Bye weeks are often tough for passionate fan bases, and that’s definitely true for Denver Broncos fans this week. Broncos fans know their heroes need the week to rest up and heal, but it can also be a letdown when your team is rising an eight-game win streak.
The rooting list, which comes with a tip of the cap to DenverBroncos.com, actually started back on Thursday when the Buffalo Bills played the Houston Texans, but that one’s already in the books. The Houston defense beat up quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills, and the Broncos certainly know all about that given how tough their game against the Texans was.
But Buffalo’s more of a threat to win a division, and they’d also be a tough opponent if they end up going on the road to Denver as a wild card matchup, so keeping the Bills down and out constitutes a serious win.
The second game to watch is more unexpected, but still pivotal. The New England Patriots have a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the early window tomorrow, and Broncos fans would love to see Cincinnati pull the upset.
This became less likely with the news that Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow probably won’t even be activated against New England, but the Patriots aren’t used to being the hunted given their sudden rise to prominence.
It would take a stellar game by the Cincinnati defense to pull off the upset, which feels even more unlikely given their appalling stats, but Broncos fans can dream, and the bye week is definitely the most fun time to do it.
The last game on this list features an opponent that feels all too familiar. The Kansas City Chiefs are hosting the Indianapolis Colts, and that game’s also in the early window, but figuring out who to root for in this one is trick, to say the least.
The tradeoffs here are fairly obvious. The Colts have a better record than the Chiefs, and they’re also leading the AFC South. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are stuck at .500 at 5-5, and another loss would certainly put them down for good as potential AFC West winners, plus it would diminish their playoff prospects considerably.
That makes this a pick ‘em game when it comes to the rooting interest, but we have to go for the Colts for Broncos fans. You’ve got the quarterback factor with Daniel Jones' reliability issues, plus Indy has a tough schedule down the stretch. Add in the satisfaction of burying Kansas City a little deeper, and that makes this selection a little easier.