The Road to Super Bowl LX (60) Runs Through Denver
The Denver Broncos just clinched the AFC’s top playoff seed in a 19-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. With little to play for, LA rested and limited many of its starters. Knowing this, as well as the fact that the Chargers could return for a divisional round matchup in two weeks, Sean Payton kept Denver’s offensive playcalls fairly vanilla. That made for a game with zero offensive touchdowns and five field goals.
Players of The Game
Ja'Quan McMillian recorded his second interception of the season, returning this one for a 45-yard pick-6 that ended up being the game’s only touchdown. McMillian has been an unsung hero on Denver’s star-studded defense all season long. His score against the Chargers was a huge factor in Denver’s regular-season closing win.
Wil Lutz went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, scoring all 12 of Denver’s points offensively. This game brought his season average to 87.5%. With Denver’s streaky offense, it’s reassuring to know we have a reliable, clutch kicker as we head into the postseason, where points can be at a premium.
Super Bowl or Bust
Sunday’s regular-season finale was a frustrating watch for Broncos Country, but like always, Coach Payton’s squad found a way to escape an ugly game with a win. That’s been their formula all season, and it’s led them to a league-best 14 wins, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage through the playoffs.
After all of Payton’s preseason talk about this being a championship-caliber team, only two more wins stand between them and their return to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 60. The stakes have never been higher. With the pressure peaking, it’s time for the Broncos to prove their coach right.
Broncos Country, prepare yourselves for one hell of a playoff run.