Denver Broncos’ 2013 Opponents Set

Denver Broncos mascot during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Sports Authority Field. The Broncos defeated the Browns 34-12. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

The Denver Broncos are fighting for first place in the AFC, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t look ahead to next season.

The NFL has a pretty simplistic way of determining each team’s schedule. Home and away contests with division rivals make up 6 of the 16 games. Then, 8 games are made up by a rotation that matches an entire division against one AFC division and one NFC division.

The AFC West will be matched up against the NFC East and the AFC South in 2013.

The final two games of the 16-game schedule are determined by intra-conference opponents that finish in the same place in their respective divisions. That’s why right now we can tell you who and where the Broncos will play in 14 of 16 games in the 2013 season.

This is how things shake out:

Home games: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens

Away games: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New England Patriots

Note the major story lines in next season’s schedule. Peyton Manning vs. Eli Maning, Manning against his former team, Jack Del Rio against his former team, the Denver Broncos against Mike Shanahan’s Redskins.

We have another fun season to look forward to.

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