The Broncos endured a rough start to the season, but now have a prime opportunity on MNF.
Are they facing a sad sack or a spoiler though?
Denver In Driver’s Seat
What Happened: Hey, it could be worse â Monday Night Football could feature two teams going nowhere. But thankfully, that isn’t the case.
For Cleveland Browns fans, perhaps it’s time to start diving into draft content, watching some college football. 2025 and beyond.
But the Denver Broncos (7-5), despite being third in their own division, can put themselves in a strong position to grab a playoff spot with a win at home tonight.
Why It Matters: Sean Payton’s team is currently the seventh and final AFC playoff participant, with odds to qualify in the mid-60% range depending on where you look.
A win, per NFL.com projections, would push them to 76% odds, and looking at the rest of the conference, it’s hard to argue.
The Dolphins (+350Â to make the playoffs, per FanDuel) crippled their shot at getting back on track by getting smoked on Thanksgiving. The other viable team in the race is the Indianapolis Colts (+156), currently at 6-7 after a must-win victory over New England yesterday. But the roller coaster that is Anthony Richardson at quarterback really doesn’t inspire much confidence, especially considering how steady Payton has Bo Nix playing for Denver (-154 at FanDuel).
Beware the Browns though? After all, the last time Kevin Stefanski’s team was on the field, it was a primetime game versus a team jockeying for playoff positioning, and the Steelers ended up in the loss column there.
Play spoiler again and Cleveland can turn this playoff race upside down. That possibility alone makes for a reason to tune in tonight.
What Weâre Watching Today
Browns at Broncos (8:15 PM ET) –Â The Browns have won two of their last four games, so again, Denver cannot overlook a Jameis Winston-led team. However, those wins came against the Ravens and Steelers, begging the question: is Cleveland’s underdog power only good within the AFC North?
Devils at Rangers (7:00 PM ET) – For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, the feeling around the Rangers at the moment is…not great. The coach’s job security, the captain’s will to compete; when these are topics of discussion around a team, you know disaster is potentially just around the corner.
The Look Ahead
Nick Chubb RECEPTIONS – Since returning from last season’s knee injury in Week 7, the Browns haven’t been shy about getting Chubb going. He’s gotten double-digit carries in every game he’s played, culminating in a season-high 20 against Pittsburgh last week. But this week, we like him to make an impact in the pass game. Chubb was thrown to five times combined in his first two games back, and against a stout Denver run defense, getting involved via the screen game or checkdowns feels like a safe avenue for Chubb to produce. His line is just 1.5 receptions, and we think for the first time this season, he goes over that figure.
