The Denver Broncos can make the playoffs even if they lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18 of the regular season, but they would need help from two other teams also vying for postseason berths.
Their best bet is to notch a win over KC to close out the regular season and leave nothing to chance about making the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Fortunately for the Broncos, there is good news out of Chiefs Kingdom.
The Chiefs will sit many of their starters, giving them two weeks of rest with the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye week in the playoffs. That includes two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes, whom Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed will sit in favor of Carson Wentz.
“He’ll end up being the starting quarterback, and then we’ll kind of work things from there on who goes and who doesn’t go,” Reid told reporters on January 1. “You remember, last year, how the offensive line played and rotated in and out? So those types of things could potentially take place in this one depending on the positions.
“I haven’t finalized that part of it [resting starters other than Mahomes]. But it wasn’t a hard decision [to sit the QB].”
Reid later clarified that he had not decided on players recovering from injury, including defensive tackle Chris Jones and left tackle D.J. Humphries. But they sound unlikely to play the full game.
“The guys that are banged up, we’re trying to get back to where they feel okay,” Reid said.
The Chiefs will not play another game after Week 18 for three-plus weeks. Asked about weighing rest and rust, Reid again pointed to how what he has done things in years past informed his logic heading into this game.
“I’ve been through that before so I’m not too worried about all that,” Reid said. “It just gives the other guys an opportunity here to grow, and, well, you can use everybody”
Chiefs’ Andy Reid Praises Broncos’ Sean Payton
GettyFormer New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton (L) congratulates former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid.
Reid and Payton have a long history and have had many battles against one another dating back to the former’s time with the Philadelphia Eagles while the Broncos’ leader was with the New Orleans Saints.
Reid commended Payton and the Broncos staff for the job they have done this season.
“The Denver Broncos are a heck of a football team. Bidding for, obviously, a playoff spot. Sean’s done a real nice job up there with that team, and as his coordinators have,” Reid said. “We’ve got to have a good week of practice here starting today and then again moving forward throughout the week.”
In April, ESPN projected the Broncos to win fewer than six games. NFL.com projected them for fewer than seven in September. The Broncos can notch their tenth win in Week 18.
Broncos Need to Win or Count on Bengals, Dolphins
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton reacts against the Cincinnati Bengals.
For the Broncos, a win gets them into the playoffs. A loss would mean counting on two other teams – the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins – to lose their Week 18 matchups. Both teams will be on the road.
The Bengals will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are 10-6 and have locked up a playoff spot but have not declared their intentions for their starters.
Winning would likely mean keeping their division rival out of the playoffs, though.
The Dolphins will face the New York Jets, in another divisional showdown. However, they face a much easier path against the Jets, who are 4-12 and have lost two in a row coming in with one win in their last seven games.
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