In the 2021-2022 season, The Denver Broncos went 8-9 and missed the playoffs, yet they are considered possible Super Bowl Contenders this season.
Key Additions
The Broncos are seen as contenders because of their key additions this offseason, mainly quarterback Russell Wilson. This was one of the biggest offseason acquisitions in the NFL this year. They also signed defensive end Randy Gregory from the Cowboys, he is a strong pass rusher to pair with Bradley Chubb and gives the Broncos an even stronger defense.
Players To Keep an Eye On
The biggest player to watch this season for the Broncos is definitely Russell Wilson. The success of the team will depend highly on him, especially considering the roster is mostly the same as last season besides Wilson. Wilson has dealt with injuries in recent years making it difficult to know exactly where he’s at physically and mentally right now, Broncos fans wait anxiously to see if he is still at the very high level he was a couple of years ago. Another player who fans will be watching for is receiver Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy was drafted high in the first round two seasons ago but has never performed to that standard. If he can take that next step this year it will greatly impact the success of this offense, especially because one of the Broncos’ top receivers, Tim Patrick, recently suffered a season ending injury in training camp. Bradley Chubb will be closely watched to see if he is still as good as he was his rookie season three years ago. He had a fairly serious injury after that season and hasn’t been the same since. He is still very young however, and he is allegedly feeling good to go this season. Whether he is healthy and physically ready to play will be a huge factor in the defense’s success.
Key Departures
One of the players the Broncos had to give up to get Russell Wilson is quarterback Drew Lock. While it was obviously worth it to trade Lock, he made for a pretty good backup QB, so the Broncos won’t have that strong security if Wilson gets hurt. They also lost tight end Noah Fant to the Seahawks, who is one of the better tight ends in the NFL, so that will hurt the offense a bit. But again, this was totally worth it to get an amazing quarterback which the Broncos have been sorely lacking since Peyton Manning retired years ago.
Marquee Matchups
The Broncos have a very challenging schedule this season. This is largely because they are possibly in the most competitive division. They will have to play three very good football teams twice this season. These teams include the Los Angeles Chargers. Either game with the Chargers will be huge as they are also considered strong contenders in the AFC. On top of all the nightmarish divisional matchups, the Broncos are scheduled to play the Los Angeles Rams, who are the reigning Super Bowl champs and heavy favorites to win it again. This will likely be the most difficult game of the year for the Broncos as the Rams are one of the best teams, and this intensity is heightened as it is one of the last games of the regular season (assuming all of the starters play in this game.)
Prediction
The Broncos had a great all-around team last season, but they were lacking a good quarterback. Russell Wilson is better than good, and the Broncos also acquired a new head coach, Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett seems like he will be a better coach than Vic Fangio. So, the Broncos have a Super Bowl type of team, but their schedule is just so hard. On top of that, the Broncos new pieces will probably fit better with the team after a year or so of playing together. Therefore, the Broncos could possibly go to the Super Bowl this season, but it is more likely for that to happen next season.
