{"id":283356,"date":"2026-05-15T14:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T18:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=283356"},"modified":"2026-05-15T08:31:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:31:43","slug":"the-easiest-games-on-the-denver-broncos-2026-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/05\/15\/the-easiest-games-on-the-denver-broncos-2026-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"The Easiest Games On The Denver Broncos 2026 Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Broncos had one of their most exciting seasons for the first time in a while after finishing the 2025 season 14-3. The full Broncos schedule is now out, and even though most of their games will likely be harder to win than easier, there are some teams the Broncos should most certainly beat if they are indeed an even better football team than they were last season. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to look at the eight easiest games on the Broncos’ schedule that can not only boost Denver\u2019s record but also help this team build confidence against the more difficult teams that they will also need to beat to finish 2026 with better results than they had last season.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Eight Easiest Games On The Broncos 2026 Schedule\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Week 7 at Arizona Cardinals<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Arizona Cardinals<\/a> recently had one of their worst seasons in franchise history, finishing 2025 3-14 and 0-6 in the NFC West. Even though this team drafted former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love<\/a> third overall, they still are one of the opponents the Broncos should most certainly beat. Other than Love, Arizona has talent on the offensive side with Marvin Harrison Jr.<\/a> and Trey McBride<\/a>, but one of their biggest downfalls is at quarterback. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite having enough depth at quarterback with Jacoby Brissett<\/a>, Gardner Minshew II<\/a>, Carson Beck<\/a>, and Kedon Slovis<\/a>, it\u2019s hard to imagine any of these players helping a team that\u2019s already awful be a legitimate threat. Denver\u2019s offense should also do well against the Cardinals. Still, it will be interesting to see how they do against Arizona\u2019s secondary and if they can avoid turning the ball over against talented defensive backs such as Budda Baker<\/a> and Will Johnson<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 8 vs Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> are a divisional rival in the AFC West, which means they always play the Broncos tough and will come into Denver trying their hardest to win. If Denver plays how they played most of last season at home, this should be an easy win for the Broncos. Denver lost only two home games last season, one against the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> in the regular season and one in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots<\/a>. One of the main reasons the Broncos have a good chance to win this game is that the Chiefs haven\u2019t won in Denver since 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 18 vs Los Angeles Chargers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Broncos may have had more recent success against the Chiefs, but a team they have struggled against at times in the last few years is the Los Angeles Chargers<\/a>. Denver didn\u2019t lose to Los Angeles at home last year, but took them down with Trey Lance<\/a> under center rather than Justin Herbert<\/a> as the Chargers decided to rest their starters in the 2025 regular-season finale. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Chargers are usually a team that makes the playoffs but tends to exit very early, or when they don\u2019t make the playoffs, they fall just shy of it. In other words, they are unpredictable, and because of that, there\u2019s a strong chance Denver has a great chance of winning this game against the Chargers if the team can manage to maximize the talent on its roster. The Chargers are 3-1 against the Broncos over the last two seasons, but Denver has been the team to come out on top more frequently in recent years, especially at Empower Field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 11 vs Las Vegas Raiders\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> are definitely not only one of the worst franchises in the NFL but also one of the worst teams in the AFC West, but this doesn\u2019t mean the Broncos should take them lightly. Last time both teams played at Empower Field, the Broncos barely won by three. It may be a little harder for Denver\u2019s defense to contain Las Vegas\u2019 offense, as the team this season has more talent at quarterback compared to Geno Smith<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Raiders drafted former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza<\/a> first overall. Also, they signed Kirk Cousins<\/a> while they already have more skilled players in running back Ashton Jeanty<\/a> and tight end Brock Bowers<\/a>. Still, if Denver\u2019s defense is just as good or even better than it was last season, the Broncos should dominate the Raiders. Las Vegas may have added some key players on defense as well, but it still doesn\u2019t have any wide receivers on its roster who can help Mendoza succeed and make the postseason in his rookie season.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

Week 13 vs Miami Dolphins<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Miami Dolphins<\/a> are entering 2026 with a different roster than last season. Players that won\u2019t be on their roster this year include Tua Tagovailoa<\/a>, Jaylen Waddle<\/a>, and Tyreek Hill<\/a>. After doing well with the Green Bay Packers<\/a> last season, Malik Willis<\/a> will most likely take on the role of the Dolphins’ new starting quarterback. Willis certainly proved he\u2019s capable of being a starter in the NFL. Still, it\u2019s difficult to envision Miami doing any damage against the Broncos, especially after losing two star wide receivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other than Willis, the Dolphins’ most talented offensive player is running back De\u2019Von Achane<\/a>. In Achane\u2019s first and only performance against the Broncos as a rookie in 2023, he had a monster game, finishing with over 200 yards and 4 total touchdowns. It\u2019s highly unlikely this will happen again, not only because it\u2019s a home game, but also because the Broncos’ defense will continue to be much better than it was when it gave up 70 points in their last meeting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 15 at Las Vegas Raiders<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Not much explanation is needed here, while the Raiders are the only team to make this list twice. Sure, it will be harder for the Broncos to win this game as the away team, but one thing about Las Vegas is that it\u2019s like a home game away from home for Denver. It\u2019s no secret that Broncos fans travel well, but one trend at Allegiant Stadium is that away-team crowds tend to have strong attendance, and they have even taken over, with a stronger presence than the Raiders fans themselves. Bo Nix<\/a> is not only undefeated against the Raiders but has also yet to lose a game in Las Vegas since suiting up for the Broncos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 14 at New York Jets<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The New York Jets<\/a> also fall into the category of poverty franchises alongside the Cardinals and the Raiders. They could be even worse than Arizona and Las Vegas, and perhaps the easiest game the Broncos have on their schedule in 2026. Other than drafting former Texas Tech outside linebacker David Bailey<\/a>, former Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq<\/a>, and former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.<\/a> in the first round, it doesn\u2019t seem like the Jets are going to have a promising season. <\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that New York has versatility on offense, with wide receivers Garrett Wilson<\/a> and Adonai Mitchell<\/a> and running back Breece Hall<\/a>, but what\u2019s going to limit the Jets is their quarterbacks. None of the quarterbacks currently on New York\u2019s roster, such as Smith, Cade Klubnik<\/a>, Brady Cook<\/a>, and Bailey Zappe<\/a>, is better than Justin Fields<\/a>, who is now on the Chiefs. The Jets were also horrible on defense and ended 2025 with 0 interceptions, the fewest by an NFL team since total interceptions by teams began being tracked in 1933.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 9 at Carolina Panthers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Choosing the Carolina Panthers<\/a> as the final team, which will be one of the Broncos’ easiest games in 2026, was a tough decision, especially with how they most recently made the postseason. Carolina is on this list mainly because of the division they play in. The NFC South can sometimes be a weird division: some years, a team can be completely dominant, and other years, a team will make the playoffs with a losing record only because it managed to win the division. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Panthers fell just short of upsetting the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> in the Wild Card round last season, but it will definitely be more difficult for them to make the postseason again. Carolina has elite players on offense and defense, but it will also be harder for them to win the division, as any team in the NFC South, such as the Atlanta Falcons<\/a>, Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>, and New Orleans Saints<\/a>, has a true chance to win it. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Panthers will also need to do a better job of playing against non-divisional opponents, as they lost six of their nine games to teams outside of the NFC South, which makes it hard to envision them beating a Broncos team that will strive to reach the Super Bowl after coming so close to doing so last season. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Denver Broncos had one of their most exciting seasons for the first time in a while after finishing the 2025 season 14-3. The full Broncos schedule is now out, and here are the eight easiest games on the Broncos’ schedule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5728,"featured_media":251782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6431,15],"tags":[33533,34854,32094,32929,33710,33664,5579,33777,403],"class_list":["post-283356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-teams","category-broncos","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-2026-nfl-schedule","tag-bo-nix","tag-david-bailey","tag-fernando-mendoza","tag-jeremiyah-love","tag-justin-herbert","tag-kenyon-sadiq","tag-kirk-cousins"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5728"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283356"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283448,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283356\/revisions\/283448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}