Broncos Country, the drought is officially over. With the Houston Texans defeating the Los Angeles Chargers yesterday, the Denver Broncos secured their first AFC West title in a decade. That season finished off on a high note when they went on to become Super Bowl 50 champions.
Their ascension to kings of the AFC West again is a fantastic accomplishment. Just several years removed from the dreadful Nathaniel Hackett experience, the Broncos have climbed their way back to the top despite having significant
salary cap restraints due to the failed Russell Wilson experiment. I’m not so many of us were confident that would happen given how awful most of the past ten years have been.
Head Coach Sean Payton, his staff, and General Manager George Paton deserve a lot of praise for righting the ship so quickly. Additionally, one can’t help but tip the cap to ownership who have been first-class over the past several seasons. The team has drafted and developed players well and bucked the trend of the prior regime who struggled in that regard and failed to reward home-grown talent.
And guess what? The Broncos have ample salary cap space the next several seasons and a healthy amount of draft picks. I don’t expect this season to be a flash in the pan moment but take it as a sign of things to come. This team will be competitive for years to come.
Even so, the Broncos still have work to do to finish their 2025 campaign on a high note. Week 18 will be the most important matchup for the franchise in ages. A victory assures them the #1 seed in the AFC—giving them a first-round bye and coveted homefield advantage throughout the playoffs—regardless of what the New England Patriots or Jacksonville Jaguars do in their final two games.
It’s time for the Broncos to seize the moment, take care of business, and put themselves in the best position possible for a deep playoff run.
For those hoping or expecting Jim Harbaugh to rest his players next Sunday—don’t count on it. Harbaugh doesn’t strike me as the type of coach who wants to let a division rival potentially cakewalk into the top seed and all that comes with it. He’s a competitor and so are his players. While they missed out on a chance at winning the division, have no doubt they will be looking to play spoilers in Denver on January 4th.
The Broncos may be top dog in the division in ’25. Though it’s important to remember the Chargers have won their last three contests against the Broncos. All of them hard-fought, one score games. But next Sunday, Denver will have their hometown crowd behind them at Empower Field at Mile High.
A lot is at stake next Sunday. I’m confident Denver will rise to the occasion, control their own destiny, and find a way to gut out another impressive victory. They’ve done a lot of that this season, so why not win the most important game of the regular season?
