Although the Denver Broncos' stay in the NFL Playoffs was short, there are still plenty of implications for them in the Divisional Round. Whether it be pending free agents, divisional rivals, head coaching ramifications, or any of a few other interests the team might have.
Let's break down the matchups this weekend, and see who Broncos fans should be rooting for.
Who should Denver Broncos root for the rest of the NFL Playoffs?
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens at No. 2 Buffalo Bills
This game poses a few interesting angles for Broncos fans. For one, the Bills eliminated the Broncos from the playoffs in dominating fashion last week, which would make it hard to root for Buffalo in this matchup. However, at the same time, the Ravens destroyed Denver in the middle of the year, handing the Broncos their most embarrassing regular season loss this year.
The tiebreaker here is Von Miller. It would obviously be great to see Miller in another ring, and the man has always been incredible to the Broncos and his fans since his departure from the Mile High City. The verdict on this one is tight, but go Bills.
No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are preparing to try and win a third straight ring starting this weekend and will need to beat the Texans in order to do so. Seeing the Chiefs have playoff success is never fun, and a chase at a trilogy is incredibly annoying. The only redeeming quality of Kansas City winning is that it speeds up the time frame for a potential Steve Spagnuolo head coaching hire, regardless of where it might be.
For obvious reasons, Broncos fans should be rooting for the Texans this weekend. A team that eliminates both the Chargers and Chiefs from the same playoffs might quickly become a favorite of Broncos fans. It would also be nice to see them beat the Raiders, but they have a few mistakes of their own to make in the next few weeks.
No. 4 Rams at No. 2 Eagles
Over in the NFC, the NFC West champion Rams will travel to take on the Eagles. No major former Broncos or Eagles play on either of these teams, so this game probably appeals to Broncos fans the least. Former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is the defensive coordinator for the Eagles, and he has not been a part of a title-winning team since 2012. It would be nice to see Vic win another ring, which is probably the only needle mover here. Verdict is Go Birds
No. 6 Commanders at No. 1 Detroit Lions
Rookie Jayden Daniels and his squad head to Detroit to take on the Lions, who have a few different former Broncos on their team. Former fan-favorite Tim Patrick is a key piece to the Lions' offense and should play a role in their game plan for this weekend. Former Broncos on the Lions include receivers Patrick and Kalif Raymond and guard Graham Glasgow.
Broncos fans should also want to see Bo Nix perform better than Jayden Daniels for a few reasons. A potential Daniels dud mixed with a few former Broncos on Detroit is more than enough to decide this one. Broncos fans, be advised to root for the Lions this weekend.