Broncos will be forced to root for Russell Wilson to secure their playoff fate

There have been bitter feelings between the Denver Broncos and quarterback Russell Wilson since he left this offseason. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback was expected to elevate the franchise back to a perennial playoff contender, but his struggles resulted in two losing seasons for the Broncos.

Although Wilson’s release left the Broncos with the largest dead cap hit in NFL history, both sides seem to be better off without each other. Wilson has thrived with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Broncos seem to have found their next franchise quarterback in rookie Bo Nix.

As both teams gear up for a playoff run, Denver may be relying on Wilson’s help once again. All three AFC Wild Card spots are held by teams with an 8-5 record, but the Broncos have the lowest seed due to tiebreakers against the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. 

Broncos need Russell Wilson’s help to avoid tough playoff matchup 

The Broncos will be able to overtake the Chargers with a head-to-head win in Week 16, but they’ll need Wilson’s help to surpass the Ravens, per Will Petersen of 104.3 The Fan. 

As the lowest-seeded team, Denver would set for an unfavorable matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round. It’s no secret that the easiest Wild Card matchup is against the Houston Texans, who are set to win the AFC South division. To face the Texans rather than the Bills, the Broncos would need to secure the No. 5 seed by surpassing Los Angeles and Baltimore. 

Baltimore’s remaining schedule includes games against the New York Giants, Steelers, Texans and Cleveland Browns. They’ll likely be favored to win all of those game, but Wilson’s Steelers are the most likely team to hand Baltimore another loss. 

Of course, this assumes the Broncos are able to win their four remaining regular season games. That will be easier said than done. Denver will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15 before facing a brutal stretch against the Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs to close out the season. With a loss in any of those games, Denver will likely be left to face Buffalo in the opening round. 

Or, perhaps, the Broncos may even be able to sneak into the No. 6 seed for a revenge game against Wilson.