'Tis the Sunday night before Christmas, when all through the silent hallowed halls of Dove Valley not any Bronco is squirming, not even a punter or a cornerback named Riley.
Fans are wishing for a game plan devised by Kris Kringle that will be the answer to Joe Burrow and every other amiss Bengal. They're hanging hopes on chimneys with care, thinking about Cincy Dec. 28 when Saint Nix will be there. The Broncos have trust in their cause and believe Sean Payton is Santa Claus.
Ho. Ho. Bo? Happy Holidaze, Broncos?
After the Broncos were belittled in Fa-La-La Land Thursday night they MUST win against the Bengals Saturday.
This is a necessity game. A victory in Cincinnati, and the Broncos go to the playoffs. A defeat, and the Broncos go home and have to triumph over the NFL's luckiest, referee-friendly, quarterback-zany, back-to-back champion No. 1 team -- the Chiefs.
For aliens flying over the East Coast, the Chiefs have prevailed in 17 of the past 18 confrontations with the Broncos, and they blocked a winning field-goal attempt on the last play of the earlier game this season. Patrick Mahomes will play because the Chiefs, 14-1 after Saturday triumph, will be trying to maintain the AFC's first seed.
The Broncos can march through the front door to the post-season with 10 or 11 victories. They can be forced to go in the servants' entrance or could be shut out of the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
The current contenders for continuing as wild cards are the Broncos (9-6), Chargers (9-6), Ravens (10-5), Dolphins (6-8), Colts (6-8) and the annoying Bengals (6-8).
Three in, three out.
Consider the other schedules:
Chargers -- at Patriots, home vs. the Raiders. The Chargers will finish 11-6 and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Broncos.
Ravens -- After beating the Steelers Saturday, they play at Texans and home vs. the Browns. The Ravens finish with 10 or 11 victories. Baltimore holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Broncos.
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Bengals -- home vs. the Browns Sunday and Broncos Saturday and end up the regular season in Pittsburgh. The Bengals would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Broncos with a victory.
Dolphins -- home vs.the 49ers Sunday, on the road against the Browns and the Jets. If Miami wins out, it will hold the tiebreaker with the 9-8 Broncos with a better conference record.
Colts -- home Sunday vs. the Titans, on the road at the Giants and at home against the Jaguars. The Colts would lose the tiebreaker to the Broncos because of the head-to-head loss.
Steelers already have clinched playoffs as a division champ or wildcard.
The Giveback Game Thursday night was the Broncos Big Blow. A setback in Cincinnati would be Broncos Bigger Blowback, and a loss to the Chiefs would be the Broncos' Biggest Blowout closing.
The Broncos' odds of advancing to the post-season was 91% before the Chargers' game, 87% after. They can capture the seventh spot Sunday if the Bengals, the Dolphins and the Cardinals all lose. If Indianapolis and Miami fall Sunday the Chargers clinch.
The Broncos have a 3% chance of playing in the Super Bowl, but Broncos supporters would accept a playoff season.
The immediate future, though, depends on Payton and Nix not following Alice farther down the rabbit hole.
The Nix numbers are still impressive for a rookie starter with nine victories. He is projected to total 3,666 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but he has been 6-5 the past three games and doesn't show the same certainty, specialism and splash.
But blame the head coach.
The sage Sean has been outcoached by the Bros. Harbaugh and outsmarted himself Thursday despite a playsheet more massive than the menu at Sam's No. 3 and was headed by a hand-scribbled "Run It.'' His strategy at the end of the first half was boneheaded, and his decision not to go for a first down on fourth down and six at the Broncos' 49 with 4:35 left was numbskulled. In the second half, the Broncos rushed seven times.
Sean Kringle and Saint Nix MUST deliver.