The Denver Broncos have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season and heading into the playoffs they are looking like a Super Bowl favorite, but injuries could knock the team off early, as wide receiver Wes Welker could be out until the playoffs, making the number one seed and the AFC West divisional title no guarantees.
The team is right in the mix for the number one seed in the AFC despite losing to the Chargers last Thursday night and now reports from ESPN.com say that the Broncos will be without Welker for the final two games of the season against the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos still can win out and get both the number one seed and the division, as they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs twice and the Patriots lost last week as well, but without Welker in the lineup and the defense struggling a bit, it is no guarantee that the team will snag that spot.
The Chiefs or the Broncos will be a 10-plus win team in the wild card and then whoever gets the number one seed will have a nice advantage. Much has been written about Peyton Manning and playing in the cold, but having home field advantage and the first round bye is crucial for the team and that means wins on the road against Houston and Oakland to finish the season.
Welker has been one of the best wideouts for Manning this season and FOX Sports is reporting that Welker will be out for the final two games after dealing with concussion issues. The team wants to be safe as they push towards the playoffs and Andre Caldwell played well in his absence on Thursday and the teams to ensure that he will be available for the postseason and if the team gets a bye in the first round, that would enable him to recover even more. This season Welker has over 70 catches for nearly 800 yards and 10 touchdowns and he is more valuable to the team in the playoffs than over these last two games, even though they need to win them.
