The Denver Broncos are set to kick off their regular season on September 12th against the Seattle Seahawks with a bunch of hype heading into the season.
That hype train was created by the offseason hiring of Nathaniel Hacket and the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson. This is the first time since the 2015 season that the Denver Broncos head into the season with confidence in their coach and quarterback duo after years of conservative calling and lackluster QB play. An offense to match the energy that the defense has brought has been a utopia that fans can finally see come true this year.
Hackett and Wilson join the Denver Broncos with a solid core already. Weapons Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and the two-headed monster at running back with Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon call for some high expectations.
The only core that could take a hit is the defensive play with the departure of Vic Fangio, whose defensive mastermind cannot be questioned. Still, the experience that newly appointed defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero possesses speaks volumes and should keep the defense afloat.
Despite some great additions, Denver did have some tough subtractions through trades and injuries that have created some questions. Snagging Wilson was perfect. However, losing tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris creates sizable holes on the roster. To make matters worse wide receiver Tim Patrick will be sidelined all season after sustaining a torn ACL.
A season that could go either way in one of the toughest divisions in football has the Denver Broncos in a spot of the unknown. Therefore it is only fitting that we spark up the top 5 bold predictions this season.
Denver Broncos bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season
Jerry Jeudy eclipses over 1k receiving yards this season?
A prediction that many expected to happen either year one or two has not come to fruition. Instead, heading into his third season with the Denver Broncos, Jeudy has not eclipsed over 900 yards in a season and only has three touchdowns in the two seasons. Jeudy has started 19 games out of 26 played, with six games missed in two years. The Alabama stand outplayed 75% of Denvers’ snaps in 2020 and just 65% last season. So time on the field is not why. Instead, many can pinpoint the struggles at the quarterback position since Jeudy was drafted 15th overall in 2020.
Jeudy has played with five different quarterbacks, including wide receiver Kendall Hinton who played emergency QB after a covid exposure hit that core. Jeudy has not been the problem, often creating highlight route tapes that show the young receiver’s ability to get open. This is why adding a veteran like Wilson will be impactful, helping Jeudy get over the 1k hurdle.
In year one, Jeudy finished with 52 receptions on 113 targets for 856 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers would dip dramatically in year two, snagging 38 passes on 56 targets for 467 yards and zero touchdowns.
This should be Jeudy’s coming out party, pending an entirely healthy season. An offensive-minded head coach with a quarterback whose talents are not questionable should result in those highlighted routes ending up with explosive plays.
Jeudy stats prediction…. 83 receptions, 1300 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
Bradley Chubb with a double-digit sack season?
Much like Jeudy, many can say that linebacker Bradley Chubb has not lived up to expectations. Many debated if Chubb’s fifth-year option was worth picking up. However, with no suitable return for the ceiling, Chubb’s easy choice was signing off on it. Now with an unrestricted free agency looming next offseason, this contract year could be where we see Chubb at his best.
Heading into his 5th year, Chubb has not had double-digit sacks since his rookie season, where he finished with 12.5. An impressive rookie campaign was followed by years of injuries and uncertainty, with 2020 being the only other season where Chubb played more than 10 games. The 26-year-old has started every game he has played. However, he has been off the field a ton, missing 22 out of 54 games played.
There is no denying Chubbs’ impact when he’s on the field, but the numbers have not been since his rookie season. Even with playing seven games last season, Chubb failed to muster up a single sack with 21 total tackles. In four seasons, Chubb has 144 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks in 41 games. He has also impacted the turnover department, snagging one interception, forcing four fumbles and two pass deflections.
A fully healthy season on the horizon while playing for a new contract could showcase Chubb at his best. I predict the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft to hit double-digit sacks this season and finish in the top three sack leaders.
Two running backs over 1,000 yards on the ground?
Only seven teams have produced two players with over 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. Denver nearly joined the club last year, with Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon reaching over 900 yards last season.
The two-headed monster core proved fruitful last season, with Williams being the best running back selected in the 2021 draft and Gordon proving that he still has it. Williams finished with 903 yards on 203 carries and four touchdowns. Gordon had the same amount of carries, finishing with 918 yards and eight touchdowns.
The split should stay the same, with Williams being the lead back this season. Both showcased hard running and proved to be one of the best running back cores in the NFL. The new passing attack should help open more holes for the running backs in a more offensive-friendly scheme with Hackett as head coach.
The biggest block in the road to achieving this goal is how much better the Chargers and Raiders got on the defensive end. The Kansas City Chiefs should still be Swiss cheese. However, the Raiders snagging Chandler Jones in free agency and Chargers trading for Khalil Mack to pair up with Joey Bosa is every offense nightmare. Letting Wilson air it out early should help Williams and Gordon find their footing to each eclipse 1,000 yards.
I predict for Williams to finish with 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns. I see Gordon giving around the same production with 1,098 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Russell Wilson for NFL MVP?
One of the more insane stats that no one talks about is quarterback Russell Wilson’s MVP votes or lack of. Heading into his 11th season, Wilson has failed to muster a single MVP vote, despite being a consistent top-five quarterback in the NFL. The biggest knock on Wilson is how firm he comes in the first six weeks of the season before disappearing the rest of the year.
Many speculate that Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s conservative style hindered Wilson’s stats in the second half of the season, using the run game as the first option. Hackett’s experience with quarterback Aaron Rodgers should call for a heavy pass game plan for Wilson, opening up the opportunity to be in the MVP conversation by year-end.
Wilson has the perfect weapons to get him over the MVP voting hump. The duo of Williams and Gordon is ideal for the backfield, with Jeudy and Sutton being perfect weapons. Jeudy’s route running should present Wilson with many opportunities, and Sutton’s ability to go up and snag the 50/50 balls makes for a perfect red zone target.
Wilson has had a consistent career, including a Super Bowl championship. He is just missing one thing, and that is the MVP award. In his 11-year journey, Wilson has 37,059 passing yards, 292 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His best season came in 2020, where he threw for 4,212 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
I am predicting Wilson to eclipse over 5,000 yards, 40+ touchdowns, and less than ten interceptions for the 2022 season.
Denver Broncos: Super Bowl champions for the fourth time?
The last time the Denver Broncos won the super bowl was the last time Broncos Country had a quarterback and capable head coach. Even with Peyton Manning on the evident decline, Denver still captured the Super Bowl 50 title due to an overall solid team and consistent coaching staff.
This title run will look much different, though. The AFC west has become more challenging than Denver’s mile-high altitude, and the defense does not compare to 2015s. The biggest key to going on a title run would lie on the offense and their ability to keep up with teams like Kanas City, Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Baltimore Ravens offense.
Another key to capturing a Super Bowl this season is a more aggressive attack from the coaching staff versus the conservative style used the last seven seasons. Teams are now attacking the air early, and if the Denver Broncos want to be among the title contenders, they will have to follow suit.
Despite a tough conference, Denver can still make it out, thanks to the NFL adding an additional playoff team last year. AFC west arguably could have either four teams finish out on top, but Denver will need to at least be one of the three that can make it out of the division. The Broncos possess fantastic talent on the roster, with Wilson leading the ride.
5 most important people in Denver Broncos organization
The Denver Broncos franchise has done a complete 180 in the last 18 months, and that's due to many people, but who are the most important currently?
I predict Denver to finish with an 11-6 record, making a playoff run and bringing the Lombardi trophy back to Mile high.