If the Denver Broncos are going to make the playoffs, it's got to happen in the final three weeks of the season. The Broncos don't exactly control their own destiny, but if you can find a way to win these last three games and control what you can control, you never know what could happen.
I still think that winning 10 games puts you in a great position, but with the way Week 15 turned out, it couldn't have been more disastrous for the Broncos. But even though things were as bad as possible in Week 15, who's to say things won't turn around for the better in Week 16? This has been a crazy NFL season, so nothing would be surprising.
And as far as the Denver Broncos are concerned, as much focus gets placed on what other teams are doing, this Broncos team has no choice but to win. And they've done that over the majority of the last two months. The Broncos are 6-2 in their last eight games, although that loss against Detroit looked a lot more like the team that started the year 1-5.
What's going to happen over the final three weeks of the season? Are the Broncos going to do their part and get to 10-7? Let's make an updated set of predictions for each of these remaining games.
Week 16: New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos
Sunday, December 24, 6:15 PM MST
The Denver Broncos finally return home after a three-game road trip (in which they went a disappointing 1-2). This will be a much-needed homecoming for the Broncos, and a potentially critical win in the AFC. I don't think the New England Patriots are going to roll over for anybody, but you certainly get the impression that the Broncos are the better team here.
Now, if they play like they did against Detroit, they aren't better than really anyone in the NFL. When the defense is off like that, this Broncos team is just not built to come from down big like that.
But against the Patriots, they should be able to get back on track. Make no mistake, this game will be a test for the Denver Broncos' offense once again. Bill Belichick's defense is no slouch, and that unit will be well-prepared for this struggling Broncos offense. The Denver defense is going to need to provide the offense with additional possession by creating turnovers.
That's the formula for success for this team.
I think this will be a hard-fought game, but incidentally, it might work in the Broncos' favor to have lost that Detroit game (as badly as they did) to be able to really refocus. Now, it's the Broncos' backs against the wall. I think we'll see them respond in a big way at home on Sunday, improving to 8-7.
Prediction: Broncos win 24-15