Denver Broncos tie NFL record on Christmas Day as AFC No. 1 seed comes into view

The Denver Broncos are in with a strong chance of clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC after their Christmas Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, which pushed their regular-season record to 13-3.

Sean Payton’s team bounced back from a Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars by grinding out a 20-13 win at Arrowhead Stadium. It was Denver’s 11th victory by a single score, defined as eight points or fewer, tying an NFL record held by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 and the Chiefs in 2024.

Denver living on the edge throughout regular season

Of Denver’s 13 wins in 2025, only two have come by what you might reasonably describe as a comfortable margin. Those were a 28-3 blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 and a 44-24 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.

Other than that, the Broncos have lived almost exclusively in nail-biter territory, surviving a steady diet of close games that have tested both their nerve and their fan base.

Denver Broncos’ 11 one-score victories in 2025

• Week 1: Titans 11-20 Broncos
• Week 4: Bengals 3-28 Broncos
• Week 5: Broncos 21-17 Eagles
• Week 6: Broncos 13-11 Jets
• Week 7: Giants 32-33 Broncos
• Week 9: Broncos 18-15 Texans
• Week 10: Raiders 7-10 Broncos
• Week 11: Chiefs 19-22 Broncos
• Week 13: Broncos 27-26 Commanders
• Week 14: Broncos 24-17 Raiders
• Week 15: Packers 26-34 Broncos
• Week 17: Broncos 20-13 Chiefs

A strength or a warning sign?

Critics will argue that genuine Super Bowl contenders should be able to put away struggling teams like the New York Jets, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders with far less drama.

Others see it differently. Denver’s repeated ability to edge tight games could prove invaluable when the pressure ramps up in the postseason, a stage the Broncos have already secured.

Broncos can claim record outright in Week 18

The Broncos could claim the record outright in Week 18 when they face the Los Angeles Chargers, one of only three teams to beat them this season.

Two of Denver’s three losses also came by the narrowest of margins. The Chargers escaped with a 23-20 win in Week 3, a week after the Indianapolis Colts edged the Broncos 29-28. Their only defeat by more than one score came in Week 16, when the Jaguars pulled away for a 34-20 win.

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