The Denver Broncos are entering Week 18 with a chance to clinch the AFC's number 1 seed, home-field advantage until the Super Bowl, and a first-round bye. They'll get to face a Los Angeles Chargers team without Justin Herbert as well.
With a strong chance to secure the top seed and a bid to the AFC Divisional round, the biggest concern for Denver, according to Aaron Schatz of ESPN, might not come into play for a few weeks.
But, even when it does come into play, Denver might not be in such a bad spot. Schatz identified the Broncos' defense against slot receivers as the team's biggest concern, but fortunately, no AFC playoff team is that great at throwing to the slot.
Broncos' biggest playoff concern might not be a big issue
"Concerning weakness: Defending slot receivers," Schatz writes. "Denver ranks only 27th in DVOA against passes to slot receivers, allowing 7.6 yards per attempt. The good news for the Broncos is that only two AFC playoff teams rank in the top 10 in the number of pass attempts to slot receivers this season: the Chargers and themselves."
Denver struggles to defend passes to the slot this season, despite having a great defense around that issue. But there is only one team that should pose an immediate threat to the Broncos' defense, and it's the Chargers.
Los Angeles doesn't have the best chances of winning in Week 18 with Herbert out, and in turn, the Broncos might not even have to face them, as they will have to go on the road and face a division winner to begin the playoffs.
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Other than the Chargers, the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and whichever team wins the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers win-and-in Week 18 showdown, no other team is a big threat.
The Broncos' pass defense against targets to the slot isn't the best, and while the playoffs don't pose a threat for Denver through the AFC Championship, if they make the Super Bowl, it's an issue to be wary of.
The top NFC teams will be challenging for the Broncos to defend, but fortunately for Denver, that would only come to fruition if they make it to the Super Bowl, which would be an ideal situation to be in.
This concerning weakness from Schatz is actually not a huge deal for Denver this playoffs. While it's something to monitor regardless of the matchup, this issue might not matter much for a stout Broncos defense outside of their slot coverage.
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