The Denver Broncos play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, and this game already feels like a must-win.
After blowing the Colts out late in the 2024 NFL Season, the Broncos' playoff chances skyrocketed. It wasn't a clear-cut win, as Denver was struggling a bit across the first three quarters. The circumstances are a lot different now.
The Broncos are traveling to Indianapolis, and the Colts do have a different QB in Daniel Jones. This game might end up being a lot closer than what we saw in 2024, but when you think about it, this contest could also be a huge must-win game for Denver.
The Denver Broncos must start 2-0 or risk an early-season slump
In 2023, Sean Payton's Broncos started 0-3 and 1-5. In 2024, the Broncos were 0-2 through their first two games, and in both instances, this early-season slump forced the team to win at all costs. Even in 2023, had Denver just split their first six games and went 3-3, they'd have likely made the playoffs.
For whatever reason, Sean Payton tends to start out slow in September but has a much stronger success rate in October and November, and this has been the case during his time with the Broncos. Well, one would think that being able to start out 2-0 and shed that slow start could pave the way for some insane mid-season success.
Furthermore, Denver sees the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Philadelphia Eagles over the next three games, and being able to start out 2-0 would give them a bit of a buffer going into those three contests, as Denver could realistically go 1-2 over their next three games but still have a solid 3-2 record heading into mid-season.
However, starting 1-1 and losing to the Colts does make things much more complicated, as they're away against the Chargers and Eagles, so getting that second win in Week 2 could really benefit Denver in more ways than one.
And the way I see it; the Broncos absolutely have to win this game.