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With the 2021 regular season winding down, it’s the most wonderful time of the year for football fans.
No, not Christmas! We’re talking about scoreboard watching season!
It’s the only time during the season when rooting for a bitter rival becomes acceptable, and at times necessary. Simply, it’s time of year where every game on the schedule starts to matter. Where one game can shake up the entire landscape of the NFL.
The Denver Broncos are a part of that wonderful madness and enter Week 15 prepared to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Both the Broncos and the Bengals are embroiled in a crowded battle for the three wildcard spots up for grabs in the AFC.
However, after the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the action in Week 15 with a Thursday night victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver’s matchup with the Bengals on Sunday just became more intriguing.
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Why KC’s Win Over LA is Good for Denver
The Chiefs came from behind late before putting the Chargers away in overtime Thursday night, winning 34-28, to open Week 15’s slate of games.
That’s now seven-straight wins for the Chiefs, who continue to pull away from the rest of the pack in the AFC West. At 10-4 and playing some of their best football of the season, the Chiefs are unlikely to be overtaken for the division crown.
For the rest of the AFC West, their best shot at making the postseason will likely come only by clinching a wildcard spot.
It’s not often, late in the season, after a division leader wins a game that someone could say it was a good thing for the teams beneath them. However, for the Broncos, the Chiefs’ victory only helps their playoff chances, especially if Denver can earn a win in Week 15 against the Bengals.
Perhaps it’s not so much the Chiefs win that’s good for the Broncos, more so it’s the Chargers’ loss that means more.
The Chargers’ loss keeps the Broncos even with LA in the loss column, and just a game behind them in the win column, for now. A win over the Bengals in Week 15 would help the Broncos climb even with the Chargers, who as of Thursday night still held the fifth and top wildcard spot in the AFC.
A win for the Broncos would also propel them ahead of Cincinnati, leaving Denver with one less team to leapfrog in pursuit of a wildcard spot.
Scoreboard Watching for Week 15
Las Vegas Raiders (6-7) at Cleveland Browns (7-6)
Aside from the Broncos, the only other remaining AFC West team yet to play in Week 15 are the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in a game that could have an impact on the Broncos’ playoff path.
Cleveland is still fighting for the AFC North crown, sitting just one game behind the Baltimore Ravens (8-5). The Broncos don’t hold the tiebreaker against either the Browns or the Ravens, having lost to both this season.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are fighting against very tall odds, and loss would all but burst their playoff bubble. Falling to the Browns in Week 15 would drop Las Vegas to 6-8 heading into a Week 16 divisional game against the Broncos. Denver lost to the Raiders, 34-24, back in Week 6.
New England Patriots (9-4) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6)
Much like the Chiefs in the AFC West, it’s unlikely anyone is catching the New England Patriots in the AFC East. At 9-4, the Pats are nearly a shoo-in for the division title, so the Broncos won’t have to worry about New England in their fight for a wildcard berth.
It’s New England’s opponent in Week 15, the Indianapolis Colts, who the Broncos may have to worry about before the season is said and done. The Colts are 7-6 on the year, and similar to the Broncos, they see a wildcard spot as their only hope to reach the playoffs. Heading into Week 15, the Colts occupied the second of three wildcard spots in the AFC.
Tennessee Titans (9-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1)
The Tennessee Titans are front-running atop the AFC South with a 9-4 mark and have almost assuredly secured one of the top four seeds in the AFC Playoffs.
In Week 15, the Titans will travel to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who like many in the AFC, still have a bit of life left in their season, entering the game at 6-6-1. Pittsburgh’s tie earlier in the season is likely keeping them afloat for the time being. However, a loss to the Titans would likely send their playoff hopes adrift.
New York Jets (3-10) at Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Yes, believe it or not, the Miami Dolphins can still make the playoffs. Isn’t the extra wildcard fun? In all seriousness, the Dolphins have won five-straight games heading into their Week 15 matchup against the New York Jets.
With a win over the Jets, the Dolphins would improve to 7-7 after beginning the season 1-7.
A victory for Miami would muddy the AFC wildcard waters even more while keeping another team in the hunt that the Broncos may have to fend off down the stretch.
Carolina Panthers (5-8) at Buffalo Bills (7-6)
The Buffalo Bills, once thought to be Super Bowl contenders, come into Week 15 looking to break a two-game losing streak while also steadying their path to the playoffs.
While the Bills draw a matchup against the fading Carolina Panthers, Buffalo has little room for error if they hope to secure a spot in the postseason.
After such lofty hopes coming into the season, with just four games remaining, the Bills find themselves clinging to the seventh seed and final wildcard spot in the AFC. l