The Denver Broncos lost a lot on Thursday night. Not only did they lose the game to the Los Angeles Chargers and a chance to clinch a playoff spot, but they fell back to the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff race. That’s not where you want to be.
Since the NFL expanded its playoffs to seven teams per conference, the No. 7 seed has yet to win a game. It will be especially hard for the No. 7 team in the AFC to do that this year, as in all likelihood, the No. 2 seed is going to be the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills are arguably the best team in the NFL right now and Josh Allen is the frontrunner to win league MVP.
Broncos’ best-case scenario could be as the No. 7 seed
The Broncos could still clinch a playoff spot in Week 16, but it would take a wild scenario. The team is likely going to have to win at least one of their last two games to ensure a playoff spot.
But in the playoffs, being the last team in might be the best the Broncos can do. The Chargers hold the head-to-head record by virtue of a season sweep and unless they somehow lose to the Patriots or the Raiders, the Broncos aren’t going to be able to get ahead of them.
The Baltimore Ravens sit at No. 5 but also beat the Broncos earlier this season, so they would really have to fall apart for the Broncos to get ahead of them. That likely locks the Broncos in at No. 7 if they qualify and that probably means a battle with the Bills.
How do the Broncos match up with Buffalo?
The Broncos actually beat Buffalo on the road the last time the two teams played last season, but this would be much different circumstances.
Winning a game in the January cold of Buffalo is one of the more difficult tasks in all of the NFL. With Allen playing at the level he is playing at right now, this would be an incredibly tough game for the Broncos to win. However, it would provide some big-game experience for a growing team, which could gain a lot, even in a game that got out of hand on the scoreboard.
There are still numerous positives to be taken from this season for Broncos fans but in the immediate future, particularly those hoping for a deep playoff run, those will be tough to come across.
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