Winners and Losers for NFL Week 15: Patriots, Colts, Browns, Dolphins and more

WINNER: Denver Broncos

Hey, when ESPN is reporting that your franchise quarterback is getting four bags of intravenous fluid and fighting off the flu, and yet you win and clinch the division, you’re probably doing OK as a franchise.

“We were unsure at halftime to be honest with you, until Peyton made the cavalry entrance there at the start of the third quarter,” coach John Fox said to the media after the game. “I think it’s a tribute to the kind of toughness Peyton has and the kind of competitor he is that he got up and did a tremendous job in those conditions.”

When they signed up for the Peyton Manning Experience, Denver was hoping to get a few decent seasons out of a guy people had written off because of neck surgery. What they have received instead is a guy who—even when he’s not quite at the top of his game—can lead them into the playoffs and give them a legitimate shot at making the Super Bowl.

Of course, this year they’d like to win it—or at least be in the game—but first they had to win the division, which they did with a solid win over the San Diego Chargers.

Now they will try to steal home field from New England, though that will require some help from teams playing the Pats.

That won’t be easy, especially if their quarterback starts vomiting.

Next: LOSER: Cleveland Browns