Are Broncos in the playoffs? Denver's chances and scenarios explored after MNF win vs. Browns

The Broncos won against the Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season to improve to an 8-5 record and now the playoffs are a legitimate aim for the team. Denver has not made it past the regular season since 2016 when they last won the Super Bowl in Hall-of-Fame quarterback Peyton Manning's final year.

That they have got here is a testament to how well rookie quarterback Bo Nix has done in the last few games, including this one, Sean Payton's coaching, and the general manager's ability to rebuild the roster despite being on the hook for a majority of Russell Wilson's salary.

With such an impressive record after Week 13, the Broncos will feel confident about their postseason chances going into their bye. We discuss just how close they are to the playoffs with this win.

Broncos' playoff chances after defeating Browns on MNF

So far, only two teams in the AFC have made it to the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs, who play in the same division in Denver, are back in it again to absolutely nobody's surprise. The Buffalo Bills, led by the exceptional Josh Allen, are also through to the postseason.

The Broncos are not through yet, but they occupy the final spot in the AFC. If the season were to end today, Sean Payton would be getting ready to prepare Bo Nix for a knockout game, but Denver is not there yet.

They might have an 8-5 record but the Colts have a 6-7 record and can draw to within a game of them if they defeat them in Week 15 when they go head-to-head. After that, they face the Chargers, who have an 8-4 record at the moment. Los Angeles could face Denver with an identical record by the time their match rolls around in Week 16, as they have Kansas City as their next opponent.

The Broncos face the Bengals and the Chiefs to close their season and any team with Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes is a threat. Cincinnati could be looking to keep an improbable run to the playoffs alive, while Kansas City could be trying to lock up the top seed in the AFC with the Buffalo Bills still just a game behind them, as they are now. In short, Sean Payton will not have it easy as he tries to coach beyond the regular season.

Sportskeeda's Playoff Predictor gives us an indication of how it could all shake out. One iteration of the remaining games is given below.

Sportskeeda Playoff Predictor Simulation Screenshot

Based on the multiple runs that we ran on the predictor, we can say that the chances of Denver making the postseason are high based on their remaining matchups and their current record.

Denver Broncos' playoff scenario amid 8-5 record

Based on the above simulation, we see the Denver Broncos making the playoffs as the seventh seed in the AFC, which is their current spot now. Based on the difficulty of their remaining games, as we have highlighted, they are expected to win half of them to finish with a 10-7 record.

In this scenario, they do not take the easy route as they lose to the Colts and Chargers in the next two matches to fall to an 8-6 record. However, they recover in time to beat the Bengals and the Chiefs in the final two weeks to sneak into the postseason. But it just goes to show that their playoff chances are high right now but nowhere near confirmed as results could easily go the other way. If luck does not favor them, the Broncos could even end with a losing record.