The Broncos will have to reach 10 wins to have a shot at the playoffs
Dec 16, 2021, 4:13 PM
Currently, the Broncos sit at 7-6. Right now, they sit at No. 10 in the conference, on the outside looking in for one of the seven postseason berths. With four games to play, they’re squarely in the hunt in the AFC playoff chase, however.
The problem is that so are a lot of other teams. Currently, 11 teams are sitting at .500 or better. Two more are just a game under at 6-7. That means 13 teams realistically have a shot to get one of the seven spots.
What will it take to get there? Well, 10 wins is a safe bet.
Which teams have the best chance of reaching that win total? Let’s take a look each team’s remaining schedule.
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-4)
@ Indianapolis
Buffalo
Jacksonville
@ Miami
Chances of reaching 10 wins: They’ll beat the Jaguars at home. So 10 wins feels like a shoo-in.
Prediction: 11-6
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TENNESSEE TITANS (9-4)
@ Pittsburgh
San Francisco
Miami
@ Houston
Chances of reaching 10 wins: They’ll beat the Texans. So 10 wins feels all but guaranteed.
Prediction: 11-6
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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-4)
@ Los Angeles Chargers
Pittsburgh
@ Cincinnati
@ Denver
Chances of reaching 10 wins: Kansas City could lose out, as they face four teams currently in the mix. But odds are they’ll win at least one of four, even with three on the road.
Prediction: 11-6
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BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-5)
Green Bay
@ Cincinnati
Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh
Chances of reaching 10 wins: This feels like a coin flip. Yes, they have three games at home, but all are against contenders. They could easily go 0-4 or 1-3 down the stretch.
Prediction: 9-8
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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-5)
Kansas City
@ Houston
Denver
@ Las Vegas
Chances of reaching 10 wins: They get one layup in the Texans, meaning they only need to win one of their three remaining games against contenders.
Prediction: 10-7
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-6)
New England
@ Arizona
Las Vegas
@ Jacksonville
Chances of reaching 10 wins: The Colts figure to win their last two, meaning they have to split against the Patriots and Cardinals. That’s an uphill battle, but doable.
Prediction: 10-7
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BUFFALO BILLS (7-6)
Carolina
@ New England
Atlanta
New York Jets
Chances of reaching 10 wins: With three easy games, all at home, it feels like a foregone conclusion.
Prediction: 10-7
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CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-6)
Las Vegas
@ Green Bay
@ Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Chances of reaching 10 wins: The Browns have a tough slate, with four contenders down the stretch. Plus, they’re currently reeling from COVID.
Prediction: 8-9
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CINCINNATI BENGALS (7-6)
@ Denver
Baltimore
Kansas City
@ Cleveland
Chances of reaching 10 wins: Going at least 3-1 against four contenders won’t be easy. They’ll have to win in Denver for it to feel doable.
Prediction: 10-7
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PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-6-1)
Tennessee
@ Kansas City
Cleveland
@ Baltimore
Chances of reaching 10 wins: Winning out against four contenders seems like a tough assignment. Very tough.
Prediction: 7-9-1
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LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (6-7)
@ Cleveland
Denver
@ Indianapolis
Los Angeles Chargers
Chances of reaching 10 wins: It seems unlikely that the Raiders will win out. They might catch a break this week with the Browns, but that trip to play the Colts looms large.
Prediction: 8-9
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MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-7)
New York Jets
@ New Orleans
@ Tennessee
New England
Chances of reaching 10 wins: The Jets are a layup. The Saints are beatable. But those last two games make for a really tough finish.
Prediction: 8-9
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That’s seven teams at 10 wins, which means the Broncos would have to get to at least that number to have a chance. If they do, it’ll come down to tiebreakers.
While that can get complicated, the easiest one to understand is head to head. That makes two games vital down the stretch
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DENVER BRONCOS (7-6)
Cincinnati
@ Las Vegas
@ Los Angeles Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
Chances of reaching 10 wins: The Raiders is a very winnable game. The others will be tough. They have to beat the Bengals and Chargers to get there, especially considering the tiebreaker situation. Having to snap a 12-game losing streak to the Chiefs is not the task they want in Week 18.
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The Broncos are in the playoff hunt. They control their own destiny. And it all starts on Sunday when they host the Bengals.
