The Denver Broncos can clinch a playoff spot with a Week 17 victory. What are their current playoff odds approaching their next game? Denver could have clinched a playoff spot in Week 16, and they did have an 11-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers at one point in that game, but the defense just did not hold up.
And on a side note, the Broncos have allowed about 100 more passing yards per game in the games that CB Riley Moss has missed. With Moss likely playing in Week 17, the secondary should be back on track, and it does help that Denver did get some promising play from rookie CB Kris Abrams-Draine, which could give Denver yet another viable CB.
It's not time to panic yet!
With the Cincinnati Bengals being a team that loves to throw the ball, Denver could come out in some dime packages (six defensive backs) to try and sell-out to stop the passing attack. And as the team approaches their second "win and in" game in a row, the team's playoff odds are still decent.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Denver Broncos currently have a 75% chance to make the playoffs, and it would drop to 59% with a loss. For the Bengals, they are eliminated from the postseason with a loss and would have 12% odds with a victory.
So even if the Broncos lose their second game in a row, they still have a roughly 60% chance at the postseason. And a hidden advantage is that with the Kansas City Chiefs winning in Week 17, they have now clinched the no. 1 seed in the AFC and truly do not have anything to play for in Week 18 when the Broncos host them.
Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid has rested starters at the end of the season during his Chiefs' tenure when the team has locked into a playoff seed, so it's likely that the Broncos may not see players like Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and others.
And that is a good fallback if the team loses to the Bengals. With a win over Cincy, that Week 18 game could actually help the Broncos clinch a higher seed in the AFC playoffs. They are still alive for the fifth seed, which is the most ideal Wild Card seed this year. Denver being able to clinch the fifth seed would give them a date with the limp Houston Texans in the Wild Card round. Houston isn't a good team, so this could be a Broncos' victory.
But anyway, the Broncos' playoff odds approaching Week 17 are still solid.