My #GMCPlaybook question to @SBNation: What ONE remaining game matters most to your team? http://t.co/K7mHOw4HRX
— Marshall Faulk (@marshallfaulk) November 13, 2014
If we asked Peyton Manning, he'd surely say, "The next game," every week. This week it'd be the St. Louis Rams. Next week, the Miami Dolphins.
As far as playoff implications go, it's true that every game is important to the Broncos. They can't afford to slide back behind the New England Patriots, who are tied with Denver with a 7-2 record but own the head-to-head tiebreaker for the AFC's first seed.
It's that race with New England that is most important at this point to the Broncos, and it's with that in mind that we take a look at Denver's remaining schedule.
Broncos remaining schedule | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wk | Day | Date | Opponent | Record | |
11 | Sun | Nov 16 | at St. Louis Rams |
3-6 | |
12 | Sun | Nov 23 |
Miami Dolphins |
6-4 | |
13 | Sun | Nov 30 |
at Kansas City Chiefs | 6-3 | |
14 | Sun |
Dec 7 |
Buffalo Bills |
5-5 | |
15 | Sun | Dec 14 | at San Diego Chargers | 5-4 | |
16 | Mon |
Dec 22 | at Cincinnati Bengals |
5-3-1 | |
17 | Sun |
Dec 28 |
Oakland Raiders |
0-9 |
Four winning teams, one .500 team, and just two teams with losing records. Not an easy slate for the Broncos down the stretch. But which game is most important?
Given the way they're keeping up with the Broncos in the division, and given the fact that the Patriots lost to them 14-41, Denver's Week 13 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead looms large as the most important game remaining on Denver's schedule. It's a Sunday Night Football game to boot.
Next would be the Week 15 game at the San Diego Chargers. The Broncos will have to put a nail in two AFC West coffins if they hope to seal the AFC's #1 seed.
But none of those games are important this week. We'll follow Manning's lead and not look ahead. This week, the most important game of the rest of the schedule is the St. Louis Rams.
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