This was probably better than any Christmas present the Denver Broncos could have received.
Following Denver’s 20-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas night in Week 17, the Broncos clinched the AFC West championship following the Houston Texans going on the road to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-16, on Saturday.
The win clinched a playoff spot for the Texans.
It’s the first AFC West title for the Broncos since 2015 — the last year the franchise won the Super Bowl — and snapped a 9-year AFC West title streak for the Chiefs.
The Broncos can now clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs with a win over the Chargers in Denver in Week 18.
The Chargers defeated the Broncos on a last-second field goal in their first meeting thi season, way back in Week 3.
“AFC WEST CHAMPS,” the Broncos wrote on their official X account. “Goal No. 1 … And we’re still climbing.”
“For the first time in 10 years, the Denver Broncos are the AFC West champs,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X. “The Chargers’ loss to the Texans tonight clinched the division title for Denver.”
Chiefs’ Decade of Dominance Dictated Dynasty
While it’s great the Broncos won the AFC West and have the chance at the No. 1 seed, it’s worth taking just a moment to reflect on what the Chiefs did in winning 9 consecutive AFC West titles – a division record. That also included 8 years in which the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs, with Denver snapping that almost decade-long playoff drought in 2024.
In the 9 years the Chiefs won the AFC West, they played in 5 Super Bowls, winning 3 of them, and played in 7 consecutive AFC Championship Games from 2018 to 2024.
Broncos Reeled Off 11 Consecutive Wins
While the Broncos reeled off 11 consecutive wins before losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in Week 16, their 13-3 record could very well be 15-1 — they were 1-2 to start the season with losses to the Chargers and Indianapolis Colts both coming on last-second field goals.
The Broncos can tie the franchise record with their 14th win, matching the 1998 Broncos’ 14-2 record as they won their second consecutive Super Bowl title. The NFL regular season didn’t expand to 17 games until 2021.
At the heart of the Broncos’ turnaround is a top-level defense and 2 key figures otherwise — head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix.
Payton was obtained in an unusual trade with the New Orleans Saints before the 2023 season that saw Denver ship a first round pick to the Saints, where he was still under contract. Just over one year later, the Broncos selected Nix out of the University of Oregon with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft — the last of a record-setting 6 quarterbacks selected in the first round.
Nix now has more wins — 23 — through his first 2 seasons than any quarterback in NFL history.
Social Media Reacts to Broncos Clinching Title
Winning the AFC West was a late holiday surprise for Broncos fans who are terminally online.
“THE DENVER BRONCOS HAVE WON THE AFC WEST FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2015,” Sleeper Broncos wrote on X. “ORDER HAS BEEN RESTORED IN THE AFC WEST.”
“Broncos are AFC West champs,” 9 News Denver’s Mike Klis wrote on X. “No worse than No 3 playoff seed. There will be a home playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High.”
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