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The Denver Broncos have experienced a real turnaround.
After winning Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning, the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs for eight straight years — a rookie named Bo Nix ended that streak last year.
In the second year of the Nix and Sean Payton era, the AFC playoff picture runs through Mile High.
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Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High on January 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
The Broncos clinched first place in the AFC on Sunday with a 19-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record.
The Broncos were surely helped by Trey Lance getting the start in Week 18, as the Chargers could have only been the No. 6 or 7 seed. So they opted to rest Justin Herbert and give the rock to Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft who never found his place.
Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II reacts to his tackle during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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The Broncos scored a field goal on their first drive and immediately followed it with a pick six to go up 10-0 early, and they never looked back. Both teams struggled to move the ball, as there were 13 punts in total. But the Broncos’ stout defense did exactly what it has done all season: stop everything in its path.
The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars also entered the day mathematically alive for the AFC’s top seed, but Denver was the only team controlling its own destiny. The Patriots needed a win and a Broncos loss, while the Jaguars needed both New England and Denver to lose.
Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike (96), defensive end Sai’vion Jones (95) and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) react after a fumble recovery during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. (Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images)
This is the first time the Broncos have secured the top spot since 2015, the same season they won the Super Bowl. Last year, they lost in the wild card round to the Buffalo Bills, who they could very well host in the divisional round in two weeks.
