The Denver Broncos will face the ghosts of girlfriends past this upcoming season when they take on the AFC East division.
After the NFL schedule was released, the Broncos’ overall schedule will be the perfect blend of challenge and opportunity.
When they face the AFC East this season, the storylines will write themselves — and the intrigue will be massive.
Denver Broncos will take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 3
Once Week 3 rolls around, the Broncos will have to tackle the South Beach heat when they take on Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio.
Fangio took over as defensive coordinator for the Dolphins this off-season which immediately propels that unit to be strong on paper. On top of that, the Dolphins traded for former Los Angeles Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Former tight end Eric Saubert will also take on his former team.
What about Bradley Chubb? The former first-round Broncos draft pick will face his former team after being traded to Miami at the deadline last season.
Chubb was an impact player during his time in Denver, but injuries derailed him in two of his four seasons. He’ll have a chip on his shoulder facing his former team.
It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Vance Joseph concocts a game plan to account for all of the offensive weapons that head coach Mike McDaniel has around him.
In particular, the dynamic of Hill and Waddle will be a tough challenge, but Robbie Chosen (formerly Robbie Anderson) will also have a role offensively.
Hopefully, the Broncos’ offense led by Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Javonte Williams, and others will be able to produce at a high level to match the projected output of the Dolphins’ offense.
Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets – Week 5
Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett were once projected to work together in the Mile High City, but things never formulated and Broncos Country should be grateful they didn’t.
After a disastrous first year for Hackett as head coach of the Denver Broncos, he’s hoping to enact revenge against the team that fired him before the end of his first season.
Hackett takes over as the offensive coordinator for the Jets offense that struggled with Zach Wilson last season. After trading for Rodgers, the Jets have their quarterback for 2023.
Where the Jets maintain solidarity is with their rushing attack which features Breece Hall, Michael Carter, and rookie Israel Abanikanda. At wide receiver, Rodgers will throw to former Green Bay Packers teammates Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, new addition Mecole Hardman and mainstays Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis.
Former Broncos wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni also departed Denver to follow Hackett to the Jets where he’ll coach up all of those players at the position.
On paper, the Jets are loaded with offensive talent which should present the Broncos with a solid challenge.
After Hackett was hired by the Jets, New York media spun his time in Denver and the end result on the Broncos organization and Russell Wilson. Anybody using logic can acknowledge that Wilson and the team struggled, but so did Hackett.
Under Hackett, there was never any accountability regarding performance whether that was with players, himself, or other coaches. It created a perplexing dynamic inside of Dove Valley, but ultimately blame is equal for each party — not just Denver solely.
Monday Night matchup with the Buffalo Bills – Week 10
In Denver’s second primetime game of the 2023 NFL season, they’ll travel to Buffalo to take on Josh Allen and former Broncos legend Von Miller.
Luckily for Denver, they’ll play the Bills after coming off their bye week in Week 9.
This will be one of the toughest matchups for Denver all season long. Not only do they have to account for Allen and Miller, but they’ll have to face Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Dawson Knox, and new addition at running back Nyheim Hines.
They’ll also face former Broncos punter Sam Martin who had a consistent year for the Bills in 2022.
Who knows what each team will look like by the time they meet in Week 10 to kick off the second half of the schedule, but we’re all hoping for a highly competitive and entertaining game in primetime.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton is taking a different approach logistically when it comes to travel and schedule.
“If we ended up flying home and landing after 2 a.m., we’re probably going to stay in the [city],” Payton said regarding travel logistics this season. “We’ll probably stay in Buffalo after that game, fly back Tuesday, the players will be off Wednesday, and then push the work week back a day.”
Hopefully the logistics pan out because Denver will host Minnesota the very next Sunday for another primetime game.
Can Denver save Christmas from Bill Belichick? – Week 16
Twas’ the night before Christmas and all through the house, the Denver Broncos were hoping to punch the New England Patriots in the mouth.
Last season, the Broncos played the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day and it was nothing short of every present being filled with coal. This season, Denver will play on Christmas Eve and they’ll have to defeat “The Grinch” known as Bill Belichick.
Mac Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and company will travel to Denver for a Christmas Eve showdown against the Broncos’ defense.
This will be an essential game on paper considering it’s a conference opponent and right in the heat of the playoff race in the AFC.
Belichick has a history of having his teams prepared, specifically on the defensive side featuring Matthew Judon, and first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez who will likely shadow Denver’s top receiver.
Former Broncos offensive tackle Calvin Anderson makes his return to the Mile High City where he’ll face his former team after signing with the Patriots this offseason.
Broncos Country is hopeful that Jones and the Patriots’ offense will be in a giving mood, hopefully providing Denver’s defense with plenty of gifts.
Overall, the AFC East will be a challenging division for the NFL this season and unfortunately for Denver, they’ll have to play the East and the rest of the AFC West.
