The Denver Broncos won't clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs before Week 18. The Broncos could have clinched the top seed in the conference on Sunday if the New England Patriots (12-3) lost and the Buffalo Bills (11-4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) both tied or lost their games.

The New York Jets have stolen defensive back Keidron Smith off the Denver Broncos practice squad ahead of the New Orleans Saints game.

Broncos are the frontrunners to claim the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs after beating the Chiefs on Christmas Day

Seventh-year pro P.J. Locke is expected to replace Jones in the starting lineup, beginning Sunday when the Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Empower Field at Mile High. Locke logged one tackle and a pass deflection across 32 defensive snaps versus Green Bay.

OPENING LINE: Broncos by 1, according to . AGAINST THE SPREAD: Jets 4-2, Broncos 2-4. SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 22-16-1. LAST MEETING: Broncos beat Jets 26-0 on Sept. 26, 2021, in Denver. LAST WEEK: Jets beat Packers 27-10; Broncos lost to Chargers 19-16 ...

The Patriots’ blowout win over the Jets has New England on the cusp of clinching the AFC East title. If the Bills lose or tie against the Philadelphia Eagles later today, the Patriots will wrap up the division title.

Today’s (Dec. 28) Patriots vs. Jets game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET. If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

The New England Patriots are guaranteed a top-two seed if they win their final two games. This Sunday, they travel to take on the 3-12 New York Jets, and next week, they will play host to the 6-9 Miami Dolphins,