With the NFL regular season fast approaching, Last Word on Pro Football is breaking down the schedules of all 32 NFL teams. The series will consist of the most difficult and easiest games (1 is most difficult, 16 is easiest) among each team’s 16-game slate. In this article, we will focus on the easiest games on the Denver Broncos 2019 schedule.
The toughest games of the 2019 Broncos schedule.
Denver Broncos Easiest Games of 2019
9. Week Six: vs Tennessee Titans
This is the game where Pat Bowlen will be given his Hall of Fame ring. These two teams rarely face each other, and the last time they did, the Tennessee Titans won 13-10. Their 2018 season ended in a heart-wrenching defeat by the Indianapolis Colts, ending their hopes of a playoff run. Tennessee leads Denver 23-17-1 all time, but the Broncos have won four of their last six meetings. The Titans focused on defense at the draft. These are two teams who will be fighting to go against expectations within the AFC.
10. Week 16: vs Detroit Lions
Denver played the Detroit Lions all the way back in the Broncos Super Bowl 50 championship season. Denver’s defense carried the team closer to Super Bowl 50, winning 24-12. The Broncos sit at 7-5 all-time in this series. The Lions suffered a painful 6-10 record in 2018 and they were at the bottom of the NFC North. Their tight end group has improved with the addition of Jesse James and T.J. Hockenson. Generally, expect their game to be defense-centric.
11. Week Two: vs Chicago Bears
Their last meeting resulted in a small 17-15 victory for the Broncos. But the Broncos and Chicago Bears 2018 seasons were polar opposites. The Broncos struggled to stay afloat while the Bears defense was solid as ever. It was led by now Denver head coach Vic Fangio. It will be interesting to see if his methods work for the Broncos. Chicago won the division last year at 12-4, being defeated in the Wild Card round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Their off-season moves weren’t big other than signing Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. And seeing as their first round pick went to the Raiders in the Khalil Mack trade, the draft was quiet for them too. The Bears defense was tough to topple. But can the Broncos defense keep Mitchell Trubisky at bay?
12. Week Three: at Green Bay Packers
Now, this is a game that can be considered both easy and difficult. The Broncos will travel to Green Bay, where they haven’t won before. They tied one with the Packers on the road in 1987, then suffered a loss in 1993. However, at their last matchup, the Broncos had their best game of the season and remained undefeated against a Packers squad that had, until then, been unbeaten. Denver won 29-10. The 2018 season was a harsh one for Green Bay. There weren’t too many significant acquisitions in the off-season and they focused on defensive roles in the draft. The two teams are balanced – both have veteran quarterbacks and first-year head coaches. This will hopefully be a more forgiving game for the Broncos.
13. Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts
Denver has a lead in their all-time series against the Indianapolis Colts 14-13. They’ve outscored them 59-33 thus far. At their last meeting, Brock Osweiler replaced an injured Trevor Siemian and led the Broncos to a 25-13 victory. The Colts will be riding high on their success from the 2018 season and Denver needs to stay on their toes. Indianapolis secured a playoff berth last year and were prevented from progressing by the Chiefs in the divisional round, which says a lot. They used seven on their 10 draft picks on defensive players, so we can only assume their defense will be difficult to stop.
14. Week One and 17: Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were dead last in the AFC West with a 4-12 record, but one of their wins was against the Broncos. They are the only team with a tougher strength of schedule than Denver. The off-season was a big deal for them because they acquired Antonio Brown. However, the selections at draft time were questionable. Clelin Ferrell and Johnathan Abram could’ve been selected later. Josh Jacobs was a fine choice. If their defense doesn’t improve from 2018, the Broncos could be in with a chance to win.
16. Week Four: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the few teams who had a horrendous season in 2018. They and Denver fell very short of expectations, but Jacksonville fell from making the AFC Championship to a 5-11 season the following year. It was a fall the Broncos are all too familiar with. Their last meeting saw the Broncos defense carry the team to a 20-10 victory. With the signing of Nick Foles, the Jaguars may be able to lift themselves in the AFC South. Jacksonville’s draft was balanced with offense and defense they selected. The two teams are tied at six in the all-time series. We can only hope the Broncos will make it a third victory in a row.
