Winter, in terms of weather, is a sucky time of year. Nevertheless, compelling football action and stellar playoff races make the season worthwhile. While our Broncos did lose a disappointing game to the Raiders, our playoff chances are still excellent and we control our own destiny.

I can think of a half-dozen AFC teams that would love to be in our shoes right now. The beauty is if we beat the Eagles, teams such as the Dolphins, Texans or Jets will lose and our lead in the wild card will grow larger.

All of this comes with a coach who has never been at the helm in this situation before and continues to do numerous things right.

I think we all know the Broncos are more equipped to be serious Super Bowl contenders next season, but there is still great value in procuring a playoff berth this season.

For starters, if we earn a wild card, we'll be able to gain sought-after experience which will prepare us for the future.  Secondly, once you get into the tournament, anything can happen.

As the underdog, we would play with the house money and all the pressure would squarely be on the shoulders of teams like the Colts and the Super Sparklers.

At this Christmas season, I am grateful for the gift of a favorite NFL team with not only a bright future, but a promising present as well.

Let's just play solid Bronco football at the Linc and if we emerge victorious, we'll see what happens from there. GO BRONCOS!!!