Denver Broncos: What it will take for team to make the postseason

The Denver Broncos have had a turbulent 2021 season but in this long 17-game affair, they are still firmly in the hunt for that elusive playoff spot.

The Broncos sit at 6-6 and a part of a logjam of AFC teams fighting for a playoff spot. To this point, nothing in the AFC is certain. But looking at the remaining schedule for the Broncos, it is quite possible that the team needs to win four of its final five games to reach the playoffs.

That would put them at 10-7. It’s possible that 9-8 won’t get them in. One fun application to play around with is ESPN’s Playoff Machine. In my predictions, the Broncos finished 9-8 and did not get in.

Of course, after watching the team’s recent performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, expecting the Broncos win to four of five games might be incredibly wishful. Let’s take a look at their remaining schedule along with that of each of the other AFC teams that are in the hunt with the Broncos. This won’t include current division leaders Kansas City, Baltimore, New England or Tennessee.

Denver Broncos

vs. Detroit

vs. Cincinnati

at Las Vegas

at L.A. Chargers

vs. Kansas City

Indianapolis Colts

vs. New England

at Arizona

vs. Las Vegas

at Jacksonville

Buffalo Bills

at Tampa Bay

vs. Carolina

at New England

vs. Atlanta

vs. N.Y. Jets

Miami Dolphins

vs. N.Y. Jets

at New Orleans

at Tennessee

vs. New England

Cincinnati Bengals

vs. San Francisco

at Denver

vs. Baltimore

vs. Kansas City

at Cleveland

Pittsburgh Steelers

at Minnesota

vs. Tennessee

at Kansas City

vs. Cleveland

at Baltimore

Cleveland Browns

vs. Baltimore

vs. Las Vegas

at Green Bay

at Pittsburgh

vs. Cincinnati

L.A. Chargers

vs. N.Y. Giants

vs. Kansas City

at Houston

vs. Denver

at Las Vegas

Las Vegas

at Kansas City

at Cleveland

vs. Denver

at Indianapolis

vs. L.A. Chargers

Looking at these schedules, it is possible that the Broncos could leap over some of these teams if they can start to string some wins together, something that has proven difficult this year.

Teams like the Colts and Bills have tough remaining schedules, but both teams are arguably a lot better than the Broncos. Then you have the Dolphins who currently sit at 6-7 but are playing as well as any team in the league.

But the Broncos must take care of their own business before worrying about what these other teams are able to do.

The best path to the playoffs for the Broncos would look like this:

Take care of business at home

The Lions have only won one game and that came on the final play of the game last week. They are a better team than their current 1-10-1 record suggests, but the Broncos must defeat them. If they lose to the Lions, it’s officially onto 2022.

The Bengals come in next and have been one of the most sporadic teams in the league this season. Like the Broncos, they have failed to build on the big wins they have had this year. But it’s also clear that these are not your father’s Bengals.

Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase make up one of the best young connections in the league and they will not be an easy out for Denver, but this is another game the Broncos need to get in the win column.

Split with the rivals

After those two home games, the Broncos go on the road for back-to-back games with the Raiders and Chargers. The Broncos need to find a way to win one of these games.

If they could go to Vegas and beat the Raiders, that would out them at 9-6 and sitting in good position for the playoffs. They are going to get the Chargers at their best the following week as the Bolts will be looking for revenge from the thumping Denver recently put on them.

Quite frankly, the Chargers are a more complete football team than the Broncos.

End the streak

In the season finale, the hope will be that the Chiefs have everything wrapped up and don’t really have anything to play for so they sit the majority of their starters and Denver gets a pass. That might be the only way the 12-game losing streak to the Chiefs ends anytime soon.

That would leave the Broncos at 10-7 and likely in as a Wild Card. Of course, you could make the argument that could be a bad thing as it would likely preserve the job of Vic Fangio after the team got bounced quickly in the postseason.

This is all wishful thinking and certainly a “best case” scenario given recent results. The Broncos could just as easily lose all five of their remaining games and no one would (or should) be too surprised.