Denver Broncos 2011 NFL Schedule: Team by Team Breakdown

At 7 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, the Denver Broncos were dealt a few things when the schedule was unveiled: A pair of primetime games, a date with the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers and the third-hardest schedule in the league (only behind Carolina and Buffalo).

The Broncos have question marks all over the field, most notably on defense. Who will be the quarterback? Will it be his holiness Tim Tebow, game manager Kyle Orton or a fresh face from the draft (sorry Brady Quinn)? What will the draft have in store for the Broncos? (We'll find out the answer to that qustion in about a week.)

All these questions will be answered in due time; what we do know now is the 2011 schedule. So without further ado, let's kick it off.

WEEK 1- Oakland Raiders at Denver

2010 record: 8-8

A Monday Night Football showdown between a pair of AFC rivals; there are not too many other rivalries I would rather take than these two. The Raiders went an unprecedented 6-0 within their division last year, absolutely dominating their AFC West foes.

Oakland gave Denver one of the worst whippings in their history last year in Denver. They were able to shut down Orton and Co. on offense and scored on just about every possession. Look for Denver to be even more jacked up than normal; last year's game will be lingering, and you know the coaches will show some of that tape just to boil the blood. Denver really has a chance with this matchup to show what kind of team they are under John Fox.

WEEK 2- Cincinnati Bengals at Denver

2010 record: 4-12

The last time that Bengals and Broncos met, the Bengals were a part of the Immaculate Deflection, compliments of Brandon Stokley.

The Bengals, like the Broncos, have their fair share of problems both on and off the field. Carson Palmer has made it clear he does not want to play for head coach Marvin Lewis, but Lewis has made it clear that Palmer is not leaving. Something has to give. If Palmer does not play (I do not think he will), then a young quarterback will be drafted in the next week and will start this game. This bodes well for the Broncos, as their revamped defense will need an "easier" game to help get their mojo.

WEEK 3- Denver at Tennessee Titans

2010 record: 6-10

Denver had one of their few wins against the Titans last year after a fourth-quarter rally saw the Broncos defeat the Titans 26-20 in Tennessee. Special teams and Kyle Orton were the difference last year, but this coming year, we could see a situation similar to that in Cincinnati, where a quarterback change may be in order. Again, an opponent's offensive uncertain will help Denver's young defensive unit. The Titans will still have Marc Mariani, and we all know what he did to Denver last year. 

WEEK 4- Denver at Green Bay Packers

2010 record: 10-6

Here is where the road gets bumpy. The defending Super Bowl Champions. Lambeau Field. Nothing else really to say.

The Packers, a very lethal team on offense, will attack our secondary with Aaron Rodgers and his elite group of receivers. If Fox cannot properly scheme on defense, then this could be a long afternoon. Champ Bailey has already circled this game as a means of measuring stick for the rest of the season.

WEEK 5- San Diego Chargers at Denver 

2010 record: 9-7

Ryan Mathews and the Chargers crushed Denver last season 33-28. The Broncos did make a comeback late in the game, but the score does not tell the whole story. Tebow displayed nothing but heart in this game, even as Mathews went over 100 yards and found the end zone three times.

Tebow struggled early, but showed resilience as he tried to lead the team back for another fourth-quarter comeback, but the lead was too wide. Philip Rivers continues to be one of the best in the league, and his Chargers will be another tough hill for the Broncos to climb next year.

WEEK 6- Bye

WEEK 7- Denver at Miami Dolphins

2010 record: 7-9

Say hello to The Beast.

Brandon Marshall will be more than amped to play his old teammates in Week 7. Though McDaniels will not be there for Marshall to stick it to, he will definitely have something to prove against his old team and the fans who disowned him for his immature ways.

I believe the Broncos will take this one. It will be a dog fight, just like the rest of the season. But with the addition of Marcel Dareus (fingers crossed), Miami's running attack should be limited and could force the ball into Chad Henne's hands.

WEEK 8- Detroit Lions at Denver

2010 record: 6-10

Megatron? Stafford? Best? That trio is one teams will be frightened of starting with this year.

Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford and Jahvid Best are all exciting players, making this a dangerous game.

At this point, Denver does not have enough defensive players to withstand the rush of offense coming their way. And, oh yeah, the return of fan favorite, Tony Scheffler. He will be inspired on Sunday. Denver may have an advantage if they can get off to an early lead at home with the crowd on their side.

WEEK 9- Denver at Oakland Raiders

2010 record: 8-8

The Black Hole. Tim Tebow turned a busted play into a touchdown in his first start in Oakland. Will their be more Mile High Magic making its way to Northern California? I believe so. A tough place to play, but the skin of Tebow is too thick to let some fans shake his confidence.

The season will be based on defense, and this game is no exception. The Raiders' uncertain quarterback situation does bode well for Denver, though. Tebow's intangibles will be the difference in this one.

WEEK 10- Denver at Kansas City Chiefs

2010 record: 10-6

It was a defensive duel last year (if you can believe it), and the Chiefs came out on top. The Chiefs have a very young team that the Broncos should try and emulate.

General manager Scott Pioli has done a great job building that team, and Todd Haley has managed his players effectively. Denver has had a knack for getting to Matt Cassel and disrupting his game, which could prove to be the decider in their games this coming season. 

WEEK 11- New York Jets at Denver

2010 record: 11-5

In their second of two primetime games, the Broncos host the Jets on Thanksgiving. The Broncos were robbed of a win over the Jets last year after a ticky-tack pass interference call at the goal line led to a 20-17 New York victory. The Broncos never seemed to recover from that game and struggled the rest of the year. The Broncos will be chomping at the bit to get to Mark Sanchez and make the Jets' defense look foolish.

With the bright lights on, the Broncos will have their hands full as they play on only four days rest. A tough game to pull out of the bag with little preparation.

WEEK 12- Denver at San Diego Chargers

2010 record: 9-7

In what turned out to be the worst Monday night game of the year up to that point, the Broncos were once again embarrassed by the Chargers in primetime. Rivers threw for four touchdowns and left Denver in the dust. Getting 10 days to prepare for this game this up coming season, the Broncos should be able to see what they did well and what they need to work on from their first game with their rivals earlier in the season.  

WEEK 13- Denver at Minnesota Vikings

2010 record: 6-10

After struggling the entire season and not meeting expectations with a tired and worn-down Brett Favre, the Vikings are in a mode of rebuilding themselves. Looking themselves for a new quarterback, this game could be a barn burner and a defensive battle. We are sure to see Adrian Peterson get a lot of touches in this game, seeing how Denver is not good at run defense and Peterson is what you would call "awesome."

WEEK 14- Chicago Bears at Denver

2010 record: 11-5

The return of Jay Cutler. Need I say more?

Storylines left and right. Cutler will be more inspired to play that game than he was the NFC Championship game last season (not hard to top). He will be showered by a barrage of boos from Denver fans, and Broncos will have no problem looking to lay out the ex-Bronco.

This game has been circled on Cutler's calendar since he was traded for Kyle Orton.

WEEK 15- New England Patriots at Denver

2010 record: 14-2

The Broncos had a rousing win a couple seasons ago when the mentor was defeated by the student; however, that storyline is long gone. The Patriots will be at the peak of their success this season and will be coming into Denver with a full head of steam. Hopefully, at this point of the season, the Broncos are not worrying about draft day and worried at staying competitive in the AFC. Tom Brady will be on his game, as always, but the Broncos situation is still a mystery.

WEEK 16- Denver at Buffalo Bills

2010 record: 4-12

The Broncos head to the cold of Buffalo. Could it be one of the last pro football games in Buffalo?

Buffalo will likely be jockeying for draft position. Denver is hoping to not be doing the same.

Another team with quarterback issues, here are two teams that may be wanting nothing more than for this season to end as quickly as possible.

WEEK 17- Kansas City Chiefs at Denver

2010 record: 10-6

The Broncos lit the Chiefs up in Denver last year. Jumping out to an early lead and holding on to win, the Broncos looked good. The Broncos will be wrapping up a hopefully better season than last, but the Chiefs may be fighting for another playoff spot. Look for the Broncos to play spoiler in this one. 

Bottom Line:

The Broncos have a nice early schedule, so a good group of wins will come from the first half of the season. But as the season progresses and players get worn, sloppy play will come out. The Broncos already looked primed for a better season. Nevertheless, the Broncos will need some Mile High Magic this season in order to get some respectable wins and become a presence not only in the AFC West, but the NFL.

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