It has been a season of ups and downs for the Denver Broncos. 

After an unbelievable 6-0 start, this team was on pace with the best in the NFL and appeared to be primed to put San Diego away in the division for the first time in years.

The Broncos have proceeded to lose six of their last eight games, the most embarrassing of which happened on Sunday afternoon against the Oakland Raiders.

Still, the Broncos control their own destiny in terms of the playoffs, but the only likely way they will make it out of the crowded AFC wild card chase is to win their last two games—a road contest against Philadelphia and a home game against Kansas City.

The Broncos currently hold the sixth seed in the AFC, and a lot of their playoff hopes depend on what happens in Sunday’s Baltimore–Pittsburgh matchup.  Here are some of the potential scenarios the Broncos could face come playoff time.

 

1.  Worst Case Scenario:  They Miss Out

This could very well happen with one more loss.  The Broncos are going to have to approach their last two games as though they were playoff contests because any slip at this point in the season, especially with the AFC playoff race as clouded as it is, could cost the Broncos in a big way.

If the Broncos miss the playoffs, they will have absolutely wasted one of the best starts in franchise history, though they will have exceeded the expectations of many critics either way.

 

2.  Best Case Scenario:  Fifth seed

The best case scenario for the Broncos would be to win out and have the Ravens lose one of their final two games.  If that happens, Denver will have control of the fifth seed in the AFC, a situation in which they would travel on the road to play against the fourth-seeded Cincinnati Bengals or New England Patriots. 

At this point in time, it is likely that the fourth seed will be held by the Bengals, but that could all change in one game.

 

3.  Sixth Seed

Right now, the Broncos control their own destiny as I said before.  If they win out, they will clinch a playoff spot, and at the very worst, the sixth seed.  The Broncos will obtain the sixth seed if they and the Ravens finish with the same record, since the Ravens own the tie-breaker from their regular season win.

If the Broncos get the sixth seed, they will have a tough road to the Super Bowl which will start, if the season ended today, with a trip out to New England to take on Tom Brady and the Patriots.

 

The Broncos’ current record in the AFC is 6-5, which is second best to the Ravens (6-4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) though both the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are close behind with an AFC mark of 5-5.

Denver has a better overall record than the Jaguars, Dolphins, or Jets, and the only team that holds a tiebreaker with Denver in the “in the hunt” group is Pittsburgh, who beat Denver earlier this season.

So what is the formula for the Denver Broncos?

Just keep on winning.  If the Broncos win both of their games, they will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and will have finally broken whatever funk they were in. 

If Denver misses the playoffs this season, they will have dropped a second consecutive division lead of three or more games. 

The playoffs start Sunday for Denver.  Their first challenge?  Try and stop the red-hot Philadelphia Eagles from taking over the second seed in the NFC.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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