Getty Shelby Harris shared his frustration with how the Broncos' season has gone after their Week 16 loss to the Raiders. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos‘ playoff hopes took a significant hit after a Week 16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The writing is on the wall for the Broncos, sitting at 7-8 with just two games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Barring a miracle of epic proportions, the Broncos will miss the postseason for the sixth-straight season.
After dropping a must-win game against the Raiders, Shelby Harris spoke to the media and voiced his frustrations with the loss and what it means for the team’s success.
“We knew this was a win or go home type situation,” Harris said during a postgame press conference. “We didn’t do enough to come out with a ‘W.'”
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Harris Didn’t Expect a Down Year For Broncos
Harris, a six-year vet, signed a three-year $27 million contract via Spotrac to stay in Denver ahead of the 2021 season. So, he saw some potential in the team, at least for the next few seasons. Unfortunately, that potential failed to reveal itself this season, with another year ending in disappointment.
After the loss to the Raiders that all but ended their season, Harris spoke candidly about how the Broncos’ season has unfolded.
“No one goes into the season expecting it to be like this, we always felt like we had the talent to compete with anybody, but we’ve never been able to put it together,” Harris said. “It’s frustrating – I’ve never been in the playoffs in my life; I felt like this was the most complete team to make that run, and we keep falling short.”
The season started promising enough for Denver after opening the 2021 campaign with three straight wins. However, the hot start proved to be smoke and mirrors as the Broncos quickly lost their next four games.
There have been beacons of hope in the form of victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, but over the last two weeks, with their season on the line, Denver has come up extremely small.
Broncos Now Have a 1 Percent Chance of Making the Playoffs
According to the New York Times Upshot Playoff Simulator, the Broncos now have a one percent chance of making the postseason heading into the final two weeks of the season.
There is no team in the NFL still mathematically alive that has a lower percentage chance at earning a playoff berth than the Broncos.
The Kansas City Chiefs claimed the AFC West title propelling their percentage to 100 in Week 16. Leading the way in the rest of the AFC are the Tennessee Titans (99 percent), Buffalo Bills (97 percent), New England Patriots (95 percent), and the Indianapolis Colts (95 percent).
The Cincinnati Bengals lead the AFC North with a 9-6 mark and hold a 79 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 70 percent chance of winning the division. That likely leaves six teams to fight it out for the last wildcard spot, including the Chargers (41 percent), Baltimore Ravens (32 percent), Raiders (21 percent), Pittsburgh Steelers (15 percent), Cleveland Browns (14 percent), and the Broncos (1 percent).
Compared to the AFC side of things, the NFC playoff picture is muddier, especially at the bottom of the bracket.
The Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals have clinched playoff spots, leaving only two wildcard spots left to claim.
Currently, the San Francisco 49ers (72 percent) and Philadelphia Eagles (55 percent) have the highest percentage to claim the final two playoff berths, followed by the New Orleans Saints (52 percent), Minnesota Vikings (16 percent), Washington Football Team (3 percent), and Atlanta Falcons (2 percent).
The New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, and Seattle Seahawks have all been eliminated from playoff contention.