The Denver Broncos have again positioned themselves nicely to win the AFC West. After their defeat of the Kansas City Chiefs at home, the Broncos clinched a season split with the Chiefs and also handed them their second loss of the season.
Denver, for the time being, is first place in the West. After winning the division with games to spare last year, and winning eight more games than the Chiefs, this year's race for the division title could end up being a lot tigher.
With the Los Angeles Chargers winless and the Las Vegas Raiders 3-4 and average, at best, the West is going to be a two-horse race. Let's look a bit ahead and rank the Broncos' toughest remaining games with Week 9 approaching.
Ranking the Denver Broncos toughest remaining games with Week 9 on the horizon
4. Week 15 @ Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders actually rank 6th in points scored per game this year and have averaged 26.3 points at home. Las Vegas narrowly lost at home to the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, so this is a team that the Broncos would be wise to not overlook despite Denver sweeping Vegas the last two seasons. Kirk Cousins has actually played well this year and has this offense humming, for the most part.
While the Raiders aren't going to make any major noise later in the season, this is going to be a tougher game.
3. Week 17 @ New England Patriots
Denver has a rematch with the New England Patriots, but it's in their house in Week 17. The Patriots are 5-3 and have definitely regressed a bit, but this is still a very good team. Had Bo Nix been up for the AFC Championship Game, though, the Broncos likely beat the Patriots and move on to the Super Bowl. That doesn't mean Denver will beat New England later in the year. The Patriots are a balanced team, and Drake Maye has begun to play well as of late. They've been very stingy on defense in the Mike Vrabel era as well.
This game could also have some major playoff seeding on the line, and New England has typically always been a tough place to play as well.
2. Week 12 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Another solid football team that play well and home and has a stingy defense is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Denver vists them on Black Friday. It's a Friday game on November 27th. The Broncos do have a really strong defensive line that should be able to take advantage of an immobile QB in Aaron Rodgers, but the Steelers are 4-0 at home this year and have outscored their opponents 111-68, which is an average final score of 27.8-17.
While the Steelers don't really stick out as a juggernaut in the AFC, they're a tough out. Acrisure Stadium is another extremely tough place to play as well. With Pittsburgh sitting at 6-2 and very much alive in the playoff race in the AFC and for the AFC North title, the Broncos will have their hands full. Offensively, Pittsburgh runs the ball well as well. They won't threaten a ton dropping back to pass, but they are more of an 'old school' team in what they do well.
1. Week 16 vs. Buffalo Bills
This could be a fun one. The Broncos host the Bills in Week 16 in what will be a rematch of the AFC Divisional Round back in 2025. Buffalo has an explosive defense, but they have struggled big-time on defense. This could honestly end up being a shootout. Denver struggled to contain Buffalo's offense last year and were fortunately able to generate a ton of turnovers.
Like the games against Pittsburgh and New England, this one could have major playoff implications. If the Bills and Broncos both win their respective divisions, the teams would be seeded based on records, but if the Broncos and Bills both finish, let's say 13-4 and win their divisions, whoever won the head-to-head matchup would get the nod as the higher seed.
Buffalo also has someone in Josh Allen who might just be the best player in the sport. We have seen the Broncos beat this team before, but that doesn't promise anything later in the season.
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