A look ahead to the second half of the Broncos’ 2022 season as the franchise looks to break a six-year playoff drought:
Two key questions
Does the offensive weaponry begin to show?
In each of the past two games Denver has shown a tantalizing bit of two-man game with receiver KJ Hamler’s speed and route-running opening up room to operate for rookie tight end Greg Dulcich. In the past two games, Jerry Jeudy has 13 catches (18 targets) for 159 yards and a touchdown. Over that span, though, Courtland Sutton has been largely a nonfactor. Not everybody is going to have a big game every week, but if head coach Nathaniel Hackett and company can figure out a way to get that quartet — especially Hamler and Dulcich as they get fully healthy — operating in some kind of unison, there is untapped upside.
Can Randy Gregory return to form and stay on the field?
The biggest knock on Gregory in his career has been availability. Most of his idle time has been due to suspension, but the talented edge-rusher has also had injury issues. He’s missed the past four games with a knee injury sustained against Las Vegas and, according to general manager George Paton, is unlikely to be ready by the time Denver visits Tennessee on Nov. 13. Bradley Chubb is gone and the Broncos are paying Gregory to be a difference-maker. The youth movement is a promising one for Denver on the edge, but they need Gregory to get healthy and stay healthy to maintain the impressive clip at which the defense has been humming.
Two key games
Nov. 27 at Carolina: This might be the least interesting game remaining on the schedule, so why does it make the list? Denver’s next three are at Tennessee, home against the Raiders and then at the Panthers. The Broncos’ record after that trio will tell a lot of what we need to know heading into that rugged six-game closing stretch. If they’re 5-6 or even 6-5, this remains interesting into December. If they’re 4-7 or, gulp, 3-8, itap going to be a long December.
Dec. 11 vs. Kansas City: For all of the talk about how dynamic the AFC West was going to be this year – present company included – itap so far shaping up to be the Chiefs and everybody else once again. They’re only a game ahead of the Chargers, but at plus-51, they’re also the only team in the division with a positive point differential this season. Denver’s got both matchups with them left on the docket and four division games overall.
Three numbers to consider
22: The fewest touchdowns (21 passing, one rushing) Russell Wilson has accounted for in a single season in his career, in 2016 with Seattle. He’s never had fewer than 20 passing TDs. This fall, he’s at six passing and seven total. Matching the 2016 number will take 15 total touchdowns over Denver’s final nine games.
4.3: Net yards per passing attempt allowed by Denver’s defense this year, best in the NFL. So are its four passing touchdowns allowed. The caliber of quarterback play goes up from here — including two matchups against Patrick Mahomes — but if the Broncos keep this pace, they’ll be in virtually every game. Just as they were throughout the first half.
11%: The odds, according to , of the Broncos making the playoffs heading into Week 9. That isn’t good, obviously, but would be far worse if not for the fact that eight other AFC teams also sport losing records. Someone around .500 may sneak into the playoffs. Who’s it going to be?
