Last night’s win over the Broncos dramatically increases the Chargers’ chances of making the playoffs. It also gives them a key advantage when it comes to sorting out the AFC playoff tree.

By defeating the Broncos, the Chargers are in position to avoid the No. 7 seed — and a likely trip to Buffalo in the wild-card round.

LA still needs to at least catch up with Denver; They are both 9-6 and have two games left. And there’s a chance that neither the Broncos nor the Chargers end up at No. 7 if the AFC North’s second-place team falls behind both.

Still, last night’s win and the crucial two-game change that came with it could keep the Chargers from having to play in Western New York’s freezing freeze or a blizzard or both.

The Bills aren’t ranked No. 2. It could still be the Chiefs (who hosted a North Pole simulation game last January) or the Steelers or even the Ravens, who are three games behind the Bills and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, thanks to a 35-10 win over the Bills in Week 4.

Regardless of the outcome, none of the AFC’s seven seeds are certain – even if at least six of the playoff teams are essentially certain: Chiefs, Bills, Steelers, Ravens, Texans, Chargers. The Broncos maintain their lead in seventh place.

And all the teams that make it to the AFC postseason are certainly hoping (even if they would never say it) that the Broncos hang on and stop the Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level that has largely gone unnoticed because the team has struggled. In the postseason, he transforms into a tough guy at the highest level. (He would also relish the chance to return to Buffalo as the seventh seed. Two years ago, Cincinnati won in the snow against the Bills, ending Buffalo’s season and likely creating the wedge that ultimately led to the departure of Stefon Diggs.)

How and where the seven qualified teams will compete in the three playoff rounds has yet to be determined. Which gives the final three weekends of the season a little extra kick considering there isn’t much AFC drama in terms of entry.