Week 2 vs. Washington Commanders
The Broncos will welcome to town a familiar foe when they get a visit from the Washington Commanders. The Commanders, of course, hired Eric Bieniemy this offseason as their new offensive coordinator. Bieniemy has been consistently discussed as one of the league's top head coach options, and is routinely passed on by NFL teams.
What can Bieniemy do with the Commanders in 2023? He's got some very interesting weapons at running back and receiver, but a total wild card at the QB position in Sam Howell. The Commanders seem to be investing pretty heavily in Howell, and whatever kind of job Bieniemy can do with him might make or break his chances of getting a head coaching gig in 2024.
I think as far as this matchup on the schedule, this is a home game you should expect the Broncos to win. Although they aren't deserving of any "gimme" types of games, I would hope this Sean Payton-coached team can best Sam Howell.
Prediction: Broncos win 31-17; (2-0)
Week 3: @ Miami Dolphins
Nobody's going to be excited to see Tyreek Hill again, I can tell you that much. Tyreek Hill has had a ton of huge games against the Denver Broncos, and Mike McDaniel has a unique connection to the Broncos as well. He was once one of the team's ball boys when Mike Shanahan was the head coach. Now, he's a branch off the Shanahan coaching tree and helped lead the Dolphins to the playoffs last year.
This matchup is going to be so interesting for a variety of reasons, not the least of which will be the Broncos and Sean Payton going up against former Denver head coach Vic Fangio, who was supposed to be a key piece of Payton's coaching staff in his return to the NFL.
Of course, Payton landing in Denver complicated things a bit, and Fangio ended up going to the Dolphins instead. Can the Broncos get the better of both Tyreek Hill and Vic Fangio -- on the road? It may come down to who is playing QB for the Dolphins at the time...
Prediction: Dolphins win 24-20; (2-1)