Denver Broncos Season Prediction Pt. 1
Every year we get a “Schedule Leak” from every single NFL team during the same week… I’m starting to think they coordinate the “leak” and make it seem like top secret information getting into the hands of the wrong people… But coincidentally, they also release tickets to those “leaked” games at the exact same time. Obviously, every single year I’ll continue to be excited about the release of the schedule and then take my best shot at guessing how the season will turn out and talk about the trends in the schedule!
Noteworthy Observations
- No homestands longer than two games
- Week 9 Bye week, mid-season Bye is good!
- Sunday Night Football Week 1 versus the Seahawks in Seattle vs Drew Lock!
- Sunday Night Football Week 3 versus the 49ers in Denver
- Thursday Night Football versus the Colts in Denver Week 5
- Sunday Night Football Week 6 versus the Chargers on the road
- London Game against the Jaguars, Week 8
- Sunday Night Football Week 14 in Denver versus Kansas City
Denver @ Seattle
Denver goes into Seattle and just starts the season off strong. Russell Wilson has something to prove against his old team, the defense is used to picking off Drew Lock in practice, the new coaching staff wants to start off their dynasty with a bang, this team is going to jump out of the gate with a tempo setter.
I do think that Seattle is going to be a sleeper team, Noah Fant adds another huge weapon to an already stacked offense and they drafted offensive line in two of their first three selections. The Seahawks are going to play the Broncos favorite game, “if our quarterback is decent we are a playoff team” while trotting Geno Smith or Drew Lock out with a ton to prove.
Denver 1-0
Denver Vs Houston
This is a great start to the season, get to go against the Texans at Home for the season home opener. Denver should kick the crap out of the Texans and get one of those “trap games” out of the way early before it can really trap them. I don’t see Houston being in any position to take this game from Denver unless the team is cursed.
Top to bottom, I think the Texans had one of the best drafts in 2022, they got Stingley Jr, offensive line help, they went and grabbed a difference maker at safety in the second round, and then back-to-back Alabama stars with John Metchie and Christian Harris. They are building something good for the future, but the future doesn’t start this season unfortunately.
Denver 2-0
Denver Vs San Francisco
The Broncos first real test of the season is fortunately against the 49ers, at home, in week three. The Broncos could be riding high at 2-0 after clobbering two bottom tier teams. One of two things will happen here, either they elevate their play to compete with a playoff caliber team and it’s competitive, where I think they get a win. Or they come one with the same energy they played the Seahawks and Texans with, and they learn a valuable lesson that they can’t beat good teams with the same energy they played with against bad teams.
I think the 49ers have a lot to prove with Trey Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo, and they are going to be battling Deebo Samuel and his desire to no longer be a 49er. They didn’t have a first-round pick, and like the Broncos their second-round pick was the 29th pick of the round. They got a new edge rusher from USC and a few offensive pieces in the third and fourth rounds. Should never count this team out and I don’t think this will be an easy victory, but I do think the Broncos prevail.
Denver 3-0
Denver @ Las Vegas
I do think that the whoever wins the AFC West, is going to be the team that goes 2-0 versus the Las Vegas Raiders. I don’t think they are a bad team at all, but I think they are the worst team in the division. Denver gets their first division win of the season on the road in Las Vegas to start the season off well.
The Raiders brought in Chandler Jones, DeVante Adams, and ex-Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels and their first pick of the draft was an offensive guard out of Memphis. They were part of the AFC West arm race, and there is a serious chance they are the Broncos first loss of the season. I think this is a dog fight, but Denver comes out on top.
Denver 4-0
Denver Vs Indianapolis
This one, I feel like, is one of our toughest games of the season. Short week, after a division game on the road versus the Raiders, while being 4-0… To me this feels like there is an opportunity for the team to come out slow on this one. I’ve been wrong before, but just in my years of being a football fan, I’ve seen those games where just nothing seems to go right. I think these Colts are going to be a playoff team in the AFC, and they have a good squad.
Denver drops their first game of the season, I don’t see anyone blowing the Broncos out this year, but they will drop a few games based solely on the nature of the NFL. Denver has a history of having trouble with the Colts, and I think being 4-0 can sometimes lead to overconfidence.
Broncos 4-1
Denver @ Los Angeles
Road game versus a division rival and one of the best teams in the NFL, that added Kahlil Mack, J.C Jackson and still was able to keep their first-round pick and convert it into Offensive Guard Zion Johnson at 17th overall. I think this is going to be one of the games the Broncos are going to drop just because the team across the field had more advantages.
Turnovers and how the Denver Defense can compete with the Chargers offense are going to be the keys to the game, but I do think the Broncos are not expected to win their road division games against the Chargers and Chiefs this season. They could very well surprise us, but I think the Broncos can drop a road game against the Chargers.
Broncos 4-2
Denver Vs New York
I don’t think this game is particularly competitive… I think the Jets had a fantastic draft, I think many believe they had the best draft or top three drafts when compared to each other. They got a franchise cornerback, potentially the best wide receiver in the draft, and then finished the first round with acquiring Jermaine Johnson II whom many called one of the highest ceiling pass rushers in this draft.
That being said, they are also the New York Jets, they haven’t been competitive since 2009, and they Zach Wilson has to prove he is a franchise quarterback, and everything has to start to come together before I believe they aren’t an easy W on the schedule.
Broncos 5-2
Denver @ Jacksonville (London)
If this was a Denver Bronco’s Home Game in London, I would be furious… but they get a road game against the Jaguars in London which should be a decent game. I don’t foresee this being a particularly difficult game, but this does have the makings of a trap game in my mind. Going across the Atlantic, sitting at 5-2, against what is projected to be a Jaguars team that doesn’t win a lot but is starting to figure it out.
Back-to-back number 1 overall picks in Trevor Lawrence and Travon Walker look to get this franchise back on track. They also had a second first round selection which they used on Devin Lloyd and they return star running back Travis Etienne who didn’t play a down last season. Broncos should still win this game, but with the Bye Week and all the atmosphere of playing overseas… I could see this one hurting.
Denver 6-2
Week 9 Bye Week!
Ill Cover the rest of the schedule tomorrow, stay tuned!
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