A dropped pass by Bennie Fowler at the goal line Sunday in Tennessee landed somewhere between the Broncos sitting pretty in the AFC and the Broncos clinging to life. Denver, a team that was specifically built for another run to the Super Bowl, is suddenly in danger of not making the playoffs.
At 8-5, the Broncos hold the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC, but only by a distant tiebreaker. The Miami Dolphins (8-5) are one game behind Denver in games against common opponents.
In their three remaining regular-season games — against New England (11-2), at Kansas City (10-3) and against Oakland (10-3) — the Broncos have the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.