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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jon Heath

Playoffs are within reach for the Broncos entering final stretch of season

The AFC playoff race is shaping up to be an extremely tight finish.

With four games remaining, there are six teams with a 7-6 record and three teams with an 8-5 record. Only one team (the 3-10 New England Patriots) has been eliminated from playoff contention in the AFC.

The Denver Broncos (7-6) are currently the No. 9 seed in the conference and the top seven teams will make the playoffs. The Broncos are two spots out of a Wild Card position, but they have their eyes on the Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) in their division.

“I’m sure we’ve seen it like this either in the NFC or the AFC, but I can’t recall having been a part of it,” Payton said of the tight race during his conference call with reporters on Monday. “Obviously, we’re a game out in our division, and that’s how we’re looking at it.

“We kind of talked about this last week. This next quarter poll is going to obviously define a lot for a lot of teams, and fortunately, we’re one of those teams. We just have to focus on the next job. It is unusual [for so many teams to have such close records]. I think it probably comes up a little more than we think and moves around from the NFC to the AFC. It makes it exciting for the fans, and certainly for the TV.”

Here’s a look at the current playoff standings going into Week 15.

Division Leaders

1. Baltimore Ravens (10-3)
2. Miami Dolphins (9-4)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5)

Wild Card Leaders

5. Cleveland Browns (8-5)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
7. Indianapolis Colts (7-6)

In the Hunt 

8. Houston Texans (7-6)
9. Denver Broncos (7-6)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
11. Buffalo Bills (7-6)

After facing an NFC opponent in the Detroit Lions (9-4) on Sunday, the Broncos will face three AFC opponents — the Patriots (3-10), Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) and Las Vegas Raiders (5-8) to wrap up the regular season. If Denver wins those final three games, the Broncos will likely secure a spot in the playoffs.

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