Broncos one leverage penalty away from being current No. 1 seed in AFC

The Denver Broncos have won three games in a row.

With a 4-2 record, they currently sit as the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture.

But it’s a tight race in the conference and the division. The Los Angeles Chargers are also 4-2, but hold the tiebreaker over the Broncos thanks to their Week 3 victory. Still, the two squads will meet in Week 18 at Empower Field at Mile High, so that could theoretically be for the AFC West crown.

However, a closer peek at the standings will have Denver fans thinking about that heartbreaking loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. The Broncos had a leverage penalty called against them on a 60-yard field goal at the buzzer. The Colts missed the initial try, but got a second chance, and walked-off winners.

If that flag had never been thrown, Denver would be the current No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The AFC is wide open.

In fact, the Broncos are a “leverage” penalty away from being the current No. 1 seed in the entire conference 🥴 pic.twitter.com/RfpsQHtBkl

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) October 14, 2025

In an alternate universe, the Broncos are 5-1 and atop the conference right now. The Colts would be 4-2 and bunched in with the Chargers, Patriots, Bills and Jaguars. The 4-1 Steelers would still be the No. 2 seed as they had an early bye.

It just goes to show you how these games can come down to a single play. Things would be a lot different for Denver, from the No. 7 seed right now to the No. 1 seed.

They can’t change the past, but the AFC looks as wide open as ever. The Chiefs lurk at 3-3, but don’t feel invincible. The Bills have lost two in a row to drop to 4-2 and a presumed contender like the Ravens are a stunning 1-5.

We’ve got a long ways to go, but the Broncos winning the AFC West and hosting at least one playoff game remains a strong possibility.

Heck, earning a top seed isn’t out of the question either.

Football is a game of inches, bounces and penalties. Let’s see if Denver can stay hot with the New York Giants coming to town on Sunday followed by the wildly inconsistent Dallas Cowboys.

To see the full NFL standings, click here.

Related

As Broncos prepare for preseason test, there’s a key trend they hope sustainsHere’s when the Broncos will wear their throwback, navy-blue, orange and white jerseys in 2026Broncos reveal parking and tailgating plan for Burnham YardBo Nix won’t play in Broncos first preseason game, QB plan revealedBroncos list Jarrett Stidham as No. 2 QB on first depth chart of 2026 seasonBroncos 15th most valuable franchise in NFL, worth more than $9 billion