Broncos will be scoreboard watching this week, because the AFC is chaos

One win was all it took for the Broncos to be thinking about the playoffs again.

At 3-5, the notion feels kind of silly, but hear me out.

First of all, for the third time in NFL history, seven AFC teams will get into the postseason. That’s a lot, and nearly half the conference. A couple mediocre teams will make the dance, and Denver falls firmly in that category. Second, the Broncos still have nine games left. For as brutal as some of the September and October losses were, there’s a ton of football to be played.

So, with the Broncos on bye this week after a nice 21-17 win over the Jaguars in London, they’ve earned some rest and relaxation. That means scoreboard watching on Sunday across the chaotic AFC. Here’s who the team should be rooting for, as well as fans across the Rocky Mountain Region…

• The Chargers (4-3) head to Atlanta to play the Falcons in the early window on Sunday. Right now, Los Angeles holds the No. 7 see in the AFC and the final playoff berth. They also have a win over Denver. Go Falcons.
• The Dolphins (5-3) are in Chicago taking on the Bears. Miami’s offense looks good, but their defense is suspect, and Chicago has scored a lot of points recently. With the Dolphins in the No. 6 seed, a Bears win would be clutch.
• Ever since trading Christian McCaffrey, the scrappy Panthers look motivated. If they could somehow take down the Bengals (4-4), that would do the Broncos a big solid. The game’s in Cincinnati, so it’s a bit of a long shot.
• The Colts (3-4-1) battle the Patriots (4-4) in New England. It’s a tough game to decide which outcome is best for Denver, but given Indy’s starting a young QB the rest of the way, a win for them is a good thing even though they hold a tiebreaker over the Broncos.
• The Bills (6-1) are on the road facing the Jets (5-3). The Broncos aren’t catching Buffalo, and New York already beat them this year, so this is an easy one. Bills Mafia, Let’s Ride.
• The Titans (5-2) will be in Arrowhead facing the Chiefs (5-2) on Sunday Night Football. For as painful as it is to admit, the Broncos won’t be chasing down Kansas City in the standings. And, they still get to play Tennessee. A Titans victory would be for the best.
• The Ravens (5-3) are traveling to New Orleans on Monday Night Football, and a Saints win would benefit the Broncos. Much like the Titans, they still get to play Baltimore later this year. Let’s make this AFC a little crazier with a New Orleans triumph.

You got all that? It’s a lot, with seven game directly affecting Denver’s flimsy playoff hopes. Of course, none of this matters if the Broncos can’t start stringing together wins after the bye, but there’s the faintest bit of hope after the defeating Jacksonville.

And hope is sometimes the best thing to grasp onto in all of sports. Enjoy the week off, Broncos Country.

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