Jets vs. Broncos: Why Thursday Night Football Game Is a Must-Win for Both Teams

We may think that some games aren't nearly as important to win as others, but in football with limited opportunities and less room for error, every game is a must-win.

Even if a playoff spot and a first-round bye is locked up, that feeling of losing always is bothersome to say the least. With that in mind, Week 11 is a must-win game for the Broncos and Jets, and here's why.

New York Jets

After having lost two games to the Patriots, the Jets are virtually out of contention to win the AFC East. This puts them in a more desperate situation than Denver.

Currently sitting at 5-4, New York is No. 7 in the AFC playoff picture right behind the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 6. Click the link to view the NFL playoff standings heading into Week 11.

And as we all know, the Jets are a dangerous playoff team since they were the No. 6 seed two consecutive years but still managed to make it to the AFC title game. The ironic thing, though, is that QB Mark Sanchez has played much, much better in the postseason than the regular season.

So all the Jets need is to get in, because once the playoffs begin, records and seeds really become obsolete and irrelevant. As for this game, if the Jets drop to 5-5, they'll drop below Denver in the AFC playoff standings.

Additionally, the Jets lost to the Raiders early in the season, so even if Oakland (who currently leads the AFC West) loses this week, New York drops even further as that tiebreaker is not in their favor.

As for the remainder of the season, New York only plays three more AFC opponents in Buffalo, Kansas City and Miami—two of which (Buffalo and Kansas City) are also fighting for a playoff berth.

If the Jets lose this game, based on how far they'll drop in the standings, making the playoffs is out of the question. So with that said, Week 11 in the Mile High City is the season for New York.

Denver Broncos

Thanks to being in a much less difficult division, but very evenly competitive, the Broncos have a slightly easier road to make the postseason. For one, only one AFC West team is making the playoffs. Chances are the two AFC Wild Cards come out of the AFC North unless the Jets win this game.

To that end, if Denver gets a win they will improve to 5-5 after a dismal 1-4 start and be a half-game back of Oakland in the division. This week the Raiders play at Minnesota so as long as Oakland falls, Denver moves into first.

The reason is because both would be tied at 5-5 overall as well as 2-2 within the division. The next tiebreaker goes to conference record, in which Denver would have the advantage by a half-game. If the Broncos win over the Jets and Oakland loses to Minnesota, Denver gets control of their own destiny.

However, if the Broncos lose not all hope is lost; the remainder of 2011 just becomes a tad more inconvenient. They still have two divisional games remaining (at San Diego, home vs. Kansas City) as well as the Patriots and Bills of the AFC East. 

Luckily though, Denver gets the Pats at home, which is somewhere New England has struggled during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era. The major difference about this game is that winning vehemently increases their playoff chances.

Whereas losing barely sets them back, it may be just enough of a setback to prevent them from winning the division. The Broncos are going to have to best everyone with an overall record, because as we learned from Oakland in 2010, going undefeated in the division doesn't mean jack squat if you can't win outside of it.

You can follow John on Twitter @Sportswriter27.