Kiz: For the first time in what seems like forever to you, me and linebacker Von Miller, there’s a happy orange glow in Broncos Country. Everything’s going according to plan for coach Vic Fangio and the gang. After two weeks, the Broncos are not only undefeated and in first place of the AFC West, but they are also one game ahead of Kansas City in the standings. As the team returns to Denver for the home opener, is it too early to start selling playoff tickets?

O’Halloran: As long as they’re refundable, why not? In 2018, my first year covering the Broncos, they started 2-0 but all I seem to remember is a tepid excitement. In Week 1, the defense stood tall after three Case Keenum (remember him?) interceptions to beat Seattle, 27-24. In Week 2, they survived darn-near 100% accuracy from Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (29 of 32) to win 20-19 with six seconds remaining. The bottom fell out the next week in Baltimore. This team appears different. They faced two teams they should have beaten and once they got going late in the first half, they won both by double-digits.

Kiz: Maybe it wasn’t particularly fair or especially wise for Miller to compare quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. While nobody expects Bridgewater to be enshrined in Canton, the comparison is apt in one important respect. Under the unrelenting spotlight of playing QB in a city where John Elway set impossibly high standards, Bridgewater is the first player since Manning not to be unnerved by the unreasonable expectations for the position in Broncos Country.

O’Halloran: Spot on about Bridgewater both on the field and at the podium. On the field, he just never appears to get rattled. Pass rush breaks down? Scramble. First receiver is covered? Move on to the second or third options. Face a third-and-long? Check out of the called play and hand off to running back Javonte Williams for the conversion. At the podium, he’s insightful, critical and amusing all rolled into one No. 5 jersey. Vic’s decision to go with Teddy has been the right one so far.

Kiz: The Broncos have played one bad team (the Giants) and one team that gives pathetic a bad name (the Jaguars). So while I’m not ready to declare Denver a lock to make the playoffs, I also don’t think the Broncos are fool’s gold. I regard Miller’s strong return from injury as equally important to the team’s early success as the playmaking ability I didn’t know what Teddy B had in his tool box. Beat the hapless New York Jets in the home opener to go 3-0 and the Broncos will make the playoffs if they can play .500 football during the final 14 games on the schedule.

O’Halloran: Is there such a thing as fool’s bronze? As in, yes, the Broncos may be better than projected (I had them going 7-10), but there are still big-time issues to be resolved before Baltimore and Las Vegas come to town in Weeks 4 and 6, respectively, and the Broncos travel to Pittsburgh and Cleveland in Weeks 5 and 7, respectively. Mainly, how many injuries can this team withstand? They could be without as many as five starters Sunday against the Jets. Fans should be excited, for sure, but they should really turn things up a notch if the Broncos can fly home from Cleveland with a record of 5-2.