After snapping an eight-season playoff drought a year ago, the Denver Broncos are making a return to the postseason.
Bo Nix, Sean Payton and the Broncos clinched a playoff berth Sunday on the strength of their 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers. They are the first AFC team to sew up a playoff spot.
Improving to 12-2 after the victory, the Broncos reached their highest win total since their Super Bowl-winning 2015 campaign.
In his third season helming the Broncos, Payton now boasts two playoff berths, while Nix has become the only quarterback from a lauded 2024 first-round draft class who will be able to secure postseason appearances in each of his two pro seasons. Much maligned throughout his sophomore NFL season, Nix is the first Broncos quarterback to lead the team to consecutive playoff berths since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (2012-15).
Denver hasn’t lost a game since Sept. 21 against the Los Angeles Chargers, rolling to 11 straight victories since then.
The Broncos can now march forward in their quest to claim the AFC’s No. 1 seed and win the franchise’s first AFC West title since the aforementioned 2015 Super Bowl season.
Next up for the Broncos is a marquee matchup against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 prior to back-to-back AFC West battles against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers to conclude what’s already been a hugely successful 2025 regular season.