Posts Tagged ‘Denver Broncos’

Keys to the Game – Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots 1/14/12

January 10th, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football  
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The first day of the second round of the NFL playoffs schedule finishes up on Saturday night in the great state of Massachusetts, where the New England Patriots will try to beat the NFL odds for the second time this year against the Denver Broncos. Check out our NFL playoffs keys to the game for the Broncos and Pats!

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots
Broncos vs. Patriots Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Broncos vs. Patriots Date/Time: Saturday, January 14th, 8:00 p.m.
Broncos vs. Patriots Television Coverage: CBS

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

Key #1: Tom Brady has to get over his playoff blues
Something happened to the Patriots in the playoffs in 2008. They were coming off of a 16-0 regular season of perfection in which they were really just not challenged at all. They struggled for a long time with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs, and the San Diego Chargers nearly picked them off in the AFC Championship Game. The New York Giants finished the deal and ended the “perfect” season at a not-so-perfect 18-1 and without a championship. Since the AFC title game that year though, there has been something majorly wrong with this offense. The team has scored at least 30 points in just a slew of games, especially at home since the start of that perfect 16-0 regular season, but in the playoffs, none of New England’s last four games have resulted in more than 21 points going on the board. Brady, who finished with over 5,200 passing yards this year, has only averaged 232.0 yards per game in his last four postseason games, and he has the same number of TD passes as INTs. We don’t know whether it is the playoff pressure or the tremendous opponents that the Patriots have run up against, but they have to figure this out quickly, or they will have a very short run here in the playoffs in 2012 as well.

Broncos @ Patriots Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Denver Broncos +13.5
New England Patriots -13.5
Over/Under 50.5
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Key #2: Denver has to bring pressure, force turnovers, and take advantage of them
That’s a heck of a lot to ask one team to do, especially against a team that had four receivers account for over 700 receiving yards this year, two of which had over 1,300 yards. That being said, the common bond in the games that Brady has struggled in during the past postseasons was the pressure that he faced. Three offensive linemen are nicked up for the Patriots, and this was already a unit that struggled at times to keep its quarterback off of his backside. The Broncos brought all sorts of pressure last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, sacking QB Ben Roethlisberger five times and forcing him into tons of other bad decisions. There were two golden opportunities in the first half to score TDs instead of kick field goals, and in both trips into the red zone, the Broncos had to settle for K Matt Prater field goals. That just can’t be the case against New England. LB Von Miller, DE Robert Ayers, and DE Elvis Dumervil have to make some plays and they have to force turnovers, and when those turnovers are forced, the end result has to be touchdown, not field goals.

Bovada 460 all Keys to the Game – Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots 1/14/12

Key #3: The Patriots have to kick the Broncos to the curb early
Starting strong has been a real problem for the Pats in recent weeks. They were losing in the first half in each of their final four games of the season, including dropping behind 21-0 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. That being said, New England did come back to win all of those games, two of which were in resounding fashion. These Broncos aren’t the Bills from two weeks ago though, and if you look back over the course of the winning streak that QB Tim Tebow was able to amass, most of those came in games in which they were able to hang around until the end, when Tebow was able to make a play. Last week, Pittsburgh was up 6-0 at the end of the first quarter in spite of the fact that the Broncos only had eight total yards of offense. Two TDs there, and Tebow probably panics, has to throw the ball more, makes some mistakes, and the Steelers could have won by 40. New England has to get off to a better start in this game, take advantage of any mistakes that Tebow makes, and force him to become a passer. That’s when the game really got out of hand when these two met in Mile High a month ago, and that’s what has to be the case as early as possible this week for New England to feel safe, especially when playing against a set of NFL playoff odds like these.

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Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos Predictions & Analysis 1/8/12

January 8th, 2012 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football  
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revolution468 Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos Predictions & Analysis 1/8/12

The mantra of “Good vs. Evil” might be the storyline once again on Sunday in the final game on the NFL playoff schedule in Wild Card weekend. The Denver Broncos are going to be squaring off with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a clash that, at least on paper, seems like it would be a ridiculous mismatch. Check out our Wild Card keys to the game to help beat the Broncos vs. Steelers odds.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
Steelers vs. Broncos Location: Sports Authority Field, Denver, CO
Steelers vs. Broncos Date/Time: Sunday, January 8th, 4:30 p.m.
Steelers vs. Broncos Television Coverage: CBS

Click Here For The Rest Of The 2012 NFL Playoff Bracket And Other NFL Playoff Previews

Key #1: The Broncos can’t beat the Broncos
When Denver was winning games this year with QB Tim Tebow calling the shots, it was doing it by running the ball, playing good defense, making some plays on special teams, not turning the ball over, and not committing silly penalties. That is going to be the theme in this game once again. The Broncos just cannot make stupid mistakes in this game, and Head Coach John Fox knows it. Penalties have to be limited, the turnover count may have to read zero at the end of the game, and everyone on the team on every single play has to play smart. The talent is too overwhelming in black and gold for the Broncos to beat themselves, and they have to be the smarter of the two teams in this one to have a shot to win.

Steelers @ Broncos Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Pittsburgh Steelers -8.5
Denver Broncos +8.5
Over/Under 33.5
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Key #2: The Steelers need to make sure that they don’t get away from their game plan
The Broncos know that they have to keep this game in the 20s in all likelihood to be able to win it. The Steelers might have to do the exact same thing. All too often, the running game for Denver has baited other teams into getting out of their game plan. The Steelers absolutely cannot afford to get away from their plan, or they are going to be in a heck of a fight. QB Ben Roethlisberger can’t put the ball in the air 40 times in this game, and the offense can’t start to panic if all of a sudden, there are a few drives when RB Isaac Redman can’t run the ball. Redman is going to be in for a tall task against an improving Denver defense, especially since in all likelihood, he is going to be the only back in this game that has any sort of experience for the Steelers. RB Rashard Mendenhall tore his ACL and is out for the year, RB Jonathan Dwyer is also on IR, and RB Mewelde Moore has a knee injury that is likely going to keep him on the sidelines.

Bovada 460 all Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos Predictions & Analysis 1/8/12

Key #3: The opportunities will be there, so Tim Tebow has to make the passing game count
In one of the big time games of the year for the Broncos, they beat up the Kansas City Chiefs. Tebow only threw the ball eight times that whole game. He is going to have to do more than that in this one. The Steelers are just too stout up front in their front seven to allow gaping holes in the middle of the defense, and generally, they are too fast to run outside as well. That being said, we have seen some success against this defense on the ground at times, but it won’t happen without at least the threat of the passing game. Tebow only completed 46.5 percent of his passes this year, which was easily the lowest mark in the NFL, and he is going to have to prove that he can make some of the big time throws on third and long. It’s not going to take an elite 300 yard passing day, but Tebow is at least going to have to make some plays with his arm down the field. If the field can’t be stretch further than that, what we are going to see is the same type of result that we saw when the Steelers beat up the New England Patriots several months ago. The only reason that game was close is because QB Tom Brady still has the ability to do some great things even without a deep threat receiver on the field. Tim Tebow is no Tom Brady.

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NFL Picks: New England @ Miami, Oakland @ Denver Prop Picks

September 12th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football  
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Monday Night Football is back and better than ever this week, as there are two crucial divisional duels on tap. Check out how we stack up the NFL props and make our NFL picks on the clashes between the Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots and Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders.

Over/Under 4 Sacks (NE/MIA)
You don’t normally think of these two teams as two that will gun the ball all over the place. However, with QB Tom Brady breaking in a new receiver in WR Chad Ochocinco and QB Chad Henne really stuck throwing the ball a ton without a steady running game, the sacks could mount in a hurry. You know that New England’s defense is not relenting, as Head Coach Bill Belichick will throw the kitchen sink at the relatively inexperienced Henne. The question is how much Head Coach Tony Sparano is going to send at Brady. Knowing that his job might be on the line, we’d guess that we’ll see a lot of guys like LB Jason Taylor and LB Koa Misi in the backfield. Over 4 Sacks (-110 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Brandon Lloyd Over/Under 4.5 Receptions
No respect here for the defending receiving yards champ in the league. Lloyd had a sturdy year last year, and though we know that Head Coach John Fox is going to want to run the ball more with RB Knowshon Moreno, that doesn’t mean that the rapport that QB Kyle Orton built with Lloyd over the last year will just suddenly disappear. Don’t be surprised if there are a few shots taken to try to loosen up this Oakland defense, and if that’s the case, Lloyd should be able to amass the five receptions needed to beat this target. Lloyd Over 4.5 Receptions (+100 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Longest Touchdown of the Game Over/Under 45.5 Yards (NE/MIA)
Last season alone, New England scored four special teams or defensive TDs that all went for more than 45 yards against the Dolphins, and that doesn’t even include the possibility of the offenses scoring from this far out. We know that Brady will be looking to hit some deep shots during this game, and the X-Factor very well could be RB Reggie Bush, who appears like he is going to get at least 20-25 touches of the football in some respect in this game. Don’t be shocked if this prop is decided with the very first touchdown. Longest Touchdown Over 45.5 Yards (-115 at BoDog Sportsbook)

NFL Free Picks: Odds To Win AFC West 2011 w/ Super Bowl Odds

September 4th, 2011 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football  
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Full List of Odds To Win The AFC West Can Be Found Below

The AFC West was one of the worst divisions is football last season, as the division generally disappointed and was out of the playoffs right away in resounding fashion. This year, there hasn’t been a lot of change, but our AFC West picks couldn’t be any harder to sort out.

The favorites of the bunch this year are the San Diego Chargers (Current AFC West Odds: 1 to 2. at Oddsmaker Sportsbook). The Bolts were head and shoulders above the rest of the division last year, but the team just didn’t end up getting the job done late in games when it really mattered. Now, QB Philip Rivers and company have a chip on their shoulder, but we’re not so sure that it is justified. Save for Rivers, TE Antonio Gates, and a returning WR Vincent Jackson, there really isn’t all that much that we are smiling about on this team. The Chargers might not be all that great after all, and we would feel a lot better about taking the field at +190 than the Bolts at this price.

Meanwhile, the defending champs of the division are the Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West Lines: 5.25 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook). We like to give credit where credit is due, and we know that Head Coach Todd Haley did a fantastic job last season. However, Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis is gone, and there is a real question how badly this will hurt an offense that was incredibly efficient last season. Cause for concern? You betcha, especially after not really doing anything major to bolster the team during the free agency period.

Though they’re the huge underdogs in this division, we like the chances that the Denver Broncos (Odds to Win the AFC West: 14 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook) have of at least making things interesting. The team made the right call by bringing in Head Coach John Fox, a man with a winning pedigree from the Carolina Panthers, and he made the right decisions in using QB Kyle Orton and bringing in RB Willis McGahee. This is clearly going to be a smash mouth team this year, and the defense should be improved with the return of LB Elvis Dumervil and the drafting of LB Von Miller. Don’t be shocked if this team challenges for the division crown at very long NFL odds this year.

And then there is the laughing stock of football, the Oakland Raiders (2011 AFC West Odds: 6 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Raider Nation hasn’t seen a winning team in quite some time, and this year is probably going to be no exception with DB Nnamdi Asomugha flying the coup and heading to the Philadelphia Eagles. QB Jason Campbell at least gets to stay in the same offensive system he was in last year. There are high hopes for new Head Coach Hue Jackson, but it is likely to be a relatively long season in the Black Hole this year once again.

2011 NFL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 9/4/11):
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Odds To Win AFC West
Denver Broncos 12.50 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 4.60 to 1
Oakland Raiders 6 to 1
San Diego Chargers 1 to 2.50

Odds To Win Super Bowl
Denver Broncos 165 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 80 to 1
Oakland Raiders 175 to 1
San Diego Chargers 11 to 1

AFC West Super Bowl Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 9/4/11):
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Odds To Win AFC West Division
Denver Broncos 14 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 5.25 to 1
Oakland Raiders 7 to 1
San Diego Chargers 1 to 5

Super Bowl 46 Odds
Denver Broncos 62 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 42 to 1
Oakland Raiders 50 to 1
San Diego Chargers 10 to 1

AFC West Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 9/4/11):
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2011 AFC West Odds
Denver Broncos 12 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 4 to 1
Oakland Raiders 5 to 1
San Diego Chargers 1 to 2

AFC West Odds To Win the Super Bowl
Denver Broncos 70 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 35 to 1
Oakland Raiders 50 to 1
San Diego Chargers 12 to 1

NFL Betting Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 9/4/11):
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AFC West Odds
Denver Broncos 10 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 4.50 to 1
Oakland Raiders 6 to 1
San Diego Chargers 1 to 2.50

Super Bowl Odds
Denver Broncos 80 to 1
Kansas City Chiefs 45 to 1
Oakland Raiders 65 to 1
San Diego Chargers 11 to 1

2010 NFL Betting: Preseason Top 10 ATS Power Rankings

August 14th, 2010 by Adam Markowitz (Bankroll Sports Head Columnist) | Posted in NFL Football  
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The 2010 NFL betting campaign is just around the corner! In order to keep you up on all the action, Bankroll Sports has listed the Top 10 ATS teams from 2009, their 2010 Super Bowl odds, and our NFL predictions for them for this season!

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Aaron Rodgers 2010 NFL Betting: Preseason Top 10 ATS Power Rankings #1 Green Bay Packers (+1000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Pack posted the best marks in the league last year for NFL betting fans, going 11-4-1 ATS. They are going to be back with a fantastic offense loaded with talent. QB Aaron Rodgers is likely to reach the 4,000 yard barrier for the third straight season to start his career, which is a feat that even some of the greatest in NFL history never even remotely came close to. If DC Dom Capers’ defense can keep its head on straight and post some of the best numbers in the league once again, there’s no reason to think that the Green Bay won’t once again be on top of the NFL ATS power ratings.

#2 Atlanta Falcons (+2500 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): It’s impressive to think that the Falcons followed up a playoff campaign in 2008 with a non-playoff one in 2009 but still went a lofty 11-5 ATS. Could that bode even better for this year? HC Mike Smith thinks he has a winning formula, so he brought back the majority of players from last year’s 9-7 team. The only real key additions were LB Sean Weatherspoon, acquiring in the first round of the NFL Draft, and DB Dunta Robinson, who was picked up via free agency from the Houston Texans. Picking up Robinson was key, as it was the pass defense that really hurt this team late in games last season. Asking for 11 covers again this season might be a bit much, but Atlanta should post another great record this year.

#3 Indianapolis Colts (+600 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): As long as #18 is roaming the sidelines for the Colts, they are going to be a difficult team to bet against. One would figure that the oddsmakers would be incredibly tough on them week in and week out, but in spite of the fact that their numbers are almost always at least a tad inflated, they went a rock solid 10-5-1 ATS in 2009. This could be the year that Indy snaps back to earth if the NFL spreads keep as high as they have been in recent seasons. It has a brutal schedule, and QB Peyton Manning is going to have to contend with a new offensive coordinator, as Tom Moore has retired.

#4 San Francisco 49ers (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): This is probably a make-or-break season in the coaching career of Mike Singletary. No man asks for more from his team, nor will anyone get more from his players than does Singletary. Still, in spite of the fact that he went an awesome 9-4-3 ATS in last year’s regular season, Singletary has still yet to take this team to the playoffs. With a quarterback rotation set in stone and one of the most talented offensive lines in the game, the 49ers have no excuses this year. As long as the oddsmakers don’t start putting up unrealistically high numbers on it, San Francisco is going to be a great bet, particularly as underdogs this season.

mike holmgren 2010 NFL Betting: Preseason Top 10 ATS Power Rankings #5 Cleveland Browns (+10000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The Browns closed out last season by winning four straight games both SU and ATS to finish the year at 10-6 ATS. The turnaround was sparked by the addition of GM Mike Holmgren to the staff. Holmgren decided to retain HC Eric Mangini, but he dumped both of his quarterbacks. If QB Jake Delhomme can reinvent himself and the Browns play as hard as they did down the stretch last season, they could challenge for a playoff spot in the AFC. The Steelers, Bengals, and Ravens need to be very careful when this team turns up on the schedule. The end result should be covers galore!

#6 Minnesota Vikings (+1000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): This is a team that is probably damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t. If QB Brett Favre does come back to Minnesota, it will likely be overinflated in most every game it plays due to the fact that Favre had an epic season last year. If he doesn’t come back, the oddsmakers are still probably going to overrate this team due to the fact that Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels flat out stink. Duplicating last year’s 9-6-1 ATS mark is going to be virtually impossible unless someone comes up with a truly Herculean effort.

#7 Philadelphia Eagles (+3000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Fly Eagles, fly! Philly could be an interesting team to back this year if QB Kevin Kolb can step right into the role that QB Donovan McNabb vacated when he was traded to the Washington Redskins in the offseason. The Eagles could have a porous defense which holds them back this year though, which could make that 9-7 ATS mark from 2009 difficult to repeat. Still, a lot of NFL lines are going to be tight when this team takes on its competitors, so if you think Philadelphia can win nine games, you probably think it can cover nine spreads as well.

#8 New York Jets (+1200 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Last season, the Jets fooled a lot of teams, and the end result was a stellar 9-7 ATS mark. They marched all the way to the AFC Championship Game on the back of a strong defense and a rushing attack that ranked first in the NFL. Conventional wisdom suggests that the additions of DB Antonio Cromartie and DB Kyle Wilson could make this defense even more frightening, especially now that DT Kris Jenkins is healthy. Still, it’s going to take QB Mark Sanchez improving his game for New York to put up these types of results again.

#9 Denver Broncos (+6500 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): Though many are down on the Broncos this year, we have to remember that most of the pieces to this puzzle are once again back in place. The big losses are WR Brandon Marshall, TE Tony Scheffler, and LB Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil, who led the team with 17 sacks last year, might be able to play at the end of this season after tearing a pectoral muscle in the preseason. However, the oddsmakers are seemingly making huge adjustments to this team. Yes, the Broncos collapsed down the stretch last year, but losses don’t mean failed covers. If the numbers get too large, improving on a 9-7 ATS record from ’09 is doable.

#10 Carolina Panthers (+5000 to win Super Bowl XLV at JustBet Sportsbook): The same could be said about the Panthers and their 9-7 ATS record from last year. Losing QB Jake Delhomme might be addition by subtraction, as both Matt Moore and rookie Jimmy Clausen can’t do much worse than the former Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun did last year. This season will once again revolve around the defense and running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The Panthers might be able to surprise, as several are down on their chances of making the postseason in what could be the final year for HC John Fox.

Weekend Football Links Cycle (August 22, 2009)

August 22nd, 2009 by Jay (Bankroll Sports Contributor) | Posted in College Football, NFL Football  

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JustBet 4681 Weekend Football Links Cycle (August 22, 2009)

NFL/College Football News & Headlines Cycle:

Blogisphere & Football Opinion/Entertainment Cycle:

2009 Fantasy Football Cycle:


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AFC Playoff Scenarios (After Week 14)

December 9th, 2008 by Jay (Bankroll Sports Contributor) | Posted in NFL Football  

The NFL playoff hunt is in full stride as teams are battling to get every victory possible. Every loss and every win is huge this time of the year because one game can make or break the entire team’s season. Take a look at what teams are in, who still has a chance, and what some need to do to be playing in the postseason. We break down the AFC playoff picture as the NFL season winds down:

Tennessee Titans (12-1) – The Titans have solidified their playoff hopes by clinching the AFC South this past weekend and also sealing a first round bye. Tennessee controls their destiny in the playoffs in trying to capture home field advantage. The Titans simply have to beat Pittsburgh in two weeks or win 2 of their last 3 games to rap up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They hold the best record in the NFL and look ready to make a deep playoff run.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) – Pittsburgh owns the 2nd best record in the AFC at 10-3 and winner of 4 straight games. The Steelers have a huge game with Baltimore this Sunday. If Pittsburgh wins, they will clinch the AFC North and guarantee themselves a playoff position. Pittsburgh is in great shape, but has some tough games to close out the season. A win this weekend is a must considering they will battle Tennessee in two weeks. The Steelers would have to lose their last 3 games and then some other teams would have to finish strong for Pittsburgh to be kept out of the postseason.

Denver Broncos (8-5) – Denver has all but clinched the AFC West division. The Broncos just need to get one more victory or even a tie would seal the deal. Also, a loss from the San Diego Chargers in any of their last 3 games would officially put Denver into the playoffs. You can basically count the Broncos into the playoffs given the weakest division in the AFC. Due to that fact, the Broncos will most certainly be playing in the first week of the postseason and there are zero chances for them earning a bye.

New York Jets (8-5) – Two weeks ago the Jets looked to easily make the playoffs as they owned a two game lead in the AFC East. After losing two straight games to weak teams, New York finds themselves in a 3 way tie for the division with Miami and New England. The Jets will have the chance to greatly improve their odds when they take on Miami in the final week of the season. With a fairly easy schedule from here on out, New York must be thinking they have to win out to make the playoffs. If they lose two games, it might not be enough considering Baltimore and Indianapolis hold better records in the wildcard picture.

New England Patriots (8-5) – The Patriots could be in the best position to come out ahead of that 3 way dog fight in the AFC East. New England benefits because Miami and New York will play each other and one of those teams are sure to score a loss. New England has the chance to win the next 3 games if they can manage to pull off a victory over the Cardinals at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots other two games showcase struggling teams such as Buffalo and Oakland. Like the Jets, New England needs to run the table or at least win 2 out of 3 to have a shot.

Miami Dolphins (8-5) – Miami has a chance to make the playoffs? After only winning one game all last year, the Dolphins have a chance to win the division and make the playoffs. Sounds crazy, but Miami is actually playing the best football out of everyone in the AFC East. The Dolphins get New York in what seems to be the game that could decide who makes the postseason in the final week of the season. The Dolphins have San Francisco and Kansas City left on the schedule and there is definitely a possibility they could close out with 3 more wins. Miami has won 6 of their last 7 games and will need at 2 more, most likely 3.

Baltimore Ravens (9-4) – Baltimore will play in their biggest game of the season this Sunday when they basically play for the division championship. If the Ravens lose, Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North. Still regardless of this weekend, Baltimore still has a good chance to make the playoffs. Their record ties with Indianapolis for the best teams for the wildcard spot. Baltimore has a tough road to get their through Pittsburgh, Dallas, and Jacksonville. If the Ravens can pull out two of those victories, they will be in.

Indianapolis Colts (9-4) – Do not count out the Colts. Peyton Manning has led a late season charge winning 6 straight games and Indianapolis is in the middle of the playoff battle despite being written off after a 3-4 start. The Colts get the Lions next week and one must consider that a win given that Detroit is still winless this season. Indianapolis can win 2 out of their last 3 games and make the playoffs through a wildcard position. Considering the way Peyton and the offense has come on in the 2nd half on the season, the Colts could surprise some teams in the playoffs as well.

The following teams are completely eliminated from the AFC playoff picture:
Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs

The following teams aren’t eliminated but have absolutley no chance: Buffalo Bills

Be sure to check back for the NFC breakdown in the next day or two…