Account
2022 Denver Broncos Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info
May 13, 2022
The 2022 campaign can't start soon enough in Denver, because the Broncos had themselves an offseason.
Had they only traded for Russell Wilson, it would have still been a huge win. The 33-year-old gives them the best quarterback they've had since Peyton Manning, and will put the team's impressive stock of skill-position players—wideouts Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler, to go along with running backs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon III—in a far better position to succeed than the team's recent signal-callers.
But the Broncos also addressed the defense, adding DJ Jones and Randy Gregory to an already solid front seven. And while they gave up their first- and second-round picks to Seattle in the Wilson trade, they still added promising young players at the draft like edge-rusher Nik Bonitto, tight end Greg Dulcich and corner Damarri Mathis, among others.
So yes, optimism abounds in Denver. The Broncos haven't had a winning season since 2016 and haven't reached the playoffs since 2015, when Manning led them to a title. The hope is that adding Wilson will return them to that level.
Schedule
Full television schedule can be found on the team's official website.
Analysis
There's no question that the Broncos face a tough slate in 2022, with eight games against playoff teams from a year ago. But they also play a number of teams who were close to reaching the postseason or will be expected to bounce back after tough seasons, including the Los Angeles Chargers twice, the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens.
So that's 12 difficult games for the Broncos to traverse.
Matchups against the Houston Texans, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks will be penciled in as wins, though nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. And if nothing else, that game against the Seahawks will take on a bit of extra meaning given the Wilson trade.
So the optimism in Denver is going to be tested against a tough schedule.
Pivotal Matchups
The Broncos' quest to return to the playoffs will likely come down to how they fare against their AFC West rivals, in what appears to be the NFL's strongest division.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the defending divisional champs, and while they lost explosive wideout Tyreek Hill, they still have Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Travis Kelce. They'll be a threat.
The Chargers were a wacky overtime away from the postseason, and young quarterback Justin Herbert will make them a threat for years to come. But the Chargers also improved dramatically this offseason, adding Khalil Mack, J.C. Jackson and Sebastian Joseph-Day to the defense while re-signing wideout Mike Williams.
The Chargers should be much improved after winning nine games last season.
And the Las Vegas Raiders did reach the playoffs last season, winning 10 games, and responded by adding Davante Adams and Chandler Jones, among others, this offseason.
There are no easy games in this division. Three playoff teams could easily emerge from this pack. The Broncos will have a fight on their hands to be one of them.