There’s no excuse for the Broncos not going undefeated in September

No game in the NFL is an easy win. It’s not college football. There are no freebies.

That said, some games are more winnable than others. Clearly, there are teams who offer less of a challenge than others. The Jaguars, Jets, Giants and Lions proved that a year ago, when the Broncos beat those cellar dwellers to pad their record.

Denver could benefit from the same thing in 2022. The team’s early season schedule is shaping up nicely, setting the Broncos up for a good start in year one of Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson.

In the month of September, Denver’s slate offers the best possible way to ease into the season. It’s chock full of winnable games:

Week 1 – at Seattle
Week 2 – vs. Houston
Week 3 – vs. San Francisco

The Seahawks are making the transition from Wilson. They’re in rebuild mode, with either Geno Smith or former Broncos quarterback Drew Lock at the helm. Neither is a franchise quarterback. Either one is most likely a temporary placeholder. That gives Denver the chance to start the season with a win, even on the road.

Houston is one of the worst teams in the league. They’re currently a 300/1 bet to win the Super Bowl, the longest odds in the NFL. Davis Mills is the Texans quarterback. He was 2-9 as a rookie a year ago, throwing 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Broncos couldn’t ask for a better opponent in their home opener.

The third game of the season is when things get trickier. Or so it seemed. The 49ers played in the NFC title game a year ago; they’re a legit Super Bowl contender. However, Tuesday’s news about their quarterback situation changes things. San Francisco is moving on from Jimmy Garappolo, choosing to turn the page to Trey Lance. The second-year QB has talent, but it’ll take him a while to hit his stride. Week 3 should still be part of his learning curve, which is good for Denver.

Add it all up and the Broncos have no excuse to start the season slowly. The road map is in place for the team to get off to a fast start.

That’s why the seemingly incessant need to pump the brakes on expectations by some in Broncos Country is silly. The comparisons between Peyton Manning’s first season in Denver and Wilson’s debut are flimsy, at best.

There were a lot of reasons why the Broncos started slow in 2012. Ten years later, those same excuses don’t exist.

The Broncos have a favorable early season schedule. There’s no excuse for them starting off slowly.

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