{"id":283360,"date":"2026-05-15T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=283360"},"modified":"2026-05-15T06:16:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:16:50","slug":"the-hardest-games-on-the-denver-broncos-2026-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/05\/15\/the-hardest-games-on-the-denver-broncos-2026-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hardest Games On The Denver Broncos 2026 Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

For two consecutive seasons, the Denver Broncos have made the postseason, something the team hasn\u2019t done since 2015. Since the full 2026 NFL season schedule is here, the Broncos will have their sights set on making the playoffs for the third year in a row. Despite the Broncos making it to the AFC Championship last season, it will definitely be more difficult for them to do the same, since most of their games on the schedule will be harder rather than easier. Now it\u2019s time to look at the nine hardest games on the Broncos’ schedule that can put their chances of making the postseason and being Super Bowl contenders at risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nine Hardest Games On The Broncos 2026 Schedule<\/span><\/h2>\n

Week 1 @ Kansas City Chiefs (MNF)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the first time in years, the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> weren\u2019t the top dogs of the AFC West, but best believe they are doing everything in their power to regain that title. Playing in an environment such as Arrowhead Stadium alone is why this will be one of the Broncos toughest matchups this season. The atmosphere will most certainly be electric, as Arrowhead is the loudest stadium in the NFL, and this game is not only the Broncos’ season opener but will be played in primetime on Monday Night Football.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Chiefs have one of the best quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes<\/a>, who is currently recovering from a torn ACL. Even though it\u2019s not known if Mahomes will be back starting, Andy Reid<\/a> ensured the Chiefs have a good backup in Justin Fields<\/a>, while they signed former Seattle Seahawks<\/a> running back Kenneth Walker III<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Chiefs are also trying to match the Broncos and want to be known as one of the most ferocious defenses in the NFL after drafting former LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane<\/a> and former Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods<\/a> in the first round and former Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas<\/a> in the second round. It should be a game that\u2019s great both offensively and defensively, while the game will most likely come down to the wire. The team that has possession of the ball last will win this game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 16 vs Buffalo Bills<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It is a home game for the Broncos, but it will be another difficult game given how tough it was to play against the Buffalo Bills<\/a> the last time these teams met. Denver beat Buffalo 33-30 in the Divisional Round, but struggled to stop the Bills’ run and pass game. James Cook III<\/a> and Josh Allen<\/a> both did damage against the defense when rushing at times. Allen also nearly threw for 300 yards, and the even scarier thing is that he did so without having a great receiving corps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Things should be different for Buffalo this season as they will have former Chicago Bears<\/a> wide receiver DJ Moore<\/a>, who can potentially be a great distraction to help tight ends Dawson Knox<\/a> and Dalton Kincaid<\/a> get more action. Buffalo is another team with a defense capable of giving Denver\u2019s offense problems when it\u2019s at its best.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, the Broncos need to play with caution at all times and make sure they exit this game as healthy as possible, whether they win or lose, because the last time they played the Bills at Empower Field, Bo Nix<\/a> suffered a season ending ankle injury which is one of the biggest reasons why the Broncos weren\u2019t able to win the AFC Championship and advance to the Super Bowl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 3 vs Los Angeles Rams (SNF)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Los Angeles Rams’<\/a> trip to Denver to play the Broncos at Empower Field has the potential to be one of the most exciting games NFL fans will watch next season. There\u2019s no doubt that the Rams are one of the best teams in the NFC, and one of the main reasons they can pose a threat to the Broncos is because of all the weapons they have on their offense.<\/span><\/p>\n

They have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Matthew Stafford<\/a>, wide receivers Davante Adams<\/a> and Puka Nacua<\/a>, and several tight ends who are all capable of giving defenses trouble. One of the biggest matchups everyone will have eyes on is what happens between Adams and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Both players have a ton of respect for one another, but in one of their matchups when Adams was a part of the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> in 2022, he got the better of Surtain, scoring on him to take down the Broncos in overtime. Denver has one of the best defenses, but it\u2019s hard to see them completely shutting down the Rams’ offense even if they do manage to limit Adams. <\/span><\/p>\n

The defense will still have to put pressure on Stafford, while also trying to contain everyone else, including Nacua, running backs Kyren Williams<\/a> and Blake Corum<\/a>, and the handful of tight ends they can use. One of the Rams’ weaknesses last season was their defense, which the Broncos will have to exploit. Every possession matters, while Denver will most likely have to put up a lot of points if it wants to win this game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 6 vs Seattle Seahawks (TNF)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Similar to the Rams, the Seahawks have a good offense but aren\u2019t quite as stacked on that side of the ball. However, they currently hold the title of defending Super Bowl champions, having also defeated the Rams in the NFC Championship. One thing that gave Seattle the edge over Los Angeles last season, which also makes them seem like more of a threat to the Broncos compared to the Rams, is how they had a better defense. Nick Emmanwori<\/a> and Ernest Jones IV<\/a> are just a few of the Seahawks players who can make things difficult for the Broncos’ offense. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> is another top wide receiver in the NFL, and this could be a tough matchup for Surtain. Cooper Kupp<\/a> is another wide receiver that Sam Darnold<\/a> can rely on if Smith-Njigba gets shut down. While this team lost Walker in free agency to the Chiefs, it expects to still have a strong run game after drafting former Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price<\/a>, who will now be alongside Zach Charbonnet<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 5 @ Los Angeles Chargers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Playing any team in the AFC West on the road is almost always tough for the Broncos, especially when it comes to the Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> over the past few years. Since SoFi Stadium opened in 2020, the Broncos have beaten the Chargers only once on the road. It will be a game where both teams play each other hard and fight until the end. Unfortunately, like in previous years, this will most likely be a game where Denver is within reach of winning, but somehow allows Los Angeles to walk away victorious, whether that\u2019s from a game-winning field goal or touchdown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 17 @ New England Patriots<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The New England Patriots<\/a> will be hard for the Broncos to beat in 2026, not because of who they have on their roster, but because they will be hosting Denver at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Denver has at times struggled on the road, but also often when playing a team on the East Coast. However, the weather is another big factor in this game. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even if the Patriots don\u2019t manage to be as successful as they were last season, this is still a game the Broncos need to be careful in, and it’s one of the games on their schedule that fans should circle as a potential trap game. New England may not have the most fascinating roster, but this team knows how to do a great job of controlling the tempo of the game, and they have proven they know how to win, even if it isn\u2019t the prettiest. Who knows, the Patriots might even have A.J. Brown<\/a> on their roster this season if the Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> decide to trade him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 4 @ San Francisco 49ers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Levi\u2019s Stadium, which is home to the San Francisco 49ers<\/a>, is another tough place to play as an away team, while pretty much every team in the NFC West other than the Arizona Cardinals<\/a> will be a challenge for the Broncos this season. Playing in Santa Clara will definitely bring back nostalgia for the Broncos, as this is where they won Super Bowl 50. <\/span><\/p>\n

San Francisco is good on offense, with Brock Purdy<\/a> under center, running back Christian McCaffrey<\/a>, and<\/span> <\/span>tight end George Kittle<\/a>. At the same time, they also have Ricky Pearsall<\/a> and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer<\/a> Mike Evans<\/a> at wide receiver. Similar to Seattle, the 49ers also usually have a great defense. At the same time, former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw<\/a> returned to San Francisco and will most certainly be out for vengeance in this matchup. The only way this isn\u2019t a hard game for the Broncos is if the 49ers enter this matchup banged up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Week 2 vs Jacksonville Jaguars<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> were the only NFL team last season to come into Empower Field and defeat the Broncos at home during the regular season, and they have a pretty good chance to do so again. Jacksonville was one of the better teams in the AFC last year and finished 13-4, but not many expected them to beat Denver on the road by two possessions. The Jaguars don\u2019t have Travis Etienne Jr.<\/a> anymore at running back, but they didn\u2019t even need him last time to beat the Broncos. Trevor Lawrence<\/a> was the one the Broncos couldn\u2019t stop as he threw for nearly 300 yards and had 4 total touchdowns. <\/span><\/p>\n

Brian Thomas Jr.<\/a> also wasn\u2019t a huge factor in this game; instead, it was Parker Washington<\/a> who torched Denver\u2019s defense, catching 6 receptions for 145 yards and 1 touchdown. The thing that stands out most about Jacksonville is the fact that there\u2019s almost always someone on its roster who\u2019s going to step up and try to do their best to help the team be a headache to opponents, despite not being a team with a lot of household names. Travis Hunter<\/a> could also have an impact on this game if he remains healthy and proves effective on both offense and defense, which many think is impossible, especially in professional football.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Week 12 @ Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> are the last team on the list of hard games for the Broncos. The Steelers don\u2019t have as talented a roster as the Broncos, but, similar to the Patriots, will have an advantage because Denver will travel to Pittsburgh to play this matchup at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers’ quarterbacks are currently Mason Rudolph<\/a>, Will Howard<\/a>, and Drew Allar<\/a>, while it is still not known if Aaron Rodgers<\/a> will return to the team. However, none of their quarterbacks should concern the Broncos. <\/span><\/p>\n

The only things Denver should worry about in this matchup are the Steelers’ run game and defense. At running back, Pittsburgh has Jaylen Warren<\/a> and signed former Carolina Panther<\/a> Rico Dowdle<\/a> in free agency, who had the second-best season of his NFL career. The Steelers also have renowned players on defense, such as Cameron Heyward<\/a>, T.J. Watt<\/a>, Jalen Ramsey<\/a>, and Joey Porter Jr.<\/a>, and have signed former Bears safety Jaquan Brisker<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s another game where Denver\u2019s offense will have to show up and show out, as constant three-and-outs won’t help them secure a victory. Vance Joseph\u2019s<\/a> defense will especially need to play disciplined for the Broncos to beat the Steelers. Denver had one of the best defenses last season, but at times struggled to stop the run game efficiently, and its linebackers struggled in coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s only right to assume Pittsburgh will come into this game playing smash-mouth football. At the same time, they\u2019ll most likely try to pick the Broncos defense apart by running pass plays where the linebackers would have to cover someone out of the backfield, such as Warren or Dowdle, or even their tight ends, Darnell Washington<\/a> and Pat Freiermuth<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For two consecutive seasons, the Denver Broncos have made the postseason, something the team hasn\u2019t done since 2015. These are the nine hardest games on the Broncos 2026 schedule. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5728,"featured_media":268971,"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":[34854,9212,922,9058,9627,404,1576,6249],"class_list":["post-283360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-teams","category-broncos","tag-2026-nfl-schedule","tag-brock-purdy","tag-christian-mccaffrey","tag-james-cook","tag-jaxon-smith-njigba","tag-matthew-stafford","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-trevor-lawrence"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283360","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=283360"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283433,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283360\/revisions\/283433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}