The Denver Broncos have won four games in a row and six of seven. Here in Week 9, the team takes on the 3-4 Carolina Panthers, a team that has lost two games in a row. The Broncos winning this game would get them to 7-2 and would guarantee that they'd sit no lower than No. 2 in the AFC Playoff Picture with the Week 10 bye right around the corner.
What is also clear is that the AFC might actually already have their seven playoff teams, as the worst teams in the NFL are in the AFC, and those 'so-so' teams might already be too far behind to make up any ground.
The AFC Playoff Picture could flip the Broncos way even more with the ease of their second-half schedule, and the team is in a good position right now as Week 9 begins.
Denver Broncos looking down at most in Week 9 AFC Playoff Picture
1. Buffalo Bills, 6-1
They key here with Buffalo is the Broncos playing them in Denver in Week 18. If things don't go off the rails for either team, that game could end up being for the No. 1 seed in the conference. Buffalo's defense being among the worst in football could come back to bite them, though.
2. Denver Broncos, 6-2
As of now, the Broncos would win the AFC West and have at least one home playoff game. With the expanded playoff format, though, the Broncos would not get a first-round bye.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 6-2
The Broncos beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, so the Broncos do have a key head-to-head tiebreaker, which we recently talked about. Jacksonville might be the most balanced team in football, so the Broncos having a win over the Jags in their back pockets is flat-out monumental.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-2
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a low-ceiling team, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a severely limited QB. If Pittsburgh can keep running the ball well and getting big-time games from their defense from time to time, this team could be a threat. Denver plays Pittsburgh in Week 12, which is a Black Friday Game on November 27th.
5. Kansas City Chiefs, 5-2
Denver having split the season series with the Chiefs is huge. Denver is now 2-1 in the division and have games left agaisnt Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Fending off the Chiefs did get a lot easier with their heroic comeback win in Week 8.
6. Cincinnati Bengals, 5-2
The Cincinnati Bengals are one team in a Wild Card spot right now to not take lightly. Joe Burrow has been, very arguably, the best QB in the sport this year, and as long as this defense does not falter, the Bengals are going to not only win the AFC North, but also be positioned well to make a deep playoff run.
7. New England Patriots, 5-3
New England went 14-3 in the regular season last year and already has 3 losses this year. The Patriots are clearly regressing a bit but still feel good enough to sneak into the playoffs with 10 or 11 wins. The Broncos play the Patriots in Week 17 in their house, but the date and time for that game is not yet official.
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