Early bye week, string of road games highlights Broncos 2017 slate

To call the Denver Broncos 2017 slate of regular season games a challenge is probably an understatement.

Based on 2016 opponent winning percentage, Denver has the toughest schedule in the entire NFL, coming in just ahead of the Kansas Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Oakland Raiders.

The Broncos play against an NFL-high eight playoff teams from a season ago.

Oh, and not to mention, the team plays seven of its last 11 games on the road, starting with three in a row starting in Week 7.

See the full Broncos 2017 schedule below

“It’s important to be a good road team. You have to play well on the road to be a playoff team,” Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said in a team release. “It doesn’t bother me. Obviously, three straight is a great challenge. I’m looking forward to it.”

Historically, however, Denver’s not been good on the road when they’ve played three or more games consecutively. It’s happened 16 times previously, with the Broncos yielding a sub-.500 record in all by three seasons — and just once in the Super Bowl era (1967).

Denver also has a Week 5 bye, nearly the earliest a team can have one in a season.

In Broncos history, the club has only had five bye weeks at Week 5 or earlier in the season, and just one (2014) did the team earn double-digit wins for the season.

However, Joseph called the early by a “good deal,” giving his squad a chance to reboot after training camp and the first quarter of the season.

“In the first four weeks, we get our first quarter over then we have our bye. It’s always good,” Joseph said. “You hope to be successful obviously in that first quarter. But, to have that chance in Week 5 to reboot and reset it again is important.”

The new Broncos play-caller will return to his former home Miami on Dec. 3 to take on the Dolphins. Joseph, who was the defensive coordinator for Miami last season, said the trip is “just business” for him.

“My first thought: it was December 3, so the weather won’t be a factor. If you play there in September, even October, it’s so warm for your football team and it’s a disadvantage. But, being December 3, I’m OK with it. It’s going to be a business trip for me,” Joseph said.

Denver will also partake in five primetime games, which is the sixth-consecutive year the club’s played in that many or more contests.

The Broncos will also make it 26 seasons in a row playing on Monday Night Football, which they will twice in 2017, which is the longest current streak and the second-longest all-time.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.