With the NFL season fast approaching, it’s time to do a season projection for the 2019-20 Denver Broncos.
Week 1 – Broncos at Raiders – Victory – The Broncos come out and take the first game of the season against the Raiders, who have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL this season. (1-0)
Week 2 – Broncos vs Bears – Victory – This one is hard for me because the Broncos have lost only one home opener (2011) since 2000 and are 27-4 in their last 31 home openers. I think head coach Vic Fangio wants to get a signature win over his former team and he has the defensive firepower to do it (2-0)
Week 3 – Broncos at Packers – Loss – The Broncos go into Lambeau 2-0 and come out empty handed as Aaron Rodgers and company beat them handily. This is the likely outcome, but, playing devil’s advocate, last time we played Rodgers the No Fly Zone held him to 78 yards passing on 31 attempts. (2-1)
Week 4 – Broncos vs Jaguars – Victory – Denver has a lot to prove here, and going 3-1 has them in a good place heading into a tough stretch of the season. (3-1)
Week 5 – Broncos at Chargers – Loss – Last season, the Broncos surprised the NFL world and took one from the Chargers in Denver, but I’m not sold they are ready to take one at the Banc this time. (3-2)
Week 6 – Broncos vs Titans – Victory – Coming into this season, I think the Titans are one of those bubble teams, a fake playoff team, but somehow keeps hanging around the postseason picture. I think the Broncos can beat their run game and force Mariota to beat them, which isn’t a recipe for success. (4-2)
Week 7 – Broncos vs Chiefs – Loss – Broncos played the Chiefs really well in both games last season, losing by three points in a game they commanded late, and losing by seven in a game they seemingly let slip through their fingers, but realistically the Chiefs are hard to beat and will send the Broncos to (4-3)
Week 8 – Broncos at Colts – Loss – The Colts are my dark horse team this season. They are stacked and the rookie class from last season was so good that this year’s class doesn’t have to be spectacular for them to take big steps forward. Broncos go into Indy and take a hard-fought loss. (4-4)
Week 9 – Broncos vs Browns – Loss – I think these Browns are going to be great this season. They made some monster off-season moves, and they got older, wiser, and that defense has some insane talent. If Freddy Kitchens can command all the egos on this team, they could be an 11-12 win team. (4-5)
Week 11 – Broncos @ Vikings – Victory – I think the Vikings are on the way out as a powerhouse. That defense is getting older, Kirk Cousins didn’t look like the savior last season, the offense is flashy at times and dull at others. I am not convinced they are going to be the same Vikings we’ve come to know these last five years, outside of the aberration from two years ago. (5-5)
Week 12 – Broncos at Bills – Victory – These Broncos need to find it in them to get a W on the road against a young QB that doesn’t really have weapons around him. The defense in Buffalo is pretty tough and the offense goes as Josh Allen does, so the defense will get it done in Old Orchard. (6-5)
Week 13 – Broncos vs Chargers – Victory – This is closer to a gut feeling than a projection here. It’s a divisional game, and with Denver’s season potentially over with a loss, the Broncos could find a way to extend their win streak to three. (7-5)
Week 14 – Broncos at Texans – Loss – If this game was in Mile High it would be a different story, but on the road, Houston will win a hard-fought game with their own divisional hopes on the line. (7-6)
Week 15 – Broncos at Chiefs – Loss – If Mahomes can beat Denver in Colorado, there really shouldn’t be a ton of guesses as to who can win in Kansas City. The only way this outcome changes is if Patrick Mahomes’s weapons continue to fall. (7-7)
Week 16 – Broncos vs Lions – Victory – The Broncos get the opportunity to beat up the Lions in Denver and have a chance to break a streak of sub .500 seasons (two straight) that Broncos fans are unfamiliar with (The Broncos have had more Super Bowl appearances than losing seasons in the Pat Bowlen era). (8-7)
Week 17 – Broncos vs Raiders – Victory – Sprinkle the sugar on top with a winning season, beating the Raiders twice in one season, and sending Oakland off into the season as tumultuous as they will surely enter it. (9-7)
Denver will finish with a final record of 9-7, but they are a playoff afterthought as the Chargers, Texans, and Steelers, Browns, and Ravens are all fighting over the last two playoff spots.
