The fear of elimination continues for the Denver Broncos, following their loss to the New England Patriots. As any quarterback would, Russell Wilson is keeping his teammates’ strength and spirit alive following a season-shattering 23-26 loss on Christmas Eve. But again, the Broncos cannot escape the realistic playoff picture as they drop to 7-8 with 11th place in the AFC standings.
Russell Wilson’s squad reportedly had a 23% chance of making it to the playoffs before entering the Week 16 game. A win would have brought their chances up to about 32%. As fate would have it, the NFL’s playoff picture suggests that ‘Orange Crush’ is now left with a 5% chance of making it to the playoffs following a loss to the Pats. In two lines, Wilson spoke the obvious about their playoff chance.
Wilson is proud of his squad
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It is to be appreciated that the Broncos have the will of fire, and with Russell Wilson in the locker room, the spirit of the squad is still alive. Despite a disappointing run so far, the QB is now trying to focus on the upcoming games. He expressed his admiration for his team’s courage and fighting spirit. “The thing I love about the guys in this locker room is the courage and the fight every day,” he stated in the post-game press conference.
Wilson emphasized that the atmosphere was electric in the stadium at Denver, and there was a need to maintain the energy consistently. Wilson highlighted the team’s resilience, mentioning that the boys could have lost ‘heart’ earlier but did not!
He sees that as a testament to the courage of the players, coaches, and everyone involved. Looking at the road ahead, Wilson acknowledged, “We still got two games to go. We got to win, we got to play well in those games.” But one cannot deny that the chances of them making it to the playoffs are slim.
Can the Broncos make it to the playoffs with just a 5% chance?
Despite their mid-season success, the Broncos haven’t held a playoff spot at the end of any week. Their recent loss to the Pats makes it even more unlikely. With a 7-8 record, they are 11th in their AFC zone, trailing by a full game for a wild-card spot and lagging behind the Texans, Steelers, and Bengals (all having 8-7 points). The tight competition leaves little to no room for error, and now the Broncos must win their remaining games while relying on other team’s losses.
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The Broncos’ 4-6 conference record is a drawback, and the team missed the chance to improve it in the Pats’ game. Although a 9-8 finish and playoff berth seem improbable, it may not be off the table, as they weren’t officially eliminated after Week 16. There’s also a chance to win the AFC West, but it necessitates both the Broncos winning and the Kansas City Chiefs losing all their remaining games!
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It is safe to say that a Chiefs win on December 26 could eliminate the Broncos from divisional contention. What are your thoughts on the Denver Broncos playoff picture? Tell us in the comments below.
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