There’s a lot on the line heading into Week 17, but at least we don’t have to worry about clinching a playoff birth; that much was accomplished last Monday. Aside from that, though, almost everything is up in the air.
The Broncos could still finish as the No. 1, 2, 3, 5 or 6 seed, which basically puts any possible playoff opponent on the table. In fact, of the six other potential playoff contenders, the only team that Denver absolutely can’t matchup against in their first postseason game is the New England Patriots, who have already clinched their first-round bye.
So, taking the Patriots out of the equation, let’s run through the Broncos’ five potential playoff opponents and see which one is most worrisome, as well as how the Broncos could end up facing each:
5. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans may end up being the AFC South champions, but that’s only by default. Not only did they luck into a season where Andrew Luck missed half the year with torn-up insides, but they got to face one of the league’s easiest schedules, too, playing the rest of the AFC South (a combined 15 wins) twice. In fact, the Texans really have just two “good” wins on their record, against the Bengals and Jets. That may be more than the NFC East champion Redskins, but it’s still not all that impressive.
The Texans are currently 8-7 because of two players — J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins — and that’s it; apart from them, there’s just not much talent on this Houston roster. The fact that they’re hoping and praying that Brian Hoyer can come back from his concussion in time for the playoffs should tell you everything you need to know.
That said, they aren’t a pushover. As the Broncos know very well, even the worst division champion can win a playoff game. And those two guys, Hopkins and Watt, are freaks of nature. Against this Broncos offensive line, I wouldn’t be surprised if Watt had 45 sacks.
Still, if there’s one team the Broncos should be able to out-talent easily, it’s the Texans.
HOW THEY MEET: (1) Broncos lose, Jets lose, Steelers lose and Chiefs win, giving Denver the No. 5 seed; (2) Broncos win and Patriots lose, giving Denver the No. 1 seed, and top seeds all win out in Wild Card Round; (3) Broncos win and Patriots win, giving Denver the No. 2 seed, and sixth seed beets the third seed in Wild Card Round.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
Obviously, the Broncos just beat the Bengals on Monday, making this look like a very winnable matchup, but the news about AJ McCarron’s wrist injury makes it all the more appealing.
According to ESPN, McCarron suffered a sprain to his non-throwing wrist on the final play of the game last Monday, placing his Week 17 status in doubt; by all accounts, he should be ready to play come the Bengals first postseason game, but he may not be 100 percent.
Even more important, though, is the question of Andy Dalton. The earliest Dalton is expected to return is in the Division Round of the playoffs, but even then, he would have a difficult time shaking off the rust against this Denver Broncos defense; that may end up being a more-favorable matchup than McCarron. Either way, it’s good news for the Broncos.
I’d also hope that Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips would be able to look at what they did differently in that second half and capitalize on it for a full four quarters. The Bengals will adjust, too, but in the end, the talent of the Broncos defense should come out on top versus the Bengals offense.
HOW THEY MEET: (1) Broncos win and Patriots win, giving Denver the No. 2 seed, and the Bengals win in the Wild Card Round.
3. New York Jets
Remember when the general consensus was that the Jets season was derailed because Geno Smith had his face smashed in? Now, it looks like the best thing that ever happened to the New York Jets. It may sound odd, but Ryan “The Amish Rifle” Fitzpatrick is a legitimate top-10 quarterback in the NFL right now, and his two top targets, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, are right up there too.
For years, the Jets path to success was through defense and running the football; it was for the first half of this season, too. But in the last month and a half, the Jets have catapulted themselves into playoff positioning with a dynamic passing attack, and it’s earned them five straight wins. If they take care of the Bills on Sunday, they’ll be riding a six-game winning streak into the playoffs; that’s nothing to scoff at.
I’ve been waiting for Fitzpatrick to turn back into the Ryan Fitzpatrick of old, the guy who had a 33-55-1 record before joining the Jets this season, but I don’t think it’s going to happen; apparently, he’s actually a good quarterback.
And all that said, the scariest part about the the Jets is still their defense. Darrelle Revis, Muhammed Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson aside, the guy who worries me the most is Todd Bowles, who’s one of the best and most-creative defensive coordinators in the NFL. I’m sure he’d have a lot of tricks up his sleeve if he got the opportunity to go up against Brock Osweiler in a playoff game.
HOW THEY MEET: (1) The Broncos, Chiefs, Jets and Steelers lose and the Bengals win, giving Denver the No. 3 seed; (2) The Broncos win and Patriots lose, giving Denver the No. 1 seed, and the Jets (6th seed) beat the Bengals in Wild Card Round; (3) The Broncos win and Patriots lose, giving Denver the No. 1 seed, and the Jets (5th seed) beat the Bengals and the Texans beat the sixth seed in Wild Card Round; (4) The Broncos win and Patriots win, giving Denver the No. 2 seed, and the Jets (fifth seed) and Chiefs win in Wild Card Round.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Of all the AFC Playoff contenders, the Steelers, somehow, are the least likely to make the playoffs; that’s good news for the Denver Broncos.
I truly believe that the Steelers, at their best, may be the most dangerous team in the AFC. The issue, though, is that their best can seemingly come and go at any given time.
After scoring 30-plus points in six straight games, winning five of them, the Steelers finally put their playoff hopes back in their hands following their comeback victory over the Broncos. All they had to do was win out against two teams with a combined record of 7-21, and they’d be in.
But then the Baltimore Ravens happened.
Against a Ravens offense led by guys like Ryan Mallett, Javorius Allen and Kamar Aiken, Baltimore took down their hated rivals and brought Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes to a screeching halt. Now, the Steelers have to hope and pray that Rex Ryan can get his revenge on the New York Jets with a victory in Week 17.
Still, if things do end up going Pittsburgh’s way, and they do end up sneaking into the playoffs, they’re just about the last team I’d want to see the Broncos playing. As we saw two weeks ago, that offense may just be the one unit in the NFL capable of putting a beatdown on this Denver defense, and I’m not sure the Broncos offense is capable of keeping up.
Not to mention, Ben Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl champion who knows what it takes to win in January; I can’t say the same for Brock Osweiler.
HOW THEY MEET: (1) Steelers win, Bengals win, Broncos lose, Jets lose and Chiefs lose, giving Denver the No. 3 seed and the Steelers the No. 6 seed; (2) Broncos win, Steelers win, Patriots lose and Jets lose, giving Denver the No. 1 seed, and the Steelers beat the Bengals in the Wild Card Round.
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[adrotate banner=”33″]1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have won nine straight games, and if they take care of business at home against the Raiders in Week 17, they’ll enter the postseason on a 10-game win streak; only the Panthers will have had a longer streak this season.
And sure, the Chiefs best win during that stretch was probably the one they had against the Broncos (when Peyton Manning self-combusted on live television), but 10 wins is 10 wins. The Patriots, Panthers and Cardinals (if they beat Seattle on Sunday) are the only other teams with a 10-win streak this season, and they’re all considered Super Bowl favorites.
And in the Chiefs’ defense, while they haven’t exactly faced a murderers’ row, they’ve taken care of business, beating their opponents by an average of 16 points per game.
The scary thing about the Chiefs is that they’re method to winning is the same one the Broncos are trying to master; they’re just doing it much, much more effectively and consistently.
Like the Broncos, the Chiefs are winning with a stifling defense and an offense that protects the ball, controls the clock and efficiently works their way down the field. My worry is that if the Broncos end up facing the Chiefs in the postseason, they’ll just be looking at a more attractive and clean-cut version of themselves.
HOW THEY MEET: (1) Broncos lose, Chiefs lose, Bengals win and Jets win, giving Denver the No. 3 seed and the Chiefs the No. 6 seed; (2) Broncos win and Patriots lose, giving Denver the No. 1 seed, and the Chiefs (5th seed) and Bengals win in the Wild Card Round; (3) Broncos win and Patriots lose, giving Denver the No. 1 seed, and the Chiefs (6th seed) beat the Bengals in the Wild Card Round; (4) Broncos win and Patriots win, giving Denver the No. 2 seed, and the Chiefs (5th seed) and six seed win in Wild Card Round.