The Denver Broncos could make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 NFL Season with a win in Week 18. If they get in, their opponent is guaranteed. The first, second, and fourth seeds in the AFC playoffs have been clinched.
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the first seed, the Buffalo Bills are in the second seed, and the Houston Texans are the fourth seed. And with the Denver Broncos having lost two games in a row, getting swept by the LA Chargers and losing to the Baltimore Ravens, the only possible seed they can clinch is the seventh seed.
We know who the Broncos would play in the postseason
With the new playoff format, the seventh seed is playing the second seed. So, if Denver is able to get into the playoffs, they will be playing the Buffalo Bills, a team they did beat in 2023. That was the game where the Broncos had missed the potential game-winning field goal, but Buffalo got flagged for too many men on the field, so kicker Wil Lutz drilled the mulligan.
Anyway, Buffalo and Denver are in different spots this season, and the Bills are enjoying the best season of the Josh Allen/Sean McDermott era by far. Allen is a legitimate MVP candidate and has notably cut down on his interceptions this year. On a side note, I have seen Broncos' fans say that it would be better to miss the playoffs entirely since this team isn't going to win the Super Bowl than it would be to make the playoffs and potentially get blown out by the Bills.
To me, that makes zero sense.
This team has not played in a postseason game in over 3,000 days. They have the second-longest playoff drought streak in the entire NFL, only behind the New York Jets. This franchise would reach a huge milestone by getting into the postseason, and it would be a hugely optimistic time for the future if they could get that done.
I mean, many people projected this team to win three or four games this year, and here they are on the doorstep of a 10-win season. Denver has proven just about everyone wrong, and it would be one of the top stories of the entire season to see them get into the playoffs. And even if they do get in and get hammered by the Buffalo Bills, they still made the playoffs.
The Denver Broncos potential playoff seed and opponent are locked-in as we approach Week 18.