Three weeks remain on the NFL schedule, and there has been no bigger week than the one in front of us. The Broncos host the Jaguars this week in what figures to be the deciding game relative to the top seed in the conference. They can take a two-game lead on the position into their final two games of the season with a win, but all is back on the table, even a Jaguars top seed, with a Broncos loss.
The Broncos can lock up the AFC West with a win and a Chargers loss, and could wrap up the top seed in the conference with other help across the league. Just as we needed to last week, Broncos fans are going to need to keep their eyes on several games this week. To be specific, three other games across the AFC have direct impacts on the Broncos' playoff situation.
With the Broncos in such a strong playoff position, they are looking more for losses from involved teams than wins from a specific team. For example, the Broncos can know heading into their game on Sunday if they can clinch the AFC West with a win, as the Chargers' result in Dallas will be in before the Broncos take the field. Let's take a look at which games across the NFL are important for the Broncos (For this week, we'll leave Broncos vs Jaguars off).
Here is the rooting guide for Broncos fans during Week 16
3. Browns over the Bills
This one is the most far-fetched of the three, but a man can dream. The Browns are just barely good enough that if they're up 10-3 in the second quarter, they might be able to make it work with their defense and running game. A win here is important as it helps eliminate the Bills from contention for the top seed in the conference.
2. Ravens over the Patriots
If the Ravens, who are still fighting for the top spot in the AFC North, can knock off the Patriots, it would effectively lock the AFC East winner into the second or third seed in the conference. The Patriots blew a horrible lead on Sunday, and the Ravens are fresh off pitching a shutout. This one could be closer than many believe.
1. Cowboys over the Chargers
If the Chargers lose on Sunday, the next Broncos win or Chargers loss would put the Broncos into the playoffs as the champion of the AFC West. The Cowboys just lost to the Vikings at home, but are also capable of scoring 40 points, basically whenever they want. This could be another one of those weeks for Dallas as they host a West Coast team traveling east.