Woody Paige: Broncos’ postseason hopes still alive — but just barely

By Woody Paige December 17, 2023 | updated 2 years ago

‘Twas the Sunday before Christmas, and all through the mall, no Broncos’ fans were stirring because they stayed home to bawl.

But orange stockings were hung by the fireplace with cheer, knowing that the Patriots and the Chargers would soon be here.

Broncos believers were nestled all smug in their beds, with dreams of the playoffs engrained in their heads.

Scrooge you, Bears, Titans, Cowboys, Patriots, Vikings, Steelers and especially the Lions. The day after the Broncos’ beatdown and Sean Payton’s meltdown Saturday night in Detroit, they are alive and, well, sort of in the in the wildest card chase.

But barely.

Woody Paige: Broncos turned into warthogs in Ford Field’s glare

And you can stand under the mistletoe and kiss the AFC West title good-bye.

The Broncos got no help whatsoever Saturday and Sunday from other NFL teams. None of the teams the Broncos needed to lose did.

The Chiefs slithered past the New England Pathetics 27-17 to take a two-game lead in the division with a 9-4 record to the Broncos’ 7 up, 7 down. Kansas City has home games against the Raiders and the Bengals and the finale in Los Angeles against the Chargers. Assuming that the Broncos win their last three against the Pity-Pats, the Chargers and the Raiders, the Chiefs with one victory would take the tiebreaker.

The Broncos apparently were astute to realize Saturday evening that both the Colts and the Bengals had prevailed earlier over Pittsburgh and Minnesota to improve to 8-6. So the Broncos obviously had to keep pace. Instead, the Dusty Old Cowtown’s Broncos kowtowed to the Lions in their season’s second worst blowout. They looked more like the team that had been Dolphins-drubbed 70-20 than the team that had won six of the past seven games. The Lions squashed the Broncos 42-17 while a coach who is supposed to be the adult in the stadium fumed and frothed at the mouth yelling at his quarterback who became a new father again earlier in the week.

Sean Payton was giving the NFL officials “the business’’, a reference once used on a national TV mic by NFL referee — and Denver’s own hometown guy, the late Ben Dreith — to describe a player’s penalty. Then Payton gave Russell Wilson “the business’’, and he gave the Broncos’ play-by-play announcer “the business’’ in a radio interview, and he gave another media member “the business’’ when asked what he told the QB. “What I talked to Russell about is none of your business.’’

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The Lions gave the Broncos “the business.’’

Broncos confident about bouncing back after suffering second-biggest defeat of season at Detroit

And nobody was coming to save the Broncos Sunday. The Bears had a lead over Cleveland that was surmountable when Joe Flacco, of all former Broncos people, brought back the Browns for a late victory. The Titans were in control over the Texans, who were without rookie of the year J.D. Stroud (in concussion protocol) and with another ex-Broncos quarterback, Case Keenum. The current Houston franchise defeated the old Houston franchise (wearing the silly Oilers uniforms) with a field goal in overtime.

And, later, the Bills clobbered the Cowboys. So, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Houston each are one game ahead of the Broncos and the Steelers.

Here is the lay of the land in the AFC: The Dolphins, the Ravens and the Chiefs will finish first in the East, North and West, and the Jaguars are trying to hang on and hold off the Colts.

The legitimate contenders for the three wild card positions are B-teamers Browns, Bengals and Bills, plus the Colts and the Texans, while the Broncos lag.

The Broncos’ chances of reaching the postseason have plummeted to 32 percent. They must win out to be 10-7 while the others lose games. Cincinnati and Cleveland, Indianapolis and Houston, Cleveland and Houston will play each other, and Buffalo must conclude on the road vs. the Dolphins.

Since the 16-game schedule was installed in 1978 the Broncos have ended up 10-6 that year, the next and in 1981, 2003 and 2004. They were 10-4-1 in 1987 and got to the Super Bowl. In ’81 they were shut out, and they made the playoffs in the other seasons before losing first games.

‘Tis the season to envision sugar plums and the postseason.

Broncos ‘outplayed’ and ‘outcoached’ in ugly 42-17 loss to Lions, damaging playoff hopes

Woody Paige has been a sports and general columnist in Colorado with the Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, The Colorado Springs Gazette and The Denver Gazette since 1974. He has been a commentator for the ESPN network on six different shows for 20 years. woody.paige@gazette.com

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Woody Paige: Broncos’ postseason hopes still alive — but just barely

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