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5 reasons the Denver Broncos won’t make the AFC Playoffs

By John Buhler

Mar 7, 2016; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning during his retirement announcement press conference at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2016; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning during his retirement announcement press conference at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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November 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) is congratulated by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) after the game at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Chiefs 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) is congratulated by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) after the game at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Chiefs 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Kansas City is great, Oakland is on the rise

To echo the sentiment from the previous slide, let’s state two important facts about the AFC West: 1.) Kansas City will make the AFC Playoffs in 2016 barring any catastrophic series of unfortunate events. 2.) Oakland should finish at or around .500 at the very least, posing as a team capable of making a run at either AFC Wild Card spot.

So where does this leave Denver? Possibly on the outside looking in at a trip to the AFC Playoffs in 2016. The easiest way to ensure a trip to the NFL Playoffs is to win the division. Denver may have a playoff caliber team in some capacity entering the 2016 NFL season, but are the Broncos the runaway favorites to win the NFC West for the sixth straight season? No. Kansas City feels like the top dog at entering the 2016 NFL season.

Denver fielded great teams the last five years that were clearly better than whatever Kansas City, Oakland, and San Diego could put together during that same time frame. Now that the Chiefs are one of the elite teams in the AFC entering 2016 and the Raiders are at worst middle of the pack in the AFC, that makes divisional play all the more difficult for the Broncos in the AFC West.

With division games usually being so crucial in determining who ultimately comes out on top and gets to host a NFL Playoff game, Denver doesn’t have the luxury of coasting through the AFC West like the Broncos have in years past, as Kansas City is strong, Oakland is on the rise, and San Diego can’t be that bad again, right?

Next: 2. All in on 2015

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