Denver Broncos 2012 Schedule: The 5 Toughest Games

It's a pretty well-known fact at this point that the Denver Broncos have the second-toughest schedule in the league.

Denver's 2012 opponents have been known since January, when the list was initially released. However, the exact layout of the schedule was only released a couple of days ago.

Let's just say it's not exactly favorable.

Denver has four nationally televised games during the first half of the season. To make matters worse, the Broncos don't even face a team that had a losing record last season until Week 10 at Carolina.

As I wrote before, the Broncos have a "death-row schedule." If there was any schedule that you could plausibly come up with to test just how good a team truly is, this would be it.

In all of my years of watching the NFL, I can't remember a time where the Broncos had this tough of a schedule not only throughout an entire season, but especially during the first half of the season.

After September's slate of games (which include home games versus the Steelers, Texans and Raiders, and an away visit to Atlanta), we should have a measure of just how good the 2012 Broncos are.

But which games on this schedule are the toughest?

5. Week 6 at San Diego Chargers

Quick Hits

This is one of Denver's four nationally televised games during the first half of the season.

Why It's on This List

The Chargers have dominated this division ever since they won their first division title of the Phillip Rivers era back in '06. The Chargers have won the AFC West in four of the past six seasons.

They're the team that ended Mike Shanahan's legendary tenure in Denver. They're the team that in that very same '08 season was 4-8, while Denver was 7-5, and managed to come back from three games down with four weeks left in the season to win the division by blowing out Denver 52-21 on national television on Sunday Night Football.

Since San Diego's dominance in the West began back in '06, the Broncos are just 3-9 against the Chargers.

This is a team that owns the Broncos.

There's no other way around it. Every big game these two teams have played when the division has been on the line—with the exception of the overtime victory in Week 12 last season—has been won by San Diego.

This game will be played in mid-October, after the Broncos have faced enough tough opponents to get them prepared for this game.

What This Game Will Mean

It will likely dictate which team will be the true favorite in the AFC West for the remainder of the season.

4. Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Quick Hits

Peyton Manning's first game in a Broncos uniform.

Season opener.

The Steelers are finally "fully healthy."

What more is there to say?

Why It's on This List 

Denver defeated the defending AFC champion Steelers in the AFC Wild Card opener in upset fashion last season. Denver entered the game as nine-point underdogs, but left as overtime victors due to Tim Tebow's 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime.

Not many people gave Denver a shot to defeat the Steelers, so there is no doubt revenge will be on Pittsburgh's mind in this Week 1 opener.

This game will test the new-look Broncos for a variety of reasons.

The Steelers are known as perhaps the toughest and most bruising team in all of the NFL. Dick LeBeau's defensive packages are second-to-none and his players (such as Harrison, Polamalu and Timmons) are some of the most intimidating in all of the NFL.

Which leads to one question—how will Manning hold up for the duration of this game?

What This Game Will Mean

Either Manning gives hope to the Denver faithful by leading the Broncos to a victory and being able to absorb hits from the toughest defense in the league ...or Manning leads the Broncos to a loss and looks slow in his recovery from multiple neck surgeries, prompting a panicked frenzy among the Denver faithful after just one week of the season.

3. Week 8 vs. New Orleans Saints

Quick Hits

Denver's first game against the Saints in four years. The Broncos won that game 34-32.

Denver is 7-2 all-time against the Saints.

Why It's on This List 

Here are the facts.

The Broncos struggle against teams with top-tier quarterbacks. It happened twice last season vs. Tom Brady, and it happened in embarrassing fashion against Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

This is a team that has struggled against elite quarterbacks since Larry Coyer was coaching the defense back in 2003. Remember when Peyton Manning shredded Denver's defense in the Wild Card Playoffs not just once, but twice? Roc Alexander hasn't been heard from since.

Now comes a new season, with yet another new glimmer of hope. Will this defense finally be able to stack up against top quarterbacks?

Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He broke the mark for single-season passing yardage last year. He's currently going through negotiations with the Saints, but everyone expects him back in a Saints jersey in 2012.

The Saints are one of the best teams in the NFC. The Broncos were a playoff team last year, now equipped with an elite quarterback of their own.

What will be the end result?

What This Game Will Mean

This game will answer the question of whether or not the Broncos can defend against a top quarterback, and whether or not the Broncos can win in a shootout if the defense fails to hold up against Brees.

This league is dominated by quarterbacks more so now than ever. If the defense is the same that they've been for the past decade, the Broncos will not win a Super Bowl in 2012.

It doesn't get any simpler than that.

2. Week 15 at Baltimore Ravens

Quick Hits

The Broncos are just 3-5 against Baltimore all-time—including a 20-3 loss in the 2000 Wild Card Playoffs to the Ray Lewis-led Ravens.

Why It's on This List

The Broncos struggle against the Ravens.

Denver has had a decent amount of success in recent years against the Steelers. That "rivalry" is somewhat neutral. This "rivalry" is somewhat one-sided.

The Broncos tend to struggle against the 3-4 defense led by Ray Lewis. Whether it's the personnel or the coaching, the Broncos have a hard time putting points on the board against the Ravens.

The Ravens were the second-best team in the AFC in 2011. They were a Lee Evans drop away from competing in the Super Bowl. They will enter 2011 as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

This game will be in Baltimore in Week 15. By this time, we'll already have an idea of how good these teams are.

Two supposed AFC contenders battling it out late in the season?

What's not to like?

What This Game Will Mean

It could show how good the Broncos really are.

The Ravens may be the best team in the AFC. Outside of the quarterback position, just about every one of their main roster spots contains a top-tier player.

It is hard to find a more stacked team in the AFC than the Ravens.

Manning will be roughed up in this game by Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis. He'll face top defensive backs.

It will be a dogfight, and it will be up to the Broncos to show that they're not intimidated by the Ravens.

1. Week 5 at New England Patriots

Quick Hits

Denver lost to New England twice last season—41-23 at Denver in Week 15 and 45-10 at New England in the Divisional Playoffs.

Why It's on This List 

The Patriots humiliated Denver twice last season.

With the exception of one out of the eight quarters these two teams played against each other last season, the Patriots simply dominated the Broncos and made them look like a JV team.

Tom Brady may be the best regular-season quarterback in the NFL. He is that dominant. In the Divisional Playoff victory over the Broncos, Brady threw for six touchdowns—and there were still more than 25 minutes remaining in the game.

The Patriots have the Broncos' number. They are in Denver's head.

Will a new quarterback change Denver's fortunes?

What This Game Will Mean

Is Peyton Manning still as good, if not better, than Tom Brady?

Will this "rivalry" still be a rivalry, or will it result in the same sort of one-sided affairs that we saw in last season's Broncos-Patriots matchups?

It is up to Denver's defense to show some sort of resistance to Tom Brady after he humiliated them in the worst possible fashion in last year's playoffs.

It is also up to Peyton Manning to prove that he still has "it" against his former tormentors in Brady and the Patriots.