Broncos, Chargers win to shake up AFC playoff picture
The Broncos came up with a statement victory over the Chiefs at Arrowhead, defeating their division foe 29-16 for a major road victory and a game that’ll likely cement an AFC West title. With the win, Denver moves two games up on the Chiefs in the standings.
However, the Chargers snuck into second place after knocking off the Ravens in Baltimore thanks to a touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Eddie Royal with 38 seconds to go, giving the Bolts a 34-33 win. After winning their third game in as many weeks, the Chargers have ascended to fifth place in the AFC and the top Wild Card spot.
The Chargers and Chiefs currently occupy the fifth and sixth seeds in the AFC, respectively, with another Wild Card contender Miami set to play on Monday night. According to Five Thirty Eight, the San Diego win coupled with the Kansas City loss has major postseason ramifications.
The Chargers win means the team has a 16 percent chance of making it into the playoffs, a 24.4 percent swing from their chances prior to kickoff. The Broncos win has dropped the Chiefs’ chances of playing late into December down to -14.4 percent, a 33.5 percent swing from their chances entering Sunday.
Behind Kansas City in the standings are Buffalo, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, all of which have 7-5 marks. Miami is 6-5 entering Monday’s game against the Jets.
