Game update (Sunday evening): Thanks to their blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos are in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the AFC. They are heading to Buffalo to play the Bills.
How the Denver Broncos clinched a playoff spot in Week 18
The Denver Broncos are headed to the playoffs
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Game update (Saturday night): With the Bengals’ win, the Broncos need to win if they want to be in the playoffs.
Well it’s Groundhog Day, again.
For the third week in a row the Denver Broncos have a chance to clinch a playoff berth.
But having failed in their previous two attempts, Denver can still end up on the outside looking in come Sunday night.
Here is how the Broncos can clinch a playoff spot in Week 18, and how they can be eliminated.
Denver Broncos playoff berth clinching scenarios
The Broncos enter the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season with a 9-7 record, one game ahead of both the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals, the only other teams left fighting for a playoff spot in the AFC.
Denver controls their own destiny this weekend. With a win or a tie against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, the Broncos clinch the No. 7 seed and the final AFC playoff spot.
The Broncos can still back into the final playoff spot if they lose to the Chiefs, who are going to be resting their starters on Sunday. If the Dolphins lose or tie against the New York Jets, and the Bengals lose or tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, the Broncos are still in the playoffs.
Denver’s game against Kansas City begins at 4:25 p.m. Eastern on Sunday afternoon, the same time as the Dolphins-Jets game.
Denver Broncos seeding scenarios
The Broncos can only qualify as the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
Denver Broncos elimination scenarios
Now the bad news. While they control their destiny in Week 18, the Broncos can still be eliminated come Sunday night. If the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, then a win by either the Bengals on Saturday night, or the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, eliminates Denver.
AFC standings entering Week 18
1. z-Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. y-Buffalo Bills (13-3)
3. x-Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
4. y-Houston Texans (9-7)
5. x-Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6, win over LAC)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, loss to PIT)*
7. Denver Broncos (9-7)*
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8, 6-5 AFC)*
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8, 5-6 AFC)*
10. Indianapolis Colts (7-9) — eliminated
11. New York Jets (4-12, 4-7 AFC, win over JAX) — eliminated
12. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12, 3-8 AFC, win over JAX) — eliminated
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12, 4-7 AFC, loss to NYJ & LV) — eliminated
14. Cleveland Browns (3-13) — eliminated
15. Tennessee Titans (3-13, win over NE) — eliminated
16. New England Patriots (3-13, loss to TEN) — eliminated
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