The Denver Broncos control their own destiny for clinching a playoff berth.
And it could happen as soon as Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
If the Broncos win or tie against their AFC West rival, that’s it. They’re in the dance for the first time since 2015. In fact, if Denver wins any of its three remaining games against the Chargers, Bengals or Chiefs, they’re going to the postseason.
That’s what a 9-5 record will do this time of year, with the 10th win the key. Miami, Cincinnati and Indianapolis all have eight losses, so the best they can finish with is 9-8 marks.
Now, the Broncos could also clinch a berth this weekend even if they lose on Thursday, although they’d need a lot of help. The Dolphins would have to lose or tie to the 49ers, the Bengals would have to lose or tie to the Browns and the Colts would have to lose or tie to the Titans. All three of those happening isn’t likely, so it’s best for Denver to just take care of business in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, even if the Broncos lose their last three games (something no one wants to think about), they could still get in at 9-8. Although things would get a little complicated and it’s not a given. Denver Sports Senior Broncos writer Andrew Mason broke it down on social media.
Been asked about why a Colts loss matters in a playoff-clinching scenario this week (losses by MIA + IND + CIN).
It's because there are 3-way scenarios at 9-8 involving the Colts that the Broncos lose.
Read on for more:
For example, if the Colts, Chargers and Broncos were in…
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) December 17, 2024
The reality is Denver just needs to focus on the task at hand. If they can’t win once more, some might argue they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.
In the meantime, the Broncos are now the No. 6 seed in the AFC. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did them a huge favor by smoking the Chargers last weekend. Denver is even with the Ravens at 9-5, but Baltimore holds the tiebreaker because they won their head-to-head matchup earlier this season.
Getting to the No. 5 seed and playing the Houston Texans in the first round looks most ideal. Still, the Broncos need to keep winning and have the Ravens slip up to the Steelers, Texans or Browns in their remaining games.
Ultimately, Denver probably doesn’t want to be the No. 7 seed. That would likely mean a trip to Buffalo to face the juggernaut Bills in the wild card round. A victory over the Chargers would go a long way toward making sure that doesn’t happen.
The playoffs are right there for the Broncos. Now they just have to win (or tie) one more game this season. They’ll get their first shot about 48 hours from now.
