Broncos squarely on the playoff bubble with four games left to play

The Denver Broncos are playing meaningful games in the month of December, just like general manager George Paton wanted them to be doing. While many fans in Broncos Country want head coach Vic Fangio fired, if he makes the playoffs, he likely stays with the team in 2022.

There are four games remaining for the Broncos, and to get to 10 wins – the likely magic number to make the playoffs – the Broncos will need to win three out of four. It’s a tough task for any team, especially this time of year with opponents vying for playoff position.

The Bengals, Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs are the four games remaining for Denver. Two of those four opponents (Raiders, Chiefs) have already beaten Denver. They must rectify that against one of those teams, while winning the other two games, in order to get to 10 wins. I see the Bengals and Raiders games as winnable but beating the Chargers again and beating the Chiefs at home in the final week of the regular season will be difficult.

If the playoffs were to start today, the seven teams from the AFC would be (in order) 1. New England Patriots 2. Tennessee Titans 3. Kansas City Chiefs 4. Baltimore Ravens 5. Los Angeles Chargers 6. Indianapolis Colts 7. Buffalo Bills

The Broncos are among a few teams on the outside looking in. With four games left, they are on the bubble when it comes to making the playoffs.

So, who are the other teams “on the bubble” in the AFC? Let’s look and see who could make the final spots available in the tournament we call the NFL Playoffs.

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Cleveland Browns (7-6, No. 2 in AFC North)

The Browns have beat the Broncos, so they have a tiebreaker on Denver. With four games left, the Browns are finding a way to get it done. They are coming off a big win in the AFC North as they beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. The Browns have a strong rushing attack with Nick Chubb leading the way, and they have a swarming defense which could be a problem for opponents if they make the postseason.

The four games remaining on their schedule are contests against the Raiders, Packers, Steelers and Bengals. For the Browns to get to 10 wins they’ll have to beat the Raiders, Steelers and Bengals. The game against the Packers is unlikely to be a win unless quarterback Aaron Rodgers is further injured (he’s battling a broken toe at this time).

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Cincinnati Bengals (7-6, No. 3 in AFC North)

This game in Week 15 is huge for both the Broncos and the Bengals. The game is in Denver, so the Broncos will have home-field advantage on Sunday. The Bengals feature a franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, a star running back in Joe Mixon and a budding superstar wide receiver in rookie Ja’Marr Chase. Their defense is hot-and-cold but they can get after the passer early and often.

The Bengals have lost back-to-back games coming into Week 15, and they just lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the 49ers. After the game against the Broncos, they will have to play the Ravens, Chiefs and Browns. That is an incredibly tough slate of games to get through, and the Bengals are such a young team that they may not be able to get three more wins out of the four games remaining.

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Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1, No. 4 in AFC North)

The Steelers are not as good as they used to be, and they will struggle to get into the playoffs during the final season of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He’s hinted at retirement after this season, and he’s playing like someone who should hang up his cleats. However, like the Browns, the Steelers have a tiebreaker over the Broncos since they beat Denver back in Week 5 of the 2021 season.

The four games remaining for the Steelers are all against playoff-caliber teams. In Week 15, the Steelers are at home against a tough Tennessee Titans team. After that, they travel to play the Chiefs, return home to face the Browns and finish off the 2021 season with a game on the road against the Ravens. They need to sweep these final four games, and that just doesn’t seem likely – especially with games against the Titans and Chiefs. Even though they’re on the bubble, the Steelers are unlikely to make any sort of playoff run with Roethlisberger one last time.

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Las Vegas Raiders (6-7, No. 4 in AFC West)

The Broncos have already lost to the Raiders, but they play them one more time this season. The Raiders are reeling since beating the Broncos way back in Week 6. Since that time, the Raiders have only won two of seven games. They just got shellacked by the Chiefs in Week 14, and they are quite banged up on both sides of the ball.

The remaining schedule for the Raiders is not kind. They travel to face the Browns in Week 15, then are at home the day after Christmas to face the Broncos, then they go on the road to face the Colts, and they finish up the season with a home game against the Chargers. Like the Steelers, they need to sweep their final four games. Never say never, but – never in any world can imagine a scenario where the Raiders do that. They’ll miss the postseason (most likely) then make massive changes in the offseason.

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Miami Dolphins (6-7, No. 3 in the AFC East)

The Dolphins are getting hot at the right time. They began the 2021 season with a 1-7 record, but now they’ve ripped off five wins in a row. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is playing good football, and he is using all the weapons in the passing game they’ve put around him. Add in a running game, when all are healthy, that includes former Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay and you can see how they’re getting it done on offense.

They should be able to keep up their winning streak for at least two more games this season. They are at home against the Jets in Week 15. After that, the Dolphins travel to play the Saints, travel to play the Titans then return home with a game against the Patriots. Those last two games are going to be tough, but the Patriots may have already wrapped up the AFC and may be resting starters at that time. However, Patriots coach Bill Belichick may have revenge on his mind because Miami beat him in Week 1.

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Summary

The Broncos are in a good spot right now. They’re not in the driver’s seat because they would not be in the playoffs if they started today. However, when looking at all the “bubble” teams in the AFC, they have a good chance as anyone to get to that magical 10-win mark. I feel of all the teams on the bubble, the Browns and Dolphins have the best chances of beating the Broncos to the dance – if any of these bubble teams make it.

Either way, it’s going to be some exciting football all around the conference during the final stretch of the 2021 regular season. Grab your popcorn Broncos Country and get ready for the roller coaster ride to continue.

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