The Denver Broncos are technically still alive in the NFL playoff hunt, but only barely. Denver has a 4.1% chance of reaching the postseason going into Week 17.
Going into the penultimate week of the 2023 regular season, the Broncos are hanging on by a thread. There are eight ways Denver could be officially eliminated from playoff contention this weekend. The most notable scenario is a Broncos loss — Denver has to beat the Los Angeles Chargers to have a chance of staying alive for at least one more week.
At 7-8, the Broncos need to win out and finish with a 9-8 record and then get some help from other teams to have a chance. Denver will host the Chargers this week before going on the road to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18.
The first four elimination scenarios include a Broncos tie, which is unlikely. Because a tie is possible, though, we’re including those scenarios. The eight scenarios are provided courtesy of nflplayoffscenarios.com. Keep in mind that in each scenario, all of the results listed must happen together.