• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Cold Wire

Breaking News, Sports, Entertainment, TV, Tech ...

  • Home
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • MLB
  • World News
  • Entertainment
  • Cold Hard Facts
  • About
You are here: Home / Sports / NFL / 2 AFC Teams Doomed In The Wild Card Race

2 AFC Teams Doomed In The Wild Card Race

By Lawrence Fernandez December 9, 2021

A detail view of the NFL logo on the goal post stanchion before the AFC Championship Game between the AFC Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri.
(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

 

While the 2021 NFL playoffs are fast approaching, AFC teams are still jockeying for position.

13 out of the 16 teams still have a realistic chance of making the postseason either as a division champion or a Wild Card.

Only three games separate first from 13th place, indicating that every game matters.

Teams cannot afford to lose because they might drop out of playoff contention.

That said, here are two AFC teams that might not make it beyond the regular season even if they still have a fighting chance as of Week 13.

The quality of their remaining opposition and tiebreakers lost might spell their doom in entering the playoffs.

 

2. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are lucky to still be in the thick of things despite losing six of their last nine games.

Their rivals in the AFC West underwent slumps that kept them in the division race.

However, they are in a nice groove as of late because three of their last five games are wins.

But they only scored nine points against the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

There’s no such thing as a perfect roster in the NFL, but the players projected to be on the 2022 Broncos plus an elite QB?

I mean…

— Sayre Bedinger (@SayreBedinger) December 8, 2021

They get an easier opponent in the Detroit Lions in Week 14, but that game isn’t a guaranteed win after the Lions ended their 15-game winless streak.

Because Denver can defeat Detroit, their schedule doesn’t get easier because they will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15.

Then, they will close the regular season against their division rivals.

They get the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16, the Los Angeles Chargers a week later, and the Chiefs again to close the season.

Two of those final three games are on the road.

The Denver Broncos be like: pic.twitter.com/pfFNLuBLee

— Matt C (@MattfromKC) December 5, 2021

They will host the Chiefs in Week 18, but that doesn’t guarantee them a victory because Patrick Mahomes hasn’t lost to the Broncos throughout his career.

The Broncos might end up losing four of their last five games, eliminating them from playoff contention.

 

1. Cleveland Browns

Injuries and off-field drama derailed the Cleveland Browns’ follow-up to their postseason appearance last year.

Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb missed significant time, but D’Ernest Johnson somehow picked up the slack.

Then there’s the controversy between Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr.

The wide receiver finally got out of Cleveland, but it did not solve the Browns’ problems.

Baker Mayfield: “It’s crunch time” #Browns pic.twitter.com/4qUsOUcNuT

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) December 8, 2021

They’ve alternated wins and losses since their 3-2 record, and it didn’t help either that Mayfield played through injuries.

But as the season progressed and Mayfield started to heal, criticisms about him not being the long-term solution at quarterback grew louder.

Doubts about his ability won’t help his mental fortitude as they embark on one of the toughest stretches throughout their season.

Their last five games are all against teams still in the playoff hunt.

Baker Mayfield has become so polarizing within the #Browns fanbase. Some of us still believe he can bounce back, and other fans are ready to move on. Where do you stand? pic.twitter.com/jSnDorKjl9

— The Doge Pound Browns (@DogeBrowns) December 8, 2021

They will face the Baltimore Ravens again after their bye week and the Raiders in Week 15.

Next on their schedule are road games against the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Finally, they close the regular season versus the Bengals, which handed them a humiliating 41-16 defeat in Week 9.

If their woes on offense continue, the Browns may lose all their remaining games.

Recent News

Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills walks off the field after being defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 23, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Josh Allen Has 1 Task To Complete To Become A Superstar
Malik Willis #QB16 of Liberty throws during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 03, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Video Shows The Strength And Accuracy Of Malik Willis
Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow #13 of the Las Vegas Raiders takes the field for warmups before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium on January 9, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 35-32 in overtime.
Hunter Renfrow Asks A Hilarious Hypothetical Featuring Hot Dogs

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With: NFL

About Lawrence Fernandez

Lawrence Andrew Fernandez is a sports journalist from the Philippines. A journalism graduate, he chose sports writing to stay close to the action. Aside from the NFL, he also follows the NBA and MLB. He also delves into mobile games during his free time.

Suggest a correction

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search The Cold Wire

Footer

Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions

Editorial Guidelines

Contact Us

Sitemap

Advertise

Follow us on

Copyright © 2022 · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ·TheColdWire.com

Suggest a Correction

2 AFC Teams Doomed In The Wild Card Race

1000 characters remaining