The Denver Broncos are now 13-3 on the season and are AFC West champions thanks to the win in Week 17 and Los Angeles Chargers' loss to the Houston Texans. Denver has accomplished the first goal that Sean Payton has talked about for years, and that was winning the division.
The next step is to earn the no. 1 overall seed for the playoffs, and lastly the final goal to win the Super Bowl. This does appear to be a team capable of winning it all. Denver again has the best record in the NFL and in the driver's seat for that top seed.
With a win over the Bolts in Week 18, the no. 1 overall seed belongs to Denver, so they get the bye into the Divisional Round and homefield advantage. A huge advantage Denver may have here is the possibility that the Chargers may rest their starters. With the AFC West out of reach, LA could treat Week 18 as a de-facto bye to get healthier for the Wild Card Round, as Justin Herbert has especially taken a beating. Well, if the Chargers do this, the Broncos still must be at their best no matter who is out there...
The Denver Broncos have to be at their best in Week 18 no matter what, and here's why
It is a bit worrisome that the Broncos have had a few wins this year by the skin of their teeth, and it's especially troubling that some of these wins have come against some downright awful teams. Denver barely got past the Las Vegas Raiders on TNF a few weeks ago and needed the entire 60 minutes to take down the Kansas City Chiefs, a team starting their third-string quarterback.
However, wins are wins, but there is absolutely a reason to be a bit annoyed by some of these close victories against bad teams. The Broncos may have another situation like this if the Chargers rest some of their starters, so putting a poor performance on the field and barely scraping by with a win doesn't really get the Broncos any momentum going into the first-round bye.
I'd also imagine it makes game prep a bit harder with most recently having a shaky performance. No matter who is out there for the Chargers, the Broncos have to ensure they are at their best so they can get a good taste in their mouths to begin the playoff campaign.
The Broncos are due for another good home performance as well, so Week 18 needs to be where Denver puts their best foot forward.