Can you guess the dark horse contender ready to shake up the NFL landscape in 2025?

Every season, an unexpected team rises from relative obscurity to upset bookmakers' odds, stun onlooking fans, and become a genuine Super Bowl contender.

Last year, that role belonged to the Washington Commanders. In one of the fairytale stories of 2024, they posted their first winning season since 2016, their best record since 1991, and even toppled two heavily favoured teams in the playoffs before succumbing to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.

This year’s dark horse candidate won’t need a turnaround as dramatic as Washington’s, but they’re still a team that rarely cracks the top 10 in contender rankings.

DAZN News presents our choice below, but not before teasing you with some of the reasons behind the nomination. If you want to play along and guess which team we're talking about, avoid clicking any links until the end.

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They boast one of the best defenses in the league

In 2024, this team finished third in defensive points allowed, third in rushing yards allowed, and third in points conceded per game. They led the league with 63 sacks - 11 more than the nearest team, and finished among the top 10 in most interceptions, lowest quarterback rating allowed, and lowest yards per attempt allowed.

This year, 14 of the 15 players who led that defense in snaps have returned, and the unit has been reinforced by the addition of two players who, despite missing time due to injuries in recent years, were widely recognised among the best at their position when in their prime. Those players are still only 28 and 25 years old, respectively.

This team also brought back their defensive coordinator from last year, added arguably the best rookie cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft to pair with the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year in the secondary, and boasts a handful of players poised to make a second-year leap.

The more knowledgeable among you will know which team this is already, but for the rest of you, I'll continue with the cloak-and-dagger approach.

Their offense is poised to go from promising to borderline elite

Their quarterback enjoyed an excellent rookie season, finishing first among all rookies in passing touchdowns. He even has the potential - according to his highly respected, former Super Bowl-winning head coach - to break into the top five at the position.

Their group of receivers underwhelmed in 2024, but their newest wideout, selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has drawn rave reviews in recent months. Their leading wideout also received a contract extension and is widely tipped for a bounce-back year.

They had no legitimate tight end receiving threat in 2024, but have since added a two-time Pro Bowl talent who, in 2023, led the position in targets and finished third in yards.

This team's running game lacked playmakers last season. They addressed the need by adding one of the most talented running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, before bringing in a player who, in 2024, finished 22nd in yards despite missing four games.

At last, the team is revealed

I'm sure many of you have guessed by now, but the team name I've been talking about is the Denver Broncos.

Perhaps surprisingly, despite reaching the Wild Card Round after finishing third in the AFC West last year with a 10-7 record, the Broncos are currently 25/1 to win Super Bowl LX (correct at 5pm on 19th August).

Of course, many questions remain unanswered.

Can additions such as linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron help their defense become an even more stifling unit?

Will rookie running back R.J. Harvey build on his strong start and become the dependable, dynamic running back Denver so sorely missed last season, especially during that heavy loss to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs?

And will tight end Evan Engram and first-year wideout Pat Bryant elevate the pass-catchers to the levels required for a deep postseason run?

I, for one, would not be surprised if the answers to these questions are a resounding yes. And, if I'm right, the 2025 Broncos could be a team to be reckoned with.

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