Broncos' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Bracket Implications of Week 18

The Denver Broncos have two paths to get into the postseason in Week 18.

Denver can win its matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon to avoid receiving any help.

The Broncos are expected to win against Kansas City's backups, so no outside help is expected to be needed.

However, Denver could receive help from the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers to eliminate the final two wild-card chasers

Sean Payton's team also qualifies for the postseason if both the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals lose.

If Denver makes the playoffs, it can't move up in seeding because of tiebreaker disadvantages against the Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers.

The Bengals' Week 17 win over the Broncos doesn't mean anything unless Cincinnati wins on Saturday and gets another round of outside help.

Cincinnati needs to beat Pittsburgh and then have Denver and Miami lose on Sunday to make the postseason.

The Steelers will be playing for something, though, as they need to stay ahead of the Chargers to earn the easier wild-card round matchup as the No. 5 seed.

Pittsburgh will most likely not be playing for the AFC North crown. The Baltimore Ravens can wrap that up in Saturday's first game with a win over the Cleveland Browns.

A Cincinnati loss helps Denver, too, because the Broncos' safety net to get into the postseason is losses by both the Dolphins and Bengals.

The Broncos will be rooting for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets to put together one decent performance on Sunday to eliminate the Dolphins.

Miami comes into Week 18 at a disadvantage with Tyler Huntley starting at quarterback instead of Tua Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins won without Tagovailoa last week, but that was against the hopeless Browns. At least the Jets are playing their starters on Sunday.

Miami gets into the postseason with a win and a Broncos loss to the Chiefs, but if it loses and Cincinnati falls on Saturday, the Broncos are in even better shape.

Denver can still lose in Week 18 and get in, but it would need both the Dolphins and Bengals to lose their respective games as well.