Fansided

NFL Playoff Picture: Denver Broncos Win AFC West

By Josh Hill

Dec 14, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws a pass for a 12-yard gain during the second quarter of the Broncos game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) throws a pass for a 12-yard gain during the second quarter of the Broncos game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Broncos needed a win against the San Diego Chargers to clinch the AFC West, and that’s exactly what happened in Week 15. 

Peyton Manning missed most of the game on Sunday afternoon but that didn’t stop the Denver Broncos from clinching the AFC West and locking up the third division in the conference on Sunday.

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The AFC North is the only division that hasn’t yet crowned a champion, as the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts both sealed up the AFC East and AFC South respectively. In the end, those three teams are the ones vying for a first round bye as the Cincinnati Bengals seem to be in the hunt but won’t get the bounces they need.

Denver is firmly in the No. 2 seed in the AFC, trailing the New England Patriots by nothing more than a tie breaker. Both teams are 11-3 but the Patriots win over the Broncos is proving pivotal at this point in the season. With just two games left, the Broncos need to win out and have New England lose just once to win the No. 1 seed.

If the Patriots lose twice and the Colts win out, then it will be Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in the top seeds in the AFC.

That’s a ways off and not likely to happen, but the Broncos have clinched the AFC West which is their first step to returning to the Super Bowl this year.

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