The Broncos will enjoy the NFL’s wild-card weekend on a playoff bye awaiting their AFC divisional round opponent.

Who is the preferred foe between the Bills, Chargers, Steelers and Texans? Here is a Denver Gazette breakdown of the challenges and advantages of each possible matchup for the return of postseason football inside Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos will draw the lowest-seeded team to advance.

AFC wild-card weekend

11 a.m. Sunday: No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville (CBS/Paramount+)

6 p.m. Sunday: No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 New England Patriots (NBC/Peacock)

6 p.m. Monday: No. 5 Houston Texans at No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN/ABC)

Favorable matchup — Steelers (10-7, first AFC North)

No disrespect to Aaron Rodgers.

The 42-year-old Pittsburgh quarterback is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021. He’s still got it. In Week 18, in a division-clinching victory over the Ravens, Rodgers completed 31 of 47 passes for 297 yards and a touchdown. Suspended wide receiver DK Metcalf is back for the postseason, too.

Yet the Broncos should be foaming at the mouth for a shot at Pittsburgh. The Steelers scored only 10 points against the Chargers, 7 points against the Bills and 6 points against the Browns. Rodgers has been sacked 29 times this season. It all bodes well for the Broncos and their league-leading pass rush.

The Steelers pack a strong defensive punch behind outside linebacker T.J. Watt, and coach Mike Tomlin is likely destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But this is a favorable matchup for Denver in the divisional round.

Most intriguing — Texans (12-5, second AFC South)

What happens when two of the NFL’s top defenses meet in the playoffs?

Probably an instant classic.

We all remember what happened in Week 9. Denver escaped Houston with an 18-15 victory. But the Texans lost starting quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter with a concussion, and backup Davis Mills nearly led Houston to a victory. Stroud is now healthy. He’s thrown eight touchdowns and two interceptions over his last five games.

The Texans finished the regular season ranked first in total defense (277.2 yards per game), second in scoring defense (17.4 points per game) and second in turnover margin (plus-17). Quarterback Bo Nix will have his hands full if Houston comes to Denver for the divisional round.

Least intriguing — Chargers (11-6, second AFC West)

We’ve seen this movie before.

The Broncos and Chargers split their regular-season series. In Week 3, Los Angeles beat Denver with a walk-off field goal at SoFi Stadium. In Week 18, the Broncos rolled to a home win playing against a bevy of L.A. backups.

At least a rematch in the divisional round would include Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. He sat in the season finale to rest a banged-up hand to be healthy for the playoffs. Herbert posted 3,727 yards passing with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2025.

The Broncos defense certainly wants another shot at Herbert. He is the only AFC quarterback they faced and failed to beat in the regular season. That’s enough motivation to beat a familiar foe.

Toughest draw — Bills (12-5, second AFC East)

There is no Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes in the field.

It sure feels like Josh Allen is due for postseason glory.

Maybe Buffalo isn’t the juggernaut of previous years with New England taking control of the AFC East. But those teams never won a Super Bowl. Allen threw for 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns this season despite the absence of a true No. 1 wide receiver. He’ll lean on running back James Cook in the playoffs.

There are question marks on defense. Bills coach Sean McDermott is also 0-5 in road playoff games. All of that won’t matter if Allen fulfills his potential as one the NFL’s top quarterbacks without a Lombardi Trophy.