The Denver Broncos (7-8) are technically still alive in the AFC playoff hunt, but not by much. The New York Times estimates that Denver has a 6% chance of reaching the postseason.
There are two ways the Broncos could still make the playoffs. The first way would be to win the AFC West. For that to happen, Denver would have to win out and the Kansas City Chiefs (9-6) would have to lose out.
Kansas City losing both of its remaining games seems extremely unlikely, so the second option might be more realistic (albeit still unlikely) for the Broncos. The second option would be to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The best-case scenario would be getting in as the sixth seed.
In order to make the playoffs as in a Wild Card spot, Denver would need a lot of help from other teams. With that in mind, here is a handy Week 17 rooting guide for what results would put the Broncos in the best position to earn a Wild Card playoff berth.
Patriots at Bills: New England win
In an ideal scenario, the Bills (9-6) lose out so the Broncos have a chance to finish with the same record (Denver has a head-to-head tiebreaker over Buffalo).
Titans at Texans: Tennessee win
The Broncos need at least one of the Texans (8-7), Jaguars (8-7) or Colts (8-7) to lose out.
Raiders at Colts: Las Vegas win
The Broncos need at least one of the Colts (8-7), Texans (8-7) or Jaguars (8-7) to lose out. Fans in Denver won’t like rooting for Las Vegas, but it would help the Broncos’ playoff chances.
Panthers at Jaguars: Carolina win
The Broncos need at least one of the Jaguars (8-7), Colts (8-7) or Texans (8-7) to lose out.
Steelers at Seahawks: Seattle win
Denver would benefit from the Steelers (8-7) losing out so the Broncos can finish with a better record.
Bengals at Chiefs: Choose Your Fighter
If you believe the Chiefs (9-6) could lose their final two games of the season, root for a Bengals (8-7) win on Sunday to keep the Broncos alive in the AFC West title race.
If you think Kansas City losing out is unrealistic, root for the Chiefs to win. That would give Denver a chance to finish with the same record as Cincinnati and rank above the Bengals with a conference tiebreaker in the Wild Card race.
Chargers at Broncos: Denver win
Of course, the most important result this weekend is that of the Broncos’ own game. If Denver loses to Los Angeles, the Broncos would be eliminated from playoff contention regardless of what happens in the other games. Denver needs to beat its division rival to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.
