Broncos finish with top seed in AFC, end season with 14-3 record
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The Denver Broncos had a pretty good turnaround.
After winning Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning, the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs in eight years; A rookie named Bo Nix ended that streak last year.
In Year Two of the Nix and Sean Payton era, the AFC playoff picture continues at Mile High.
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Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix warms up before his game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field At Mile High on January 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
The Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers 19-3 on Sunday to take first place in the AFC and finish the regular season with a 14-3 record.
Trey Lance’s start in Week 18 certainly helped the Broncos, as the Chargers were only ranked 6th or 7th. That’s why they opted to rest Justin Herbert and give the piece to Lance, the third pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, who never seemed to find his feet.
Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II reacts to a fourth-quarter tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
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The Broncos kicked a field goal on their first drive and quickly followed up with a pick-six to take a 10-0 lead and never looked back. Both teams struggled to move the football as there were 13 punts total. But the Broncos’ stout defense did the same thing it had done all season long: stopped everything in its path.
The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars also entered the day mathematically well placed for the AFC’s first seed, but Denver was the only team in control of its own destiny. The Patriots needed a win and the Broncos lost, while the Jaguars needed both New England and Denver to lose.
Denver Broncos linebacker Eyioma Uwazurike (96), linebacker Sai’vion Jones (95) and linebacker Malcolm Roach (97) react after a fumble recovery in the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. (Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images)
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The Broncos are in first place for the first time since 2015, the season they won the Super Bowl. They lost to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round last year and could very well host them in the league round two weeks from now.
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