We now know the official date and time the Denver Broncos will be taking on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 for the regular season finale.
After Sunday Night Football between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers, it was announced that the Broncos and Chargers would be playing on Sunday, January 4, at 2:25 PM MT. It's a familiar time slot for Broncos Country and an ideal setup for the regular season finale.
The Broncos have already wrapped up the AFC West title thanks to their win against the Chiefs on Christmas as well as the Chargers' loss to the Texans on Saturday. This game on Sunday is taking on a completely different vibe given all that went down in Week 17, so let's break it down.
Broncos hosting Chargers at 2:25 PM MT in high-stakes Week 18 showdown
At this point, the Broncos are guaranteed to be a top-three seed in the AFC. That was solidified with the Texans beating the Chargers, because once the Broncos wrapped up the AFC West title, they also cemented one of the three best records in the AFC. The AFC North has been horrendous this year compared to the other divisions.
There is still a chance, however, that the Broncos could fall to that third seed. If they finish with the same record as the Jaguars, the Broncos would have the lower seed. If the Broncos, Patriots, and Jaguars all finish with the same record, the Broncos would be the 2nd seed.
All the Broncos need to do in order to secure the top seed in the AFC, however, is win.
That's been easier said than done when it comes to the Chargers in recent years. The Broncos have not beaten the Chargers in nearly two calendar years at this point. Sean Payton is 0-3 as the Broncos' head coach going up against Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers teams.
The early betting lines have the Broncos as 6.5-point favorites at home against the Chargers. which feels extremely high. The reason for that could very well be that the oddsmakers are anticipating the Chargers will actually rest players in this game, notably Justin Herbert. Even with 11 wins at this point, the Chargers need to get to the Wild Card round healthy. They have the same record as the Texans and Bills heading into the weekend, but the Texans play the Colts and the Bills play the Jets.
The Colts are expected to start Riley Leonard at quarterback, while the Jets are...well...the Jets.
It's not that the Chargers want to lose ground against either of those teams, however, so perhaps the idea that they will bench starters is currently being overblown.
It'll be interesting to see how they proceed, but regardless, we know the Broncos are going to come out swinging. They want to take the #1 seed regardless of who the Chargers send out there. And once again, all they have to do is win.
The Broncos have the tie-breaker over the New England Patriots because the Patriots lost to the Raiders in Week 1, giving them a 5-1 record vs. common opponents with the Broncos, who are 6-0 against those same opponents.
The stage is now set, and the Broncos will be well-rested for that game against the Chargers. With what's at stake, a win is the equivalent to a Wild Card victory for the Broncos at this point.