The NFL schedule is set to be released at 6 p.m. Thursday — apparently Aaron Rodgers’ trade to the New York Jets and Lamar Jackson’s mega-extension in Baltimore didn’t throw a wrench in the proceedings — and so far we don’t know too much more about it than that.
We know the Broncos won’t be playing internationally. We know it’s unlikely, though not impossible, that Denver ends up playing on the road Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas Day and New Year’s weekend like it did last year. We may learn a bit more about select games or if the Broncos end up playing in the NFL’s first Black Friday game on Wednesday.
Outside of that, it’s a blank canvas. So what better to do than throw some paint and see what happens. Maybe a masterpiece.
Here’s dueling scheduling predictions from Broncos beat writers Parker Gabriel and Ryan McFadden. To the winner goes eternal glory.
McFadden’s projection
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs (Thursday Night Football)
Week 2: Cleveland Browns
Week 3: New York Jets (Monday Night Football)
Denver’s game against the Jets would be a more intriguing Week 1 matchup. Sean Payton makes his Broncos debut against New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who played a major factor in Denver’s disastrous 2022 season as the head coach. You can’t ask for a better storyline.
However, that matchup will have to wait a couple of weeks. Payton first real test will be facing the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Week 4: at Buffalo Bills
Week 5: Los Angeles Chargers
Week 6: at Chicago Bears
Fingers crossed that the Broncos can play in Chicago and Buffalo before the winter.
Week 7: at Houston Texans
Week 8: Las Vegas Raiders
Week 9: Bye
Denver will have a chance to enter the bye week on a high note with winnable matchups against the Texans and the Raiders. C.J. Stroud potentially being the Texans’ starting quarterback adds some interest to an undesirable AFC matchup.
Week 10: Minnesota Vikings
Week 11: New England Patriots
Week 12: Green Bay Packers (Black Friday)
Let’s get a little wild here. The Broncos will not be on families’ television screens on Thanksgiving day. But best believe Broncos fans will have to do their Black Friday shopping earlier in the day.
Week 13: Washington Commanders
Week 14: Kansas City
Week 15: at Miami Dolphins
Facing the Chiefs and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks could have major implications for Denver at this point in the season. Also, Tyreek Hill vs. Patrick Surtain II? That matchup could be special.
Week 16: Detroit Lions
Week 17: at Los Angeles
Week 18: Las Vegas
The Broncos could be fighting for a playoff spot or looking towards the offseason. If the playoffs are on the line, Denver could play on prime-time during the final two weeks of the regular season.
Gabriel’s projection
Week 1: New York Jets (Monday Night Football)
Also considered the NFL would break its norm and line up Denver and divisional rival and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City for the Thursday night opener on Sept. 7. But what’s not to love about quarterback Aaron Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett — who could have been the Broncos’ duo had Rodgers been traded in 2022 — coming to Empower Field for the first game of the Sean Payton era?
Week 2: at Houston
Week 3: Los Angeles Chargers
Week 4: Minnesota
Week 5: at Buffalo
A personal plea here: Let’s either get this one out of the way before November or ensure there’s going to be 3feet of snow. No in between.
Week 6: Kansas City
Week 7: at Las Vegas
Week 8: at Chicago
Week 9: Bye
Not sure Payton would be wild about opening against the Jets, but the NFL throws him a bone with a bye week right in the middle of the season and coming off Denver’s first of two back-to-back road weekends in this projection.
Week 10: Green Bay
Week 11: New England
Back-to-back home games against the Packers and Patriots. That would be a unique scheduling twist against a couple of high-profile franchises.
Week 12: at Detroit (Thanksgiving Day)
When a road trip to Detroit is on the slate, it’s natural to peg it for a Thanksgiving Day arrangement. A chance to get Payton and Russell Wilson back in a prime spot without having to worry too much about whether the Lions and Broncos are actually good.
Week 13: Cleveland
Week 14: at Kansas City
Week 15: Washington
Week 16: at Los Angeles Chargers
Week 17: at Miami
Opposite coasts on consecutive weeks isn’t ideal — thought warm-weather road games late in the season are a consolation — and the Broncos’ set of opponents is a little bit disparate.
Week 18: Las Vegas
The season closes with another trip around the division in the season’s final five weeks. Will the Broncos play that stretch with playoff aspirations or draft pick positioning in the balance?
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