Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos: AFC Playoff Predictions

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Denver Broncos: AFC Playoff Predictions- With the first quarter of the NFL season finished, I figured that this would be a good time to start looking ahead and projecting possible playoff teams from each conference. A few other writers from Predominantly Orange and myself will give our predictions as well as an analysis of those predictions. Let’s get started.

Here we are. After just a few short weeks, we have find ourselves passing the quarter mark of the

Oct 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) throws a pass in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Regular season. Let’s be honest, the start of the 2016 season has been anything but predictable.

Some teams that we thought would be Super Bowl contenders are crumbling (Cardinals) while downtrodden teams are thriving (Rams).

The highest paid QB’s are struggling while underpaid QB’s are succeeding.

With that in mind, I started to think forward. How will this NFL season conclude? Who’s going to factor in the playoff race?

After giving it a lot of thought, I decided to ask for other opinions.

I asked four of my colleagues to give their opinion on the current standings and who they think will make the playoffs. In this article, we will focus on the AFC.

Four staff members and a variety of opinions. Let’s see what everybody thinks about the AFC teams.

Ty Walden: Co-Editor

AFC PREDICTION:

Explanation: The AFC was a bit of a tricky conference to predict this early into the season. So, I am just going to jump right into my predictions.

The No. 1 overall seed I believe will come down to the final day. In the end, the Broncos just have that high powered defense and with an offense that has improved with Trevor Siemian at quarterback, the Broncos get a quality win down the stretch that gives them the No. 1 seed over the Steelers.

Pittsburgh and New England will finish with the same record, but I see the Steelers edging out the Patriots due to Tom Brady’s declining performance at 39 years old and the defense not able to keep up with some high talent in the rest of the AFC.

Houston wins the AFC South by default. Normally, I had the Jaguars winning the division, but I am not quite sold on them at this point of the season to give them the division.

The reason why the Bengals will get the first wild card spot is in due fact that they have lost to Denver and Pittsburgh already. A loss to either Houston or New England will more than likely secure them a wild card at best unless the Steelers get cold late in the season.

The game between Baltimore and Oakland was so important for both teams because I believe that it will come down to the tiebreaker on who gets into the playoffs as the final wild card. Because the Raiders won against the Ravens, I firmly believe that could come back to haunt the Ravens later on.

Steven Kriz: Contributor

Sep 22, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) and wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) celebrate after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

1. Broncos 14-2
2. Patriots 13-3
3. Steelers 12-4
4. Colts 8-8
5. Bengals 11-5
6. Ravens 10-6

Explanation: The Broncos were Super Bowl Champions in 2015 and guess what—they are better this season. With a defense that is opportunistic as ever, and a highly improved offense, the Broncos are primed to go back to the Super Bowl and the road to 51 will come through Denver for the fourth time in five years.

The Patriots were supposed to fall off this season with Brady serving a four-game suspension, but somehow the Pats managed to escape that 3-1. A late loss to the Broncos seals their fate as a 2-seed for the fourth time in five years—amazing how some things never change.
The rest of the AFC consists of the Steelers, who wind up leading the league in scoring as Ben Roethlisberger throws for 46 TDs on the year. The Colts finish at 8-8 in that pathetic division the call the AFC South.

The wildcards both come out of the north as Cincinnati comes on late and the Ravens who edge out the Raiders due to a Broncos victory over the Black and Silver in the season finale.

David Robinson: Contributor

Oct 2, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) looks for an open receiver during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

5. Wc – Ravens 10-6

Explanation: While there are questions at quarterback, Denver continues to lead the league in passing defense. With a strong linebacker corps, nobody looks forward to their Denver match-up this year. Nobody.

Starting out 4-0 gives a nice cushion as Denver is over its early trio of tough match-ups. Expect them to go very strong the rest of the year.

The Patriots may have the most complete roster for the past five years. Winning 3 or 4 with their back-up QB leads one to expect Tom Brady to clean up starting in Week 5. No one in their division looks competitive compared to the Patriots.

When the Steelers click, they compete like a D1 team playing a D2 team. Expect them to show up to important games and drop a couple to lesser teams. As long as Big Ben and AB stay healthy, they will win their division easily.

The AFC South is whimpering along. The Texans stand at 3-1 compared to the 1-3 records of its three division rivals. While Osweiler slings the ball with the grace of a giraffe, the South will be won in typical mediocre fashion.

Aric Manthey: Contributor

Oct 2, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) throws the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Explanation: Before the season started, I had the Broncos at 11-5. At the time, the questions surrounding the QB position had me picking the Broncos to win one less game from 2015. It seemed like the reasonable guess at the time, but their early season performance has me changing my mind.

I know I may be wearing my orange tinted glasses with this prediction, but I’m hard pressed to see more than a couple losses on the remainder of their schedule.

The defense is playing great. The offense is much improved (regardless of who plays QB). Special teams play remains steady. If Denver can keep up the style of play that they have right now, then I feel like 14-2 is very realistic for the defending Super Bowl champs.

I give Pittsburgh the edge over New England for the #2 seed mostly because I think Pittsburgh will win that matchup later this season and that offense has proven that it can carry that team. The Patriots will always be in the mix, but I want to see how Brady comes back from suspension first before I think any higher of the Patriots in 2016.