Denver Broncos could be in big trouble with a Week 2 loss

The Denver Broncos should not have lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, and now because of it, they could be in huge trouble with a Week 2 loss to the Washington Commanders. I don't think it's possible to have a must-win game in Week 2 of any season, but that's the way it feels right now for the Broncos, who host the Commanders on Sunday.

The Commanders stunk their way to a narrow win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. Their offensive line allowed seven sacks on Sam Howell, and I'm not sure I can name a single Cardinals' pass rusher. Honestly, there is no excuse for Denver to not win this game by double-digits, but I felt very strongly about their Week 1 game against the Raiders.

To me, if the Broncos lose in Week 2, they could be in huge trouble during their first-half slate of games in 2023. Their schedule does get a bit hairy from Week 3 and on. In Week 3, they travel to Miami to play the Dolphins, a team that scores about 57 points a game. Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill lit it up in Week 1, and Miami is just a loaded team overall.

In Week 5, the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets come to town, And while the matchup did get that much easier without Rodgers, the Jets have a stellar defense and two great running backs. Being that the Broncos lost to this same Jets team last year, this could be another tough matchup.

And in Weeks 6 and 8, they have both of their matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs, who they have not beaten since 2015. If you think Denver drops both to KC again in 2023, I don't blame you. I am not trying to be a pessimist here, but I do see some trouble brewing for Denver. Getting a win on Sunday against a bad Commanders' team is a must for the Broncos.

Can I see Denver hit five wins by the time their bye week comes around in Week 9? I sure can. It's not out of the question that Denver beats Chicago in Week 4, New York in Week 5 without Rodgers, Green Bay in Week 7, and maybe, just maybe, Sean Payton is enough of a change to finally edge out the Chiefs, but I am being very hopeful there.

Denver has strong advantages across the board in Week 2, and they need to play like it.