So what if the Chiefs were actually the “Chiefs Lite”?
So what if four of 10 wins came against the NFC South?
So what if it turns out that Aaron Rodgers is washed up?
So, Bo, let’s Bo.
In the NFL, it’s too easy to play the “what if” and “yeah, but…” game. KC was watered down, but Denver all but handed them their first loss (at Arrowhead!) in Week 10. The NFC South did suck, but the Broncos blew out the entire division – including the NFC’s three-seeded, 10-7 Bucs, on the road – just as they should have. And Rodgers or rain, a team that really shouldn’t have won found a way to do just that.
No apologies necessary.
Here’s the only truth that matters: The Denver Broncos, behind a rookie quarterback, won 10 games and are going to the NFL playoffs for the first time since Peyton Manning’s 2015 Super Bowl Champs.
Take that, non-Bo-lievers.
In the life of any sports fan, moments such as these are too few and far between to not to be excited, not to be celebrated, not to begin Bo-lieving.
It’s not about drinking the Orange Kool-Aid, nor is it about blind faith or never being critical. Over the course of a 17-game slate, there are plenty of ups and downs, hopes and doubts, big wins and bad losses. The goal, as it is in every NFL city, is to be exactly where the Denver Broncos are right now – in the playoffs, with the same shot that the Chiefs, Bills, Lions, Vikings and Ravens all have. It’s about the fun of letting one’s imagination run wild, even if it’s for just a few days.
“There were definitely points in the season, first Kansas City, last week, Chargers, it really could have ended a team’s season or cut the locker room,” defensive end and Pro Bowl snub Zach Allen said after the Broncos drubbed the Chiefs 38-to-zip en route to the postseason. “It made us closer and stronger. The fact that we’re in this position says a lot, and we’re excited about it.”
Amen, No. 99. As you – and we – should be.
Ready for the buzzkill? The Broncos enter their Wild Card game against the Bills as a 9.5-point underdog (ironically the same spread as Russell Wilson-led Steelers against the Ravens); according to the oddsmakers, they’re the biggest ‘dogs in the fight.
Translation: They got no shot. In the NFL playoffs, a Vegas spread larger than a touchdown is a rarity; the wise guys ain’t Bo-lievin’ – that’s for certain.
Alternative translation: The Broncos have nothing to lose.
To stick with the Las Vegas theme, Sean Payton and his rookie gunslinger are playing on house money. And a team like that is dangerous, especially against an opponent that’s made a nasty habit of coming up short in the postseason.
For as great as Josh Allen has been throughout his seven-year NFL career (and he has been great), he’s about as familiar with the Super Bowl as Bo Nix. It would be highly unfair to say that Allen and his Bills have choked. After all, they’ve been shown the door by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in three out of Allen’s five trips to the postseason. To be fair, the only time Allen hasn’t won his opening round playoff game was in 2019, his second year in the league and first trip to the postseason. Then again, the Bills have only advanced past the Divisional Round once. If there’s not a gorilla on Allen’s sturdy back, it’s at least an annoying chimpanzee.
If the old adage that “defense wins championships” holds true, the Broncos have more than a puncher’s chance – even on the road against a 13-win team. By every statistical measurement, Denver’s D is superior. So what if Denver faced the NFC South; Buffalo got to play the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins twice. In fact, for those who claim Denver’s path to the postseason was “easy,” it was right on par with the competition the Bills faced throughout the year. You can look it up.
Besides, that’s all spilt milk now. In the postseason, everyone is 0-0. What could possibly happen? Well, anything.
“We’ve talked about playing in bigger games,” Payton said after punching his team’s ticket to the playoffs. “This is going to be a big game this upcoming week.”
Sure is, Coach.
Sounds like a great time to Bo-lieve.