Chris_Tanaka's Blog

Here's my disclaimer on this blog: If the Broncos continue to play the way they did against Oakland, this blog becomes null and void....OK, read on.

After watching the Patriots Tom Brady go down for the season from my hotel room in Oakland, one thought immediately came to mind: This helps the Broncos.

The Patriots are no longer the class of the AFC, and the Broncos will DEFINITELY beat them when the two teams matchup in late October (funny, a Colorado/New England October clash for the second straight year...hopefully, the Broncos fair better than the Rockies did).

However, after giving it some thought, I now believe the opposite is true.  Yep, I'm a flip-flopper.  Tom Brady's injury actually HURTS the Broncos playoff chances.  And here's why.

With Brady in the lineup, the Patriots were a 5-star, lead pipe, call your mom LOCK to win the AFC East, which really doesn't affect the Broncos at all.

NOW, however, they're a wildcard longshot at best.  This does affect the Broncos in that the Pats have entered the pool of teams in the immensely talented AFC competing for two wildcard slots (Jacksonville, Cleveland, Tennessee, Buffalo, NY Bretts).  The wildcard picture is now more crowded, and hence, there's a smaller allowable margin of error for the Broncos week in/week out this season.

.....

Of course, I'm presuming the Broncos are competing for a wildcard position, while ceding the AFC West to the Chargers.  Obviously, this notion could all change on Sunday with a Broncos win.

Let's hope this blog is null and void come Monday morning.