Bleacher Report unveiled their win-loss predictions for each team in the 2023 NFL season, and they are not very high on the Denver Broncos. I think B/R missed here with their win-loss predictions for the Denver Broncos.
They predicted the team to finish 8-9 in the 2023 season. Honestly, that's a bit rude. Not only did they fix their biggest weakness this season by signing two offensive linemen to big deals, but they also brought in one of the best offensive coaches of this generation in Sean Payton.
Between those additions, a plethora of offensive skill players, and a top defense from 2022, the Broncos can be one of the surprise, breakout teams of the 2023 NFL season. Here's what they said about the Broncos:
"There are a couple of reasons to believe that the Denver Broncos can rebound from a disastrous 2022. They should have a competent head coach in Sean Payton, and they added players such as Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey to their dreadful offensive line.Kristopher Knox
Denver still has the bulk of a defense that ranked seventh in yards allowed last season, which will keep them competitive.
However, a lot of questions remain in the Mile High City. Can Payton resurrect the career of Russell Wilson, who was one of the league's worst quarterbacks last season? Was reaching for Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round enough to strengthen a receiving corps that is getting Tim Patrick back from a 2022 torn ACL and has KJ Hamler out with a torn pectoral?
How will running back Javonte Williams fare after his recovery from a torn ACL?
The assumption is that Payton is enough of an offensive mastermind to make it all work. If that happens, Denver might sneak into a wild-card spot. But the Broncos are still stuck in a tough division, face the league's 12th-hardest schedule and will square off against some of their toughest non-divisional opponents—Buffalo, Miami and Detroit—on the road"
They do fairly say that the Broncos can rebound from their 2022 season. They noted the same things I did along the offensive line and on the defensive side of the ball. Their defense should be top 10 and their OL should be much improved.
However, they cite Russell Wilson, Javonte Williams, and apparently "reaching" for Marvin Mims Jr in the 2023 NFL Draft as reasons for concern.
To be fair, they also do note that the Broncos have to face the Bills, Lions, and Dolphins, all quality teams, on the road this season. That is a valid point, and it's reasonable to suggest that Denver could lose all three of those games.
However, I don't think they provided enough in their argument to warrant giving the Broncos only eight wins in 2023. Running backs don't necessarily have a massive impact on a game, it's more so the entire run game as a whole.
KJ Hamler has been virtually non-existent in the NFL, so even if he's healthy, he won't contribute much. If you truly think that Russell Wilson is washed, then I guess it's fair to predict Denver to finish below .500, but what I watched last year was not a washed-up QB.
Those looking from the outside probably didn't see all that went on with the Broncos in 2022. I bet if the author was a Broncos fan and watched each game like many of us, they'd see that Wilson was far from the issue.
To me, this is a 10-7 club and a Wild Card team in 2023.