Up against it and trailing old nemesis Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers, the Broncos turned to an old flame for a big spark.
Peyton Manning rallied Denver in the second half to give the Broncos the top seed in the AFC playoffs and finalizing the pecking order in the conference. Four positions were still to be finalized in the final two minutes as San Diego took possession with three minutes remaining.
The Carolina Panthers won for the 15th time to seal the No. 1 spot in the NFC.
New England is the second seed in the AFC, losing the top spot in defeat at Miami. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick downplayed a Brady ankle injury – he did not miss a snap – but said bluntly “we have lot of work to do.”
There might be more work ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. They were hammered by Seattle, 36-6, but get a first-round bye to sort out any late-season concerns.
The current NFL playoff picture entering the Sunday night game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings:
1. Denver Broncos (12-4)
2. New England Patriots (12-4)
Wild-card playoffs, Jan. 9-10
3. Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) vs. 6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
4. Houston Texans (9-7) vs. 5. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)