Breaking Down All Potential Opponents for Broncos in the Divisional Round

The Denver Broncos enter the postseason as the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way, but the Broncos found their way to the top spot and now get a bye to begin the playoffs.

During Wild Card Weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Kansas City Chiefs travel to play the Houston Texans. Based on the outcomes of the games this weekend, the Broncos could face one of three opponents in their first playoff game.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak knows the team has plenty of work to do, regardless of its upcoming opponent.

“I’m proud of our football team," Kubiak said. "They’ve got a few days off here. I’ve got a lot of things I need to do as a coach right now. I’m still up there trying to evaluate a lot of things, so I’ve got nothing for you today.”

Kubiak emphasized, “We’ll get ready to go and we’ll go back to work Thursday.”

Here’s a breakdown of all the potential opponents the Broncos could face in the divisional round.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Fred Vuich/Associated Press

Playoff Seed: 6th

Team Record: 10-6

Head-to-Head: 1-0

The Steelers are the lowest seed in the AFC, so they will face the Broncos if they can get past the Cincinnati Bengals on Wild Card Weekend. The two teams played earlier this year, and the Steelers made a big comeback to win 34-27 in Week 15.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown had a monster day against the Broncos. He caught 16 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Most of his production came against cornerback Chris Harris Jr. It had been two years since Harris surrendered a touchdown, and Brown was able to get two on him that day.

If a rematch happens, the Steelers may be without starting running back DeAngelo Williams. He suffered a severe ankle injury in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns. In their game against the Bengals, the Steelers are likely starting Fitzgerald Toussaint at running back. If Williams can’t play the following week, it’s a boost for the Broncos defense.

Kansas City Chiefs

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Playoff Seed: 5th

Team Record: 11-5

Head-to-Head: 1-1

The Chiefs stayed close to Denver in the chase for the AFC West title, but with the Broncos' win over the San Diego Chargers in Week 17, they ended up as the 5th seed in the conference. Kansas City enters the postseason on a 10-game winning streak and is one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Chiefs have split the season series with the Broncos, but they won the last meeting 29-13 in a game that saw Peyton Manning get benched after throwing four interceptions.

Kubiak doesn’t feel he waited too long to take Manning out the last time they played the Chiefs:

"

I couldn’t sit here and tell you what’s the right time frame to wait or when. You get a feel for your football team and what’s going and you have to make decisions as a coach. You make them and you go forward.

"

Running back Charcandrick West has been leading the way for the Chiefs on the ground. The last time against Denver, he steadily compiled 69 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on 24 carries. West also busted off an 80-yard touchdown reception, ending the day with three catches for 92 yards receiving. His speed and quickness can exploit the Broncos linebackers in coverage.

Denver has two running backs to corral if it faces the Chiefs. When West was banged up, Spencer Ware came through as the team’s starter. He’s a more physical back than West, and Ware can grind down an opponent as the game goes on. Ware has a nose for the end zone and can move the chains regularly in short-yardage situations.

Houston Texans

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

Playoff Seed: 4th

Team Record: 9-7

Head-to-Head: 0-0

Wouldn’t it be fitting for the Broncos to play against Kubiak’s former team in the postseason? Kubiak was the head coach of the Texans from 2006-13. He was fired with a few games remaining in the 2013 season and went to be the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 before getting hired to be Denver's head coach in 2015.

The strength of the Texans is their defense. They ranked fifth in the league this year with 45 sacks. At this time, we don’t know if Manning or Brock Osweiler is going to start at quarterback in the playoffs. Facing a fierce defense like the Texans, a more athletic Osweiler might be able to elude the rush better. However, Manning’s quick decision-making skills could help keep an opponent's pass-rushers at bay.

According to Kubiak, the opponent is not going to determine whom the Broncos start at quarterback.

“I don’t get into that really," the head coach stated. "I worry about us. I’m not worried about who we play. I’m worried about our football team, our mindset and our direction, so no. I don’t get too consumed with that stuff.”

The Texans have one superstar on offense in wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. If they play the Broncos, Hopkins would get blanket coverage from either Harris or Aqib Talib. Even with great coverage, the Texans would likely move Hopkins around and pepper him with targets to move the ball through the air.

Summary

The Broncos will have an interesting matchup in the divisional round no matter who their opponent is. Two of the three potential opponents they’ve faced before this season, and there would even be a "revenge" factor if the Texans are the team that travels to the Mile High Stadium.

The Steelers have arguably the most firepower in the league due to their tremendous passing game. They could be a team that ends up winning the Super Bowl, and they would be a great challenge for the Broncos defense once again.

The Chiefs are a familiar opponent, and they have a group of pass-rushers who can make it a long day for the Broncos offensive line (and the quarterback). Their offense is conservative in nature, and they would likely be easier to handle than the Steelers.

The Texans have an offense that makes the Chiefs look like the "Greatest Show on Turf." J.J. Watt can be incredibly disruptive, but the rest of the Texans defense could struggle with the caliber of weapons the Broncos have on offense.

Kubiak and the staff are preparing for all three possibilities:

"

Yeah, we’ve been doing that. That’s been in place. We obviously are familiar with a couple of the teams, without me going into all of them. We have not crossed paths with a couple of them, so we’ll have a little bit more work to do there. My focus is really going to be about us.

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Kubiak concluded, “That’s the thing that I want our players to stay focused on, us. We have to play a lot better than we played yesterday. Our guys know that.”

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.