Don't be surprised if Denver Broncos start slow in 2023

The Denver Broncos look to be on an upward trend, but that doesn't mean that the team won't have their fair share of struggles. Don't be surprised if the team starts slow in 2023. For the third year in a row, the Denver Broncos have a different coaching staff. In 2021, Vic Fangio and his staff were still here. In 2022, we got an unfortunate taste of Nathaniel Hackett and that clown show.

Now, in 2023, Sean Payton brings his staff to the Mile High City. There have been many players who have been here since 2021, so for much of the roster, this is just more change for them to digest. And obviously, constantly changing does have some drawbacks to it. Just think about if your job constantly changed the manager/supervisor every year. There likely wouldn't be much cohesion or chemistry among the company and perhaps the work culture struggles a bit because of the change.

I'd imagine that is somewhat similar with an NFL team. Sean Payton is one of the most successful offensive head coaches in the history of the NFL. His teams have averaged nearly 30 points per game during his tenure as a head coach. However, just because he's had a ton of success with the New Orleans Saints, that doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be all sunshine and rainbows in Denver, especially during the early part of the season.

All I'm saying is that you should not be surprised if the Denver Broncos struggle a bit to begin the 2023 NFL season. They do have some winnable games like matchups against the Raiders, Commanders, Bears, and Packers, but in the Broncos' first eight games before their bye week, they are facing off against coaching staffs that have been with their current teams longer than Payton and his staff has.

In a way, struggling is a good thing, right? I think it is because if the team becomes better because of it, then they improve on those struggles. I don't think anyone in the fanbase would sincerely expect the Denver Broncos to immediately hit the ground running in week one; that just isn't realistic. While I do think the team beats the Raiders and Commanders in weeks one or two, I believe that mostly because both teams are pretty bad.

Denver has a roster advantage over each team, and yes, even though I just talked about the newness of the coaching staff, Denver should have a coaching advantage in both games too. I am optimistic about the 2023 Denver Broncos. I think they'll win 10 games and make the playoffs, but I am also bracing for some early-season struggles.