The Denver Broncos were idle on a bye in Week 12, but a lot will have changed by the next time the team steps onto the field again. Heading into Week 12, Denver was the No. 1 seed. Now, the Broncos are the No. 2 seed. But the Broncos could’ve ended up as the No. 3 seed if it wasn’t for the Kansas City Chiefs downing the Indianapolis Colts. More on this below.
Chiefs Win in Week 12 Is Twofold
After downing the Chiefs in Week 11, Kansas City did the Broncos a solid by defeating the Colts. The Chiefs’ win is twofold. The Colts are still behind the Broncos, and the Chiefs actually fell one spot in the AFC Conference standings by winning.
Because the Baltimore Ravens won and the Pittsburgh Steelers lost, the two teams switch spots. The Ravens are now the No. 4 in the AFC Conference, while the Steelers are in the hunt for a wildcard slot. Tied with the Steelers at 6-5 are the Houston Texans and the Chiefs. The Steelers, though, have the better conference record, so they are No. 8, while the Texans are No. 9 and the Chiefs are No. 10.
So, having a worse conference record than the Steelers and Texans while in a three-way tie in the standings is why the Chiefs fell one spot after a win. That said, it’s a win-win for the Broncos.
Coming out of the bye, the Broncos finishing the regular season 13-4 is a conservative estimate. The 9-2 Broncos play the Washington Commanders, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Green Bay Packers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Los Angeles Chargers to close out the regular season.
But as of now, the New England Patriots are the No. 1 seed, the Broncos are the No. 2 seed, the Colts are the No. 3 seed, the Ravens are the No. 4 seed, the Los Angeles Chargers are the No. 5 seed, the Jacksonville Jaguars are the No. 6 seed, and the Buffalo Bills are the No. 7 seed. The Steelers, Texans, and Chiefs, meanwhile, are in the hunt.
Elsewhere for the Broncos, though, Pat Surtain II, No. 4 in PFSN’s CB Impact Score, should be back for Week 13. It means defensive coordinator Vance Joseph can leave Surtain II on an island and reallocate resources to fellow cornerback Riley Moss’ side of the field.
