Broncos fans' rooting guide for Week 13 with playoff chances

What happens if this all pans out (or not)?

In a dream scenario for the Broncos, the team wins in Houston, and all three of the games listed above go their way. In that scenario, the New York Times Playoff Simulator gives the Broncos roughly a 60% chance of making the playoffs. In this scenario, the Steelers would hold the fifth seed, the Broncos the sixth, and the Browns the seventh. All three would sit at 7-5, with the Steelers holding the tiebreaker over the Broncos due to in conference winning percentage, and the Broncos over the Browns due to their week 12 game.

In a world where none of that happens, the AFC playoff picture sits as it currently is: Steelers, Browns, and Colts in that order for the Wild Card spots, the Texans in the first spot out, the Broncos behind them in the ninth spot, but still ahead of the Bills due to head-to-head.

In this scenario, the Bengals' week 13 result in Jacksonville becomes relevant, but that feels like a tough task for Jake Browning. This scenario crashes the Broncos' playoff chances to roughly 13%. The head-to-head against the Texans carries a world of difference for Denver.