NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The Denver Broncos have had a big change.
After winning Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning, the Broncos missed the playoffs for eight straight years; a rookie named Bo Nix ended that streak last year.
In the second year of the Nix and Sean Payton era, the AFC playoff picture passes through Mile High.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos warms up before the 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 took first place in the AFC on Sunday with a 19-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record.
The Broncos were surely helped by the fact that Trey Lance started Week 18, since the Chargers could only have been the No. 6 or 7 seed. So they opted to rest Justin Herbert and give the rock to Lance, the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft who has never found his footing.
Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II reacts to his team during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. (Ron Chenoy/Image Images)
A LOOK BACK AT SPORTS GAMING CONTROVERSIES THROUGHOUT 2025, WITH NBA AND MLB INVESTIGATIONS LEADING
The Broncos kicked a field goal on their first drive and immediately followed with a pick-six to take an early 10-0 lead, and never looked back. Both teams had trouble moving the ball, as there were 13 clearances in total. But the Broncos’ solid defense did exactly what it has done all season: stop everything in its path.
The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars also started the day mathematically alive for first place in the AFC, but Denver was the only team that controlled its own destiny. The Patriots needed a win and a Broncos loss, while the Jaguars needed both New England and Denver to lose.
Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike (96), defensive end Sai’vion Jones (95) and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) react after a fumble recovery during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. (Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images)
This is the first time the Broncos have taken first place since 2015, the same season they won the Super Bowl. Last year, they lost in the wild card round to the Buffalo Bills, whom they very well could host in the divisional round in two weeks.
