While a week off is always welcome, it usually turns into the odd weekend of watching football. Instead of rooting directly for the Denver team, suddenly it's all about fighting against a whole slew of teams. The Patriots and Chiefs did their best to ruin Sunday for me with their wins, but I want to give credit to the Colts for finding a way to blow the win late against Kansas City. Scoreboard watching (not tied to draft position) has returned as a popular hobby in Broncos country.
Due to the Broncos' off week and the Patriots' incredibly soft schedule, the Broncos found themselves in second place in the AFC this Monday morning. With six games remaining, are the Broncos a credible threat to reclaim the No. 1 seed?
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If the Broncos take care of their business, nothing will stop them from reclaiming their rightful place at the top of the AFC. Command team without Jayden Daniels? The Raiders team that just fired their OC after a terrible game against the Browns? Inconsistent Packers team? The first three games after the bye are the games the Broncos need to play, and they are the ones the Broncos need to win the AFC West.
Then there are the final three games of the season. While they're tougher than the first three games straight after the bye, they're the perfect springboard to higher levels of postseason play. The Jaguars are a ragtag team (right, Arizona Cardinals) and an explosive team (right, Los Angeles Chargers?) that can't be overlooked. The Chiefs will be fighting for their playoff lives on Christmas Day, favored by the umpires (as usual) and home field at Arrowhead. Then there are the Chargers… They could yet have a burst of success as the season winds down.
It's funny that the league schedules divisional games to close out the season to make it more interesting. The Denver Broncos are in a unique position to make these games completely insignificant given the lead they have built all season.
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Every win from here on out sets the stage for what we all hope will be a deep postseason run. As always, there are games they should win and there are games they are likely to lose, but one thing is for sure…Broncos Country is behind this team on its way to the playoffs. The farewell week is over. It's time for the Broncos to play their best football of the season.
