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The Denver Broncos are still in the NFL playoff hunt, but they will need some help to get there. Heading into Week 15, the Broncos are No. 10 in the AFC, four spots back from the final Wild Card position.
According to Football Outsiders, the Broncos have a 6.9 percent chance to make the playoffs. Denver’s chances took a hit after the Broncos lost to the 49ers, but Denver still has an outside shot at making the postseason. Five Thirty Eight gives the Broncos a five percent chance to make the playoffs.
Denver cannot win the AFC West as the race is down to the Chiefs and Chargers. The No. 2 team in the division will get the top Wild Card slot leaving one playoff spot up for grabs. The Broncos are competing against the Ravens, Dolphins, Colts, Titans and Browns for this final Wild Card position.
The Broncos Need to Win Their Remaining 3 Games Plus Get Some Help From Teams in Front of Them in Order to Make the Playoffs
The Broncos need to win out plus get some help to have a chance at the postseason. Mile High Sports detailed what the Broncos need to happen in addition to winning their next three games.
They would then need either the Steelers or Ravens to drop two of their next three. The Ravens finish their schedule versus the Buccaneers, at the Chargers, and home against the Browns, not a tough slate to say the least…
The Steelers, on the other hand, give the Broncos a better chance. They’re in the midst of a three-game losing streak and look as cold as they have all season.
The Broncos will also need help from the Dolphins, Colts and Titans, who all currently sit ahead of them in the playoff picture. Luckily for the Broncos, their loss lost week came against an NFC team, meaning it won’t hurt them as much when it comes to tiebreakers. This is where things get complicated.
To pass the Colts, the Broncos will need to win out and have the Colts lose either one or two games depending on the opponent. If the Colts lose to the Titans in Week 17, the Broncos will tie the Colts in in-conference-record (7-5) and hold the edge in games between common opponents (3-2 to 2-3). Without the loss to the Titans, the Broncos would need the Colts to lose both of their other games (home games against the Cowboys and Giants) as the Broncos would need a better record overall because they’d lose the in-conference record tiebreaker.
The Broncos Can Easily Be Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Denver’s loss to San Francisco could end up being the tipping point to pushing the Broncos out of the playoffs. While understanding the Broncos path to the playoffs is complicated, Denver’s path to elimination is much simpler. Denver’s 9 News broke down the Broncos elimination scenarios.
*A Broncos loss to the Browns on Saturday plus a Tennessee Titans win at the New York Giants on Sunday. This is simplest scenario.
*A Broncos loss to the Browns, plus a Steelers home win against New England, plus a Ravens home win against Tampa Bay, plus a Bengals home loss to the Raiders. The Steelers, Ravens and Bengals all play Sunday afternoon.
*There is also a possibility the Broncos would be eliminated with a loss to Cleveland and an Indianapolis home win against Dallas on Sunday if it’s determined Denver can’t possibly win the strength of victory tiebreaker, which is currently fluid
AFC Wild Card Standings: Week 15
Here’s a look at the current AFC Wild Card standings with the teams that still have a chance to make the postseason. The top two teams will secure a Wild Card spot.
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. Los Angeles Chargers | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 2. Baltimore Ravens | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 3. Miami Dolphins | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 4. Indianapolis Colts | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 5. Tennessee Titans | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 6. Denver Broncos | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 7. Cleveland Browns | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 8. Cincinnati Bengals | 5 | 8 | 0 |
