The Denver Broncos taking on the Las Vegas Raiders might not be the marquee matchup of the week in the NFL, but the stakes are a lot higher than anyone may have realized.
Of course, divisional games always have huge implications regardless of each team's record, but as the Broncos play for seeding in the AFC, this particular game against the Raiders looms very large in their race for the #1 overall seed with the New England Patriots.
As pointed out by Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, if the Broncos are able to beat the Raiders, it would give them an advantage over the Patriots as strong as a head-to-head win at the end of the season.
Broncos beating the Raiders just became even more important for the playoffs
Win vs Raiders would give Broncos 6-0 record vs common opponents while best for Patriots would be 5-1. NE season-opening loss to Raiders would be tiebreaker difference.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) December 3, 2025
As it turns out, those tight, "ugly" wins against teams like the Titans, Jets, and Raiders loom large right now for the Broncos. This is why when people say it doesn't matter how you win, it's spot on.
If the Broncos can find a way to beat the Raiders in Las Vegas here in Week 14, they will essentially have the equivalent of a head-to-head win against the Patriots, since those two teams won't play in the regular season. The Patriots have already reached 11 wins this season, so the Broncos also need this win against the Raiders to keep pace with them.
The Patriots are on a bye in Week 14, the latest bye in the 2025 season. They've won 10-straight games and will emerge from the bye week with a rematch against the Buffalo Bills, followed by a road trip to take on the Baltimore Ravens.
The Broncos have the Raiders this week, followed by a tough matchup in Denver against the Green Bay Packers. Maybe that will end up being a Super Bowl preview...
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's great that the Broncos have a lot more at stake against the Raiders, because it can prevent the dreaded "trap" game. The Broncos have won nine straight games this season and are one of the hottest teams in the league. This game is an opportunity for them to make a statement against a division rival and give themselves a truly valuable edge later this season.
All that matters is winning. The "how" is irrelevant if the result is the Broncos getting their 11th win of the season. Everyone in Broncos Country wants to see this team play a more complete game than we've seen for most of the season, but the sentiment of "Just win, baby," coming as the Broncos get ready to take on the Raiders could not ring more true.