Losing to a division rival is hard enough, but with the Denver Broncos having a chance to lock up a playoff spot, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers in a collapse burned that much more. With poor defensive play throughout the game and the offense losing the plot in the second half, the Broncos let a chance to clinch a playoff berth slip through their fingers.

Unfortunately, a loss means the Broncos’ four-game win streak came careening to an end, and they tumbled out of the top 10 of NFL.com’s Week 17 power rankings. Eric Edholm dished on the Broncos’ primetime collapse and their steep climb to secure a postseason berth.  

“Thursday’s loss to the Chargers bumped Denver down to the No. 7 slot in the AFC playoff picture, and it’s going to be tough to climb back out. That means a likely first-round showdown with the mighty Bills, assuming Buffalo doesn’t overtake top-seeded Kansas City. Just as important as the Broncos losing was how they lost. The offense went cold and got conservative at times after the blazing-hot start. Forgetting the run game after the opening drive looked like a mistake. The defense had plenty of breakdowns, didn’t pass rush that well and tackled poorly. And Chargers rookie WR Ladd McConkey doubled his output (87 yards on six catches) from the last time Denver saw him (43 yards on four catches in Week 6). The Broncos still have at least one tough game left (against the Bengals on Saturday), and they could have two, depending on whether the Chiefs are in position to rest some starters against Denver in Week 18. The Broncos are going to have to grind their way into the postseason — and they’ll likely have to keep grinding if they get there,” Edholm wrote.

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A first-round bout sounds like a nightmare scenario for the Broncos, but before they can focus on Buffalo, they need to worry about snagging a spot in the playoffs by winning one of their last two games. Denver must overcome the significant obstacle of going away from what has worked.

The ground game was the key factor in taking a 21-13 lead in the first half in L.A. last week. Still, despite having “RUN IT!!” written boldly in Sharpie on his call sheet, Sean Payton went away from pounding the rock in the second half, forcing his rookie quarterback to throw 40 times to win a game, which isn’t the best strategy against one of the better defenses in the league.

Payton has always run a pass-heavy offense, but he must recognize his working circumstances and call these games accordingly. The Broncos face a red-hot Cincinnati Bengals squad this Saturday, looking to steal their spot in the playoffs.

The weather at Paycor Stadium will be less than ideal, with heavy rain headed through Ohio. If the dreadful weather conditions don’t get Payton to utilize the run game, nothing will.

One win, and they’re in. Denver still controls its destiny, and a win over Cincinnati would give Broncos Country a belated Christmas gift in the form of the team’s first playoff berth since 2015. 

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