Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos are in the AFC Playoff Picture with the seventh seed. Their schedule is also favorable over the next month.
It is that time of the year where we start looking at the NFL playoff picture — if, that is, our team is in the mix. And in 2024, our Denver Broncos are finally in that mix in a serious way. With their dominating 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Broncos have sole possession of the seventh seed in the AFC.
Here are where the playoff seedings stand in the AFC after Week 11. The Texans do play tonight, but win or lose their spot here won’t change.
In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (5-6), Miami Dolphins (4-6), and Cincinnati Bengals (4-7).
Looking at the FanDuel Sportsbook odds for the Broncos playoff chances, received a healthy boost after those back-to-back losses.
These FanDuel Sportsbook odds seem to suggest about a 50-50 chance, with a lean towards no. However, looking at all the other teams not currently 1-6 in seeding, the Broncos have the best playoff odds of any of those so we’ll say 50-50, with a lean towards yes in actuality.
Looking over the AFC landscape, their playoff run comes down to two games if they take care of business where they should take care of business. The first will be coming up after they Bye week against the Colts and the other in Week 17 against the Bengals. That’s if both teams remain in the AFC playoff picture.
Overall, Denver is in excellent position both with their current record and their upcoming schedule to be a factory in the race to the playoffs in December.
Using ESPN’s playoff simulator, I decided to see where things might land if “reasonable” outcomes were guessed for the next few weeks. I didn’t go out of my way to predict upsets or weird stuff. The Broncos have a bit of a soft schedule over the next month, including a Bye Week. They play the Las Vegas Raiders on the road, then host the Cleveland Browns, before coming out of the bye to take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16.
There is a world where the Broncos enter Week 17 on the road against Justin Herbert and the Chargers where both teams are 9-5 and fighting for that second spot in the AFC. If Denver can keep winning, then they have a revenge date on their calendar with that team. The Chargers play both the Ravens and Chiefs before then, so 9-5 is absolutely possible for them over the next four games....
