Denver Broncos’ stunning season: Ending Chiefs’ reign and clinching top AFC seed
DENVER (AP) — Sean Payton listed three goals for his Denver Broncos this season, and chief among them was knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs.
They did that, winning the AFC West for the first time in a decade and ending K.C.’s nine-year reign atop the division.
The Chiefs, who have played in the past seven AFC championship games, are already aiming for next season after a 6-11 finish that ended with Patrick Mahomes with a surgically repaired knee.
Payton’s second goal was earning the best seed possible in the playoffs so the Broncos wouldn’t have to hit the road like they did last year when they were blasted 31-7 in Buffalo in the wild-card round.
The Broncos earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a franchise record-tying 14 wins.
Super Bowl 60 was the third goal and they’re two home victories away from getting there.
The journey won’t be easy. These are the first AFC playoffs without Mahomes, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady since 1998, another reason it’s seen as a wide-open field without a prohibitive favorite to raise the Lamar Hunt Trophy on Jan. 25.
All four division winners were new this year with Denver, New England, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh all earning at least one home playoff game.
The Broncos will find out their opponent for the divisional round this weekend. They’ll play the lowest remaining seed after a wild-card weekend that features two AFC games Sunday and another Monday night.
The Buffalo Bills (12-5) visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) on Sunday followed by the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) visiting the New England Patriots (14-3). On Monday night, the Houston Texans (12-5) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) as Aaron Rodgers returns to the postseason for the first time since 2021 when he was with Green Bay.
“I think it’s the best possible position to be in,” Broncos second-year QB Bo Nix said. “Two home games is where we want to be. It’s better than having to play on the road and it’s better than having to play an extra game. I think for us, it’s the best-case scenario.”
1. (14-3).
Three Lombardi trophies in eight Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: Denver’s defense amassed 68 sacks, the fifth-most in history and four shy of the 1984 Chicago Bears’ NFL-record of 72. Here’s the thing: they could have had many more, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has built an unselfish pass rush that seeks more to cage in quarterbacks with edge rushers and blitzers never rushing deeper than the QB. Patrick Surtain II, Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper and Talanoa Hufanga can all wreck offensive game plans.
Cancel the confetti: As usual in Denver, the offense doesn’t shine like the defense does. Although QB Bo Nix tied Russell Wilson’s NFL record with two dozen victories in his first two NFL seasons, the former Oregon signal-caller was erratic with his throws and inconsistent in his play all season. Still, he was clutch when it mattered, throwing for 17 TDs and just two INTs when trailing in 2025. The Broncos are hopeful that if they reach the Super Bowl they’ll get RB J.K. Dobbins back from foot surgery to give their backfield a boost. Until then, its rookie R.J. Harvey’s chance to shine.
“It doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective.” — Payton.
2. (14-3).
Six titles in 11 Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: The Patriots are hungry as they return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 on the heels of a potential MVP season from second-year quarterback Drake Maye. His production with a league-best 72.0 completion rate, along with 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, are what make New England a threat to emerge from the AFC. Their mix of impactful young talent such as running back TreVeyon Henderson and veteran leaders such as wide receiver Stefon Diggs typify a roster that has bought into new coach Mike Vrabel’s approach. He knows playoff football well, having won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as a player and guiding the Tennessee Titans to three playoff appearances in his six seasons as coach.
Cancel the confetti: One thing that might be a cause for concern is New England’s inconsistency against the run over the latter part of the season. The Patriots defense didn’t allow a 100-yard rusher in the first 11 games. But when defensive tackle Milton Williams went on injured reserve with an ankle injury for five straight games, the Patriots allowed four rushers to eclipse the century mark. He returned for the regular-season finale, but if teams can control the game on the ground and keep the ball out of Maye’s hands for long stretches, it could add up to a short postseason for New England.
“We’re not here just to get here. We have to be able to host games and compete for championships. There’s not going to be any consolation prize for anybody. We understand what we have to do.” — Vrabel.
3. (13-4).
No Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: The Jaguars are one of four NFL teams — along with Cleveland, Detroit and Houston — that have never reached the Super Bowl. Getting there in coach Liam Coen’s first season would be one of the biggest surprises in recent NFL history. Coen is the seventh head coach in NFL history to win 13 or more games in his first season, and the Jaguars are one of three teams — along with the 2005 Patriots and 1999 Colts — to win 13 or more games a year after losing 13 or more. It’s the kind of turnaround that gives players and coaches plenty of confidence heading into their wild-card game against Buffalo. Recent play helps, too. Jacksonville has won eight in a row and nine of 10 since its bye while averaging 32.8 points. The only loss was the largest collapse in franchise history. That 36-29 debacle at Houston in early November still resonates two months later.
Cancel the confetti: Jacksonville has few, if any, elite playmakers on either side of the ball. The team’s only Pro Bowl selection was long snapper Ross Matiscik, and although quarterback Trevor Lawrence, linebacker Devin Lloyd, receiver Parker Washington and safety Antonio Johnson have enjoyed breakout seasons, it’s fair to wonder how far this team can go in the playoffs without any superstars.
“The whole football industry is going to be watching us. People who haven’t been seeing us, we get to show them who we are.” – running back Travis Etienne.
4. (10-7).
Six Lombardi trophies in eight Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: Pittsburgh survived a turbulent regular season by winning four of its final five, capped by a heart-stopping Week 18 victory over rival Baltimore that gave the Steelers their first AFC North title in five years. Aaron Rodgers, in his 21st season, appears to be getting better as the temperature drops and the Steelers will have wide receiver DK Metcalf back after serving a two-game suspension for making contact with a fan in Detroit. Throw in a sometimes leaky defense that is still capable of season-shifting plays, and there’s optimism in Pittsburgh that a deep run is possible for the first time in nearly a decade.
Cancel the confetti: The Steelers have dropped six straight playoff games, most of them in blowout fashion. While longtime coach Mike Tomlin says the weight of those failures rests solely with him and not his team, for long stretches during the season, Pittsburgh looked like a playoff team in name only. The offense has been largely incapable of producing big plays and the pass defense is ranked 29th. Rodgers noted the belief in the locker room is high after last week’s stirring rally against Baltimore. Still, the Steelers have been so uneven over the past four months that the idea they can somehow string together four wins seems like a big stretch.
“It’s not about the organization or myself. It’s about this collective, and quite frankly, most of these men don’t care about the last whatever years that you mentioned (without playoff success). Most of them are new to us, and so that’s where my focus is. I’m certainly not going to unpack my bags on the collective’s bed, if you will.” — Tomlin.
5. (12-5).
No Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: The Texans have never reached the Super Bowl or even the conference title game, but the team’s powerful defense gives them hope that this could be their year as they enter the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak. The unit, led by stars Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and Derek Stingley, held teams to 17.3 points and 277.2 yards per game this season to set franchise marks in both categories. The Texans rank third in the NFL with 29 takeaways and their consistent defensive play helped them overcome losing QB C.J. Stroud to a concussion for three games midseason and rally from an 0-3 start to make the postseason for a third straight year.
Cancel the confetti: While the defense has been the best in the NFL this season, the offense never really took off with new coordinator Nick Caley and ranks in the middle of the pack. The group was slowed by a season-long injury to running back Joe Mixon and an ineffective performance by backup Nick Chubb. Rookie Woody Marks has had some success, but will need to improve to help the team be more effective in the red zone. Houston has struggled in that area throughout the season and ranks 30th in the NFL by scoring touchdowns on just 46.30% of its trips inside the 20.
“Our team has been through a lot. What I would say about our team is it really doesn’t matter any way the game shapes up. Whatever we need to do to win the game, we find a way to win the game.” — coach DeMeco Ryans.
6.
(12-5).
No Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances.
Lift the Lombardi: Josh Allen is coming off two weeks of rest and oversees a balanced offense that features the NFL’s rushing champion in James Cook. The fourth-year running back’s more prominent role this season has taken the load off Allen having to do it all on his own. The late-season addition of Brandin Cooks adds a much-needed speed element to a receiving group that had difficulty stretching the field.
Cancel the confetti: Allen still has a propensity to want to do it all on his own. Though he’s twice rallied Buffalo from double-digit fourth-quarter deficits this season, Allen’s also shown signs of pressing and impatience. He’s been sacked a career-high 40 times, and is 3-5 when committing one giveaway, and 1-4 in outings he’s had two turnovers. Buffalo’s bend-but-don’t-break defense has broken too often in allowing 2,315 yards rushing. Buffalo has lost all five road playoff games under coach Sean McDermott, and is 0-8 — not counting two neutral site Super Bowl losses — since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game.
“We take a lot of pride in what we’ve done here. And nobody has more internal drive and internal expectations than I do or we do. And very confident in who we are. There’s one thing that remains. We know what that is.” — McDermott on Buffalo failing to make a Super Bowl appearance since he took over in 2017.
7. (11-6).
No Lombardi trophies in one Super Bowl appearance.
Lift the Lombardi: The Chargers are coming off their second consecutive 11-win season and postseason berth under coach Jim Harbaugh. QB Justin Herbert will be playing with a broken left hand (non-throwing) after resting for the regular-season finale against Denver. He racked up 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. The Chargers have a trio of receivers with at least 50 catches, 700 receiving yards and four TD catches in Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey.
Cancel the confetti: The banged-up offensive line has been an issue all season. Rashawn Slater was lost in the preseason and then Joe Alt went down six games in. Only Zion Johnson played all 17 games. Herbert went through the wringer nearly every week and still played at a high level despite having surgery on his broken hand. The Chargers rested him and several other starters in Week 18 in the hopes of having fresh bodies for the playoffs. But the O-line will have to better protect Herbert if the Chargers hope to win their first playoff game since 2018.
“I’m sure the more they watch Justin, they realize, ‘Wow, he’s even better than we thought he was.’” — Harbaugh on the Patriots scouting Herbert.
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With contributions from AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long and AP Sports Writers Kyle Hightower, Will Graves, Kristie Rieken, John Wawrow and Beth Harris.
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