The Denver Broncos are in the playoff hunt, and that’s due in large part to the recent performance of their offensive unit.

As the Broncos’ offense has stabilized and the team has begun to win more consistently, much of the success has been due to the emerging play of Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele, who have played at the level of a legitimate 1-2 punch quarterback Bo Nothing.

The fact that Sutton is playing at a high level shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to Broncos fans. After being left out of the Broncos’ win over the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 17, Sutton is one of the NFL’s most dominant receivers and is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since tearing his knee in 2020.

Sutton played at a high level last season for the Broncos and then for quarterback Russell Wilson, but most of his production came as the NFL’s leading red zone receiver. While his touchdowns were at a career high, his receiving yards lagged behind what it might have felt like. Above all, Sutton’s play has been an incredibly important development for rookie Bo Nix, who has been on a rapid rise of late, and it’s also very consistent with when Sutton’s play hit its stride. Sutton currently has 744 yards on the season and could well reach a thousand yards in the final games of the Broncos season.

In addition to Sutton, the Broncos desperately needed a strong second option for Nix. While it’s been receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey or Josh Reynolds at times, 7th-round rookie Devaughn Vele has proven to be a major threat for the Broncos and a legitimate second option opposite Sutton.

Vele struggled with an injury earlier in the year but has stepped up for Denver in recent weeks. The 26-year-old became a more prominent figure in the Broncos’ offense starting in Kansas City and has since been targeted 18 times in three games. Vele has used his large frame and strong hands to find a more consistent game, and his improvements have been rewarded with a much higher usage rate. He is currently second on the Broncos with 361 yards receiving, despite only having been on the field for eight games so far.

If the Broncos want to continue their playoff push into December, they will need the duo of Vele and Sutton to keep their current hot streak going. The Broncos’ offense has found more rhythm as it moves through the receiving pair, and the offensive rhythm will be needed to get back to the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50.