The Denver Broncos’ 2021 schedule has been released, and it’s the first 17-game schedule we’ve ever seen for the team that didn’t involve a one-and-done in the postseason. The NFL added a 17th regular-season game for 2021 and the Denver Broncos have an opportunity to get back into the postseason without much national exposure.
The Denver Broncos will not appear on Monday Night Football this year after setting an NFL record with 29 straight years with at least one appearance. The Broncos will also not be appearing on Sunday Night Football or Saturday Night Football barring one of their games later in the season being flexed.
There will be some nationally televised games, but for the most part, the Broncos will be trying to get back on track in relative “anonymity” if that even exists in today’s NFL.
Here is a look at the team’s full schedule
Denver Broncos full 2021 schedule
Week 1 – 9/12: @ NY Giants – 4:25 ET on FOX
Week 2 – 9/19: @ Jaguars – 1:00 ET on CBS
Week 3 – 9/26: vs. NY Jets – 2:05 MT on CBS
Week 4 – 10/3: vs. Ravens – 2:25 PM MT on CBS
Week 5 – 10/10: @ Steelers – 1:00 ET on FOX
Week 6 – 10/17: vs. Raiders – 2:25 MT on CBS
Week 7 – 10/21: @ Browns – 8:20 ET on FOX/NFLN/Amazon
Week 8 – 10/31: vs. WFT – 2:25 MT on FOX
Week 9 – 11/7: @ Cowboys – 12:00 CT on FOX
Week 10 – 11/14: vs. Eagles – 2:25 MT on CBS
Week 11 – BYE
Week 12 – 11/28 vs. Chargers – 2:05 MT on CBS
Week 13 – 12/5 @ Chiefs – 12:00 CT on CBS
Week 14 – 12/12 vs. Lions – 2:05 MT on FOX
Week 15 – 12/19 vs. Bengals – 2:05 MT on CBS
Week 16 – 12/26 @ Raiders – 1:25 PST on CBS
Week 17 – 1/2 @ Chargers – 1:05 PST on CBS
Week 18 – 1/9 vs. Chiefs – 2:25 MT on CBS
With four straight losing seasons, it’s not entirely shocking that the Denver Broncos are no longer the NFL’s preferred option for prime time games, but there are undoubtedly some intriguing “revenge” games on the docket.
Players going up against their former teams will have a chance to stick it to the ones that let them get away, individual player beef could be addressed, and recent streaks going against the Denver Broncos can be avenged.
What are the top three revenge games on the schedule in 2021?
Let’s take a look through them.
1. Week 1: @ New York Giants (2:25 MT, FOX)
This season-opener is a big one for a number of reasons.
First of all, the Denver Broncos need to get off to a hot start in 2021 after starting poorly the past couple of years. The Broncos might have made the playoffs in 2019 if they had been able to win some close games early on in the season that they should have won.
Although the New York Giants are a competent NFL franchise with plenty of talent, they are a team that it’s not unreasonable at this point to think the Denver Broncos could go in and beat if both teams are at full strength.
Daniel Jones has struggled in his first two NFL seasons, and going up against a Vic Fangio defense will be no small task.
The “revenge” factor in this game will be with Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Shurmur was fired by the Giants after just two seasons on the job in favor of Joe Judge. Shortly after the Giants fired Shurmur, the Denver Broncos scooped him up.
It was a trying first season in Denver for Shurmur, but he had his moments of brilliance mixed with moments of head-scratching and frankly predictable play-calling.
Opening up the season against the team he was most recently fired from should be motivation enough for Shurmur to call one of his best games and show the Giants organization why they saw a head coach in him in the first place.
It’s not only a “revenge” game for Shurmur against New York, but it’s also really just a revenge game in general against the somewhat unfair expectations that were placed upon him and the entire offensive unit last year given all of the circumstances facing the team.
Shurmur had to come up with game plans for four different starting quarterbacks last year in Denver, including one with Kendall Hinton — a practice squad wide receiver — taking snaps as the QB.
Hopefully, Shurmur will have a fully healthy arsenal of weapons at his disposal to put on a display against the Giants offensively.
2. Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens (2:25 MT, CBS)
Is it just me, or does everyone still hate the Baltimore Ravens for a play that must not be named in the 2012 playoffs?
It was hard enough to get on board with the addition of Joe Flacco in 2019 because of the Hail Mary heard around the NFL world, but playing against the Ravens brings up one of the worst memories in Denver Broncos history.
With that being said, Peyton Manning’s seven-touchdown game in the 2013 season, the first Broncos game following that fateful playoff loss, was pretty decent revenge.
Nothing short of a playoff win against the Ravens will truly atone for the debacle that was the 2012 playoff loss, but the best the Denver Broncos can do in the interim is take it to the Ravens in the regular season when they get the chance.
Lamar Jackson played just two snaps in the 2018 meeting between the Ravens and Broncos, so this will effectively be his first time ever going up against the Broncos.
This will also be the first time for Vic Fangio putting his defensive scheming up against Jackson.
3. Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (2:05 MT, CBS)
Another “revenge” game on the 2021 schedule for the Denver Broncos is one that really should have happened a year ago.
When the Denver Broncos hosted the Los Angeles Chargers last year, it was one of the most exciting comeback wins in the last decade for Denver.
Unfortunately, there were barely any fans around to see it happen, and former Bronco Chris Harris Jr. was on injured reserve for the Chargers at the time.
Melvin Gordon also had just 47 yards from scrimmage on 14 offensive touches, certainly not his best game of the season.
In addition to getting the opportunity to go up against Harris — a beloved Bronco who will go down as one of the best corners in team history — Gordon will have a chance to back up the talking he did about finally having a “home-field” advantage in this particular matchup.
The Denver Broncos fans historically have outnumbered Chargers fans at games between these two teams, whether they have been played in Denver, Los Angeles, or San Diego.
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The Broncos will hopefully finally get the chance to host Harris on the visiting roster and Gordon will have a chance to play with the home crowd at his back against his former team.