By: Adamo Marinelli
August 25, 2021
Football season is finally back. With the NFL preseason well underway, it is time to predict how the Denver Broncos will do this season.
The Broncos’ roster has plenty of talent at a number of positions such as at linebacker, cornerback, secondary, and at wide receiver. The major storyline this offseason has been can they find a number one quarterback to propel this roster to a playoff spot?
Both Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater are competing for the starting quarterback spot. Despite Drew Lock’s fantastic performance in the preseason opener in Minnesota, head coach Vic Fangio believes both QBs are still “even-steven.” To be fair, Bridgewater had a great game against Seattle in the Broncos' second preseason game.
Which one of these two quarterbacks will get the starting job and whether either of these two quarterbacks will have a stellar season is still to be determined.
The Broncos have the fifth easiest schedule in 2021, with their opponents recording a .471 winning percentage. Whether that translates to wins is not guaranteed, however.
The Broncos play all their division rivals - the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders - twice, all four teams in the NFC East and the AFC North, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions.
The ceiling for the Broncos is 12-5. The floor for the Broncos is 6-11. I have them going 11-6 and making the playoffs as a wildcard team.
I predict that in the coming days, the Broncos’ management will select Drew Lock as the starting quarterback. Bridgewater was brought in as the competition for Lock to motivate him to improve his game enough to earn the starting job. If Lock cannot live up to the hype, Bridgewater is there as a very reliable backup.
In week one, they have a favourable matchup against a New York Giants team with Daniel Jones at the helm. His performance at QB has been questionable at best and the Broncos’ defense will have a field day. Lock will do just enough on offense - by playing mistake-free football and relying on the stellar group of wide receivers he has - to get the win. Broncos start 1-0.
In week two, the Broncos visit the number one pick, Trevor Lawrence, in Jacksonville. The Broncos’ explosive pass rush and lock-down secondary will wreak havoc on Lawrence and the Jaguars and the Broncos will come away with a win. Jerry Jeudy, K.J Hamler, and Javonte Williams will all score a TD. They improve to 2-0.
The Broncos’ home-opener will be a week three tilt with the Jets. As long as Lock plays smart, simple football and doesn’t make mistakes by forcing balls downfield, the Broncos should come away with an easy win in front of their raucous crowd. Their defense records six sacks. They improve to 3-0.
The Broncos' defense is very good, but against high octane offenses, you can’t only rely on your defense. Lamar Jackson’s dangerous running attack will be hard to contain and Lock will be unable to keep up with Jackson and the Ravens offense. The Broncos lose a close game and fall to 3-1.
In week five, the Broncos are in for a tough test against the Steelers on the road. QB Ben Roethlisberger looked decent last year despite coming off surgery. The fact he had to throw the ball 50 times a game because the Steelers’ run game was non-existent didn’t help, but their offensive line has gotten better, they drafted Najee Harris to solve their backfield issues and their defense is still dangerous. The Broncos get down early, cannot complete the comeback. 3-2.
In week six, the Broncos will play their first divisional game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Lock finished with an atrocious 1-5 record against divisional rivals in 2020. Three of the five losses were in one-score games. Lock must limit his turnovers and be more accurate with his deep balls to win close games. He has been improving his game in both ways this offseason and Lock will make enough plays to get the win. Broncos improve to 4-2.
In week seven, the Broncos will visit Cleveland for a Thursday night tilt. The Browns have one of the best rushing attacks in the league with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and the Broncos will be tired after a short week. Mayfield gets rid of the ball quickly, not allowing the Broncos’ pass rush to settle in. Cleveland gets a much-needed win. Broncos fall to 4-3.
In week eight, the Broncos will host the Washington Football team. Both teams have excellent defenses up front and in the secondary. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick is the more experienced of the two quarterbacks and a last-minute drive in the fourth quarter leads the Football team to an upset win. The Broncos now sit at .500, with a record of 4-4.
In week nine, the Broncos visit Jerry World to take on the Cowboys. Both offenses have a plethora of weapons at the skill positions and great offensive lines to work with. Dak Prescott is miles above Drew Lock at quarterback, but the Broncos' defense - especially the secondary - is much better than their opponents. They cause numerous turnovers, and Lock plays it simple, does not turn it over, and consistently gets it to the open man. The Broncos get the win and improve to 5-4.
In week 10, the Broncos will host the Eagles. The Eagles have a new head coach, a new young quarterback, and have several weak spots on their roster. They have definitely seen some improvement in training camp, but they are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league. Barring any injuries, the Broncos should come away with an easy win. 6-4.
In week 11, the Broncos have their bye week. They have five of their six division games remaining and at 6-4, they control their destiny to get into the playoffs and win the division.
In week 12, they played host to Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The Chargers will be a threat in the AFC this season with their great QB play and improving defense. The Broncos' defense is also one of the best in the AFC and top 10 in the NFL and with improved QB play from Drew Lock, he will lead the Broncos to a comeback win over the Chargers. Broncos improve to 7-4.
In week 13, the Broncos will visit Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City. The Broncos have lost 11 straight games against the Chiefs but they have been keeping the last few games close. Like their second meeting in 2020, the Broncos will keep the Chiefs from scoring inside the red zone but an interception from Lock late in the game will seal a 22-18 win for the Chiefs. Broncos fall to 7-5.
In week 14, the Broncos will play host to the Detroit Lions. No disrespect to Jared Goff, but he is a downgrade to Matt Stafford. The Lions have a new head coach that has an interesting approach to the game, but with their roster, they will finish close to the bottom of the NFC. The Broncos’ defense will shut down the Lions' offense and their offense will overpower the Lions' defense. The Broncos win big, improving to 8-5.
In week 15, the Bengals will come to town. Joe Burrow is back and they drafted a very talented wide receiver, Ja’Marr Chase. However, they did not address their offensive line enough and that’s what got Burrow hurt last season. The Broncos’ pass rush will overwhelm the Bengals’ offensive line and they will come away with a win in a close defensive game. Broncos improve to 9-5.
In week 16, the Broncos will visit the desert to play the Raiders in Las Vegas. This will be an extremely close game as both teams will be fighting for their playoff lives, but the Broncos will win a back-and-forth offensive game in overtime to improve to 10-5 thanks to a huge four-touchdown game from Drew Lock.
In week 17, the Broncos will visit the Chargers in Los Angeles. The Chargers fell to the Broncos in Denver on week 12, but to help secure a playoff spot in a tight AFC West and a tight AFC, the Chargers led by Justin Herbert’s five total touchdowns beat the Broncos by double digits. They fall to 10-6.
In week 18, the Broncos will host the Chiefs in their regular-season opener. The Chiefs will likely have the AFC West and maybe even the number one seed locked up and will be resting for the playoffs. The Broncos capitalize and come away with a win to snap their long losing streak against the Chiefs and finish 11-6, with a 4-2 record in their division.
At 11-6, they earn the sixth seed in the AFC and will play on the road against the third seed in the AFC, likely the winner of the AFC South. A playoff win would be a great way to cap off the year, but I see the Broncos losing in the wild card game.
Lock has played well in the preseason games and at training camp and has made tremendous strides to his game. He has limited mistakes and turnovers, remained calmer in the pocket, and gotten more accurate with his deep ball. With all the talent Denver has offensively, Lock should excel. I believe he will finish with 3800 yards, 31 TDs, and 11 INTs.
With Bridgewater as the starter, the season may go better for the Broncos or it may go worse. The Broncos have to see what they have in Lock, which is why I believe he will be the starting QB and Bridgewater stays as the backup.
The season is set to start in less than three weeks. Only time will tell who the Broncos decide to start at QB and how the season will go.
No comments:
Post a Comment