May 15, 2024 • 13 mins
On this episode of "Broncos Now," Sydney Jones details the Broncos’ 2024 schedule. Aric DiLalla joins the show to discuss what games stand out to him, the team’s Week 14 bye and more. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher or wherever you find your podcasts. Make sure to leave a rating and review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's Up, Broncos Country.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Welcome back to the Broncos podcast network and YouTube for
the latest episode of Broncos Now. As always, I'm your
host to is Sidney Jones and coming up on today's episode,
the twenty twenty four Denver Broncos schedule has been released.
We'll break it down week by week coming out. The
wait is finally over. That Denver Broncos twenty twenty four
(00:23):
schedule is out, so let's.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Take a look.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
The Broncos will open up their season on the road
in Seattle to face the Seahawks at Lumenfield. Week two
will be their home opener versus Pittsburgh Steelers. In week three,
they head down to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.
Week four, they're back on the East Coast again to
face the New York Jets. Their first AFC West showdown
comes in a week of five as they host the
Las Vegas Raiders. Broncos also hosts the Los Angeles Chargers
(00:49):
in week six. Broncos' first primetime matchup comes in week
seven as they head down to New Orleans to face
the Saints. In week eight, they return home to face
the Carolina Panthers, then the Broncos are back on the
road and week at nine as they face the Baltimore Ravens.
The broncos first Divisional road game comes in Week ten
at Kansas City. Week eleven, the Broncos are back at
in power Field at Mile High as they host the
(01:10):
Atlanta Falcons. Then in Week twelve, the Broncos had to
a Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, and in
week thirteen, the Broncos are back in a prime time
at in power Field at Mile High as they host
the Cleveland Browns. The Broncos by week falls on Week
fourteen this year, and then they're back at home for
Week fifteen as they host the Indianapolis Colts. Broncos then
hit the road for a two game road stretches. They
(01:32):
had to Los Angeles to face the Chargers, and then
in week seventeen, they fly out to Cincinnati to face
the Bengals, and then finally the Broncos and the regular
season back at in power Field at Mile High as
they host the Kansas City Chiefs. Now joining me here
inside the Broncos podcast studio is Broncos lead writer Eric Delala. Eric,
we just took a look at the twenty twenty four schedule.
(01:53):
It's an exciting time of year.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I know it's your favorite.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Time of year.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
I love this time Christmas.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It is.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Initial thoughts think it's good.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I think, you know, it's interesting the way it sets up,
and that you start with three of four on the road,
then three or four at home, and then another stretch
of three and three or four on the road. It's
just kind of a little bit unusual in that way. Obviously,
a really late bye week, the latest by week since
two thousand and one for the Broncos all the way
in week fourteen. So that's gonna be a long stretch
(02:22):
there for the team, certainly for us to start the
season there.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I always look where the bye week is to start.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Exactly the first thing I look at, and it's just
it's a little bit late this year. And then just
you know, it also of course stands out opening on
the road against Seattle, A lot of speculation, would it
be the Jets, would it be the Steelers, would it
be the Chargers, And it kind of ends up being
a team that I don't think a lot of people predicted.
And now, for the second time in three years, the
(02:49):
Broncos will head to Seattle to open the season. I
do think there's a lot of, you know, good things
here in terms of how this team can maybe get
going a little bit early in the year and how
it sets up a little bit nicely in that regard.
But obviously a lot of division opponents late in the
year and the year at home against Kansas City and
then that primetime game against Cleveland also stands out, in
(03:13):
addition to the road primetime game in New Orleans as
Sean Payton makes his return.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
There.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So some little nuggets throughout, but I think what stands
out is just kind of that uniqueness of three or
four on the road, three or four at home, three
of four on the road going to be maybe road
warriors a little bit at times for this Broncos team.
It'll be interesting to see how they respond.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, that is interesting. I didn't notice that, Eric, when
I looked at it. You mentioned some of the prime
game primetime games there. There's two of them, Thursday night
football in New Orleans for Week seven and then a
week thirteen, a Monday night football matchup at home fors
the Browns. No Sunday night football game this year.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, and I think this is a team that Sean
Payton has set up before you play well, you play
in primetime, and the Broncos, you know, they've got to
prove themselves. I think this year obviously, externally the expectations
aren't super high. But you go out and prove that
you're a good football team early in the year, maybe
you get flexed into a game or two later on. Obviously,
the flex rules are a lot different now, flex Thursday night,
(04:09):
can flex Monday night, Sunday night. So I don't know,
maybe you play well enough and you look at a
Week ten game at Kansas City, or you look at
a you know, a game late in the year against
the Chargers or Cincinnati. I mean, you play well, maybe
you end up in one of those standalone windows.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
You got to go at there and prove it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Though, And I do think I liked that the New
Orleans game is in primetime.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, it's a one.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
We'll see what Sean Payton says about going back to
New Orleans. Yeah, I would imagine, like most coaches kind
of downplay what that means, even though we know how
much New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Means to him.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
But it's a it's a big game for a lot
of people going back a lot of people on the
Broncos staff, A lot of people on the Broncos roster
have ties to the Saints. Yeah, you look at people
on the Saint Still a lot of guys there that
Sean Payton drafted a quarterback there, and Derek Carr that
the Broncos know well from his time with the Raiders.
So that's kind of a helling matchup even outside of
the Sean Payton angle. But it'll be a fun one
(05:04):
to have in primetime. And said, I think that's youre
going to be your first time.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Down as well.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yes, it will.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
It gets loud in there. I've only been there once.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
That was when Will Parks return the two point convert
the blocked extra points for a two point conversion.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
It was loud then.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
I'd imagine it's going to be pretty wild there in
October and Sean Payton makes his return.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah. Yeah, I have that one circled on my schedule here, Eric,
that's gonna be my favorite one of the season. I
think I haven't been to New Orleans and I haven't
been to Cincinnati. I haven't been to pay Corps Stadium either,
So those are the two I'm ross. A couple of
long yeap crossing off my list.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
What about you.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, in terms of road trips, I think you look
early in the year at that Jets game.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
That stands out to me. I think that that'll just
be a fun one.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Obviously the Broncos a tough game against the Jets last year.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
You hope that Aaron Rodgers is healthy.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
And available for that game, and then kind of all
the external stuff that goes with that matchup. Former head
coach Nathaniel Hackett still there as offensive coordinator. That just
stands out to me as one that could be intriguing.
A couple other ones that catch my eye. I think
at Seattle is just really intriguing because we don't know
very much about what this football team is going to
look like. You know, from a Seattle standpoint in terms
(06:19):
of I've got a new head coach and Mike McDonald
after moving on from Pete Carroll and then from the
Broncos perspective, we don't have any idea right now as
we sit here about who's going to play quarterback. So
is this going to be Jared Stidham, you know, holding
onto the starting quarterback job.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Is this going to be Zach Wilson?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Kind of a resurgence to the type of player people
thought he could be coming out of BUYU Or is
this going to be Bo Nicks in his very first opportunity,
starting on the road in a hostile environment and obviously
played at Oregon so so used to playing in Washington
and those those tough Pac twelve matchups. Whoever's out there,
(06:56):
I think it's going to be really exciting just to
see what does this team look like? Like we said,
I think not a lot of people know what to
think about the Broncos going into twenty twenty four externally
just because sure, you know, got rid of Justin Simmons,
Russell Wilson's released lost guys like Josie Jewel and Lloyd
Kusham Mary to free agency and then brought in some
(07:16):
really good guys John Franklin Myers, you know, added in
free agency free agency to the defensive line, brought in
Josh Reynolds. I mean, there's been some moves here too,
but we just don't know what it's all going to
look like. And I think externally around the country people
are the same way, and that like, what is this
team going to be when Week one arrives? And so
for me, I can't wait to see what this team
(07:37):
looks like on September eighth. And so you know on
our website, we've got kind of this list of the
most compelling games. For me said, week one is right
at the top just because of some of the unknowns
that this team has going into the year.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Absolutely. Yeah, Eric, you touched on this a little bit,
but to go more in depth, when you look at
the schedule, what are some of the tough stretches that
you see?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, I think three things stand out to me. One
is just again the bye week is so late that
Week one through thirteen is going to be a tough
stretch just because it's gonna be a grind. So you're
gonna get the week nine, Week ten, week eleven, it's
gonna feel like a little bit of a grind, I
think because of playing so many consecutive games. So that
would be an area where again as a coaching staff,
(08:20):
as a player led team, you've got to find ways
to just stay in it hopefully ride some momentum at
that point. That stands out to me. I think the
other thing that stands out is just how many early
starts the Broncos have. I mean one pm at Tampa Bay,
one pm at New York, one pm at Baltimore, twelve
pm at Kansas City, one pm at Las Vegas. A
(08:41):
little different, I think on Pacific time compared to when
you're going the other way. But that's something the Broncos
are gonna have to figure out because last year, and
Sean Payton mentioned this at the end of the season,
there were some issues when there were some kind of
early kicks Houston. Obviously, the Broncos got off to a
slow start, and so it'll be interesting to see how
do the Broncos look to combat that as we head
(09:02):
toward the season. Do you go out a little bit
early for certain games? Do you practice at different times?
Do you I don't know what the answer is, but
that'll be something to watch and I think just something
that makes the schedule a little bit difficult. And then
lastly said, I think a specific stretch will be Week
nine and ten at Baltimore at Kansas City obviously the
(09:22):
two AFC finalists last year, you know, assuming that, and
again we'll see what happens. But whoever the quarterback is
at that point, you'll have had some time to mesh
with the offense. Hopefully some of these young guys are
able to come in and get comfortable. So it's nice
that you don't play those teams, for example, Week one
and two. But that being said, that's going to be
(09:44):
a defining stretch. What is that seven games into the year.
I mean, if you're hovering around or excuse me, eight
games into the year, even if you're hovering around five hundred,
a little bit above five hundred, those two games are
going to be critical in terms of staying in the
playoff chase, being in the hunt, that sort of thing,
and a chance to prove yourself against some really elite competition.
(10:06):
So that stretch Week nine, Week ten, buckle up. Those
are gonna be tough games.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, they certainly will. Eric lastly, here, what do you
how do you think about the strength of the schedule.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, I think I believe six games against playoff teams
from last year, that Baltimore Kansas City stretch, I believe
is the only time with back to back games against
playoff opponents. So it sets up okay, I think from
that perspective, again, you're gonna play some good defenses early
in the year in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and New York
(10:38):
I mean those are all good defenses, so a challenge
from that perspective, but all maybe some offenses that are
maybe finding their way a little bit, or you know,
what is Seattle going to look like on our new
coaching staff, depending on we haven't mentioned Russell Wilson and
the home opener potentially coming back to Denver, could be
justin fields either way that you know they're gonna maybe
(10:59):
be figuring things out. In week two, it's Hample a
little bit more consistent offensively. But then the Jets Aaron
Rodgers coming back, what does he look like as he returns?
So maybe a chance that you're getting some teams that
are figuring things out. Is there a way for the
Broncos to start a little bit fast? Obviously a tough
start last year. You got to find a way to
(11:19):
start a little bit faster, I like having the first
two division games at home. Got to get off this
skid to Las Vegas here, Yeah, I mean the Chiefs
one is gone and hopefully you find a way to
keep some momentum going against them, but you got to
get rid of this. You can't be competitive in the
division if you're losing to Las Vegas every single time.
(11:40):
So I do like the fact that you've got some
division games there early in the year at home, get
a chance to maybe build some positive momentum, be emotional
in New Orleans. But I think a game that the Broncos,
you know, I think compare favorably a young guy and
Bryce young that's going to look to take a step
forward in Carolina. We talked about Baltimore, Kansas City. You've
(12:01):
got to stretch there, Atlanta, at Vegas, Cleveland where maybe
you can find a way to have some success with
some home games, same way a young quarterback in Indianapolis.
I think it sets up okay for the Broncos. There's
not like that one stretch where hey, for three or
four weeks, this just looks brude where there's no three
game road trip. There's you know, the big thing, of
(12:22):
course is you only have back to back home games
once and the bias so late. But other than that,
you know, there's no stretch where I just say, oh man,
how are they going to get through that? And so
that's that's a good thing for the Broncos, I think,
And so we'll just kind of have to see how
it plays out.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
I know a lot of unknowns like you said going
into this one, but all exciting nonetheless, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
And we get we get Jim Harbugh Sean Payton's potentially
an Oregon matchup between Boenix and Justin Herbert if he's
if both playing by then, So yeah, a lot of
good storylines. But yeah, as always, see if they can
earn another primetime game here later this seasons.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Eric, appreciate your time. Well that's going to do it
for today's episode of Broncos Now Broncos Country. Thanks so
much for tuning in. I'll meet you right back here
on the Broncos Podcast Network in YouTube next week for
another episode, and we'll see you all then
What's Up, Broncos Country.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Welcome back to the Broncos podcast network and YouTube for
the latest episode of Broncos Now. As always, I'm your
host to is Sidney Jones and coming up on today's episode,
the twenty twenty four Denver Broncos schedule has been released.
We'll break it down week by week coming out. The
wait is finally over. That Denver Broncos twenty twenty four
(00:23):
schedule is out, so let's.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Take a look.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
The Broncos will open up their season on the road
in Seattle to face the Seahawks at Lumenfield. Week two
will be their home opener versus Pittsburgh Steelers. In week three,
they head down to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.
Week four, they're back on the East Coast again to
face the New York Jets. Their first AFC West showdown
comes in a week of five as they host the
Las Vegas Raiders. Broncos also hosts the Los Angeles Chargers
(00:49):
in week six. Broncos' first primetime matchup comes in week
seven as they head down to New Orleans to face
the Saints. In week eight, they return home to face
the Carolina Panthers, then the Broncos are back on the
road and week at nine as they face the Baltimore Ravens.
The broncos first Divisional road game comes in Week ten
at Kansas City. Week eleven, the Broncos are back at
in power Field at Mile High as they host the
(01:10):
Atlanta Falcons. Then in Week twelve, the Broncos had to
a Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, and in
week thirteen, the Broncos are back in a prime time
at in power Field at Mile High as they host
the Cleveland Browns. The Broncos by week falls on Week
fourteen this year, and then they're back at home for
Week fifteen as they host the Indianapolis Colts. Broncos then
hit the road for a two game road stretches. They
(01:32):
had to Los Angeles to face the Chargers, and then
in week seventeen, they fly out to Cincinnati to face
the Bengals, and then finally the Broncos and the regular
season back at in power Field at Mile High as
they host the Kansas City Chiefs. Now joining me here
inside the Broncos podcast studio is Broncos lead writer Eric Delala. Eric,
we just took a look at the twenty twenty four schedule.
(01:53):
It's an exciting time of year.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I know it's your favorite.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Time of year.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
I love this time Christmas.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It is.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Initial thoughts think it's good.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
I think, you know, it's interesting the way it sets up,
and that you start with three of four on the road,
then three or four at home, and then another stretch
of three and three or four on the road. It's
just kind of a little bit unusual in that way. Obviously,
a really late bye week, the latest by week since
two thousand and one for the Broncos all the way
in week fourteen. So that's gonna be a long stretch
(02:22):
there for the team, certainly for us to start the
season there.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I always look where the bye week is to start.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Exactly the first thing I look at, and it's just
it's a little bit late this year. And then just
you know, it also of course stands out opening on
the road against Seattle, A lot of speculation, would it
be the Jets, would it be the Steelers, would it
be the Chargers, And it kind of ends up being
a team that I don't think a lot of people predicted.
And now, for the second time in three years, the
(02:49):
Broncos will head to Seattle to open the season. I
do think there's a lot of, you know, good things
here in terms of how this team can maybe get
going a little bit early in the year and how
it sets up a little bit nicely in that regard.
But obviously a lot of division opponents late in the
year and the year at home against Kansas City and
then that primetime game against Cleveland also stands out, in
(03:13):
addition to the road primetime game in New Orleans as
Sean Payton makes his return.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
There.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So some little nuggets throughout, but I think what stands
out is just kind of that uniqueness of three or
four on the road, three or four at home, three
of four on the road going to be maybe road
warriors a little bit at times for this Broncos team.
It'll be interesting to see how they respond.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, that is interesting. I didn't notice that, Eric, when
I looked at it. You mentioned some of the prime
game primetime games there. There's two of them, Thursday night
football in New Orleans for Week seven and then a
week thirteen, a Monday night football matchup at home fors
the Browns. No Sunday night football game this year.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, and I think this is a team that Sean
Payton has set up before you play well, you play
in primetime, and the Broncos, you know, they've got to
prove themselves. I think this year obviously, externally the expectations
aren't super high. But you go out and prove that
you're a good football team early in the year, maybe
you get flexed into a game or two later on. Obviously,
the flex rules are a lot different now, flex Thursday night,
(04:09):
can flex Monday night, Sunday night. So I don't know,
maybe you play well enough and you look at a
Week ten game at Kansas City, or you look at
a you know, a game late in the year against
the Chargers or Cincinnati. I mean, you play well, maybe
you end up in one of those standalone windows.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
You got to go at there and prove it.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Though, And I do think I liked that the New
Orleans game is in primetime.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, it's a one.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
We'll see what Sean Payton says about going back to
New Orleans. Yeah, I would imagine, like most coaches kind
of downplay what that means, even though we know how
much New Orleans.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Means to him.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
But it's a it's a big game for a lot
of people going back a lot of people on the
Broncos staff, A lot of people on the Broncos roster
have ties to the Saints. Yeah, you look at people
on the Saint Still a lot of guys there that
Sean Payton drafted a quarterback there, and Derek Carr that
the Broncos know well from his time with the Raiders.
So that's kind of a helling matchup even outside of
the Sean Payton angle. But it'll be a fun one
(05:04):
to have in primetime. And said, I think that's youre
going to be your first time.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Down as well.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yes, it will.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
It gets loud in there. I've only been there once.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
That was when Will Parks return the two point convert
the blocked extra points for a two point conversion.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
It was loud then.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
I'd imagine it's going to be pretty wild there in
October and Sean Payton makes his return.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah. Yeah, I have that one circled on my schedule here, Eric,
that's gonna be my favorite one of the season. I
think I haven't been to New Orleans and I haven't
been to Cincinnati. I haven't been to pay Corps Stadium either,
So those are the two I'm ross. A couple of
long yeap crossing off my list.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
What about you.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, in terms of road trips, I think you look
early in the year at that Jets game.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
That stands out to me. I think that that'll just
be a fun one.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Obviously the Broncos a tough game against the Jets last year.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
You hope that Aaron Rodgers is healthy.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
And available for that game, and then kind of all
the external stuff that goes with that matchup. Former head
coach Nathaniel Hackett still there as offensive coordinator. That just
stands out to me as one that could be intriguing.
A couple other ones that catch my eye. I think
at Seattle is just really intriguing because we don't know
very much about what this football team is going to
look like. You know, from a Seattle standpoint in terms
(06:19):
of I've got a new head coach and Mike McDonald
after moving on from Pete Carroll and then from the
Broncos perspective, we don't have any idea right now as
we sit here about who's going to play quarterback. So
is this going to be Jared Stidham, you know, holding
onto the starting quarterback job.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Is this going to be Zach Wilson?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Kind of a resurgence to the type of player people
thought he could be coming out of BUYU Or is
this going to be Bo Nicks in his very first opportunity,
starting on the road in a hostile environment and obviously
played at Oregon so so used to playing in Washington
and those those tough Pac twelve matchups. Whoever's out there,
(06:56):
I think it's going to be really exciting just to
see what does this team look like? Like we said,
I think not a lot of people know what to
think about the Broncos going into twenty twenty four externally
just because sure, you know, got rid of Justin Simmons,
Russell Wilson's released lost guys like Josie Jewel and Lloyd
Kusham Mary to free agency and then brought in some
(07:16):
really good guys John Franklin Myers, you know, added in
free agency free agency to the defensive line, brought in
Josh Reynolds. I mean, there's been some moves here too,
but we just don't know what it's all going to
look like. And I think externally around the country people
are the same way, and that like, what is this
team going to be when Week one arrives? And so
for me, I can't wait to see what this team
(07:37):
looks like on September eighth. And so you know on
our website, we've got kind of this list of the
most compelling games. For me said, week one is right
at the top just because of some of the unknowns
that this team has going into the year.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Absolutely. Yeah, Eric, you touched on this a little bit,
but to go more in depth, when you look at
the schedule, what are some of the tough stretches that
you see?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Yeah, I think three things stand out to me. One
is just again the bye week is so late that
Week one through thirteen is going to be a tough
stretch just because it's gonna be a grind. So you're
gonna get the week nine, Week ten, week eleven, it's
gonna feel like a little bit of a grind, I
think because of playing so many consecutive games. So that
would be an area where again as a coaching staff,
(08:20):
as a player led team, you've got to find ways
to just stay in it hopefully ride some momentum at
that point. That stands out to me. I think the
other thing that stands out is just how many early
starts the Broncos have. I mean one pm at Tampa Bay,
one pm at New York, one pm at Baltimore, twelve
pm at Kansas City, one pm at Las Vegas. A
(08:41):
little different, I think on Pacific time compared to when
you're going the other way. But that's something the Broncos
are gonna have to figure out because last year, and
Sean Payton mentioned this at the end of the season,
there were some issues when there were some kind of
early kicks Houston. Obviously, the Broncos got off to a
slow start, and so it'll be interesting to see how
do the Broncos look to combat that as we head
(09:02):
toward the season. Do you go out a little bit
early for certain games? Do you practice at different times?
Do you I don't know what the answer is, but
that'll be something to watch and I think just something
that makes the schedule a little bit difficult. And then
lastly said, I think a specific stretch will be Week
nine and ten at Baltimore at Kansas City obviously the
(09:22):
two AFC finalists last year, you know, assuming that, and
again we'll see what happens. But whoever the quarterback is
at that point, you'll have had some time to mesh
with the offense. Hopefully some of these young guys are
able to come in and get comfortable. So it's nice
that you don't play those teams, for example, Week one
and two. But that being said, that's going to be
(09:44):
a defining stretch. What is that seven games into the year.
I mean, if you're hovering around or excuse me, eight
games into the year, even if you're hovering around five hundred,
a little bit above five hundred, those two games are
going to be critical in terms of staying in the
playoff chase, being in the hunt, that sort of thing,
and a chance to prove yourself against some really elite competition.
(10:06):
So that stretch Week nine, Week ten, buckle up. Those
are gonna be tough games.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, they certainly will. Eric lastly, here, what do you
how do you think about the strength of the schedule.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, I think I believe six games against playoff teams
from last year, that Baltimore Kansas City stretch, I believe
is the only time with back to back games against
playoff opponents. So it sets up okay, I think from
that perspective, again, you're gonna play some good defenses early
in the year in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and New York
(10:38):
I mean those are all good defenses, so a challenge
from that perspective, but all maybe some offenses that are
maybe finding their way a little bit, or you know,
what is Seattle going to look like on our new
coaching staff, depending on we haven't mentioned Russell Wilson and
the home opener potentially coming back to Denver, could be
justin fields either way that you know they're gonna maybe
(10:59):
be figuring things out. In week two, it's Hample a
little bit more consistent offensively. But then the Jets Aaron
Rodgers coming back, what does he look like as he returns?
So maybe a chance that you're getting some teams that
are figuring things out. Is there a way for the
Broncos to start a little bit fast? Obviously a tough
start last year. You got to find a way to
(11:19):
start a little bit faster, I like having the first
two division games at home. Got to get off this
skid to Las Vegas here, Yeah, I mean the Chiefs
one is gone and hopefully you find a way to
keep some momentum going against them, but you got to
get rid of this. You can't be competitive in the
division if you're losing to Las Vegas every single time.
(11:40):
So I do like the fact that you've got some
division games there early in the year at home, get
a chance to maybe build some positive momentum, be emotional
in New Orleans. But I think a game that the Broncos,
you know, I think compare favorably a young guy and
Bryce young that's going to look to take a step
forward in Carolina. We talked about Baltimore, Kansas City. You've
(12:01):
got to stretch there, Atlanta, at Vegas, Cleveland where maybe
you can find a way to have some success with
some home games, same way a young quarterback in Indianapolis.
I think it sets up okay for the Broncos. There's
not like that one stretch where hey, for three or
four weeks, this just looks brude where there's no three
game road trip. There's you know, the big thing, of
(12:22):
course is you only have back to back home games
once and the bias so late. But other than that,
you know, there's no stretch where I just say, oh man,
how are they going to get through that? And so
that's that's a good thing for the Broncos, I think,
And so we'll just kind of have to see how
it plays out.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
I know a lot of unknowns like you said going
into this one, but all exciting nonetheless, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
And we get we get Jim Harbugh Sean Payton's potentially
an Oregon matchup between Boenix and Justin Herbert if he's
if both playing by then, So yeah, a lot of
good storylines. But yeah, as always, see if they can
earn another primetime game here later this seasons.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Eric, appreciate your time. Well that's going to do it
for today's episode of Broncos Now Broncos Country. Thanks so
much for tuning in. I'll meet you right back here
on the Broncos Podcast Network in YouTube next week for
another episode, and we'll see you all then
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.