AFC Playoff Picture: Denver Broncos Will Bounce Back vs. Chiefs To Win AFC West

It's been a rough couple of weeks for the Denver Broncos. They have lost consecutive games in blowout fashion to the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, Tim Tebow has looked less like a fourth quarter superhero and the defense hasn't been able to keep them afloat.

Those struggles will quickly become a thing of the past, however, when the Broncos right the ship against the Kansas City Chiefs on New Year's Day. A win will clinch the AFC West and a first-round home game for Denver.

The Broncos need to have a renewed focus on controlling the game's tempo. They aren't built to win many shootouts with Tebow under center, so when the opponent is topping 40 points, it's no surprise that things haven't gone well.

They have the NFL's top rushing attack at over 160 yards per game. It needs to be utilized early and often against the Chiefs, who rank in the bottom third against the run.

Once the pace is established, there should be larger passing lanes for Tebow. He isn't going to be successful if he needs to throw it 30 times in catch-up mode. He's better off when he can catch defenses off guard with play action.

When Denver beat Kansas City the first time around, Tebow threw just eight passes. Defenses have adapted to the point where those totals won't be common, but it's the best recipe for success. Especially since it keeps the defense as fresh as possible.

Since the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention last week, the Broncos should have a huge motivational edge on Sunday. That should be enough to push them over the top and into the postseason for the first time since 2005.

The next question is how dangerous can they be?

It's tough to make a definitive judgment because their true ability lies somewhere between their six-game winning streak and recent losing skid. They do play a style that could give the Pittsburgh Steelers a scare on Wild Card Weekend.

A couple lucky bounces in the thin air of Denver could turn the tables in their favor, leading to a sizable upset. Broncos fans would probably say they just want to get in first before worrying about the Steelers, though, and that's probably a good approach to take after a rollercoaster season.

It's a regular season that will end on a high note to ring in 2012, leading to a return of Tebow mania.