Don’t look now but the Denver Broncos are a team no one wants to play. They have won six of their last seven games since beginning the year 1-5 and being the butt of just about every football-related joke out there.
With four games remaining in the regular season, every moment is do or die for the Broncos. Let’s look at how we got here, what the AFC playoff picture looks like, and what the chances of the Broncos getting in are.
How We Got Here
Sitting at 1-5 and having recently given up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, everyone wrote off the Broncos’ season as being over. It was hard to argue with them given the play of the defense and the lack of continuity from the offense.
Beginning with a home win against the Green Bay Packers on October 22, the team woke up. The defense, in particular, came alive. Getting to the quarterback and forcing turnovers in key moments became a focal point.
More importantly, QB Russell Wilson – all but written off – began to look a bit like the Russ of old. Nothing underscored that more than the game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills two weeks after that Green Bay win.
Now, the Broncos are 7-6 having won six of their last seven. Only a failed last-second goal line attempt against the upstart Houston Texans has kept them from ripping off seven wins in a row.
Playoffs? We’re Talking About Playoffs?
Hard as it is to fathom, the Broncos are realistically thinking playoffs with four games remaining. Given the recent struggles of the Kansas City Chiefs – just one game ahead of the Broncos – it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to think that the division crown is still in reach.
Despite having the same 7-6 record as five other teams, the Broncos are currently on the outside looking in. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts hold the final two playoff spots, but both are coming off of losses. The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals have rebounded, and the Houston Texans have been exceeding expectations.
With four games to go, it is too early to start throwing out scenarios. The Broncos simply need to win as many of the remaining four games to put themselves in the best possible position to get in. At the end of the season, the Broncos will know if they did all they could to make a miracle run to the playoffs.
The Road Ahead
Their play alone has been enough to consider them serious threats for the playoffs. Even more encouraging, however, is the remaining schedule. The Broncos will play just one team with a winning record (the Detroit Lions) but all four games are winnable.
The Lions are on the slate this coming weekend and they have been as up-and-down as it gets. An opportunistic defense can quickly force QB Jared Goff and a shaky Lions offense into situations they would rather not be in.
After that, it is a who’s who of also-rans. The Patriots are coming off a win but have been objectively one of the worst teams in the league this year. Their defense is solid, but the offense isn’t much of a threat. The Chargers, whom the Broncos beat last week, may very well be without their only decent player in QB Justin Herbert. Finally, the season comes to a close with a trip to Vegas. That game could wind up meaning the world, especially with the crowded group in the Wild Card hunt.
Division Crown?
Hard as it is to believe, the juggernaut Chiefs are just one game up in the standings on the Broncos. That said, their schedule is also quite easy. That said, something is clearly going on with the Chiefs. They have lost three of four and do not look right.
The New Year’s Eve matchup with the Bengals is their toughest test, so it will take a lot for the Broncos to overthrow their hated rivals. Even still, talking about a shot at the division title after the first six games would have been the height of absurdity. Now, it is a not-too-distant possibility if things can break the Broncos’ way.
Conclusion
There is still a lot of football left to be played for the Broncos. Despite recent successes, it is still an uphill battle considering the congestion in the AFC playoff picture. Denver has nothing else to think about other than winning the next game.
If the Broncos can get in or manage to fall just short, it will be nothing short of a major season milestone. After beginning the year 1-5, the Broncos have managed to right the ship to become one of the hottest and most dangerous teams in football.