Broncos’ Path to the No. 1 Seed Is Clear-But There’s No Margin for Error
The Denver Broncos have come too far to let this season slip through their fingers now.
After ripping off 11 straight wins in the heart of the schedule, Denver sits at 12-3 with everything still in front of them-AFC West title, home-field advantage, and the inside track to Super Bowl LX. But after a tough loss to the Jaguars, the margin for error is gone.
If the Broncos want the road to Santa Clara to run through Mile High, they’ve got to finish strong. Two games.
Two wins. That’s the job.
And frankly, anything less than that would feel like a letdown.
This team didn’t claw its way through a midseason gauntlet just to settle for a wild card. Not after bouncing back from early heartbreakers against the Colts and Chargers in Weeks 2 and 3. Those losses lit a fire under this group, and what followed was one of the most impressive stretches of football we’ve seen in Denver in years.
But the loss to Jacksonville? That one stung.
It didn’t just snap the win streak-it exposed some cracks. The defense, which had been so reliable during the run, suddenly looked vulnerable again.
The offense, still adjusting without J.K. Dobbins, leaned heavily on rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who’s been electric but can’t be expected to play hero every single week.
And the injury list is starting to grow at the worst possible time.
Still, this is no time to panic. The Broncos are in control of their destiny.
Here’s the reality: Denver didn’t get any help in the standings. The Chargers’ win over Dallas pushed them to 11-4, and if they beat the Texans and then the Broncos in the season finale, they’ll steal the AFC West crown. That would drop Denver to the No. 5 seed and send them on the road for the playoffs.
That’s the nightmare scenario.
Because while this team is good enough to make a run, the road gets a whole lot tougher if it starts in Pittsburgh or Baltimore. Winning three straight on the road in the AFC playoffs? That’s a tall order for any team, let alone one still figuring things out on both sides of the ball.
The good news? Denver doesn’t need help. They just need wins.
Christmas night against a banged-up Chiefs squad is the first test. Then it’s the Chargers at home in Week 18.
Win both, and the Broncos wrap up the division and quite possibly the top seed in the AFC. No flights.
No hostile crowds. Just playoff football in the thin Mile High air, where Denver has always been at its best.
Yes, the loss to Jacksonville might serve as a wake-up call. Even Bo Nix admitted postgame that the team “got hit in the mouth.”
But it’s also a chance to reset. The pressure of maintaining a massive winning streak is gone.
Now it’s about focus, execution, and finishing the job.
There’s no room for debates about resting starters in the finale. No coasting to the finish line.
The AFC is too competitive, the division too tight. Every snap over the next two weeks matters.
And while fans might’ve preferred a more comfortable ride into the postseason, there’s no denying the drama makes for compelling football. The stakes are high, and the path is clear: take care of business, and the Broncos will be sitting at home during Wild Card Weekend, watching the rest of the AFC battle it out.
So here we are-12 days, two games, one goal. This season has been too special to settle for a wild card berth. The Broncos have the talent, the coaching, and the momentum to finish strong.
Now they just have to do it.