With a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, the Denver Broncos now hold the sixth seed in the AFC playoff picture. Who would they face? Denver just finds a way to win games, and while it's never always pretty, a win is a win. There are valid concerns from this game even in a victory.
The Colts came into this game with one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL, and the Broncos just could not get anything going there. The team's offense was also inconsistent during the game, as the Colts predominantly play in zone coverage, and that's where Bo Nix and the offense are at their best.
Overall, you would have liked to have seen a more polished game from the Broncos fresh off of their bye week, but mounting mistakes by the Colts kept Denver in the game, and the better team simply separated themselves down the stretch. With the win, the Broncos have eliminated any chance of the Colts passing them in the AFC standings.
The Broncos would have an ideal Wild Card matchup
And their playoff odds are now around 90% depending on where you look. The team has won four games in a row and have gone 9-3 since starting 0-2. With this latest win, Denver has also clinched their first winning season since 2016, the year where they went 9-7.
The Broncos finish off the season with games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs, and with them being in the sixth seed in the AFC, they would travel to Pittsburgh to play Russell Wilson and the Steelers in the Wild Card Round, which would be the perfect first round matchup for Denver.
The Broncos could get some sweet revenge on Wilson, and I am sure that Sean Payton would like this the most. Denver just did not get the best from Russell Wilson; the entire trade was a massive failure, and it ended with the Broncos cutting Wilson in the 2024 offseason, which paved the way for Bo Nix to come along in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Steelers are 10-4 on the season, and Wilson has played well, but there is an obvious ceiling with the QB, and the Steelers did get their rear ends handed to them in Week 15 versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Pittsburgh definitely feels more like a pretender than anything else, so this could be a very winnable game for the Broncos.