When the Broncos lost to the Raiders on Sunday, most fans were bemoaning the fact that the team lost its control of the No. 1 seed in the AFC; in order to get home-field advantage in the playoffs, Denver will need some help in the final three weeks of the season.
But that’s not the only postseason scenario that took a hit when Oakland pulled off the second-half comeback. Now, Denver has some work to do in order to secure a first-round bye, the AFC West and even a spot in the playoffs. None of them are guaranteed. Yet.
In order to secure their positioning, the Broncos can help themselves out a bunch; winning at Pittsburgh, as well as at home against Cincinnati and San Diego, will lock up the No. 2 seed. But anything short of that could see Denver fall to No. 3, 4, 5, 6 or below.
For that to not happen, the Broncos need other teams in the mix – the Patriots, Bengals, Chiefs, Jets and Steelers – to lose some games. And none of those franchises are facing a gauntlet down the stretch. Thus, Denver is going to need some lesser teams to pull the upset if they are going to secure the spot they want in the playoffs.
In this week’s edition of “Power Rankings” we look at the five underdogs the Broncos should be cheering for between now and the end of the season:
No. 5 – San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals (Dec. 20)
The only game that Andy Dalton is sure to miss is this Sunday’s showdown with the oft-hapless 49ers. Thus, San Francisco has a puncher’s chance when they travel to the Queen City to take on the Bengals; breaking in a new quarterback is never easy, so Cincinnati may struggle in week one with AJ McCarron at the helm. In order for that to happen, the Niners need to be the team they were when they upset the Bears in Chicago two weeks ago; that opportunistic team saw Blaine Gabbert make just enough plays to get a surprising road win. They can’t, however, be the doormat that got knocked off on Sunday in Cleveland; that sorry-looking unit let Johnny Manziel beat them.
What This Would Help: Denver is currently tied with Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed, so any Bengals loss is beneficial to the Broncos.
No. 4 – New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (Jan. 3)
If the Jets finish 11-5, they would hold the tiebreaker over the Broncos if Denver finished with that same record; as a result, it’s time to hope that New York loses a game between now and the end of the season. That said, it would be less than ideal for that to be in Week 15 when the Jets travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys, as having Todd Bowles’ team ready to roll in Week 16 when they host the Patriots is also in the Broncos’ best interests. So, it’s a little bit of a dicey situation for those pulling for the orange and blue. Yes, the Jets need to lose; but they need to lose in the week that is best for the Broncos, which is their season finale at Buffalo.
What This Would Help: The Jets losing would ensure the Broncos a spot in the playoffs. As hard as it is to believe, that’s not currently a guarantee.
No. 3 – Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (Jan. 3)
The Steelers host the Broncos this week and then finish with back-to-back road games. Normally, that would sound like a tough way to end the season. But given that they draw the Ravens in Week 16, a team that has completely checked out now that they are onto Jimmy Clausen at quarterback, and the Browns in the season finale, it’s a pretty cushy two-game road trip for Pittsburgh. The only team that could give them a little bit of trouble is Cleveland, as Mike Pettine’s team has proven somewhat plucky at times this season. But there’s also a reason they’re 3-10; they aren’t very good. Here’s hoping Johnny Manziel has one of those games when the Broncos need him to have one the most.
What This Would Help: Just like with the Jets, the Broncos need the Steelers to fall to six losses; that would all but ensure the Broncos a postseason trip, even if disaster strikes.
No. 2 – Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (Dec. 20)
No team in the NFL, save for perhaps the Carolina Panthers, is hotter than the Chiefs right now. After starting the season 1-5, they’ve rattled off seven straight wins, most with Jamaal Charles sidelined with a knee injury that will keep him out for the entire season. How are they doing it? By playing safe, mistake-free football, which is Alex Smith’s speciality, and relying on their defense, which features a great pass rush and a dominant front seven. It’s unlikely that the streak will end in Baltimore, given that the Ravens have endured a hard-luck season for the ages and have moved on to quarterbacks that they’re picking up off the street, but crazy things happen. Remember, the Chargers were one yard away from forcing OT on Sunday.
What This Would Help: A Chiefs loss would give the Broncos the AFC West title, which would remove a lot of pressure in the last two weeks of the season.
No. 1 – New York Jets at New England Patriots (Dec. 27)
If the Broncos have any hope of regaining the No. 1 seed in the AFC, they need to win out and hope that the Patriots lose a game; Denver holds the tiebreaker due to their head-to-head win, so they need to finish with an equal (or better) record than New England. As unlikely it is that the Broncos win out, it’s perhaps even more unlikely that the Pats lose one of their last three games; they host the dreadful Titans on Sunday and finish at the lowly Dolphins, so the middle game is the only conceivable spot where they might drop one. For one, the Jets always seem to play New England tough. For two, New York will be vying for a playoff spot, so they’ll be focused. And for three, “any given Sunday” is a cliché for a reason.
What This Would Help: If Denver wins on Sunday at Pittsburgh, this would bring the chance to capture the No. 1 seed back into play.