Playoffs? Yes, we are talking about the playoffs.
We’re 8 weeks into the 2026 NFL regular season, and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. After their thrilling victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos moved into first place in the AFC West and are currently the number 2 seed in the AFC.
They have completed their difficult start to the season and now head into the second half of the season in control of their destiny.
The Denver Broncos had a brutal stretch to start the season and overcame that with an impressive 6-2 record. Now, the second half of their schedule is EASIER on paper, which doesn’t always mean much.
Broncos upcoming schedule
The three big games in the circle are the Black Friday game on the road versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, who currently lead the AFC North and are the 3rd seed in the AFC; the Christmas game against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, who are currently the number one seed; and a road game against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.
All three teams are in the playoffs now and could be a potential postseason matchup for the Broncos. These games will likely be important in seeding when all is said and done. So, these are the three most important games left on the Broncos schedule, but they should take it one at a time and take care of business on the road against the struggling Panthers and head into their BYE with a 7-2 record.