The Denver Broncos are looking to make the playoffs for the second year in a row, and the last time that was done was the 2014 and 2015 NFL Seasons with Peyton Manning leading the charge. Under the Sean Payton/Bo Nix era, the Broncos have gone 16-9 in their 25 games, which is a stellar .640 winning percentage.
That actually shakes out to be 11 wins across a 17-game season. Anyway, Denver is traveling to Houston to face the surging Texans. They've won three of their previous four games and field the best defense in the NFL, so things won't be easy.
Houston is also a team that could get into the playoff picture, so this head-to-head tiebreaker would be huge down the line. Even though the team is just 3-4, they're playing a lot better than that, and it's reflected in the Broncos' playoff odds, as they would skyrocket with a win and essentially guarantee that Denver gets into the dance.
NFL.com's playoff picture is very kind to the Denver Broncos
NFL.com's playoff odds come from Next Gen Stats, and right now, the Broncos have an 80% chance to make the playoffs. With a loss in Week 9, their odds would drop to 74%, which is still pretty good, but with a win, their odds rise to 91%, which is a near-guarantee that Denver gets into the postseason for the second year in a row.
It took the Broncos several more games to get to that 90% figure, as their win over the Indianapolis Colts late in the season actually sprung their odds to 90%. That ended up being Denver's fourth win in a row, and they improved to 9-5.
Denver would improve to 7-2 with a win in Week 9. Back in 2024, it took them until Week 12 to get their seventh win, so it's clear how much further along this operation is now. Overall, the Broncos are going to matchup with the Texans well, but no Patrick Surtain II is going to hurt, and potentially no Marvin Mims Jr is a double-whammy of brutality.
Ideally, Denver is able to not shoot themselves in the foot with costly penalties and self-inflicted wounds, as that's been a sore spot this year. Houston's defense is simply too good here, and we might be in a situation where Denver is trying to 'steal' some points late in the game.
There is a reason why Denver's playoff odds increase so much in the event of a win - this game is massive for both teams.