NFL Updates Broncos Standing in the AFC Playoff Picture in Week 12

Here's where the Denver Broncos stand in the AFC playoff picture entering Week 12.

Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos emerged from Week 11's resounding 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons with a 6-5 record. The Broncos are back in plus-.500 territory.

If the playoffs started this weekend, the Broncos would be in as the No. 7 seed, with a trip to take on the No. 2-seeded Buffalo Bills in their house.

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Here's a look at Denver's remaining schedule:

• Week 12: at Raiders
• Week 13: Browns
• Week 14: Bye
• Week 15: Colts
• Week 16: at Chargers
• Week 17: at Bengals
• Week 18: Chiefs

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The Broncos will face two of the top-four teams in the AFC playoff hunt. The Indianapolis Colts will come to town in Week 15, while the Broncos will take to the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.

That doesn't count this season's remaining divisional games, two of which are against rivals currently seeded higher than Denver in the AFC playoff picture. The 9-1 Kansas City Chiefs are virtually un-catchable for the AFC West crown. When the Broncos face them in the season finale, there's a good chance the Chiefs will be resting starters.

However, Week 16's road trip to take on the 7-3 Los Angeles Chargers will be huge relative to playoff seeding and overall positioning. When tie-breakers start getting factored in, beyond the straight win/loss record, a team's divisional and conference ranking come into play, so the more wins Denver can stack in the AFC West and the AFC, the better.

With rookie quarterback Bo Nix really hitting his stride, the road ahead looks favorable for the Broncos. Next up is a road trip to take on the Las Vegas Raiders in their house. The Broncos will be favored to win, but they've never won in Allegiant Stadium.

The Broncos will then come home to host the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 before hitting their bye. For a competitively-relevant team down the stretch, having a bye in December can be fortuitous.

It should allow the Broncos to heal up and do some late-season self-scouting to, hopefully, hone the team into an even sharper blade for the final frame of games. There's a conceivable path to a 10-win season if the version of the Broncos we've seen the past two weeks was not a fluke.

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