Mile High Report
Short answer is yes.
Trying to predict win-loss records in May is ridiculous. But it’s really no less ridiculous in August, even though you’ve made it through the offseason hype and training camp reality check.
Because predicting how a season will go is impossible. You can’t predict who is going to have not just a breakout season but a career-changing one, like Nik Bonitto last season.
You don’t know if the rookies will be able to adjust to the speed of the NFL game in time to make a big impact, especially when it’s a rookie quarterback.
You can’t predict weather or injuries or weird circumstances. And you can’t predict how your opponents and conference rivals will respond from their either good or bad performance the season prior.
So many unknown variables.
And yet, that won’t keep any of us from doing it anyway.
Coaches like to talk about the season in quarters, so we will too — and the Broncos’ first quarter is reasonably tough but not insurmountable. Hosting No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward and the Titans, Denver’s defense should disrupt the rookie enough to get the win at home.
Week 2 against the Colts should be another win for the Broncos, but Week 3 could easily be the team’s first loss as they play the Chargers in L.A. I think Denver will split the series with the Chargers, but the away game will be the Broncos’ first loss (setting up a nice revenge win in Denver a few months later).
Week 4 on Monday Night Football against the Bengals could be an epic battle, and I’ll take home field advantage and the Denver defense wreaking havoc on Joe Burrow.
The slate of October opponents features two decent teams, including the Super Bowl champs and America’s Team, and two previously terrible squads (Giants and Jets). I don’t think the Broncos will escape the Eagles with a W, but it could be a good test for Denver to see how they stack up to top-tier teams. But I think they can beat the Jets in London and then the Giants and Cowboys at home.
If Denver can get to the midway point of the season with just two losses, that will be a major accomplishment. Even 5-3 would be encouraging. But 4-4 would be disappointing. It wouldn’t be panic mode, but it would mean several losses that shouldn’t have happened.
And given the gauntlet of games coming the second half, it will be important to build a lead.
The next five games for Denver will be a doozy. Starting with a tough road trip to Houston, followed by home games against AFC West rivals Raiders and Chiefs, Denver will finally get its true Bye Week after that tough three-game stretch. They could finish 0-3 or 3-0...or anywhere in between.
Following the Week 12 Bye, Denver will travel to...
