you think I forgot about Katrina? Come on man. No team or fan base ever went through something that bad. That said, the Saints were on a one year losing season streak going into 06. Broncos are riding a streak of 7 straight.
Nobody is talking about the Broncos as being contenders, though.
The AFC still runs through their division rival - and the Bills, Ravens, and Texans are all considered a clear head above.
If the goal of a rebuild is to become a contenders, it’s still left to be proven that the Broncos are there. They’ve done well at the blend of talent acquisition, injury mitigation, and coaching - now they’ve gotta do it in the playoffs.