Broncos Could Draw Potential Wild-Card Rematch as AFC Picture Shifts After Week 13

If the playoffs started today, the Denver Broncos would host the Buffalo Bills in a wild-card showdown at Empower Field. 

This would be a great storyline considering last year’s meeting in Orchard Park. 

As Zac Stevens noted, the No. 2 seed Broncos would HOST the No. 7 seed Bills. 

This would be a matchup shaped by Denver’s nine-game winning streak and Buffalo’s slide from AFC East dominance.  

“Every team that makes the playoffs will feel like they can make a run to win it all,” USA TODAY wrote. 

This hypothetical rematch feels especially charged as Denver is surging behind Bo Nix’s late-game poise and top-ranked defense. 

While Buffalo, still one of the league’s top five scoring offenses, has battled inconsistency and costly midseason losses that pushed them into wild-card territory. 

A Home Potential Playoff Rematch: Broncos Eye Revenge

Last year, the Bills beat Denver in a matchup in Buffalo. 

In this game, the Broncos were very inexperienced and were still trying to build toward serious contention. 

Now, over 10 months later, they are a serious playoff contender. 

Denver sits in second in the AFC at 10-2, owners of the conference’s longest active winning streak. 

The rolls have been flipped as Buffalo is fighting just to make the playoffs as they are currently positioned as the No. 7 seed at 8-4. 

A rematch in Denver would be symbolic of the growth of this Broncos team. 

Instead of heading into the frigid chaos of Highmark Stadium, the Broncos would welcome Buffalo to altitude with a chance to avenge last year’s frustration. 

And based on how the Bills’ season has unfolded, it’s a matchup Denver would likely want.

Buffalo remains explosive as Josh Allen, James Cook, and one of the league’s best offensive lines still make them dangerous. 

But losses to Atlanta, Miami, and Houston have exposed a team no longer dictating the AFC landscape.

They are very weak at the wide receiver position and their defense ranks 31st against the run that has been a major part of their struggles. 

NFL Next Gen Stats gives Buffalo a 91% chance to make the postseason, but their margin for error is thin. 

They still face Cincinnati, New England, Philadelphia, and the Jets down the stretch. 

But if the playoffs started today, the Bills would be traveling to Denver for a Wild Card rematch.  

Broncos’ Playoff Outlook

Denver’s position is not a fluke. 

It’s the result of great coaching, elite defense, and Bo Nix growing into the moment.  

Sitting at 10-2, the Broncos currently hold the AFC’s No. 2 seed as they trail New England because of a tiebreaker. 

Denver is “all but a lock to play January ball.”

The AFC West picture is equally significant. 

Denver’s two remaining games against the Chiefs and Chargers may ultimately determine whether they end Kansas City’s nine-year division-title streak. 

With the Chiefs falling to 6-6 and the Chargers battling injuries at 8-4, FiveThirtyEight projects Denver with above a 95% chance to make the playoffs. 

If the standings hold, that first test may come in the form of a wild-card rematch with Buffalo.  

Except this time, Denver holds the altitude, the momentum, and the belief that this postseason will look very different than the last.

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