AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win

The Denver Broncos’ 2025 season has been a story of steady ascent, but their Week 14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs— a 31-24 thriller at Arrowhead Stadium—has catapulted them from playoff contenders to legitimate favorites for the AFC’s top seed. For a team that started the season 3-2 and faced questions about their consistency, the win over the defending AFC West champions wasn’t just a statement—it was a declaration of intent. With a 10-3 record and three games left on the schedule, the Broncos now sit just one game behind the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens (11-2) and hold the tiebreaker over the Chiefs (9-4) after sweeping their divisional rivalry. AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win explores how this pivotal victory reshaped the AFC landscape, the key players who fueled it, the challenges that lie ahead, and why the Broncos suddenly look like a team built to go all the way. For Broncos Nation, the top seed isn’t just a goal anymore—it’s a realistic possibility.

AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win begins with the details of their Week 14 triumph over the Chiefs, a game that showcased the Broncos’ balance and resilience. Trailing 17-14 at halftime, Denver’s offense took control in the third quarter, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, who threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns—including a 45-yard strike to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy that gave the Broncos a 28-17 lead early in the fourth. The defense, meanwhile, stepped up when it mattered most: linebacker Randy Gregory sacked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice, and safety Justin Simmons intercepted a pass in the end zone with 1:45 left to seal the win. “This was the kind of game we’ve been building toward all season,” said Broncos head coach Sean Payton. “We didn’t flinch in a tough environment, we executed when it counted, and we showed the league we can beat the best.” The win was particularly significant because it ended a six-game losing streak to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, a psychological hurdle that had haunted the Broncos in recent years. “Beating them here isn’t just a win—it’s a weight off our shoulders,” Wilson said after the game. “Now we know we can compete with anyone, anywhere.”

AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win continues with a look at the key players who have turned the Broncos into a top-seed contender. Wilson, in his second season with Denver, has found a new gear in 2025, throwing for 3,420 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions—numbers that put him in the conversation for NFL MVP. His chemistry with Jeudy (78 catches, 1,120 yards, 8 touchdowns) and tight end Greg Dulcich (52 catches, 680 yards, 5 touchdowns) has made the Broncos’ passing attack one of the most explosive in the league. On defense, the Broncos rank 5th in the NFL in points allowed (18.2 per game), with a line that includes Gregory (11 sacks) and defensive tackle D.J. Jones (6 sacks, 1 forced fumble) creating consistent pressure. Simmons, a four-time Pro Bowler, leads the secondary with 4 interceptions and 12 pass deflections, turning the Broncos’ defense into a turnover machine (23 takeaways this season). “We have talent across the board, but what’s different this year is our consistency,” said Gregory. “We’re not just winning games—we’re winning them in different ways. If the offense is hot, we support them. If the defense needs to carry the load, we step up.” This balance has been critical: the Broncos have won five games by 7 points or fewer, a sign of their ability to perform in high-pressure moments.

AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win also examines the Broncos’ remaining schedule, which will determine whether they can overtake the Ravens for the top seed. Their next two games are against divisional opponents: a Week 15 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders (7-6) and a Week 16 road game against the Los Angeles Chargers (8-5). Both are winnable, but the Raiders still have playoff hopes, and the Chargers have a history of playing the Broncos tough. The biggest test comes in Week 17, when the Broncos host the Ravens in a potential top-seed showdown. If Denver wins that game, they’ll likely take control of the AFC’s top spot, as the Ravens finish the season with a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-7). “Our schedule sets up perfectly—we control our own destiny,” Payton said. “We don’t need to rely on other teams to lose. If we win our last three games, we’ll be the top seed. That’s all you can ask for.” For the Denver Broncos, the key will be avoiding complacency: after a big win over the Chiefs, it would be easy to look ahead to the Ravens, but the Raiders and Chargers are capable of upsetting any team. “We have to take it one game at a time,” Wilson said. “The Raiders are a tough team, and they’ll be fighting for their playoff lives. We can’t look past them.”

AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win delves into why securing the top seed matters so much for the Broncos’ playoff aspirations. The top seed in the AFC guarantees a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs—a critical edge in a league where home teams win 58% of playoff games. For the Broncos, who haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2015, home-field advantage would mean playing in front of a raucous Empower Field at Mile High crowd, which has been one of the loudest in the NFL this season (the Broncos are 6-1 at home in 2025). It would also allow them to avoid a potential early-round matchup with a dangerous team like the Bills or Chiefs, giving them more time to rest key players and prepare. “The top seed isn’t just about prestige—it’s about giving yourself the best chance to win the Super Bowl,” Simmons said. “Home-field advantage in the playoffs is huge. The crowd energy, the comfort of your own locker room, the routine—all of it helps. We want that edge.” For the Denver Broncos, the top seed is also a chance to erase the disappointment of recent seasons: since winning Super Bowl 50, they’ve made the playoffs just twice, and both times they lost in the first round. “This team has worked too hard to settle for anything less,” Gregory said. “We want to go all the way, and the top seed is the first step.”

AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win concludes with the buzz around Broncos Nation and the team’s belief that this could be their year. Fans have flooded social media with #TopSeedBroncos hashtags, and Empower Field at Mile High is already sold out for the Ravens game. Local businesses have started offering “Broncos Playoff Packages,” and the city of Denver is buzzing with excitement not seen since the Peyton Manning era. “It feels like 2015 all over again,” said longtime fan Mike Torres, who has attended every home game this season. “This team has that same swagger, that same belief. You can see it in how they play, and you can feel it in the crowd.” For the Denver Broncos, the excitement is justified, but they know the hard work is just beginning. “We’re not celebrating yet,” Payton said. “We have three tough games left, and we need to keep grinding. But I like where we are. This team has heart, talent, and a desire to win that’s hard to beat.” As the Broncos prepare for the Raiders, their focus is clear: win today, and worry about the Ravens tomorrow. If they can do that, the AFC top seed will be within their grasp—and with it, a chance to bring another Super Bowl trophy back to Denver. In the end, AFC Top Seed in Sight for the Denver Broncos After Big Win is a story of redemption and momentum—how a team that struggled for years has finally found its stride, and how a single big win can turn a good season into something extraordinary. For the Broncos, the journey isn’t over—but the finish line is now in sight.