Denver Broncos to have lengthy rest period after Week 5 game postponed

The Denver Broncos will play the New England Patriots… eventually.

The Week 5 game between the two teams, originally scheduled to be played on Sunday, was then moved to an early time slot on Monday due to the Patriots having some positive COVID-19 test results.

On Sunday, the league announced that the game has been moved again for the same reason. The Patriots had another positive test result, which forced the league to shut down their team facility and postpone the game between the two teams.

The game between the two teams will now reportedly be moved to Week 6. The league would then have to reschedule the game between the Broncos and Miami Dolphins. Full details on all of that remain unclear, and things could easily still change.

The Broncos and Patriots will now have a bye in Week 5 meaning that the Broncos will have a huge layoff between games. The last time the Broncos took the field was against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, October 1.

If the game between the Broncos and Patriots is played next Sunday, October 18, that will give the Broncos a break of two and half weeks, something that just doesn’t happen in the NFL but could easily happen again for other teams this year.

Whether that is seen as a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of opinion. Extra rest is something all teams usually desire, but with a layoff like that, it can definitely shake up the routine and lead to some complacency.

It also gives the Patriots a chance to get key players such as Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore back on the field. Both players could easily have missed the game if played on Monday night.

The Broncos will need to remain focused on the task at hand. This is the first time they have had a game postponed this season, but it certainly may not be the last.