Way too early record prediction for the Denver Broncos in 2023

Way too early record prediction for the Denver Broncos in 2023.
AFC Opponents

The Broncos play the following AFC foes in 2023:

Kansas City Chiefs (2x), Las Vegas Raiders (2x), Los Angeles Chargers (2x), New England Patriots, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans

So, the AFC slate of games is very tough, to say the least. The AFC does have quite a bit of talent and the Broncos are having to deal with a ton of that. They unfortunately play the entire AFC East in 2023, which was a very strong division that I think will get better.

Let's start with the AFC West opponents. I think we split with the Chiefs, split with the Chargers, and win both against the Raiders. I think the Raiders got worse, the Chargers feel about the same, and the Chiefs played two very close games with the Broncos in 2022, and that was with Nathaniel Hackett as the head coach.

I don't think a 4-2 divisional record is out of the question. Honestly, Denver could have easily finished 4-2 in the division this past season depending on a bounce here and there.

I also like a win against the New England Patriots and Houston Texans, for obvious reasons. The Patriots just don't have enough firepower on offense and the Texans are in a long rebuilding phase as well. Their remaining AFC games are against the Bills, Dolphins, Browns, and Jets.

When the trade for Aaron Rodgers goes through and he becomes a Jet, I think the Jets become one of the top teams in the NFL, and among these four games, don't be surprised if Denver goes 1-3 against them.

A 7-5 AFC record and a 3-2 NFC record seem reasonable to me. The AFC is quite loaded and I do think Denver can become a force in the conference.

How does a 10-7 finish sound? I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. Sean Payton is an excellent coach and has built quite the staff thus far. We've seen quick turnarounds from NFL teams in the recent past, and I don't see why Denver can't be the next version of that.