A Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders would put the Denver Broncos firmly in control of their playoff path, giving them the upper hand in any two-way tiebreaker against the New England Patriots.
The Patriots currently sit one game ahead of the Broncos in the standings. With New England on a bye and the Broncos playing Sunday, a Denver win would pull the teams even while giving the Broncos a slight advantage because of their record against common opponents.
While #Broncos cannot clinch a playoff spot with win vs Raiders, they CAN clinch something of importance.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) December 3, 2025
A win Sunday assures Denver of winning any two-way tiebreakers with Patriots based on common opponents (Titans, Bengals, Jets, Raiders, Giants).
The common-opponents record is an NFL tiebreaker that compares how two teams performed against the same opponents. In this case, the Broncos hold the edge. Denver beat the Raiders in Week 10 and is 4-0 against common opponents, while the Patriots are 4-1 after losing to Las Vegas to open the season.
Broncos can gain a tiebreaker edge over Patriots, but a difficult final stretch still looms
For the Broncos and Patriots to reach the secondary tiebreaker stage, they would first need to finish with the same conference record. As of now, both teams are 6-2 in AFC play.
Looking beyond Week 14, the Broncos face one of the tougher closing stretches in the league. Every team left on their schedule is in the playoff mix, and two games are against AFC West opponents. That includes a Christmas Day matchup in Kansas City, where winter conditions are expected to be a factor.
The Patriots also close the year with divisional games in three of their final four weeks, but their schedule is slightly more manageable. Three of New England’s remaining opponents, the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, currently sit at or below a.500 record.
As it stands, the Broncos have the 10th hardest remaining schedule heading into the final stretch of the season.
One advantage Denver does hold is its strength at home. The Broncos are the only NFL team still undefeated at home this season. They enter Week 14 with a 6-0 record in Denver and are riding an 11-game home winning streak that dates back to last year. With upcoming home games against the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Chargers, Denver may be able to lean on its home crowd as it pushes for the top spot in the AFC.
The Broncos have the longest home win streak in the NFL, having won 11 straight games in Denver.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 19, 2025
Right now, as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Broncos have home field advantage until the Super Bowl.
That's a DANGEROUS combo👀 pic.twitter.com/OvewU33RnG
If the Broncos can secure the No. 1 seed, no team will be eager to travel to Denver in January, especially with the Broncos playing their best football at home.