Why the Denver Broncos will make the playoffs in 2023
The Sean Payton hire should propel the Denver Broncos back into relevancy, and they will definitely make the playoffs in 2023. I have no reservations about this, at all. The team traded for Payton earlier this week, and the Broncos now have an elite coach in the building.
For that reason, and for a couple of others, the team will make the playoffs in 2023, and I have absolutely no reservations about it.
For a couple of reasons, Denver is positioned very well to potentially win 10 games this year.
Not only can the team create upwards of $30-$40 million in cap space, they will use that money to be heavy players in free agency because of their lack of draft capital.
The team does not have a first or second-round pick, so the team will indeed sign immediate impact players to fill the few holes on the roster. I’d think this could be a collaborative effort between Payton, George Paton, and the rest of the front office, so I have faith that they could bring in a solid crop of free agents.
The next reason why the Broncos will make the playoffs in 2023 is because of the immediate success Sean Payton had with the Saints when he first got there in the mid-2000s.
The year before Payton arrived, the Saints went 3-13 and were as irrelevant as it comes in the NFL. They were the second-worst scoring offense in the NFL and had the 28th-ranked scoring defense.
In Payton’s first year in 2006, the team went 10-6, ranked 5th in offensive scoring and 13th in defensive scoring, and made it to the NFC Championship game. By Payton’s fourth year as the Saints’ Head Coach, the team won a Super Bowl.
Payton was 38-26 in the regular season during his first four years and was a Super Bowl champion.
The immediate success he saw is something that he could surely bring to the Broncos in 2023. Another big reason why the team could have immediate success is their schedule.
Teams that they face in 2023 include the Bears, Jets, Packers (who may be without Rodgers), Commanders, Texans, and Browns. They also play teams like the Lions, Vikings, and Patriots, which could easily be wins as well.
Their schedule is manageable and does have some very winnable games on it. To me, there is a clear path for the Broncos to make the playoffs in 2023.