The Denver Broncos lead the AFC with just three games remaining, and after clinching a playoff spot in Sunday’s win against the Green Bay Packers, they’ll now look to clinch the AFC West in the next week or two.
Denver Broncos sit atop of the AFC after Week 15
After Sunday’s win against the Packers, the Broncos have won 11 straight games and sit atop the AFC at 12-2. Here’s what the state of the AFC looks like following Week 15.
1.) Denver Broncos – 12-2
Denver rallied in the second half against the Packers after trailing 23-14 behind Bo Nix’s four-touchdown day, winning 34-26. The Broncos defense surrendered 251 yards in the first half, but then buckled down in the second half, holding the Packers to 111 yards total in the second half, and limiting Jordan Love to 61 passing yards coming out of halftime.
2.) New England Patriots – 11-3
The Patriots dropped Sunday’s AFC East matchup against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills 35-31. New England had a 21-0 lead in the first half, but Allen and the Bills rallied. The path is clear for the Broncos to clinch the 1 seed.
3.) Jacksonville Jaguars – 10-4
Sunday’s game against the Jaguars is going to be a big game for the Broncos. Jacksonville is playing at a high level right now and is coming off a 48-20 win over the New York Jets.
4.) Pittsburgh Steelers – 7-6
The Steelers play the Miami Dolphins tonight on Monday Night Football, but it’s safe to say the AFC North is one of the worst divisions in football this year.
5.) Los Angeles Chargers – 10-4
The Chargers kept their AFC West hopes alive by beating the Kansas City Chiefs and knocking them out of playoff contention. KC’s reign is over. Three games remain. If Denver wins on Sunday vs. JAX and the Chargers lose to the Dallas Cowboys, the Broncos will clinch the AFC West.
6.) Buffalo Bills – 10-4
21-0 wasn’t a problem for Josh Allen and the Bills as they helped the Broncos out by handing the New England Patriots a loss. Thanks, Buffalo.
7.) Houston Texans – 9-5
Quite arguably one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL right now. Denver’s win on the road against them was big, and whoever ends up with the second seed isn’t going to want to face them if the standings remain the same when the season is over.
Week 16 has huge stakes across the entire conference, and the Broncos must control their own destiny on Sunday by beating a red-hot Jaguars team.