Predicting each Denver Broncos matchup in 2022

If 2022 has so far proven anything about the Denver Broncos it was the team finally had enough. Denver finished with a 7-10 record in 2021, the fifth straight losing season for the Broncos. But they made serious changes in the offseason, and they’ll head into this season with their eyes on the team’s first AFC West title since 2015, when they won the Super Bowl.

The most notable difference from that championship Broncos team to the ones we saw on the skids over the last six was that they had a quarterback, Peyton Manning his twilight years. Searching for an answer under center since then, the team finally pulled the plug on the Drew Lock experience and went out and traded for Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. There’s a new head coach in the Mile High City too, the third one in six years. This time they brought in Nathaniel Hackett, recently the offensive coordinator in Green Bay, with a goal of scoring a little more than a meager 19 points per game.

That shouldn’t be a problem for Wilson. The 33-year-old quarterback joins a roster that actually has more talent than its recent records might suggest. A core group of offensive skill players and a defense that was still the third best unit in the league last season, despite the team’s overall struggles, point to a Broncos team that could make waves this year.

Denver Broncos 2022 schedule

Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks WIN (1-0)
Week 2: vs. Houston Texans WIN (2-0)
Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers WIN (3-0)
Week 4: at Las Vegas Raiders LOSS (3-1)
Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts WIN (4-1)
Week 6: at Los Angeles Chargers LOSS (4-2)
Week 7: vs. New York Jets WIN (5-2)
Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars WIN (6-2)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: at Tennessee Titans LOSS (6-3)
Week 11: vs. Las Vegas Raiders WIN (7-3)
Week 12: at Carolina Panthers WIN (8-3)
Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens LOSS (8-4)
Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs WIN (9-4)
Week 15: vs. Arizona Cardinals WIN (10-4)
Week 16: at Los Angeles Rams LOSS (10-5)
Week 17: at Kansas City Chiefs LOSS (10-6)
Week 18: vs. Los Angeles Chargers WIN (11-6)

The schedule makers did the Broncos a huge favor early in the season, front loading it with games against the Texans, Jets and Jaguars that should help Denver get off to a hot start. Things get a lot tougher in the second half. Not only do they have to play the Chiefs twice in the last five weeks of the season, they’ll also face the Ravens, Rams and Titans, all on the road. Still, Denver looks like a contender in the AFC this year. Even if they can’t unseat the Chiefs in their division, don’t be surprised if they make some noise in the playoffs.

Win total odds: Over 10 (-120); Under 10 (+100)

Pick: Over

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