Broncos rooting guide: Colts or Chiefs in Week 12?

The Denver Broncos have a bye this week, so fans in Colorado can sit back and relax and enjoy other NFL games on Sunday. Several matchups could have playoff implications for Denver, so we have a quick rooting guide for Week 12.

Most of the matchups are easy to decide. As a general rule, root for NFC teams over AFC teams (such as the Chicago Bears against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals against the Jacksonville Jaguars) and root for struggling teams vs. top seeds in the conference (such as the Cincinnati Bengals against the New England Patriots).

There is one matchup, however, that has left Broncos fans perplexed.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host the Indianapolis Colts at 11:00 a.m. MT (1:00 p.m. ET) on Sunday. Should fans in Denver root for the AFC's No. 3 seed to lose to help the Broncos' chances of securing the No. 1 seed, or should Denver fans root for a division rival to lose, falling further behind in the playoff hunt?

Opinions are mixed. Here's mine: Root for the Colts because another Chiefs loss will strengthen the chances of KC missing the NFL playoffs entirely, and Indy will have tough games later in the season (including Houston and Seattle). The most straightforward way for the Broncos to reach the NFL playoffs would be to win the AFC West, and gaining an even bigger lead on the Chiefs could be crucial (a six- or seven-game winning streak can never be ruled out for KC).

Sure, the top seed in the AFC could come down to Denver or the Colts later this season, but if the Broncos slip up down the stretch, they won't want the Chiefs to also be in contention for a Wild Card spot. At this point in the season, it's better to root for another KC loss than for a potential seeding scenario that's still six weeks away from potentially coming into play.

Fans on the fence shouldn't think of it as rooting for the Colts. Think of it as rooting for the Chiefs dropping to 5-6, making it extremely difficult for them to catch Denver in the division -- and possibly putting them in a hole too deep to dig out of to make the NFL playoffs at all.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos rooting guide: Colts or Chiefs in Week 12?