ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are on the cusp of their first playoff berth since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

That's the longest playoff drought following a Super Bowl win, but one they can finally snap with a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) on Thursday night.

A win would also give the Broncos (9-5) their first five-game winning streak since they beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in that Super Bowl for the franchise's third title.

Punching their ticket to the playoffs “would be absolutely amazing, especially my first year here, too,” said safety Brandon Jones, who joined the team in free agency in March. “I am just super happy and super grateful for this opportunity to be here. I truly just love every guy in here, and I think we deserve it. We have put the work in. We have a bond that goes beyond the field and I am just happy that is finally able to be shown off.”

While Jones and other players openly pondered that elusive playoff berth, seventh-year pro Courtland Sutton doesn't want to get ahead of himself.

“Naw, not at all. I mean, shoot, we've got a big game Thursday, another opportunity to step in the direction of where we ultimately want to go, but man, there's so much more ahead of us,” Sutton said Tuesday.

One thing Sutton is relishing, however, is that the Broncos, with a better than 90% chance of making the playoffs, hold their hopes in their own hands.

“It is a good feeling to be in a space of if we take care of what we need to take care of, it's (not) like a ‘we need six teams to lose and do this and do that,'” Sutton said. “So, it's nice to almost be able to control our own destiny. But with that being said, we do have some big games to finish the season.”

After the Chargers game, the Broncos travel to Cincinnati for another prime-time matchup against the Bengals (6-8) on Dec. 28, followed by a season finale at home against the Kansas City Chiefs (13-1), who have won the AFC West nine years running.

The Broncos ended one long skid Sunday with their 31-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts. They have their first winning season since 2016, when they went 9-7 in Gary Kubiak's final year.

“I didn’t even know about that,” said right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who joined the Broncos last year as a free agent from the 49ers. “I guess mathematically, we can’t go under .500 now, which is cool. It’s not really about that. That’s a consolation prize to me. What it’s really about is getting into the dance, and we have a chance to do that in these next few weeks.”

“It's been tough here for a while,” pass rusher Jonathon Cooper said. “So, the fact that we're getting this thing turned around, I'm sure it's great for the fans and shout-out to Broncos Country.”

Tight end Nate Adkins, who scored a touchdown last week, considered the Broncos' win a double dose of goodness because it gave them a two-game lead over the Colts, plus the tiebreaker against them, in the AFC wild-card chase.

“This was the team that was running on our heels,” Adkins said. “But we’re more so looking to catch teams. Getting up to the five (seed), get the best seed possible. So obviously, just turn our focus to the Chargers.”

The Broncos and Chargers flip-flopped playoff position last weekend with Denver moving up to sixth and the Chargers, who lost to Tampa Bay, falling to the seventh and final spot. Baltimore (9-5), which walloped Denver on Nov. 3, is in fifth place.

While Sutton isn't allowing himself to think ahead too much, eighth-year left tackle Garett Bolles, the longest-tenured Bronco, imagines just what it'll be like to finally reach the playoffs.

“It means the world to me, you know, I haven’t done it since I’ve been here so to get back to where we belong and to bring our amazing fans the opportunity to cheer for us deep in the playoffs, it’s awesome, it’s an awesome feeling,” Bolles said. “We just got to focus on one game at a time. We got a big game coming up this week.”

Newly minted Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Colorado return to practice, prepare for Alamo Bowl

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The fishing trips have been put on hold and the award-show excursions wrapped up. Now, it's time for newly minted Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffaloes to get back to the business of a bowl game.

These postseason appearances don't come around all that often in Boulder. Not yet, anyway.

“This has been the plan,” said coach Deion Sanders, whose 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) returned to practice this week to get ready to face fellow Big 12 member and No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. “But we’re not satisfied, and we’re not done. We’re still on our way."

Sanders has taken the Buffaloes from a four-win team his first season at Colorado to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Granted, it's not the College Football Playoff — a late-season stumble at Kansas cost the Buffaloes — but still a big step. This marks only the program's third bowl appearance over the last 17 seasons (all to the Alamo).

The Buffaloes were so amped up at practice Tuesday that a scuffle broke out.

“I don’t recommend that,” Sanders said. “But I was proud of that.”

Make no mistake: Sanders expects nothing but high-quality play out of two-way standout Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Those two are projected to be high picks in the upcoming NFL draft and don't want any sort of letdown.

None of them do.

“It’s not just a bowl game where we’re going to go be merry and have a Merry Christmas and exchange gifts and do all of that,” Deion Sanders explained. "No, we want to go there and play Buff football.

“You think Travis wants to go out there and get locked down with the Heisman in the house? You think Shedeur wants to go out there and play that hot garbage when he’s one of the premier guys and probably, arguably the first pick of the whole draft? ... We’ve got guys who want to end on a great note."

It's been a whirlwind since Colorado wrapped up the regular season with a 52-0 win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 29. Deion Sanders found time to squeeze in some fishing back in Texas.

For Hunter, it's been a parade of honors, including the Heisman and The Associated Press player of the year. Shedeur Sanders also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for a season in which he broke the school's all-time single-season passing mark.

“Travis, with ‘Coach Prime’ and Shedeur, those are the three most influential people that have helped reestablish winning back here in Colorado,” Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said.

Next in line

Wanted: A potential QB in the transfer portal with a season of eligibility left to take over for Shedeur Sanders next season.

Be forewarned — the keys to the offense very well could be handed over to Julian “JuJu” Lewis, the five-star high school recruit from Georgia who's expected to join the Buffaloes this spring.

“He's got a bright future," Shurmur said. “We'll see how quickly that happens.”

Deion Sanders spoke highly of Lewis on Tuesday and sees resemblances to his QB son.

“I saw a lot of similarities in the way Julian’s life has been structured speaking to his father a multitude of times," Sanders said. "Understanding how he came up, what he wants out of life, what he wants out of the game, and from the game, and what he gives to the game. The similarities are unbelievable.”

Congratulations, Jackson State

Sanders applauded his former team, Jackson State, for beating South Carolina State 28-7 last Saturday in the Celebration Bowl. Sanders went 27-6 at Jackson State (0-2 in the Celebration Bowl).

“That's awesome. I love them. I appreciate them,” Sanders said. “They’ve taken it to yet another level — and that was the plan all along.”

Reeled back in

Deion Sanders was caught off guard when linebacker Jeremiah Brown hit the transfer portal. He figured Brown, who followed Sanders from Jackson State, would at least talk to him before the decision.

“He called me about everything else," Sanders said. "He calls me every time he catches a decent-sized fish.”

It was all sorted out once they met. Brown's now staying — and even walked out with one of Sanders' fishing rods.

“It was laying around the office so I really didn’t give it to him. He picked it up and walked out with it,” Sanders explained. “I’m so proud that he’s back, because I love him. He’s like a son to me. I’m glad we got that straight.”

Colorado State and Utah State suing Mountain West over penalties for exiting league

DENVER (AP) — Colorado State and Utah State have filed a lawsuit saying the Mountain West is engaging in “extraordinary and unauthorized actions” to penalize the five schools leaving the conference for the Pac-12.

Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Utah State announced in September they planned to join the Pac-12 in 2026. The lawsuit filed Monday in Colorado state court by Colorado State and Utah State says the Mountain West and commissioner Gloria Nevarez have disregarded the league’s bylaws to punish those five schools “in a desperate attempt to prevent further membership departures.”

The complaint says the Mountain West is threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars due to the departing league members, including refusing to reimburse them for travel and other expenses in connection with postseason football games.

“This flouting of the Bylaws and Colorado law is not new,” the complaint says. “It is part of the Mountain West’s ongoing efforts to restrict its members’ ability to freely explore the best options in the marketplace for their student-athletes and penalize certain members for announcing their intent to withdraw from the Conference.”

The complaint states the Mountain West is seeking to require the departing members to pay exit fees “equal to three or six times the average distribution the Mountain West paid to its members in the preceding year, which could range from $19 million to $38 million per resigning member, despite the fact that such Exit Penalty bears no relationship to the purported harm from Plaintiffs’ withdrawal from the Conference.”

O’Melveny, the law firm representing the plaintiffs, said in a release announcing the lawsuit that Nevarez and the Mountain West also have frozen the five departing schools out of board meetings and have operated in secret to violate their rights as league members.

According to O’Melveny, the Mountain West and Nevarez have made side agreements that promise the seven remaining conference members millions of dollars “earned by and owed to the five departing members.” The lawsuit charges that the Mountain West has refused to turn over board minutes and other corporate records, thus violating Colorado law.

The breakup of the Mountain West occurred following the implosion of the Pac-12, with every member school aside from Oregon State and Washington State leaving for the Big Ten, Big 12 or Atlantic Coast Conference.

As the Pac-12 tried to rebuild, it recruited members from the Mountain West.

The seven Mountain West schools that signed a memorandum of understanding to stay were Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming and Hawaii.

Williams scores 16 as Colorado State defeats Radford 78-68

FORT COLLINS, Colo (AP) — Keshawn Williams scored 16 points off of the bench to lead Colorado State over Radford 78-68 on Tuesday night.

Williams added seven rebounds for the Rams (6-5). Rashaan Mbemba scored 16 points while going 6 of 7 and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and added six rebounds. Kyan Evans shot 3 for 5 from beyond the arc and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points.

The Highlanders (9-4) were led by Josiah Harris, who recorded 15 points. Brandon Maclin added 12 points for Radford. Zion Walker had 12 points.

Colorado State took the lead with 4:25 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 37-27 at halftime, with Williams racking up eight points. Colorado State closed out the victory over Radford in the final half, while Evans led the way with a team-high 12 second-half points.

Colorado State plays Saturday against Nevada on the road, and Radford hosts Virginia-Lynchburg on Friday.

Hyder's 29 help Cal Poly down Denver 95-94 in OT

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — Jarred Hyder scored 29 points as Cal Poly beat Denver 95-94 in overtime on Tuesday.

Hyder also contributed five rebounds for the Mustangs (6-7). Owen Koonce added 21 points while going 6 of 16 from the floor, including 3 for 10 from 3-point range, and 6 for 6 from the free-throw line while he also had five rebounds. Mac Riniker shot 4 of 7 from the field and 5 for 9 from the line to finish with 13 points, while adding seven rebounds and four steals.

Nicholas Shogbonyo led the Pioneers (6-8) in scoring, finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds. DeAndre Craig added 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals for Denver. Sebastian Akins had 21 points and two steals.