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Broncos claim AFC top seed for first time in a decade
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- Broncos claim AFC top seed for first time in a decade
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The Denver Broncos ended a long drought of not winning the AFC's top seed after beating the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon.
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Going into Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season, Denver controlled the top spot of the AFC standings and its division. They needed a win against Los Angeles to clinch both spots, having a significant homefield advantage in the playoffs.
Safe to say that the Broncos got the job done to end the regular season. They took down the Chargers 19-3 to boast the best record in the AFC West Division as well as the entire conference, ending a decade-long drought as NFL insider Dianna Russini mentioned.
"The AFC runs through Denver. The Broncos have clinched the conference's No. 1 seed for the first time since 2015," Russini wrote.
How Broncos played against Chargers
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Broncos proved themselves to be the best team in the AFC West after containing the Chargers in the 19-3 victory at home.
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Denver landed the first major punch, taking a 10-0 lead after the opening period. Los Angeles never recovered from its slow start, only managing a field goal in the second quarter as they went scoreless for the rest of the contest.
Denver's defense was the biggest factor of the day as the unit scored the lone touchdown after intercepting one of Trey Lance 's passes. Bo Nix got to have a quiet night while the defense and special teams did the dirty work. He completed 14 passes out of 23 attempts for 141 yards while adding eight rushes for 49 yards.
Evan Engram and Pat Bryant were active in the team's receiving attack. Engram made three catches for 45 yards, while Bryant caught four passes for 31 yards.
Denver finishes the regular season with a 14-3 record, the best in the AFC as they are above the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars . Securing homefield advantage and a Wild Card bye, they will look forward to their preparations for the Divisional Round.
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