The Denver Broncos appear to have a couple of winnable games over the next three weeks of the 2023 NFL season. What will their record be through four weeks? Denver dropping their Week 1 contest to the Las Vegas Raiders was just sad. The Broncos are the better team, but the defense simply could not get off the field and the pass rush was nowhere to be found.
Now, Denver hosts the Washington Commanders in Week 2. The Commanders squeaked by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, but Washington didn't play all that well. Sam Howell has just a couple of games of NFL experience and surely doesn't quite have his NFL legs under him. The Commanders also allowed seven sacks, so their offensive line is a big question.
In Week 3, Denver travels to Miami to face the Dolphins. After that, they travel to Chicago to face the Bears. Can Denver at least get to .500 after these next three games? Let's predict them!
Predicting the Denver Broncos next three games of the 2023 NFL season
Week 2, Washington Commanders
Yes, the Commanders are 1-0, but they just so happened to have played the worst team in the NFL in Week 1. They also only won by four points at home against the Cardinals, and outside of their defensive front, I think Denver carries advantages across the board. The Broncos' defense should be able to make life hard for Sam Howell, and the Commanders' OL might be one of the worst in the league.
If Denver doesn't win this game, I would feel very, very discouraged about the rest of the season. This might be the easiest remaining game on their schedule, and I truly do trust Sean Payton to have his team ready to go in Week 2.
Prediction: Denver wins, 24-16
Week 3, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins might be one of the best teams the Denver Broncos play in 2023. The one thing that I think can keep Denver in this game is the Dolphins' defense, which allowed 233 rush yards against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. You might remember Vic Fangio is now the Dolphins' defensive coordinator.
He coached the Broncos for three years, from 2019-2021. The one thing that Vic Fangio does better than anyone else in the NFL is defense, but the thing is, Fangio's defense is pretty complex and usually takes a while to set in. If you remember, it took Denver about five games until the defense began to hit their stride.
Well, the Dolphins' defense allowed 34 points in Week 1, and Fangio's defense looked awful. I'd expect the defense to still be a bit young when the Broncos come to town. But as for the Dolphins' offense, well, that's an entire different animal, and I just can't really see the Broncos keeping up with Miami's passing attack. I think Denver drops this one.
Prediction: Miami win, 28-20
Week 4, Chicago Bears
If you showed me the Denver Broncos' schedule a few months ago, I'd actually have been a bit worried about the Chicago Bears, but after seeing that disaster of a performance in Week 1, I have no worries about this game. The Bears are just bad. The coaching staff isn't good. Justin Fields is bad. The offensive line is bad. The defense can't stop a nosebleed.
It's just a bad situation overall in Chicago. The Broncos are definitely going to get their dosage of Justin Fields running all over the place, but I don't think this Bears team is on the right track. I think Denver wins this game by a bit.
Prediction: Denver wins, 31-17
Would you feel OK about the Denver Broncos if they got to 2-2 after four games?