Here is your Denver Broncos Season Preview with everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 season
Denver Broncos Season Preview
The Denver Broncos are a team who need to improve. Eight years on from winning Super Bowl 50 they haven’t made a playoff apperance since. Five Head Coaches later and they are turning to Sean Payton to bring some offensive know-how and NFL experience to the team.
Last year’s 5-12 season was arguably the worst of some pretty poor returns over recent years. Once upon a time winning in Denver was a real task for visiting teams. And the Broncos need to get back to that. They have had a winning record at home just once since the start of the 2017 season. When they went 5-3 in a 7-9 season in 2019. The Broncos also haven’t had a winning record against the AFC West since 2015, the year the team won Super Bowl 50 either. They need to make home a fortress once more.
The Broncos do have talent in a lot of positions. Was last year about coaching or is Russell Wilson done? The answer to that question will be key to how the Broncos do in 2023.
It’s Payton’s Place now
Sean Payton is about to put his stamp on the Broncos as their new Head Coach this season. We could attempt, (tongue firmly in cheek), to ascribe any success that Denver has under Payton to his one season with the Leicester Panthers in 1988. But the former New Orleans Saints Coach obviously has much more meaningful experience than that!
He has also shown he isn’t afraid of a bit of controversy if it motivates the team. Calling the job HC Nathaniel Hackett and his team did last year, “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL”. He may have backtracked since. But the words have done their job. He is publicly letting the players know it’s a clean slate – putting all that has gone before onto the previous coaching team and not them.
Whether we see a psychological shift with a new man at the helm remains to be seen.
2023 Schedule
- September 8th 9:25 pm (BST) vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- September 17th 9:25 pm vs Washington Commanders
- September 24th 6:00 pm @ Miami Dolphins
- October 1st 6:00 pm @ Chicago Bears
- October 8th 9:25 pm vs New York Jets
- October 13th 1:15 am @ Kansas City Chiefs
- October 22nd 9:25 pm vs. Green Bay Packers
- October 29th 8:25 pm vs Kansasa City Chiefs
- Week 9: Bye Week
- November 14th 01:15 am @ Buffalo Bills
- November 20th 9:05pm vs Minnesota Vikings
- November 26th 9:25 pm vs Cleveland Browns
- December 3rd 9:05 pm @ Houston Texans
- December 10th 9:05 pm @ Los Angeles Chargers
- December 17th TBD @ Detroit Lions
- December 25th 01:15 vs. New England Patriots
- December 31st 9:25 pm vs Los Angeles Chargers
- January 7th TBC @ Las Vegas Raiders
Coaching Staff
General Manager: George Paton
Head Coach: Sean Payton
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Lombardi
Defensive Coordinator: Vance Joseph
Special Teams Coordinator: Ben Kotwica
Players In Via Trade
None
Key Free Agents added
Mike McGlinchey T
Ben Powers G
Zach Allen DL
Samaje Perine RB
Kyle Fuller CB
Riley Dixon P
Free Agents – re-signed
Alex Singleton LB
Kareem Jackson S
Draft picks
R2 (63): WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
R3 (67): LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
R3 (83): CB Riley Moss, Iowa
R6 (183): S JL Skinner, Boise State
R7 (257): C Alex Forsyth, Oregon
Players Out
Dre’Mont Jones DL – Seahawks
Dalton Risner G
Billy Turner G – Jets
Cameron Fleming T
Projected starters
Offence
QB: Russell Wilson
RB: Javonte Williams (injury dependent)
WR: Jerry Jeudy
TE: Greg Dulcich
LT: Garett Boles
LG: Ben Powers
C: Lloyd Cushenberry
RG: Quinn Meinerz
RT: Mike McGlinchey
Defense
LDE: Frank Clark
NT: DJ Jones
LILB: Alex Singleton
RILB: Josey Jewell
RDE: Zach Allen
OLB: Baron Browning
OLB: Randy Gregory
RCB: Damari Matthis
LCB: Patrick Surtain II
SS: Kareen Jackson
FS: Justin Simmons
2023 Star Player
Someone needs to step up for this team. And one area of strenght they have is on the D. Meaning it is of little surprise that one of their better players is on that side of that ball. Given the offensive struggles the D was asked a lot last year. Did you know though that CB Patrick Surtain II was second only to Sauce Gardner in PFF’s coverage grades in 2022? Denver will look for more of the same in 2023.
2023 Breakout player
Look for development from TE Greg Dulcich. He was held back by a hamstring problem last year but is fit to go to start the 2023 season. He has had a full year to adjust to NFL life, and could be a key cog for Coach payton who likes the TE position involved in attacking opponents.
Broncos Season Preview Expectations
Do better? Get beyond the 35-63 run the team has been on since their last winning season? (Which was a 9-7 return in 2016 as the defending champs). Not for the new coach! Payton has already declared he will be “pissed off if this is not a playoff team.”
He is not holding back then! The Broncos have definitely upgraded the O-line, which will help enormously. But running back remains a mystery to some extent after Williams’ injuries last year. Will he be ready and will he be the same? Denver will surely look for insurance.
They have a strong D already. It just needs the O to improve. If better line play and the coach can wring a better performance out of Wilson then this team will leap forward. If however Wilson is done at this point, this could be another long season for the Mile High faithful.
Banner Image: Russell Wilson and the Broncos must do better in 2023 – but hopefully without saying ‘let’s ride’ all the time! Image from dknetwork.com