores and Buffalos of the league.

Considering that the Broncos are rebuilding, they’ve done a great job of figuring out which roster pieces to keep while also bringing Nix along. Denver may not be ready to slug it out with the heavyweights of the NFL just yet, but it’s headed in the right direction team-building-wise for the first time in almost a decade. 

The Broncos travel to take on the Kansas City Chiefs this week to battle their biggest rival in the AFC West. The Chiefs are undefeated and looking to keep that streak going, but Denver always finds a way to keep the game close.

Nothing is sweeter than vanquishing a heated rival who’s undefeated and the reigning Super Bowl champions. A win in Kansas City would do wonders for the Broncos’ confidence.

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Snow is falling in the mountains Tuesday morning and flurries could arrive in the Denver area overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

NWS forecasters said the second snowfall of the week could continue through the weekend.

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for mountain ranges above 9,000 feet and Jefferson, Douglas, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Park and Elbert counties from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday, NWS forecasters said.

According to NWS snow forecasts, between 5 a.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Thursday:

• Denver and Arvada could see between 1 and 6 inches of snow;
• Aurora, Lakewood and Littleton could see between 2 and 7 inches of snow;
• Centennial, Golden and Highlands Ranch could see between 3 and 8 inches of snow;
• Parker could see up to 10 inches of snow.

Snow is expected to start around 7 p.m. Tuesday in the metro area as temperatures fall below freezing, forecasters said.

Forecasters said higher elevations, especially in Colorado’s mountains, could see more than a foot of snow by Wednesday night.

• Cordova Pass in southwestern Colorado’s Spanish Peaks could see between 13 and 22 inches of snow;
• Wolf Creek Pass and La Manga Pass in southwestern Colorado’s San Juan Mountains could see between 12 and 22 inches of snow;
• Cucharas Pass, North La Veta Pass and Pass Creek Pass in central Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains could see between 14 and 23 inches of snow;
• Rabbit Ears Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park and the
  Medicine Bow Mountain Range could see between 3 and 10 inches of snow.

“The unsettled weather pattern will continue Thursday into Saturday with below-normal temperatures and a chance of snow,” NWS forecasters said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook. “There is still some uncertainty with the forecast specifics into later part of this week, so future forecasts could have more snow expected than the current thinking.”

Temperature highs in the Denver area will plummet into the low 30s on Wednesday and Thursday before rising back into the mid-40s on Friday, according to NWS forecasters.

Severe weather shelters in Denver will remain open through Thursday morning, according to city officials.

“Hazardous” weather conditions will start Tuesday evening, especially in the mountains, and could continue in the Denver area through Wednesday’s morning commute, forecasters said in the Hazardous Weather Outlook.

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If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Tuesday

Four Year Strong — 6 p.m., Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St., Denver, $41 and up. Tickets: summitdenver.com.

Sipping N’ Painting Hampden — “Colorado Flag,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sipping N’ Painting Hampden, 6461 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, $35. Registration required: sippingnpaintinghampden.com.

Nico Vega – Make it Out Alive Tour — 7 p.m., Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver, $35.25. Tickets: marquisdenver.com.

Lamont Percussion Ensemble — 7:30 p.m., Newman Center for the Arts, Gates Concert Hall, 2344 Iliff Ave., Denver; newmancenterpresents.com.

Tender — With White China, 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $22.50. Tickets: axs.com.

W.A.S.P. — 8 p.m., Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver, $34 and up. Tickets: ticketmaster.com.

12 Rods — With Spin Move, 8 p.m., Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver, $23.60-$26.60. Tickets: globehall.com.

The March Violets — With Die So Fluid, Wingtips, Void & Vela DJs, 8 p.m., HQ, 60 S. Broadway, Denver, $22 and up. Tickets: hqdenver.com.

Quickly, Quickly — With Plain Air & Snowflyer, 8 p.m., Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $20.55-$23.55. Tickets: lost-lake.com.

“Shadow and Light: Patrick Marold” — Through Jan. 5, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.

“Movements Toward Freedom” — Through Feb. 2, MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany St., Denver, go online for admission prices; mcadenver.org.

“Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak” — Through Feb. 17, 2025, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

“De la Tierra: Reflections of Place in the Upper Río Grande” — Through May 23, History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver, go online for prices: historycolorado.org/exhibit/de-la-tierra.

CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette