Divisional Round Picks

Last Week's Playoff Record: 1-5

Final Regular Season Record: 143-116-10

Overall Record: 144-121-10

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

AFC Divisional Playoff 

(4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs

A Case for the Texans: The Texans were in the game at KC but fell apart late and lost. They can learn from that game and use that as a way to combat the Chiefs this time. No one is picking them. In fact, no one picked them last week against the Chargers, and they rolled them. They will use the fact that as motivation in this game. The pressure is on the Chiefs, and the Texans are continuing to build their program. They can play fast and loose in this one.

A Case for the Chiefs: It might be their year to make history and get a three-peat in the Super Bowl Era-something that has not been done. The Chiefs went 15-2 this year and they won a lot of close games, but they ended on real high note by beating the Texans and Steelers to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC. They rested their starters in Week 18 at Denver, they got healthy, and are now focused to make their run. We all know how hard it is to win in Arrowhead in January as well.

Prediction: KANSAS CITY (-8) over Houston: The Chiefs defeat the Texans and advance to their 7th straight AFC Championship Game. They get one step closer to a possible Super Bowl three-peat.

Final Score: Chiefs-29 Texans-16

NFC Divisional Playoff

(6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions

A Case for the Commanders: Jayden Daniels is the real deal and after leading his team to late win last Sunday night in Tampa in his first playoff game, you can't count him out. The moment won't be too big for the rookie. Washington has had a great season, and they have already won a playoff game. They are big underdogs here in this spot, so they can play relaxed and just go have fun. No one is giving them a chance to win and all the pressure is on the Lions. 

A Case for the Lions: Although the pressure is on the Lions, it has had the feeling that this is the Lions year. Since they blew that NFC Championship Game last year to the 49ers, they have been on a mission this year to get back. They went 15-2 in the regular season and secured the #1 seed in the NFC and homefield advantage. That crowd at Ford Field will be rocking Saturday night. It just feels like it is their year and breakthrough and get to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. I think they come out on fire in this game and don't let up. 

Prediction: DETROIT (-9) over Washington: The Lions take care of business and advance to their second straight NFC Championship Game.

Final Score: Lions-34 Commanders-17

NFC Divisional Playoff

(4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles

A Case for the Rams: The Rams were impressive on both sides of the ball in their win on Monday night over the Vikings in the Wild Card Round. I think you have to give the edge to Sean McVay in the coaching department in this one. The Rams have been to a Super Bowl in recent years, and they won't be overwhelmed in this moment in Philadelphia. You can throw in the emotional aspect of it too. They are playing for the Los Angeles area and all the emotions with the wildfires and damage that LA has experienced the past two weeks. Sometimes, those things can inspire a team.

A Case for the Eagles: The Eagles have been one of the five best teams in the NFL for a majority of the season. Although their win was sloppy at times last week over the Packers, they get another home game this week. Jalen Hurts might have needed last week to get some rust out after being out with a concussion for a few weeks. Perhaps he lights it up this week. Although I give Sean McVay the edge over Eagles HC Nick Sirianni, I do think that Eagles DC Vic Fangio can come up with something to counter McVay's offense. He has done that in the past to the Rams. It feels like we are headed for a Eagles-Lions collision in the NFC Title Game. 

Prediction: Los Angeles (+6) over PHILADELPHIA: The Eagles survive a close won and pull it out late over the Rams. Philly advances to the NFC Championship for the second time in three years. 

Final Score: Eagles-24 Rams-23

AFC Divisional Playoff

(3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills

A Case for the Ravens: The Ravens are in the small circle of about 4-5 teams that are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Watching them demolish the Steelers last week in the Wild Card Round made me think that they are on a run here to the Super Bowl. The combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry might be just too much for any team-no matter where the game is played. Another little tidbit in their favor: They won a Super Bowl in 2000 and 2012. Now, will they add their third Super Bowl twelve years after the last one? Maybe it is destiny. 

A Case for the Bills: After watching Buffalo dismantle the Broncos last week, it felt like they have so much going for them. Obviously, Josh Allen is playing at a high level. They can run the ball, throw it to an array of different receivers, and if all else fails, Allen will bail them out. I think the homefield crowd in Buffalo will be a huge factor-especially for the Bills defense. Plus, it is supposed to be really, really cold on Sunday night when this game kicks off, and I think the Bills have an advantage in that weather. Most people are picking the Ravens, and the Bills are an underdog at home, and I think that will fuel them all week long. 

Prediction: BUFFALO (+1) over Baltimore: In a heavyweight battle between two top teams and two MVP caliber QBS, the Bills win a classic and knock off the Ravens to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2020.

Final Score: Bills-27 Ravens-24

Broncos Fall to Bills 31-7 in Wild Card Playoff Game

 The Broncos season ended in Buffalo on Sunday at the hands of the #2 seed Bills by a score of 31-7. This was result was not a surprise and the Broncos were heavy underdogs going into the game, but the finality of the season ending is always tough. It was a great season for the Broncos. 10-7 and a playoff berth for the first time in 8 years is something to be proud of. Rookie QB Bo Nix leading us to the playoffs and establishing himself as the guy going forward is also something to be excited about.  So many critics around the NFL picked Denver to finish last in the AFC West, not win more than 5 games, and possibly picking in the Top 3 of next year's NFL Draft. Denver exceeded all those expectations and turned their rebuild into a reboot and made the playoffs ahead of schedule. It still doesn't take away from some of the sting from the loss in Buffalo on Sunday. It should fuel the Broncos all offseason and get them ready to take a bigger step next year. Here are my thoughts and observation on the game.....

1) You can't ask for a better start than what the Broncos did on their opening drive. Denver gets the ball first and scores a touchdown in five plays to take an early 7-0 lead. Bo Nix hit Troy Franklin (finally) on a deep route for a 43 yard TD to give Denver the early score. What a way to start the game and after an eight year playoff drought, this was so exciting. It was a great moment that unfortunately did not last too long.

2) After Buffalo stormed back to take a 10-7, a key moment in the game happened. Sean Payton called for a fake punt from the Denver 43 on a 4th and 8. Punter Riley Dixon hit Marvin Mims for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the Buffalo 42. Unfortunately, Denver punted three plays later and never capitalized on the fake punt. I thought that was a real key moment in the game.

3) After getting the ball at their own 8 right before the half, I thought another key moment happened in the game when the Broncos drove the ball to the Bills 32 yard line, but Will Lutz missed a 50 yard field goal attempt when the kick hit the right upright and was no good. Instead of going into halftime tied at 10,  the Broncos still trailed.

4) After Buffalo kicked a field goal to make it 13-7 in the 3rd quarter, a key Troy Franklin drop on third down forced a three and out for Denver. I thought there were some key drops in the game, and Franklin's drop was big there. 

5) The next key turning point of the game was on the Bills next drive they had a 4th and 1 from the Denver 24. Josh Allen kept buying time and they threw a TD pass to Ty Johnson in the back of the endzone. Johnson dove to catch on the end line and it looked questionable. You really couldn't get a good look to see if it was incomplete and it was close, but the called stood and it was a TD. The Bills converted a 2 point conversion and it was 21-7 with 3:06 to go in the 3rd quarter. That was essentially the game right there.

6) The Bills added another Josh Allen TD pass on the first play of the 4th quarter to make it 28-7. Denver only threatened one more time, but they turned it over on downs in Buffalo territory midway through the 4th. A game that was 13-7 and Buffalo facing a 4th and 1 with only 3:06 left in the 3rd quarter, turned into a blowout 31-7 game in a matter of moments.

7) The Broncos were just no match for Buffalo. The Bills controlled the time of possession (41:43-18:17), they outgained Denver 471 to 224, and had 26 first downs to Denver's 13. The Bills were in control of the game throughout even though it was only a six point game in the 3rd quarter. 

8) The Broncos came in as heavy underdogs, and really no one was picking them to win the game. They exit the playoffs with a blowout loss to a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They got a taste of the playoffs, but the key is to now somehow get a home playoff game, or be a higher seed as a wild card and get a more favorable opponent. 

9) There is nothing like the feeling of a NFL playoff game when your favorite team is in it. All week the excitement and anticipation builds. By the time the game starts, you feel like your team is going to win. You think about the game from every angle all week long whether you are at work, home, or driving around town. This week was the same for me as a Broncos fan. I knew Denver was heavy underdogs and it was a longshot to pull off the upset, but the anticipation was there all week. Just waking up on Sunday morning knowing that Denver was going to be playing a playoff game was so awesome. I brought back an old routine I used to do on playoff gamedays: I played NFL Films music in the background as I was doing things around the house getting ready for the game. I played Broncos 2024 highlights on the TV in the hours before the game. At 12:30, a half an hour before kickoff, I ran to the store with my sons to buy them a pack of iced tea for the game. It was great walking into Key Food with all our Broncos gear on and then rushing right back home. The best part of this gameday was experiencing a Broncos playoff game with my sons, Anthony and Nicholas. They were so excited and we were so pumped getting ready for the game to start. It was really special. Then the game started, and the Broncos scored five plays into the game, and it was one of those awesome moments that I wish I could bottle up. Although it didn't end the way we had hoped, I'll always remember the moments leading up to the game starting with my family. To see my boys getting ready for a Broncos playoff game is good enough for me.

10) The Broncos now head into the offseason, and there will be time to preview that down the road. Today, it is time to reflect on the season we had this year. The 2024 season was a success, and I will be looking back very fondly at this year in the offseason. The Broncos got back to the playoffs, found their QB of the future, and set themselves up with cap space and draft picks to build on this year. For the first time in eight years, it feels like the Broncos are actually heading in the right direction as a franchise. Go Broncos!

Broncos-Bills Preview and the Wild Card Weekend Picks!

It's been a long time since I was able to do a preview of a Broncos playoff game. It feels good to be able to do that this week. The Broncos head to Buffalo on Sunday to take on the #2 seed Bills in Orchard Park. There is nothing like that anticipation of a playoff game in the NFL the week leading up to it. You are constantly thinking about the game and by the end of the week you have played out all the different scenarios of how it is going to go. You have yourself convinced that your team is going to win and you just can't wait for kickoff. That is feeling I'm having as this week went on about the Broncos. This will be a very difficult task for the Broncos to go into Buffalo and take down the heavily favored Bills and Josh Allen. Here are the storylines going into this game and a prediction......

1) The Broncos are playing with house money. No one predicted Denver would make the playoffs this year. No one saw this as a 10 win team. No one expected this result out of the Broncos in year two of the Sean Payton regime, but here they are. There is no pressure on Denver in this game. They can play fast and loose as the big underdog and lay it all out there and see what happens.

2) On the flip side, all the pressure is on the Bills. Buffalo has to get to the Super Bowl or at least the AFC Championship Game this year or it is a failure of a season. They can't go out in the Wild Card round at home as heavy favorites. Maybe that forces them to play tight?

3) Can the Broncos actually stop Josh Allen? If Denver has any chance to win this game, they have to figure out a way to contain Josh Allen. He will probably win the MVP this year, but Denver has to find a way to frustrate him and make him commit turnovers like they did in the Monday Night game last year in Buffalo.

4) Will the spotlight of a playoff game get to Bo Nix? Nix has exceeded all expectations this year, but once the playoffs begin, the stakes get so much higher. Hopefully, Nix is up to the challenge in a tough environment

5) Speaking of environments, the Broncos have not played a really cold game this year. That will change on Sunday in Buffalo. They are expecting a high of 29 degrees on Sunday and there is always the threat of snow. It worries me because I don't know how the Broncos will handle a real, cold-weather game in the elements.

6) The last time Denver played in a playoff game was Super Bowl 50 in February of 2106. Von Miller was the Super Bowl 50 MVP. Now, Miller is a member of the Bills, and he will be going up against the Broncos in their first playoff game since that Super Bowl. That's a pretty cool thing to me.

7) We have seen some monumental upsets in the playoffs in the past. Last year, Green Bay went into Dallas as the 7 seed and shocked the #2 seeded Cowboys. The 1987 Divisional Playoff comes to mind when the Vikings went into Candlestick Park and upset the 49ers. Of course, Denver remembers when the Jaguars went into Mile High and shocked the Broncos in the 1996 Divisional Round. If the Broncos upset the Bills, that would qualify as one of the major upsets in NFL playoff history.

8) The bottom line is that if you are making the case for the Broncos to win this one it would the following formula: Defense limits Josh Allen and gets turnovers, Bills play tight, Broncos play loose, and Bo Nix has a "take the leap" kind of game.

Prediction: Denver (+8.5) over BUFFALO

Final Score: Bills-29 Broncos-22

Now, onto the picks for Wild Card Weekend....

Last Week's Record: 11-4-1

 Final Regular Season Overall Record: 143-116-10

(Home Team in CAPS)

AFC Wild Card Game

(5) Los Angeles Chargers at (4) Houston Texans

A Case for the Chargers: They are probably the better team at this point in the season. Jim Harbaugh is great coach that will have them ready. Justin Herbert is playing at a high level, and can win this game themselves. Weather and homefield advantage shouldn't be too much of a factor in Houston's favor. 

A Case for the Texans: A lot of people are picking the Chargers to win. Houston feels like an afterthought at this point. They still have C.J. Stroud and even though he had a little bit of a regression this year, he is still a really good player that can win this game himself. Their defense should be able to match up with the Chargers weapons and DeMeco Ryans is a helluva coach and he will have his team ready.

Prediction: Chargers (-3) over HOUSTON: Justin Herbert makes just enough plays to pull out the road win to give the Chargers their first playoff win since 2018.

Final Score: Chargers-24 Texans-20

AFC Wild Card Game

(6) Pittsburgh Steelers at (3) Baltimore Ravens

A Case for the Steelers: After losing four straight games to end the season at 10-7, everyone is counting out the Steelers. They can use that as motivation, and you know Mike Tomlin will be doing that. They will be comfortable in the underdog role, and they know Baltimore inside and out. The pressure will be on the Ravens and that will help Pittsburgh.

A Case for the Ravens: They are the better team right now as evidenced by their 34-17 win over the Steelers in Week 16. They are at home and the game is Saturday night, so the home crowd will be rocking in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson is playing at a MVP level once again, and he might just be too good for the Steelers to handle.

Prediction: Steelers (+9.5) over BALTIMORE: The Steelers will keep it closer than people think, but in the end it will be too much Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will advance to the Divisional Round for the fourth time in six years.

Final Score: Ravens-26 Steelers-20

NFC Wild Card Game

(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Philadelphia Eagles

A Case for the Packers: They can play fast and loose like they did last year when they went into Dallas and upset the Cowboys as the 7th seed. Jordan Love has won a playoff game on the road already, and Matt LaFleur will have his team ready to play. Maybe Jalen Hurts is a little rusty after missing a few games with a concussion. Everyone is picking the Eagles and the pressure is all on Philly.

A Case for the Eagles: They are the better team, and they have the better defense and are at home. They have that all in their favor. I think Vic Fangio will dial up some defensive schemes that could frustrate Jordan Love. Also, Saquon Barkley can literally take this game over himself. It seems like we are headed to a Philly-Detroit showdown in the NFC Title Game.

Prediction: PHILADELPHIA (-4) over Green Bay: Philly takes care of business at home, and heads to the Divisional Round for the second time in three years.

Final Score: Eagles-30 Packers-20

NFC Wild Card Game

(6) Washington Commanders at (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A case for the Commanders: They have Jayden Daniels, and he can win this game outright. I don't think the moment will be too big for him. Dan Quinn has done a great job with this group this year, and they will come in with no pressure at all. They can play fast and loose and take chances. They definitely have a solid chance to win this game-even on the road.

A case for the Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield is playing at a MVP level. He can carry this offense to a victory. I think the homefield advantage should be a factor in this game in Tampa's favor. The sexy pick is Washington in this game, and that makes me think this is going the other way and Tampa will win.

Prediction: TAMPA BAY (-3) over Washington: Good back and forth game, but Mayfield carries the Bucs to a win and they advance to the Divisional Round for the second straight year.

Final Score: Buccaneers-26 Commanders-18

NFC Wild Card Game

(5) Minnesota Vikings at (4) Los Angeles Rams

A case for the Vikings: The Vikings finished at 14-3 and are a well-rounded team. Their defense should play in this game. Sam Darnold had a terrific season, and if he plays well, the Vikings will have a solid chance to advance. Kevin O'Connell is a really good head coach, and he will have his team ready to play. I don't think the homefield will be factor because the Vikings fans really travel well-especially with this game in LA.

A case for the Rams: They beat the Vikings earlier in the year on a Thursday night game, so they know they can win. I think resting Matthew Stafford and a bunch of their key players in Week 18 will help them in this game. They will be rested and ready. Sean McVay is such a good coach that he will have the Rams ready to go. I think there is a belief that if the Rams win this one, they can go on a run in these playoffs.

Prediction: Minnesota (-1) over LA RAMS: This might be the game of the weekend. The Vikings pull one out late and advance to the Divisional Round for the first time since 2019.

Final Score: Vikings-25 Rams-22

Personal Thoughts and Observations on the Broncos and the 2024 Season

Here are some of my personal thoughts about the Broncos and this remarkable playoff season.....

-I had no expectations going into this season for the Broncos. For me, this year was going to be about Bo Nix and his development. The ceiling for this team was 9-8 and maybe a shot at the wild card, but that was about it. I figured they would be a 7 win team and played competitive down the stretch. The over/under for the Broncos wins this year was 5.5. People were picking Denver to be one of the worst teams in the league and possibly getting the #1 draft pick in the 2025 Draft. It is amazing how they proved all the doubters wrong this year.

-After Denver started 0-2 with losses to the Seahawks and Steelers, I really thought this season was going to be a disaster. Nix had looked terrible in the first two games, and he had 0 TDs and 4 INTs after Week 2. He looked like he was going to be a huge bust. Then, Denver went into Tampa and dominated the 2-0 Bucs and won, and they went into the Meadowlands and pulled off a 10-9 win over the 2-1 Jets in the rain to somehow get to 2-2. From that point on, the Broncos played like a playoff caliber team, and the season turned around. At 10-7, the Broncos earned their way into the playoffs this year.

-Nix had a tremendous rookie season. He gives Denver the young, franchise QB that they desperately needed. He finished with 66.3% completion percentage, 3,775 yards, 29 TDs, 12 INTs, and a QB rating of 93.3. He also ran for 430 yards and 4 rushing TDs and caught a TD pass as well. He accumulated 34 total touchdowns and over 4,200 total yards. Not bad for a rookie who was the 6th QB taken.

-The Broncos finished in the Top 10 in scoring  for the first time since 2014. They scored over 30 points six times and averaged 25 points a game. The defense finished in the Top 10 in scoring defense as well and gave up an average of 18 points a game. Also, Denver's defense broke the franchise record for sacks in a season. This was a well-rounded team from top to bottom. In fact, of Denver's 10 wins, 9 of those were by 9 points or more. They took care of business when they needed to.

-You gotta give Sean Payton credit. He took the dead cap hit on Russell Wilson, released him, went all in on Bo Nix in the first round of the draft, got his guy, and got this team to 10 wins and a playoff berth in his second year in Denver. You also have to give him credit for the staff he hired. He improved our special teams tremendously, and the hiring of Vance Joseph as the defensive coordinator was a great move. A lot of Broncos fans hated this move, including me, but VJ has done a remarkable job with this defense. Payton has had some issues this year in game-management and situations, but he has done a tremendous job with this franchise and turning it around. 

-A lot of the NFL media wanted to see the Bengals make the playoffs after finishing 9-8 and winning their last five, but the Bengals started the season 0-3 with a loss to the 4-13 Patriots at home in Week 1. They were 4-8 and lost their first 5 homes games of the season. They can only blame themselves. Same goes with the Dolphins. Denver earned their way in. The fact that most of the NFL media was picking the Chiefs and Carson Wentz to go into Denver and win was due to the fact that they wanted the Bengals and Joe Burrow to get in the playoffs. Denver did what it was supposed to do and pounded Wentz and the Chiefs backups and punched their ticket to the playoffs. 

-This eight year stretch was the worst Broncos era of my lifetime, and I go back to 1985. Eight straight years of missing the playoffs and seven straight losing seasons. All the different QBs, coaches, and moves that just never worked out. The Broncos had become irrelevant the last eight years, and that was something that was never like that in the past. To follow this team every offseason from free agency to the scouting combine to the draft and OTAS and training camp became so tough because there was never any payoff. Every season just brought bad football, bad coaching, and disappointment. All that changed this year, and that is why this season is so special.

-On a personal note, this has been one of the most fun Broncos seasons for me in my lifetime. Yes, it was fun because they made the playoffs, but the best part about this season was the fact that I got to enjoy this with my family-specifically my two sons, Nicholas and Anthony. The last time Denver made the playoffs in 2015, and won the Super Bowl, Nicholas was in Kindergarten and Anthony was in Nursery School. Nicholas went through the rest of elementary school and three years of middle school without seeing the Broncos make the playoffs. He is now in 9th grade. Anthony was so little in 2015 that he can only remember through photos and videos. He went through all of elementary school without seeing the Broncos make the playoffs. He is now in 7th grade. Heck, my daughter, Luciana, is 7 and she wasn't even born the last time Denver made the playoffs. They became Broncos fans because of me. They really got into this team the last few years, and we watch football together every Sunday. They were sick and tired of watching this crappy franchise the last few years. They even contemplated switching teams and I couldn't blame them. I am so happy that we have this bond of watching the Broncos together and rooting for them. It is so much fun to root for a team with your kids and your family. It brings us together, and the main reason that I am happy the Broncos made the playoffs is not for me-it is for them. They got to experience it. That is what makes sports great and that is so special to me that they got to see Denver actually make the playoffs. It means the world to me and my family. I'm so happy for them, and as the clock ticked down on Sunday to the end of the game and the Broncos were about to clinch, I was able to share a hug with my boys, and that will be one of my favorite memories for a long, long time.

Broncos Defeat Chiefs 38-0, Clinch Playoff Berth!

All the Broncos had to do was win and they were in the playoffs. All they had to do was beat a Chiefs team that had nothing to play for, was resting Patrick Mahomes and a majority of their starters, in front of their home crowd. The Broncos had to take care of their business, and they did just that. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 38-0 to finish the season 10-7 and clinch a playoff berth for the first time since the 2015 season. They are the 7th seed in the AFC and they head to Buffalo to take on the Bills on Sunday at 1:00pm EST. After eight long seasons, the drought is over and the Broncos are headed back to the playoffs. 

    As the week went on, the news from Kansas City was that the Chiefs were going to rest a lot of their starters. Andy Reid has done this in the past, and with the #1 seed locked up and with  homefield advantage and the bye shored up, the Chiefs did just that. All the key starters did not suit up including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones. Other key starters like De'Andre Hopkins, Xavier Worthy and other offensive linemen barely played. The Broncos were going to be going against a bunch of backups in a must-win game. It couldn't have set up any better for them. Denver came out hot, and Bo Nix was sharp as they scored a touchdown on their first three drives, and they had a 24-0 lead going into halftime. The defense completely shut down Carson Wentz and the KC offense and the rout was on. Nix had three TDs in the first half-one to each of his main receivers (Sutton, Mims, and Vele). Another TD pass to Mims from Nix late in the third quarter officially put the game away to make it 31-0 and the celebration began. The Broncos rolled the Chiefs, took care of their business, clinched the playoff spot, and celebrated in front of their fans. You can't ask for a better Sunday in Denver. Congrats to the Broncos and now we get to sit back and enjoy fun week leading up the Wild Card Playoff game at Buffalo next Sunday. The drought is over and the Broncos are back in the playoffs-where they belong.

Go Broncos

Broncos-Chiefs and Week 18 Picks

It all comes down to the last Sunday of the 2024 regular season for the Broncos. Win against the Chiefs and they are in the playoffs. Lose and they are most likely out based on what Miami and Cincy do. The bottom line is that Denver has to win this game and clinch that wild card spot. They are 9-7 and have lost two in a row to the Chargers and the Bengals on the road. Now, they get a home game against the 15-1 Chiefs who have locked up the #1 seed and have nothing to play for. Andy Reid has already stated that Patrick Mahomes and some other starters are not going to play, so it will be Carson Wentz and some backups trying to knock off hte Broncos. It would be an absolute failure and disaster if the Broncos don't win and make the playoffs at this point. Yes, every Broncos fan would have signed up for 9-7 with a chance to make the playoffs with a win going into Week 18 before the season, but now they have to get  it done. You can't lose at home to the Chiefs without Mahomes and some other key players. The pressure is squarely on the Broncos in this spot. They have to find a way to come through with a win.

Prediction: Kansas City (+10.5) over DENVER

Final Score: Chiefs-20 Broncos-17

Now, onto the picks for Week 18....

Last Week's Record: 7-8-1

Overall Record: 132-112-9

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

BALTIMORE (-19) over Cleveland

Cincy (-2) over PITTSBURGH

ATLANTA (-8) over Carolina

DALLAS (+6.5) over Washington

Chicago (+10) over GREEN BAY

Jacksonville (+4.5) over INDY

Buffalo (-2.5) over NEW ENGLAND

PHILLY (-2) over Giants

TAMPA BAY (-13) over New Orleans

Houston (-1) over TENNESSEE

ARIZONA (-4) over San Francisco

Chargers (-5) over LAS VEGAS

JETS (+1.5) over Miami

RAMS (+6.5) over Seattle

DETROIT (-3) over Minnesota

Broncos-Bengals and Week 17 Picks

The Broncos can clinch a playoff berth with one win in their last two games. I just don't think they will be able to get it done this week at Cincy against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. This feels like it is coming down to the final week of the season.

Prediction: CINCINNATI (-3) over Denver

Final Score: Bengals-27 Broncos-13

Here are the picks for Week 17....

Last Week's Record: 5-11

Overall Record: 125-104-8

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

PITTSBURGH (+2.5) over Kansas City

HOUSTON (+3.5) over Baltimore 

Seattle (-3) over CHICAGO

Chargers (-5) over NEW ENGLAND

RAMS (-5) over Arizona

GIANTS (+7.5) over Indy

Jets (+9.5) over BUFFALO

JACKSONVILLE (-1) over Tennessee

Green Bay (+1.5) over MINNESOTA

NEW ORLEANS (-2) over Las Vegas

TAMPA BAY (-7) over Carolina

CLEVELAND (+5.5) over Miami

Dallas (+7) over PHILADELPHIA

WASHINGTON (-4) over Atlanta

Detroit (-3) over SAN FRANCISCO