After a tough loss at home in week 9 to the red hot Houston Texans, many people (including myself) thought the Broncos had no shot at a potential playoff spot in the AFC. When Brandon McManus missed that last second field goal vs the Texans which would have won the game for the Broncos, they were reeling at 3-6 and head coach Vance Joseph was definitely on the hot seat.
As we all know, things can change in the blink of an eye in the NFL, and those changes that Denver has made the last three weeks have blossomed into a three game winning streak as they’re back at .500 sitting at 6-6, in third place in the AFC West. Denver has no chance at winning the division, but they’re in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race.
The play of Case Keenum over the last four weeks has been better, as Keenum has settled in and not thrown any interceptions the last four games, and the Broncos have been forcing turnovers instead of giving the football away. They’ve also gotten big plays and production from the undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay out of Colorado who’s rushed already for 937 yards and scored 8 TD’s.
Lindsay has been a pleasant surprise not just for Denver, but in the entire NFL as he’s a strong rookie of the year candidate. His bursting speed and uncanny ability to run effectively between the tackles has paid off big time for the ground game of the Broncos. His speed through the holes has created havoc for opposing defenses and linebackers who often are a step late trying to tackle him because of his speed.
Let’s not forget about the veteran WR Emmanuel Sanders who always seems to come up with big catches along with Courtland Sutton who’s also stepped up his game, coming up with key receptions for the Broncos.
On the defensive side of the ball, Denver has been forcing a lot of turnovers and getting to the opposing quarterback. Von Miller has 12.5 sacks and the rookie Bradley Chubb is right behind him with 10. Nose Tackle Shelby Harris has also been playing well, sealing a win over the Steelers with an interception of Big Ben in the end zone a few weeks back.
I’m somewhat concerned in the Denver secondary with the loss of Chris Harris Jr., who is out for the season with a broken leg, as Roby will have to step his game up as his replacement.
Denver’s last four games of the year are as follows: @ Niners, home against the Browns, @ Raiders, and the Chargers at home. If they win out and finish at 10-6, there’s still no guarantees they’ll get in, but if that happens, I like their chances. The Ravens are sitting at 7-5, the Dolphins, Titans, and Colts are also 6-6. Denver has already lost to the Ravens back in week 3, so they’ll have to finish with a better record than Baltimore to get in, assuming the Ravens don’t win the AFC North.
The Broncos schedule is the easiest amongst these teams, as the Ravens still have games remaining against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Chargers, and Browns. Tennessee faces Jacksonville, Giants, Redskins, and the Colts. Indy still has to play the Texans, Cowboys, Giants, and the Titans. The last month of the season should be interesting to see how it all unfolds, but if Denver can run the table they just may punch their playoff ticket riding a Mile High in the Mile High City.