Photos from denverbroncos.com and buffalobills.com
DENVER — The final weekend of the NFL regular season carries significant playoff implications for two teams with strong connections to Wyoming, as the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills enter Week 18 with multiple postseason scenarios still in play.
For Broncos fans across the state, the focus is on securing the top seed in the AFC. Wyoming also has a direct roster connection to Denver, as Wyoming native and former UW standout Frank Crum is part of the Broncos’ lineup, adding another local tie to the team’s postseason push.
Denver enters the final week at 13-3 and currently holds the No. 1 seed in the AFC after clinching the AFC West. A win Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers would lock up the conference’s top spot and a first-round bye.
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The Broncos cannot finish lower than the No. 3 seed and are guaranteed to host a playoff game. If Denver loses, it could still retain the No. 1 seed, but only if both the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars also lose. If one of those teams wins, the Broncos would slide out of the top spot. If both win, Denver would fall to No. 3.
Buffalo, meanwhile, enters Week 18 at 11-5 and has already clinched a wild-card berth. The Bills can finish anywhere from the No. 5 to the No. 7 seed, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s games, setting up a wide range of possible opponents.
The Bills could face any of six teams in the opening round: Denver, New England, Jacksonville, Houston, Pittsburgh, or Baltimore. Several of those scenarios hinge on Buffalo’s result against the New York Jets, along with outcomes involving the Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, and Texans.
One of the more intriguing possibilities is a postseason rematch between Denver and Buffalo for the second straight year, a matchup that would draw particular attention in Wyoming. Allen, the former Cowboys quarterback, remains a focal point for fans who followed his rise from Laramie to NFL stardom, while the Broncos’ success continues to energize a large regional fan base.
A postseason matchup between Buffalo and Denver would require a specific set of results in Week 18. Simply put, if either the Broncos or the Bills win Sunday, the teams would not meet in the wild-card round. The only way the matchup could occur is if Denver finishes as either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed and Buffalo ends up as the No. 7 or No. 6 seed, respectively, setting up a wild-card meeting between the two.
With playoff seeding, home-field advantage, and potential rematches on the line, Week 18 promises to be closely watched across Wyoming, where loyalties often run both orange and blue, and red and blue, depending on the quarterback behind center.
The AFC playoff picture will be finalized Sunday night, setting the stage for next weekend’s wild-card round and possibly another high-profile clash tied closely to the Cowboy State.