The Denver Broncos have won four straight games, improving to 5-5 on the season, and with seven games remaining, they've got a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. The Broncos haven't made the playoffs since 2015 when they ended up winning Super Bowl 50, but with the hiring of head coach Sean Payton, the expectation was that the team would turn things around rather quickly.
It didn't exactly happen "quickly" as the Broncos unfortunately started the season 1-5, but they have come around as of late and are playing much, much better football as a team. So the question now becomes, can they sustain it? Can the Broncos keep forcing turnovers? Can they keep coming up clutch offensively? Can they be even better overall as a team?
With seven games remaining, six against AFC opponents, and a 2-4 record right now vs. the AFC, they are going to have no choice but to be better overall as a team. Let's take a look at each of the remaining seven games this season and make score predictions for each.
Denver Broncos schedule: Picks, predictions for all remaining games
Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns
If the Denver Broncos are going to make a serious bid at the playoffs this season, then this game is going to be of critical importance. The Cleveland Browns boast one of the best defenses in the entire NFL, and they have a 7-3 record despite having three different starting quarterbacks this season, no Nick Chubb for most of the year, and injuries on the offensive line.
Kevin Stefanski has done an underrated job with his team, and it's a good thing the Browns are traveling to Denver where the Broncos have their distinct home-field advantage back. When the crowd is into it at Mile High, it's hard for teams to come in there and get wins.
Perhaps the biggest advantage for Denver in this game is the fact that Cleveland is starting rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. DTR got a win against the Steelers and their defense this past week, but it was a hard-fought, low-scoring game with not much offense on either side. I think the Broncos are far better than the Steelers offensively, and that's saying something.
This is a game the Broncos absolutely have to have because the Browns are one of the teams occupying a Wild Card spot at the moment. Getting this head-to-head win will be huge. I think the Broncos can get the job done here.
Prediction: Broncos win 20-16