Though the Denver Broncos will have to wait until later this spring to see their full schedule for the 2023 season, they already know all of the opponents they will face.
When the season concluded for the Broncos this year, their opponents for next season were put in place. By virtue of finishing last in the AFC West, the Broncos will place the last-place finisher in each of the other AFC divisions while also battling the teams from the NFC North and AFC East.
Theoretically, the Broncos should have an “easier” schedule as a result of that but that doesn’t ever seem to work out that way as things change in the NFL so rapidly and bad teams can become good teams just like that.
The Broncos will find out when these games fall on their schedule later this year when the NFL releases that info but right now, we can take a quick look and see which games are the most intriguing on next year’s slate, at least as of right now.
Broncos’ most interesting opponents in 2023: Detroit Lions
This is one of those opponents that most fans would glance over most of the time and also one that used to be viewed as an easy win. But the Lions really turned their team around in the second half of the 2022 season and should come into 2023 with a lot of hype behind them.
This game will also take place at Ford Field and the Lions will prove to be a worthy test for a Broncos team that will hopefully be much improved.
Detroit had one of the league’s most potent offenses this season and after foiling the postseason plans of the Green Bay Packers, is riding high right now.
This will be an interesting game for several reasons.
The Broncos lead the all-time series 9-5 and have won the last three meetings between these two teams but depending on when this game is placed on the schedule, this will not be the Lions that most NFL fans have become accustomed to.
Broncos’ most interesting opponents in 2023: Green Bay Packers
Any time the Broncos get to face the Green Bay Packers, things are going to be interesting. Right now, things are interesting for the Packers because questions are once again going to center around the status of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who sure looked like a guy who had played his last game after losing to the Lions last Sunday night.
Rodgers is planning to take his time mulling his future but whether he is out there or not, this is going to be an interesting battle at Empower Field.
If he is still the team’s quarterback, that will be a top storyline after the Broncos tried to pursue Rodgers as their quarterback this past season before trading for Russell Wilson.
We know Wilson will be on one side, will he be going against Rodgers or Jordan Love?
The last time the Packers came to Denver was in November 2015 and Rodgers had one of the worst games of his career, passing for just 77 yards that night.
The all-time series between these teams sits at 7-7-1.
Broncos’ most interesting opponents in 2023: Buffalo Bills
If the Broncos are going to become a contender again anytime soon, they are going to have to compete with teams like this.
The Buffalo Bills are among the top teams in the entire league and who knows, they could be the defending Super Bowl champions when this game takes place.
Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in football and as long as he is around, the Bills will be a contender. This will also be a road game for the Broncos and perhaps the toughest road game on their entire 2023 schedule.
The Bills have won the last three games between these teams and five of the last six. The Broncos have not beaten Buffalo since 2014.
The Bills have a promising road ahead of them and are one of the favorites in the NFL playoffs this year. This will no doubt be a stiff challenge for the Broncos and hopefully, one that they are not completely outclassed in like they were the last time these two teams played, a 48-19 Buffalo victory in December 2020.