Broncos' task: Just win, baby

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler scrambles against Seattle on Dec. 3 in Denver. Cutler leads the Broncos on Sunday against the 49ers. (Post / Craig F. Walker)

In Denver, the final day of 2006 is all about San Francisco.
Beat the not-so-scary 49ers, and move on to the playoffs. That's all the Broncos care about. They know a victory today over the 49ers at Invesco Field at Mile High will give them the No. 5 seed and a wild-card game next weekend, likely at New England, a team the Broncos have beaten three times in the past 14 months.
A victory would more than help erase the memory of a four-game losing streak that nearly capsized their season.
"We know what we need to do," Denver safety John Lynch said. "We've been playing playoff football the past few weeks. We have to win to continue to play."
But there is far more to the final day of the year, with intriguing story lines throughout the NFL. As the season winds to a close, a look at 10 key things to watch for that will have great bearing heading into the new year.