NFL playoff picture: How the Broncos clinched a playoff spot in Week 15

Sports news nfl December 15, 2025

Update: With their win over the Green Bay Packers, the Denver Broncos are heading back to the postseason.

Previous: The Denver Broncos surprised the NFL world last year, sneaking into the playoff as the No. 7 seed in Bo Nix’s rookie season.

Now they have their sights set higher in 2025.

At the moment, Denver sits atop both the AFC West standings, and the conference overall. While the Broncos cannot clinch the division this week, they can still book their playoff spot this weekend, and inch closer to locking up both the AFC West, and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Here is everything you need to know about Denver’s clinching scenarios in Week 15.

Broncos playoff berth clinching scenarios

As noted above, the Denver Broncos cannot clinch the AFC West this weekend. With the Los Angeles Chargers winning on Monday Night Football, the Chargers remain alive in the division race.

However, the Broncos can lock up a playoff spot.

Here are six ways Denver can clinch a postseason berth:

1. A win against the Green Bay Packers, or
2. A tie against the Packers and a Chargers loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, or
3. A tie against the Packers and a Jacksonville Jaguars loss to the New York Jets, or
4. A tie against the Packers and a Houston Texans loss or tie against the Arizona Cardinals, or
5. A tie against the Packers and an Indianapolis Colts loss or tie against the Seattle Seahawks, or
6. A Houston loss or tie and a Colts loss or tie, as long as both games do not end in a tie.

Broncos remaining schedule

Even with a loss, the Broncos would remain heavy favorites to win the AFC West. If the Broncos lose to the Packers and the Chargers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver would maintain a one-game lead over Los Angeles with three games left in the season.

However, Los Angeles defeated the Broncos back in Week 3.

Here are the Broncos’ final four games this season:

Chargers remaining schedule

Here is Los Angeles’ remaining schedule:

Here are the full AFC East standings ahead of Week 15:

1. Denver Broncos (11-2)
2. Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

Here are the full AFC standings ahead of Week 15:

Source link
#NFL #playoff #picture #Broncos #clinched #playoff #spot #Week

Tag nfl

Watch: Lauren Tsai’s Haunting ‘The Dying World’ Animated Short Film | FirstShowing.net

Rave News Digest: Cardi B Performs At Saudi Arabia’s Soundstorm Festival, Don Jazzy Makes Viral Revelation About “Calm Down,” John Cena + More

#Deadspin #Kimi #Antonelli #wins #fourth #straight #race #Canadian #Grand #Prix">

Deadspin | Kimi Antonelli wins fourth straight race at Canadian Grand Prix May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (44) and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) on the podium during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.Antonelli won. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Kimi Antonelli recorded his fourth consecutive victory Sunday by taking first in the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Antonelli, 19, and Mercedes teammate George Russell were wheel to wheel much of the afternoon, trading leads multiple times on Lap 13, before a power unit failure ended Russell’s day on the 30th of the race’s 68 laps. Antonelli is the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to win four straight races and the first F1 driver to win his first four consecutively. “Not the way I wanted to win. It was meant to be a good fight with George but we will take it,” said Antonelli, who finished in 1:28:15 to beat runner-up Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari by nearly 11 seconds. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third. After five grand prix, all won by Mercedes, and three Saturday sprints, Antonelli leads all drivers with 131 points. Russell is second with 88. “Just everything turned off all of a sudden,” Russell said of Sunday’s power failure. “Just went into the corner, engine stopped, no electronics, no proper braking. “I’m pretty damned frustrated with what’s happened but what more can I do?” Mercedes (219) leads Ferrari (147) by 72 points in the constructors’ standings. McLaren, which didn’t have a driver score Sunday, is third with 106 points. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Kimi #Antonelli #wins #fourth #straight #race #Canadian #Grand #Prix

mwasimuddin125 0

May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (44) and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) on the podium during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.Antonelli won. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Kimi Antonelli recorded his fourth consecutive victory Sunday by taking first in the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Antonelli, 19, and Mercedes teammate George Russell were wheel to wheel much of the afternoon, trading leads multiple times on Lap 13, before a power unit failure ended Russell’s day on the 30th of the race’s 68 laps.

Antonelli is the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to win four straight races and the first F1 driver to win his first four consecutively.

“Not the way I wanted to win. It was meant to be a good fight with George but we will take it,” said Antonelli, who finished in 1:28:15 to beat runner-up Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari by nearly 11 seconds.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third.

After five grand prix, all won by Mercedes, and three Saturday sprints, Antonelli leads all drivers with 131 points. Russell is second with 88.

“Just everything turned off all of a sudden,” Russell said of Sunday’s power failure. “Just went into the corner, engine stopped, no electronics, no proper braking.

“I’m pretty damned frustrated with what’s happened but what more can I do?”

Mercedes (219) leads Ferrari (147) by 72 points in the constructors’ standings. McLaren, which didn’t have a driver score Sunday, is third with 106 points.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Kimi #Antonelli #wins #fourth #straight #race #Canadian #Grand #Prix">Deadspin | Kimi Antonelli wins fourth straight race at Canadian Grand Prix

May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (44) and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) on the podium during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.Antonelli won. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Kimi Antonelli recorded his fourth consecutive victory Sunday by taking first in the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Antonelli, 19, and Mercedes teammate George Russell were wheel to wheel much of the afternoon, trading leads multiple times on Lap 13, before a power unit failure ended Russell’s day on the 30th of the race’s 68 laps.

Antonelli is the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to win four straight races and the first F1 driver to win his first four consecutively.

“Not the way I wanted to win. It was meant to be a good fight with George but we will take it,” said Antonelli, who finished in 1:28:15 to beat runner-up Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari by nearly 11 seconds.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third.

After five grand prix, all won by Mercedes, and three Saturday sprints, Antonelli leads all drivers with 131 points. Russell is second with 88.

“Just everything turned off all of a sudden,” Russell said of Sunday’s power failure. “Just went into the corner, engine stopped, no electronics, no proper braking.

“I’m pretty damned frustrated with what’s happened but what more can I do?”

Mercedes (219) leads Ferrari (147) by 72 points in the constructors’ standings. McLaren, which didn’t have a driver score Sunday, is third with 106 points.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Kimi #Antonelli #wins #fourth #straight #race #Canadian #Grand #Prix

This was supposed to be the summer of George.

Despite arriving at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship race, George Russell was on track for a weekend in Montreal that would put him right back in the fight. Russell captured pole position for the F1 Sprint race on Friday, held off Lando Norris and Antonelli after a hard fight with his teammate to take the win in that race on Saturday, and then took pole position for Sunday’s main event with a strong performance in qualifying.

And after yet another hard fight with Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with several changes between the two Mercedes drivers, Russell was leading the race.

Then, on Lap 30, his car stopped on the track. His race was over.

His frustration seemed to boil over as he exited his challenger:

And with Antonelli going on to take his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory, Russell is left to wonder if his championship hopes have been brought to a halt as well.

“Disbelief,” said Russell to the official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.

“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”

Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.

“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.

“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.

“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”

When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.

“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”

There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Perhaps the summer of George can begin then.

#George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix">

George Russell ‘lost for words’ after Canadian Grand Prix This was supposed to be the summer of George.Despite arriving at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship race, George Russell was on track for a weekend in Montreal that would put him right back in the fight. Russell captured pole position for the F1 Sprint race on Friday, held off Lando Norris and Antonelli after a hard fight with his teammate to take the win in that race on Saturday, and then took pole position for Sunday’s main event with a strong performance in qualifying.And after yet another hard fight with Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with several changes between the two Mercedes drivers, Russell was leading the race.Then, on Lap 30, his car stopped on the track. His race was over.His frustration seemed to boil over as he exited his challenger:And with Antonelli going on to take his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory, Russell is left to wonder if his championship hopes have been brought to a halt as well.“Disbelief,” said Russell to the official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.Perhaps the summer of George can begin then. #George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix

mwasimuddin125 0

This was supposed to be the summer of George.
Despite arriving at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix 20 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Drivers’ Championship race, George Russell was on track for a weekend in Montreal that would put him right back in the fight. Russell captured pole position for the F1 Sprint race on Friday, held off Lando Norris and Antonelli after a hard fight with his teammate to take the win in that race on Saturday, and then took pole position for Sunday’s main event with a strong performance in qualifying.
And after yet another hard fight with Antonelli in the early stages of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with several changes between the two Mercedes drivers, Russell was leading the race.
Then, on Lap 30, his car stopped on the track. His race was over.
His frustration seemed to boil over as he exited his challenger:
And with Antonelli going on to take his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory, Russell is left to wonder if his championship hopes have been brought to a halt as well.
“Disbelief,” said Russell to the official F1 channel when asked how he felt following his retirement, which the team attributed to a power unit failure. “It feels like somebody doesn’t want me to fight or compete for this championship.
“Three out of the last five races there’s just been something really going against us. [I’m] just a bit lost for words right now.”
Russell managed to find a silver lining after the race, pointing at how he responded to the “doubters” and the “chat” following the Miami Grand Prix, where he missed out on a podium for the second consecutive Grand Prix.
“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said to the F1 channel. “I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I’m just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance.
“There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race.
“Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are.”
When Russell announced his new contract with Mercedes prior to last season’s United States Grand Prix, he outlined how staying with the Silver Arrows gives him the best chance to win a championship. “Well for me I’m really happy to be continuing [with Mercedes] because the truth is if every single seat was available for next year and I could choose any single team to race for, I believe Mercedes is my best chance of winning the championship next year, and for me winning is is more about winning than it is about money or sponsor days or anything,” said Russell to the media, including SB Nation, during the media day in Austin last October.
“I want to win, and this is what I’m fighting for.”
There is certainly a long way to go this season, but at the moment Russell trails Antonelli by 43 points in the standings, with his teammate set to bring a four-race winning streak to the Monaco Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.
Perhaps the summer of George can begin then.

#George #Russell #lost #words #Canadian #Grand #Prix">George Russell ‘lost for words’ after Canadian Grand Prix