The Denver Broncos know they’re going to the playoffs for the second year in a row, but the Broncos have more than just playoff aspirations in mind. They’re currently tied with the New England Patriots for the number one seed in the AFC, and a Super Bowl run is by no means out of the question.
First things first, however. Getting that playoff berth squared away is at the top of the Broncos list this weekend, and a victory against the Green Bay Packers would get it done. But this won’t be like Denver’s last few games against teams that are inferior or struggling, as the Packers are also positioned to make a run in the NFC.
A win would get it done, but there are several other scenarios where the Broncos would clinch, according to Devon Henderson of The Athletic. Most of these work off the possibility of a tie with Green Bay, which isn’t at all unlikely given how evenly matched these teams are.
A Denver tie plus a loss by either the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans or Indianapolis Colts would also do the trick, as would the combination of a Houston loss or tie and an Indianapolis loss or tie, provided both games don’t end in a tie.
Yeah, it’s a lot. Any playoff possibility that includes a tie at this time year is usually a quick way to get a migraine, so let’s steer clear of that and focus on the battle between the Broncos and Packers.
Surprisingly, the Broncos are underdogs, which is especially unusual given that they’re home for this one. The small line indicates that this will be a close game, but the Broncos as underdogs indicates the general distrust in the Denver offense right now compared to the team’s fierce defense.
To some extent, though, that imbalance is by design. Coach Sean Payton recognized early on with this team that second-year quarterback Bo Nix would have his ups and downs, so he built his defense accordingly.
But Payton has to be ecstatic with Nix’s remarkable playmaking this year. He may not light up the scoreboard or the stat sheet, but Nix knows how to play Payton’s version of situational football, which is what mostly matters to the Broncos coach.
Look for more of that on Sunday. The Broncos know they’re probably not going to outscore quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers offense, but they might not have to. What they do have to do is play smart situational football, which is what they’d done all year.