Uh oh, the Bengals learned how to … Play defense?! Yeah, Cincinnati gave up 27 points to Tampa in Week 1, but the Bengals also forced four turnovers. A defense that can simply make its fair share of plays makes that team a dangerous one, considering the offense features a healthy Joe Burrow, the receiver pair of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and more. If Burrow plays the whole season, the list of AFC playoff contenders only grows longer. Big challenge, though, in Week 2 at Houston.

A ridiculous start. Josh Allen is off to a blistering start to the season. You can’t win the MVP in two games, but you can certainly make an early statement. The Bills have piled up high-scoring wins against Houston and Detroit already and Allen has played out of his mind. Through two games, he’s thrown for 582 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 90 yards and four touchdowns. If Allen gets the Bills through an upcoming stretch against the L.A. Chargers, New England and the L.A. Rams, look out.

Empty Harbs. Was there a more disappointing Week 1 performance than the Chargers losing by multiple scores to Arizona? Jim Harbaugh’s team didn’t just lose, they lost convincingly. Los Angeles should be a playoff contender with Justin Herbert, running back Omarion Hampton and new offensive play-caller in Mike McDaniel. An opening loss isn’t the end of the world — New England went to the Super Bowl after losing to Las Vegas in Week 1 — but L.A. better not start with losses to the Cardinals and the Raiders.

Around the NFC

MLF, wyd? The Packers were rolling along, leading Minnesota 22-10 in the second half of their Week 1 game. After the Vikings got within 22-17, the Packers responded with a field goal to extend the lead to 25-17. But Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur took the points off the board when a penalty set up fourth-and-1 instead. The Packers got stuffed. The Vikes reeled off 29 straight points and ran away with the game. LaFleur’s team hasn’t won since before coming to Denver in December last year.

A long wait. Seattle opened the season with a win against New England and then had 11 days between games. Now they’re finally back on the field at Arizona for a divisional matchup. The Seahawks are going to have to survive for a couple of weeks without quarterback Sam Darnold, but they’re well positioned to be a force again. One key: Not tripping up with Drew Lock at the helm in the interim.

Bullseye. Jaxson Dart had a, well, interesting offseason. Who had a more pleasant surprise of a Week 1, though? Dart played smooth, under control and efficiently for John Harbaugh in Week 1 of his second pro season while leading the Giants over division-rival Dallas. It featured a massive Giants debut from TE Isaiah Likely (8 catches, 79 yards, two TDs). If they go on the road and beat the L.A. Rams — no easy task — they’ll gain major buzz and quickly.

Game of the Week

Minnesota at Chicago

There aren’t many better play-caller showdowns in football than Chicago head coach Ben Johnson against Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings are going to try to heat up Caleb Williams and Williams is going to try to stay scorching hot after leading the Bears (-4.5) to 59 points in Week 1 against Carolina. The Vikings were staring down disaster against Green Bay before blasting to 29 unanswered points and rolling to a 17-point victory. The Bears’ best attribute: They can run the heck out of the ball, including 291 yards in their opener.

Bears 29, Vikings 22

Lock of the Week

Baltimore vs. New Orleans

Rookie head coaches went 4-2 in their debuts and while Mike LaFleur’s Arizona team notched the biggest surprise, none were more impressive than Jesse Minter’s opening salvo with the Ravens. He has impressed at every stop along the way and is now off to a fast start as a team manager. Plus, he’s got an exciting young offensive coordinator in former Broncos TE coach Declan Doyle, too. They dismantled Indianapolis on the road, 41-23, behind three Derrick Henry touchdown runs and an ultra-efficient outing from Lamar Jackson (324 passing yards on 25 attempts). The Saints are building, but Baltimore (-8.5) should stay in high gear into Week 2.

Ravens 31, Saints 24

Upset of the Week

Atlanta vs. Carolina

Yeah, the Falcons (+2.5) are probably playing their No. 3 quarterback again in Cooper Rush. That����ap never a great recipe for success. However, Carolina’s defense was a disaster in Week 1 against Chicago and the Falcons have the benefit of playing at home. Plus, Kevin Stefanski’s team has playmakers galore. Get the ball to Bijan Robinson and let him do the carving. It won’t be pretty, but there’s no reason Atlanta can’t find a way to the finish line in a division home game.

Falcons 17, Panthers 16

“Our goal is to compete for championships every year,” Penner had said a few weeks back when asked what he’d view as a successful season in 2026. “And if we put ourselves in that position, I think we’re going to be successful. And we’re going to win Super Bowls.”

As in, plural.

The AFC West needs a new daddy. The Chiefs were broken before Patrick Mahomes blew out his knee. The Chargers are the Buffalo Bills of Beverly Hills, forever cursed. The Raiders are still the asylum Maxx Crosby

Meanwhile, Bo Nix is 26 and under contract through 2027. Pat Surtain II and Nik Bontto are 26 and signed through 2029. Garett Bolles is 34 and locked up through 2028.

Let’s see: Franchise QB. Shutdown corner. Premier edge-rusher. Pro Bowl left tackle. That’s the NFL’s Holy Quaternity sorted, the four biggest boxes of football roster-building ticked off with giant gold checkmarks.

And we didn’t get into the fact that Zach Allen, one of the most under-pubbed defensive superstars in the NFL, is inked through 2029. Or that Quinn Meinerz is signed through 2028. Or that Talanoa Hufanga is only 26. A house is only as strong as its foundation. The Broncos are building on top of a steel spine.

“Well, nine (AFC West titles) in a row for the Chiefs was pretty good. That’s hard to replicate,” told me as we watched the Broncos practice at Dove Valley recently. “And it’s tough to even just win a division — forget winning the Super Bowl. Everything’s got to break your way.

“But if I’m looking at this (Broncos) team in the division, I’m saying I’m picking them to win this year. We’ll see what next year brings about as well. So to predict seven (or more) in a row is just so hard to say. But they’ll be in the hunt. They’ll be in the mix if everyone’s healthy and whatnot, yeah.”

The wonks keep whispering in my ear that the Chargers are due, that Justin Herbert is due, that Jim Harbaugh is due, that new OC Mike McDaniel is due. I say the football gods have had it in for the Spanos family even before they shoved a machete into the hearts of San Diegans. The Raiders might somehow figure it out someday, but that someday is nowhere close to now.

It’s not hard to see the Broncos rattling off five division titles in a row, the way they did under Tebow and Manning. The AFC West’s old money isn’t worth what it used to be. Chiefs Kingdom still flies its crimson flags high, but towers of BBQ-stained bricks have become faded and worn. Munitions are low. The devil has come to collect his due, interest compounded by a decade of Mahomes’ miracles. No. 15’s reconstructed knee is a bigger riddle than Nix’s new ankle. Defensive tackle Chris Jones just turned 32. Kansas City traded one starting corner to the Rams (Trent McDuffie) and watched another corner (Jaylen Watson) sign with L.A. as a free agent.

Tight end Travis Kelce — congrats on the nuptials — will turn 37 in October. At 37, Antonio Gates saw his targets (52) and touchdowns (three) drop by half from what they were during his age-36 season. At 37, Tony Gonzalez retired. At 37, Shannon Sharpe had been working at CBS for about a year. Rob Gronkowski turned 37 this past May.

“I mean, it’s Mahomes’ injury and Kelce’s age, and that was going to happen. Again, when you look at their roster, there are a lot of question marks,”

“You have that receiver group — of course, they brought Kenneth Walker III in to kind of supplement that. But you look at that receiver group, you’re like, that’s not scaring anybody. And as great as Kelce’s been, you’re like, ‘He’s not the same Kelce of old.’ The defense has some holes. Do they have enough pass rush, still? So there are a lot of question marks with the Chiefs — where in years past, there weren’t that many, and Mahomes could take everybody up to a different level. No one’s scared of them anymore.”

To wit: In 2024, Kansas City trailed or was tied entering the fourth quarter in five regular-season games that season. The Chiefs went on to win all five. In 2025, over Weeks 1-14, while Mahomes was still active, they tied or trailed after three quarters eight different times — and went 1-7 in those contests.

Payton’s been here before. Actually, he’s been here a lot. The Saints had notched just two division titles in their history from 1967-2005. Sunshine Sean won seven of them in the Big Easy from 2006-2021, including a run of four straight from 2017-2020.

“It’s going to be a heck of a dogfight,”   said of the AFC West. “It might be whose defense plays better. But, yeah, as far as a window goes, I think the Chiefs are right there. As long as Herbert’s healthy with the Chargers, they’ll be a contender. And I like what I’ve seen so far from Bo Nix and Sean Payton. As long as they’re together, they’ll be a contender.”

The most pressing concern for Broncos from ’27-29 probably won’t be Mahomes, Herbert or Fernando Mendoza. It’ll be math. Nix’s rookie deal is up after the ’27 campaign, with a club option for 2028. He’s slated to feature a cap number of $5.08 million this fall and $5.92 million in ’27 — one of the biggest bargains, and QB bargains, in the entire NFL. But if you’re a proven QB1, those savings don’t last.

“These young stars that have emerged (for the Broncos), that have become part of this team, that have become a force in the NFL, they’re slowly but surely going to start getting plucked off,” Ruiz noted. “They’re going to cash in on big free-agent contracts

“Can (the franchise) draft well enough to sustain that success over a period of time? That’s what will determine how sustainable this run is for the Broncos. But (GM) George Paton and Sean Payton have worked very well together. There’s no reason to believe at this point that they can’t draft and develop the way some of the top teams do.”

With a year remaining on Mahomes’ initial four-year, $16.4-million rookie contract, the Chiefs ripped it up in the summer of 2020 and inked him to a 10-year pact that averaged $45 million per season.

The franchise went to four more Super Bowls over the next six seasons, winning two. But in this league, those Bills have a habit of catching up with you. Those Broncos, too.

AT KANSAS CITY

6:15 p.m., Sept. 14, ESPN

A “Monday Night Football” opener at Arrowhead, (likely) Patrick Mahomes’ return and the propensity of Sean Payton’s teams here to start slow? That����ap a recipe for disaster, right? Well, Denver’s also been good against the Chiefs recently. Bo Nix gets off to a rollicking start, Vance Joseph continues to do good work against Mahomes and the Broncos hype reaches a fever pitch.

Prediction: Broncos 24, Chiefs 16

WEEK 2

JACKSONVILLE

2:05 p.m., Sept. 20, KCNC-4

Small market alert! The Jaguars are defending AFC South champions, and they’ve got a terrific young play-calling head coach in Liam Coen. They were the only team to win in Denver during the regular season last year. They will not, however, make it two in a row. This time around, J.K. Dobbins is a difference-maker and the Broncos more effectively limit — though not without some struggle — Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence. A barnburner would be fun.

Prediction: Broncos 30, Jaguars 27

WEEK 3

L.A. RAMS

6:20 p.m., Sept. 27, KUSA-9 

The dream start is dreamy until Sean McVay brings his team to Denver for a blockbuster (as far as Week 3 games go) Sunday night matchup. The Rams have depth, talent and one of the most daunting defensive lines out there with the addition of Myles Garrett. Matthew Stafford’s flanked by too much offensive talent. But what about a potential mid-February rematch on the Rams’ home turf?

Prediction: Rams 24, Broncos 17

WEEK 4

AT SAN FRANCISCO

2:25 p.m., Oct. 4, KCNC-4

What a year to draw the NFC West. And the Broncos get the entire division in a five-game span. That����ap a pretty wild schedule quirk. The Niners figure to be really good again this year unless their local substation causes a bunch of injuries again — Joking! Mostly joking! — and this will be a tall task. Christian McCaffrey puts the dagger in Denver with a wheel route called by Kyle Shanahan. Ouch.

Prediction: 49ers 20, Broncos 14

WEEK 5

AT L.A. CHARGERS

2:05 p.m., Oct. 11, KCNC-4

The Chargers lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, which is a big one. They gained offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, which is a big one. L.A. should be able to run the heck out of the ball, and they get two All-Pro tackles back from injury to protect Justin Herbert. This game is tougher because of the brutal stretch it falls in, though the SoFi crowd will be largely blue and orange. Wil Lutz’s first walk-off attempt feels right.

Prediction: Broncos 19, Chargers 17

WEEK 6

SEATTLE

6:15 p.m., Oct. 15, Prime 

Hey, the Broncos have made it through a rugged opening five weeks at 3-2. That’ll play. Now, the Super Bowl champs roll into town on a short week. What if Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle in January? These teams probably would have played in February. Maybe they’ll make good in 2027. In the meantime, Mike MacDonald’s team is going to be a handful.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Broncos 17

WEEK 7

AT ARIZONA

2:05 p.m., Oct. 25, KCNC-4

Davis Webb and Co. use the bye week to spend a little extra time tinkering with their plans and decide more outside zone, under center and play-action game is the ticket. Will it hold up the whole season? Hard to say from here, but the hapless Cardinals take the brunt of a creative burst from the Denver offense. Nix has had some stat-stuffer games in his career. This one goes near the top of the list.

Prediction: Broncos 44, Cardinals 17

WEEK 8

KANSAS CITY

2:25 p.m., Nov. 1, KCNC-4

The Chiefs, perhaps not surprisingly, find their footing quickly after losing the opener to the Broncos. They roll into Empower Field on a roll. This rivalry, though, has turned on its head. Payton made the Chiefs one of his primary goals and now, suddenly, he’s got their number. If Denver beats Mahomes twice this year, there will be no discounting the season sweep. Come to think of it, that might be too much to ask. One last dose of Travis Kelce magic proves bedeviling.

Prediction: Chiefs 26, Broncos 24

WEEK 9

AT CAROLINA

11 a.m., Nov. 8, KCNC-4

It����ap kind of amazing that a road trip to a 2025 champion represents the start of the soft part of the Broncos schedule, but hey, here we are. Bryce Young has come a long way and the Dave Canelas/Dan Morgan regime has been a success overall so far. The Broncos, though, have too much pass rush and by this time will have a fully functional Nix/Jaylen Waddle connection rolling. Denver needs this game and gets it.

Prediction: Broncos 28, Panthers 17

WEEK 10

BYE

Normally a midseason bye is great, though the Broncos have benefitted greatly from having a later bye each of the past two years since they’ve been in postseason contention. A Week 6 TNF game and Week 10 bye is stacking the extra rest a bit early, though there’s more oddball game times to come. November, though, is too late for golfing in Idaho, so Payton gets a little R&R in Cabo instead.

WEEK 11

LAS VEGAS

2:25 p.m., Nov. 22, KCNC-4

Ah, at long last, the Raiders arrive on the Broncos’ schedule. This game would have so much more juice had Las Vegas hired Webb as its head coach. The only real question for the Silver and Black will be if No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza has taken over at QB for Kirk Cousins by this point. Either way, by the time this one is over, Mark Davis will wish he’d hired Webb. Or Vance Joseph. Or both.

Prediction: Broncos 27, Raiders 13

WEEK 12

AT PITTSBURGH

1 p.m., Nov. 27, Prime

Black Friday in the Steel City. This game will draw an absolutely massive number of eyeballs to Amazon on the biggest retail day of the year. Yay, corporate synergies! Last time the Broncos saw Aaron Rodgers, he was the New York Jets quarterback and they hit him a lot of times in the rain at MetLife Stadium in 2024. How about snow instead, three rivers instead of the Jersey swamp and probably a lot more hits on the by then nearly 43-year-old. One of them, like ‘24, will be a game-sealer.

Prediction: Broncos 21, Steelers 20

WEEK 13

MIAMI

2:05 p.m., Dec. 6, KDVR-31

When the Broncos made the playoffs in 2024, they did so with a whopping $89 million in dead cap. It was the biggest raw number of all time and just barely No. 2 by percentage of the cap ($34.8%). The Dolphins, as of this writing, have $179 million in dead cap. That����ap a shade under 60%. They have $112 million in actual player contracts on their roster. Preposterous. Waddle will score a pair of touchdowns against his own team and three if Miami at some point just runs out of players.

Prediction: Broncos 35, Dolphins 20

WEEK 14

AT N.Y. JETS

11 a.m., Dec. 13, KCNC-4

Don’t look now but the Broncos have won five in a row to get to 8-4 and right into the postseason mix. The Jets might as well be a division team at this point because they’ve ended up on Denver’s schedule nearly every year. This will be the seventh straight season they’ve played and the ninth matchup in 10 years. Payton’s team has won the past two, but they’ve been 11-10 (in London last year) and 10-9 in 2024. Is that a bad sign? This one could be ugly and still a relative breeze.

Prediction: Broncos 17, Jets 9

WEEK 15

AT LAS VEGAS

2:25 p.m., Dec. 20, KCNC-4

This one has all the trappings of a trap game. The Broncos are likely to be big favorites, it����ap in Vegas after playing on the East Coast before and it����ap heading into a short week before a titanic matchup against Josh Allen and Co. on Christmas Day at Empower Field. One of the hallmarks of Payton’s tenure in Denver, though? The Broncos have rarely lost games like this, where they’re clearly expected to win.

Prediction: Broncos 26, Raiders 14

WEEK 16

BUFFALO

2:30 p.m., Dec. 25, Netflix

If the season goes anything close to the way it seems primed to, this can be just a tremendous matchup. Standalone on Christmas Day. A rematch of a January postseason classic. Maybe No. 1 seed and almost certainly some form of postseason implications. Josh Allen. Bo Nix. Their mutual bestie Davis Webb. Sean Payton vs. protege Joe Brady. On and on and on. It has the chance to be so, so good. The bet here: This time, the kid from Wyoming does not turn the ball over four times.

Prediction: Bills 28, Broncos 27

WEEK 17

AT NEW ENGLAND

TBD

If there’s a game that will have some crazy travel plans scrambled by weather, this is the obvious favorite. Early January at Foxborough is just asking for a blizzard. Not just in the second half, either. Sorry. Buffalo and New England back-to-back down the stretch of this season might be vertigo-inducing, but so might the AFC playoff race itself. These teams fitted their third-year quarterbacks with A.J. Brown and Waddle this offseason. They know it����ap go time. They might even play again a couple weeks later.

Prediction: Patriots 23, Broncos 20

WEEK 18

L.A. CHARGERS

TBD

Man, back-to-back one-score losses to fall to 10-6 going into the final week of the season. After all the one-score magic in 2025, that would be enough to cause a little acid reflux. We’ve been calling for a Broncos Week 18 game where both teams need it for two years now. The third time is going to be the charm. Or, at least, that would be fun. With the way the AFC shakes out this year, 10-7 might be pretty bubble-ish. A team could get left off. In this case, it����ap at least for a playoff spot and maybe for the West division title. No pinky promises that J.K. Dobbins has played all 16 games, but he hammers home a winner late in this one. An 11-6 regular season. On to the postseason.

Prediction: Broncos 24, Chargers 22

Not the Super Bowl champs? Well, the Rams were already loaded. Then they traded for Myles Garrett, too. They should be a freight train.

2. Seattle Seahawks

Mike MacDonald’s team will have a ring ceremony at some point and they might not even be the favorites in their own division. Welcome to the NFC West!

3. Denver Broncos

A lofty position for Sean Payton’s team, but they’ve got continuity, they added Jaylen Waddle and Bo Nix is heading into a critical Year 3.

4. Buffalo Bills

Could this, at long last, finally be Josh Allen’s year? He was foiled at Empower Field back in January, but he’ll have a squad again this fall.

5. New England Patriots

Drake Maye and Co. took full advantage of a strange year and played in a Super Bowl … well, technically. A complete team in Year 2 under coach Mike Vrabel.

6. Baltimore Ravens

The bet here is that former Payton acolyte Declan Doyle will be good for Lamar Jackson, and that Jesse Minter will be an instant success as a head coach. They’ll be fun.

7. Philadelphia Eagles

Starting in 2022, the Eagles have won 14, 11, 14, and 11 games. You know what that means. Fourteen big ones inbound for Nick Sirianni’s team.

8. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers went from afterthought to nearly capturing the No. 1 seed in the NFC last year. If they can stay healthy, they’ll be a force. Been a big if recently.

9. Los Angeles Chargers

The Mike McDonald and Justin Herbert pairing is one of the NFL’s most fascinating. If Herbert gets comfy, it can be a scary offense.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags got hot last year and won the division. Imagine how much fun they’d have been with a healthy Travis Hunter. Hopefully 2026 is the year.

11. Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams started to look like a star in the making under coach Ben Johnson. The Bears are really back… and apparently moving to Indiana as well. The only explanation: Duh Bears!

12. Detroit Lions

The Lions went from Johnson to John Morton at OC. It… didn’t work. Drew Petzing should be a good fit for Jared Goff and Co., but Detroit����ap got to play defense, too, in a tough division.

13. Houston Texans

The Texans have perhaps the scariest defense in the NFL. They are an absolute hurricane under DeMeco Ryans. If C.J. Stroud finds his form, this will be an under-ranking.

14. Green Bay Packers

The Packers flamed out again, then extended everybody. At times, Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love look like a Super Bowl waiting to happen. Sometimes.

15. Dallas Cowboys

We know the Cowboys will score with Dak Prescott and those receivers. If former Denver assistant Christian Parker gets the defense straightened out, look out.

16. Kansas City Chiefs

This is destined to be a hilarious under-ranking if Patrick Mahomes quickly returns to form. He probably will. But, for now, questions abound around the all-timer under center.

17. Cincinnati Bengals

Every season Joe Burrow has played 16 or more regular season games, he’s thrown for at least 4,475 yards and 34 touchdowns. Let����ap do that again.

18. Washington Commanders

This team went to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, then Jayden Daniels’ follow-up season was scuttled by injuries. Here’s hoping for a healthy Year 3.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs will get great play from Baker Mayfield, have weeks where they look like one of the best offenses on the planet and somehow end up 7-8 but in the hunt for the NFC South.

20. Carolina Panthers

Basically the same as above, but just not quite as good at quarterback. Bryce Young, though, has a division title under his belt and a chance to repeat.

21. Indianapolis Colts

Daniel Jones is supposedly going to be healthy at the start or early in the season. That����ap good. Probably. This team was so fun for the first half of 2025.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

If nothing else, the Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers reunion will be tremendous theater. What if they actually make one more run together?

23. Minnesota Vikings

What a calamity for Minnesota to let Sam Darnold go after a terrific 2024. Now they’ve got a Kyler Murray/J.J. McCarthy situation that feels like a Kevin O’Connell cry for help.

24. New Orleans Saints

The Saints can win the NFC South. That����ap in part because it����ap a bad division but also because Tyler Shough has juice and New Orleans was cooking down the stretch last year.

25. New York Giants

John Harbaugh should bring some instant calm and respectability to the Giants. If he can get Jaxson Dart to take another step, the G-Men will have a bright future.

26. Atlanta Falcons

Kevin Stefanski and Matt Ryan are the new braintrust in Atlanta, but the Falcons have questions at QB and around the roster. They’re quite a way away.

27. Tennessee Titans

Titans Cam Ward did some good things as a rookie and clearly has some moxy to his game. Now, can Robert Saleh help build the rest of it around the young QB?

28. Las Vegas Raiders

No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza (eventually) has fun weapons in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. Klint Kubiak is a talented offensive coach. It����ap going to take longer than a year.

29. New York Jets

Former Broncos asst. GM Darren Mougey has been wheeling and dealing. They’ve got troves of premium picks the next couple years. It’ll be fun. But those picks can’t play in 2026.

30. Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson said recently he’d be open to an extension in Cleveland. That����ap nice. Here’s betting the Browns think $230 million for nine wins (so far) will have been plenty.

31. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals all the way through the coaching carousel this winter felt a bit like they had nowhere to turn. Eventually it was to Dial-A-McVay Assistant. Or, er, Mike LaFleur.

32. Miami Dolphins

Give the Dolphins credit for going all in on the teardown. But they’re paying $112 million to players on the team and charging $179 million in cap space to players who aren’t.

Here are the 20 best games to watch this season.

Week 1

New England at Seattle
6:20 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9, KUSA-9

Drake Maye likely had offseason nightmares from the pounding he took from Seattle’s defense in the Super Bowl. Will the Patriots be able to exact some revenge on a night when Seattle raises its second championship banner? Insider tip: Mike Vrabel can’t wait to get back to playing actual games after an offseason full of tabloid headlines.

San Francisco at Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia
6:35 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, Netflix

The NFL’s first game Down Under should be saltier than Vegemite. Kyle Shanahan loves nothing more than beating his old friend Sean McVay at SoFi Stadium with 49ers fans taking over the joint, which is likely why McVay worked the NFL’s scheduling levers to play a neutral site game — after a 16-hour flight. Makes sense, since the Niners have won three of their last four in Los Angeles.

Denver at Kansas City
6:15 p.m., Monday, Sept. 14, ESPN

“Are you ready for some football?” Yeah, you can say that again for two fan bases ready to put 2025 in the rearview. Will Patrick Mahomes be rusty coming off knee surgery? Are the Broncos a legit Super Bowl contender? Does Sean Payton love rivalry games in which his team isn’t favored? You know the answer to that last one. We’ll find out the rest under the lights in Kansas City.

Week 2

Dallas at Washington
2:25 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, KDVR-31

Will the Eagles have any serious competition for their third straight NFC East crown in 2026? This early-season tilt between the Cowboys and Commanders should provide some clues.

Week 3

Baltimore at Dallas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2:25 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 27, KUNC-4

Jerry Jones loves spectacle, so it makes sense that America’s Team would play in the legendary Maracanã Stadium in the NFL’s first regular season game in Rio. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys receivers against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens should provide some offensive fireworks for the fans in Brazil.

Week 4

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia
11 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 4, KDVR-31

The odds-on Super Bowl favorites face a brutal opening stretch against the rival Niners (in Australia), Giants, Broncos, Eagles and Bills — which includes back-to-back road games in Denver and Philadelphia. The Eagles have also won the last four matchups in this series. Could this be an NFC Championship preview?

Week 5

Buffalo at Los Angeles Rams
6:15 p.m., Monday, Oct. 12, ESPN

In a quarterback league, it doesn’t get much better than old gunslinger Matthew Stafford firing away against Josh Allen at home. Outside of the Broncos, Allen won’t face a more ferocious pass rush this season, especially if Aaron Donald comes out of retirement.

Week 6

Dallas at Green Bay
6:20 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 28, KUSA-9

Does the winner of this game break the 40-40 tie from last season? The Packers have won eight of the last 10 in this series, including a 48-32 thrashing in the NFC wild card at Jerry World after the 2024 season that still has Cowboys fans sore.

Week 7

Kansas City at Seattle
6:20 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 25, KUSA-9

It����ap the Kenneth Walker III Bowl and a possible Super Bowl preview when last year’s title-game MVP faces his former team in Seattle. Yards won’t come easy for Walker against Mike MacDonald’s swarming unit, especially with the 12s in full throat. Old AFC West fans and Hall of Famer Warren Moon will love Seattle rocking its crisp royal blue throwbacks against the Chiefs for a national audience.

Week 9

Houston at Los Angeles Chargers
2:05 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8, KCNC-4

The Texans have won the last two against the Bolts, including a playoff win after the 2024 season. Will the addition of QB whisperer Mike McDaniel tip the scales for Justin Herbert and Los Angeles against DeMeco Ryan’s top-ranked defense from last season?

Week 12

Kansas City at Buffalo
6:20 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 26, KUSA-9

The only thing better than an extra slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving? A renewal of the NFL’s best QB duel. Josh Allen is sick of the narrative that he can only beat Patrick Mahomes during the regular season, but so far that����ap true. These two rivals have split their last 10 meetings, but Mahomes is 4-0 in playoff games. This will be the first time the two rivals square off at Buffalo’s new Highmark Stadium.

Denver at Pittsburgh
1 p.m., Friday, No. 27, Prime Video

Skip the lines at the mall and feast on leftovers and Broncos-Steelers on Black Friday. It����ap the last time (presumably) that the Broncos will face Aaron Rodgers, who is 2-2 against Denver entering his 22nd NFL season.

New York Jets at Miami
11 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 29, KUNC-4

Geno Smith vs. Malik Willis looks like one of the worst games of the regular season, but there could be a big prize at stake: The right to draft Archibald Charles Manning at No. 1. The Dolphins, carrying an NFL record $179.2 million in dead cap space, are projected to win only 4.5 games, while the Jets are projected to win just 5.5. The Cardinals, of course, might be worse than both. Embrace the suck.

Week 13

Buffalo at New England
2:25 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6, KCNC-4

These two division rivals would’ve faced off for the right to go to the Super Bowl last January if not for Ja’Quan McMillian’s season-saving pick in an AFC wild-card thriller in Denver. (Yeah, don’t bring it up with Bills fans, who are still convinced it was a Brandin Cooks catch.) The Bills are looking to recapture the AFC East crown after the Patriots’ magical run in 2025.

Week 15

Baltimore at Pittsburgh
11 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 20, KUNC-4

John Harbaugh is coaching the Giants. Mike Tomlin is analyzing games in the NBC studio. Doesn’t matter — the antipathy between these two franchises is still as strong as ever, especially after last year’s rock fight to close the NFL regular season. The Ravens, a trendy Super Bowl favorite, would certainly love to get payback after a missed FG cost them the playoffs and cost Harbaugh his job. Mike McCarthy and Jesse Minter, you’ve got next.

Week 16

Green Bay at Chicago
11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 25, Netflix

Da Bears and the Packers at frigid Soldier Field, renewing the NFL’s oldest rivalry, is the perfect gift to open after you get done with the presents under the tree. Expect the Packers to be like your nephew who didn’t get “Grand Theft Auto VI” for Christmas, too, after blowing both tilts in the Second City last season. That includes a brutal playoff loss in which the Bears, trailing 21-3 at halftime, went off for 25 points in the fourth quarter and won on Caleb Williams’ TD dime to DJ Moore. Micah Parsons, nearly a year removed from his ACL surgery, will try to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Buffalo at Denver
2:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 25, Netflix

You know who doesn’t love the NFL’s Christmas Day schedule? The NBA. This rematch of last year’s instant-classic AFC wild-card matchup is the stuffing between Bears-Packers and Rams-Seahawks. It should be pivotal for playoff position in the race for the AFC’s top seed.

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle
6:15 p.m., Friday, Dec. 25, KDVR-31

All football fans want for Christmas is another NFC West title fight after three epic clashes last season. That included Week 16’s overtime classic in which the Seahawks scored their third 2-point conversion of the game to secure the win. Playoff seeding and home-field advantage should be on the line again when the odds-on Super Bowl favorites head to Lumen Field to tussle with the defending champs.

Week 17

Denver at New England
TBD Jan. 3 or 4, TBD

Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda. The Broncos are motivated by the Super Bowl opportunity that disappeared in a whiteout during last year’s AFC Championship. What if Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle? What if Sean Payton kicked the field goal on fourth-and-1 from the 14? No doubt Nix will be up for this one against Drake Maye, who went nine picks ahead of him in the 2024 draft.

Baltimore at Cincinnati
6:15 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 31, Prime Video

Skip the pricey prix-fixe on New Year’s Eve and stay in for this one, which could decide the AFC North title. This division rivalry only got juicier after Trey Hendrickson switched sides on a four-year, $112 million deal after the Ravens nixed the Maxx Crosby blockbuster. Hendrickson returning to the Jungle for the first time as a Raven should bring out the boo birds from Who Dey Nation. Crank the Guns N’ Roses.

Denver Broncos

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 18-1; Over-under win total: 9.5

Strengths: The offensive line will feature the same five starters for a third straight season is one of the better units in the league. John Franklin-Myers is in Nashville, but the talent and depth up on defense remains elite as well. If the pass rush doesn’t get home, Pat Surtain II is a perennial defensive player of the year candidate and leads a strong secondary. Adding Jaylen Waddle gives Bo Nix a true No. 1 target and the group behind the ex-Dolphins wideout is deep and versatile.

Weaknesses: What will be the resolution after Jonathon Cooper was arrested twice in early July amid domestic violence allegations? Will Nix’s surgically repaired ankle hold up? The running backs might be just be solid, even as Sean Payton and Co. continue to say the Broncos want to run the ball more.

Kansas City Chiefs

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 15-1; Over-under win total: 10.5

Strengths: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones are all getting older — the latter two in particular — but remain elite players to anchor another season when the expectations will be Super Bowl or bust. Mahomes is coming back from a major knee injury that was the final blow in a season that had already gone off the rails. Kenneth Walker III, fresh off Super Bowl MVP honors, could help the running game provide a little more balance.

Weaknesses: Is the supporting cast around Kansas City’s ‘Big Three’ good enough? Rashee Rice spent part of his injury rehab in jail this offseason, and the pass catchers in general look pretty underwhelming beyond Kelce. The interior of the offensive line should be solid, but the tackles are a question mark, and Chiefs fans will be holding their breath the first time Nik Bonitto gets around the edge on opening night.

Los Angeles Chargers

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 17-1; Over-under win total: 10.5

Strengths: Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are one of the best 1-2 punches at offensive tackle in the league, but both are coming off season-ending injuries. The line should be a strength, and the running back duo of Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal should get plenty of work. The defense, led by do-it-all safety Derwin James and breakout pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, should again be among the top 10 in just about everything. Justin Herbert can make every throw and often looks like one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL …

Weaknesses: … but Herbert is also 0-3 in the playoffs in six seasons as the starter, and the offense has been uncompetitive in wild-card losses the past two years. The Keenan Allen return season went pretty well with 81 catches, but he’s gone, and the depth chart behind Ladd McConkey has intriguing options but could also be a group that looks one quality option short. The Chargers went 3-0 against the Broncos and Chiefs in games they were trying to win before the season finale, but one of these teams is going to have to end up in third place in this division.

Las Vegas Raiders

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 150-1; Over-under win total: 5.5

Strengths: Brock Bowers is a rock star at tight end. Ashton Jeanty could certainly still be a franchise running back as the rest of the pieces around him and Bowers get upgraded. That starts with the two biggest additions of the offseason — No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is the franchise quarterback-in-waiting and free agent Tyler Linderbaum at center to anchor a work-in-progress offensive line. Maxx Crosby is also here, still, after a trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell through.

Weaknesses: The Raiders had the No. 1 pick for a reason. There are a bunch of new faces on defense, which was necessary. The rest of the offensive line could still be pretty bad. That alone might be enough reason to let Kirk Cousins start over Mendoza to begin the year. The pass-catching options beyond Bowers are among the worst in the league. Considering the other teams that could be vying for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL draft could all be interested in quarterbacks, Jeremiah Smith or Cam Coleman might be checking out real estate listings in Sin City next summer.

That is the conclusion drawn when digesting ESPN’s quarterback list as ranked by league executives, coaches and scouts. Mahomes was No. 2, Herbert seventh and Nix 18th, the Broncos’ star the equivalent of a college team in the “others receiving votes” in the Associated Press poll.

On the surface, it makes sense. When considering careers, Nix pales to Mahomes, an all-time great, and Herbert, who has long had head-turning numbers. But the inference is that the rankings implied where the quarterbacks stood entering 2026.

Instead, it comes across as a lifetime achievement award because a strong case can be made that Nix has been as good or better than both over the past two seasons.

Blasphemous? Let’s go to the stats.

Take the names off:

Quarterback A: 21-9 record, 65.3% completion, 7,515 yards, 48 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, 70 sacks, 729 rushing yards, 7 TDs.

Quarterback B: 22-11, 66.1%, 7,597 yards, 49 TDs, 16 INTs, 95 sacks, 804 rushing yards, 4 TDs.

Quarterback C: 24-10, 64.8%, 7,706, 54 TDs, 23 INTs, 46 sacks, 786 rushing yards, 9 TD, 1 TD receiving.

Mahomes was A), Herbert B) and Nix C). And are we sure that is the order in how they have played since 2024? Again, not saying Nix is better overall, namely because he must get more consistent in the middle of the field and against zone defenses, but he has better numbers.

Nix has accounted for 64 scores, compared to 55 for Mahomes and 53 for Herbert. He is not as accurate, but by a whisker. He is every bit the ground threat, something he promises will remain as he returns from ankle surgery and a follow-up cleanup procedure. He has more rushing touchdowns than Mahomes and Herbert, and sits 18 yards shy in yards from Herbert.

All three take care of the ball at a similar rate. Mahomes has 22 picks and five fumbles, but none lost for 22 turnovers. Herbert boasts 16 picks, 13 fumbles and four lost for 20 total. And Nix checks in at 23 interceptions, seven fumbles, two lost, for 25.

And perhaps most salient is how Nix prevents negative plays. We can all agree he needs to become more explosive, and the onus is on offensive coordinator Davis Webb to use a simplified run game and Jaylen Waddle in concert to make this happen.

But Nix has only been sacked 46 times in his career, compared to Herbert’s 95 and Mahomes’ 70 over the same stretch.

Mahomes will be ranked in the top 10 for the next 10 years given the NFL industry’s inability to assign a year-over-year WAR value like major league baseball.

The love for Herbert is more puzzling. He looks the part, but has never won a playoff game. And miss me with blaming the offensive line the past two years. He played terribly against Houston and New England. Mike McDaniel could help Herbert reach his potential this season. But at some point, he has to meet the moment in the biggest games.

By comparison, Nix is tied for the lead in fourth-quarter quarterback comebacks (eight) and game-winning drives (10) since entering the league.

It comes down to this. Nix must improve. But he deserves more respect.

Rock on: Under new management, the Rockies received high marks for the most recent draft, especially with first-round shortstop Tyler Bell and starting pitcher Logan Reddemann. Both profile well for the new philosophies implemented at the plate and on the mound. Bell struck out at an 18.5% rate, while walking 15.4% of the time last season at Kentucky. And Reddemann features a live fastball with a varied arsenal of five to six pitches. This is how change happens, by identifying what a future Rockie looks like before he enters the organization

Horsepower: Five Broncos made Pro Football Network’s Top 100 entering the 2026 season: Pat Surtain (seventh), Garett Bolles (24), Quinn Meinerz (35), Zach Allen (56) and Nik Bonitto (59). If Nix cracks this list before next season, it means the Broncos will have likely reached the Super Bowl.

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Take a peek at any sportsbook, and the Broncos’ over-under for victories floats around 9.5 games, which would leave them trailing the Los Angeles Chargers (understandable) and Kansas City Chiefs (unbelievable).

The lack of confidence in the Broncos to repeat their success traces back to Bo Nix.

He is compromised after multiple ankle surgeries.

He is a slow starter in games — six touchdowns, six interceptions in the first quarter.

He is a slow starter in seasons — 4-4 record in September, compared to 20-6 in every other month.

He is not elite against zone defenses — ranking 33rd among 45 quarterback qualifiers in success rate, per Sumersports.com.

The Broncos are about to fall from grace from a thud, if you believe wise guys and critics, and Nix does not give a (bleep).

Among the reasons that he can lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl, place his mentality at the top of the list.

“He does not care what people think. That is a superpower in this league. And he has it,” veteran right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “It gives him the ability to go out there and play free, play loose. He cherishes it. On top of the maturity and knowledge he has gained over the last two years, he is made of the right stuff. That’s why I believe he’s the guy.”

The Broncos are five weeks from beginning one of the most scrutinized training camps in franchise history, and they appear ready because their quarterback will be.

Nix understands injuries are inevitable, but he has twice recovered from ankle surgeries in high school and college and played better. He is confident he will do so again.

There is no limp, no change in his throwing mechanics, no reason to think he will be anything but 100 percent when Denver travels to Kansas City for the season opener. When I asked him if he had concerns about his mobility, he said he was concerned he might run too much.

Nix is not shying from goals associated with franchise quarterbacks — win a Super Bowl, win MVP. If he did not think that way, why bother paying him $60 million a year after this season?

It is not a slam dunk that the Broncos repeat as AFC West champs. And it is even less likely that they secure the No. 1 seed with an opening schedule that features a six-pack nastier than Milwaukee’s Best.

But viewing Nix as a reason for regression? That is laughable.

He finished last season with 30 total touchdowns — rushing and passing — ranking ninth, ahead of Justin Herbert (28) and Patrick Mahomes (27)

He ranked seventh in 2024 with 34, including a receiving score, placing him above Jalen Hurts (32) and Jayden Daniels (31).

And no quarterback was better in the clutch than Nix last year.

He did this without a dynamic weapon. In his third year, we can finally get a better grip on his ceiling with the addition of Jaylen Waddle.

No longer will third-down calls be: “Hey, Courtland, get open.” Waddle will pair with Sutton, forcing teams to make tough decisions in man coverage — where Nix excels.

Conclusions should never be drawn in June without pads on. But it is obvious why the Broncos added Waddle.

He stops, starts, and changes directions seamlessly in traffic. Imagine Frogger as a receiver.

“There’s an element of explosiveness that I think as an offense we’ve lacked for a couple years,” Nix admitted.

While Waddle will make Nix better, the onus is on Davis Webb to help him reach his potential.

Webb will call plays through the lens of a former NFL quarterback. He will simplify the verbiage to give Nix more time at the line of scrimmage. As in years past, the Broncos will use a variety of tempos. Webb, however, provides an opportunity to throttle up and down on the same possession.

It is hard to imagine Webb not getting Nix into a rhythm more quickly in first drives, first quarters and first halves.

The Broncos know they are not going to win 11 one-score games again, a feat that tied an NFL record. They were 1-6 in 2024. So that means we should expect them to go 6-6 in 2026.

Nix can help them avoid this scenario by playing fewer close games. Starting on Oct. 25 at Arizona, the Broncos should be favored in eight straight.

This is where Nix can flex his muscles, not lose his fingernails over worst-case scenarios — ankle issues, failing to click with Waddle and Webb experiencing growing pains.

If Nix regresses, it will be on him. But serious question: When has he ever given us a reason not to trust him?

He has clumsy moments — the Broncos had the third most punts last season. Yet, he boasts 10 career game-winning drives. Wait, what was the score in the fourth quarter against Buffalo? Make it 11.

He relishes competition.

“A coach told me a long time ago that you have to be a little screwed up to be good at this and we all are in some shape and form. You look at Bo in the huddle, you see that fire in his eyes and you know this guy has got something special to him,” McGlinchey said. “You could feel it the first time he stepped on the field as a rookie. And all it has done is grow. It’s not even the comebacks that we all know about. It is just the way he has developed and trusts everyone around him.”

For the third straight season, the Broncos will be overlooked. Critics see imposters.

If the expectations of chasing a championship were too much, if the pressure was too suffocating, I would be the first to call them out.

But doubt is not a problem. With Sean Payton, it is a motivation.

Nix is not a question, his ankle be damned. He is the solution.

Sean Keeler: That it’s OK to keep the floor for 2026 a Mile High. Just don’t stick the ceiling in the mesosphere. I‘ll stand by 11-6, but I’d be stunned if they came storming out of the gates to get there. The NFL loves competitive socialism, which is why it’s so hard to be consistently great or to consistently stink it up the way, say, the Browns have for decades. Since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970, only three teams have won 14 or more games in consecutive NFL seasons: Chicago in ’85 and ’86; San Francisco in ”89 and ’90 and New England in ’03 and ’04. There’s a difference between parity and punishment. This fight card sure feels like the latter.

Renck: A lot of people are saying ����apountry should relax. That this gauntlet is the price of returning to relevance. Win a division. Play the best teams the following season. Some of us remember covering great Broncos teams year after year. The schedule is not the issue. It is the order of the games. The Broncos’ opening stretch seems punitive. You are telling me the league could not have mixed in an Arizona, Las Vegas or Miami early? They did that for the Chargers and Chiefs. It allows a team time to gain traction. The Broncos must run on rocket fuel out of the starting block or risk going up in smoke. I am predicting the Broncos go 3-3 to open, but not with much conviction.

Keeler: I want to argue for 4-2, but I’m not sure I can with a straight face. Because that means either a.) stealing a road game against Jim Harbaugh and a probably healthy Justin Herbert, or b.) sweeping the Rams and Seahawks at home. It’s almost as if the league went to extra lengths to throw a wrench into Payton’s favorite (and most successful) month, historically — ����apountry’s October features trips to San Francisco (Oct. 4) and to the Chargers (Oct. 11) as a back-breaking back-to-back, followed by the defending Super Bowl champs (Seattle) coming to Denver on a short week. A 2-1 record in September, even with Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford on the fight card, is doable. But if you want to get to November with a winning record, it might become mandatory.

Renck: If Bo Nix is healthy, if Davis Webb is still calling plays, the Broncos will take off in October. Yes, even with games at San Francisco, at Chargers and home against the Seahawks and Cardinals. While Payton owns a 4-7 record in September with the Broncos, he loves October more than pumpkins. He boasts a 10-3 record for Denver in the second month. That means the Broncos will win two of three games against the 49ers, Chargers and Seahawks before clobbering the Cardinals. It’s all about surviving the start, getting fat on snacks before finishing with the Bills, Patriots and Chargers. The Broncos will be a better team with a worse record, finishing 11-6, a mark that could mean a tiebreaker determines the AFC West champ.

Keeler: Unless you’re Pete Carroll, precedent with NFL head coaches matters. Even if you don’t like Payton’s play-calling, you have to like the resume. Sunshine Sean won 13 or more games in a season four other times as the boss of the Saints. In the following campaign, his teams won 13 games again once, 12 games once, and 11 games twice. Average victory total? 11.75. If you’re setting the over/under at 10.5 wins, give me the over, my friend. Just don’t give me the over by much.

And if Thursday night on social media was any indication, ����apountry has indigestion.

At age 62 and a first-time grandpa, Sean Payton operates on the premise that everything that demands attention does not deserve attention. But even he must take notice of the Broncos’ buzzsaw of an opening schedule.

Who did Payton (bleep) off in the league office now?

In the first six weeks, the Broncos host five playoff teams from a year ago. The one that did not qualify? The Kansas City Chiefs. And Denver gets them on the road on Monday night to open the season.

How is that for a punch in the eyeballs?

In Payton’s first three seasons, the Broncos never faced more than two previous postseason qualifiers in the first six weeks, and played six total. They went 2-4 in those games.

Payton might as well puff on a Sherlock Holmes pipe, given how much he loves all the smoke. But this is a bit much.

It looks like the NFL put out a fraud alert on the Broncos, and wants to find out if 2025 really happened. You know the 14 wins, the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the ending of the Chiefs’ nine-year stranglehold on the division?

It is unfair. And it is perfect.

Payton never has feelings of inadequacy or insecurity. Give him a test, make him an underdog and he rallies players around the cause like Mel Gibson in “Braveheart.”

Remember the Chiefs’ game last season without J.K. Dobbins and Patrick Surtain? Or the smothering win at Tampa Bay in 2024 after an 0-2 start?

The Broncos’ first goal is to win the AFC West. That guarantees a home playoff game. Staying tethered early represents the biggest challenge to a second straight division crown, along with surviving the final three weeks against the Bills, Patriots and Chargers.

There is a strong chance that the Broncos will be better and win fewer games. You probably know this if you have gone through the schedule game by game and realized they face 10 playoff teams in 2025.

Thank goodness for the Jets, who have the league’s longest playoff drought, the Cardinals, who hired Nathaniel Hackett to run their offense, and the Dolphins, whose roster suggests they are not even trying.

By the morning of Oct. 16, we will know whether the Broncos are legit. That is the day after facing the defending champion Seattle Seahawks at home on Thursday night, one of five standalone games. If they navigate at the Chiefs, Jaguars, Rams, at the 49ers, at the Chargers and Seattle with a 3-3 record or better, they will be poised to reach the Super Bowl.

Anything less will be alarming and likely feature questions about Payton’s next contract and quarterback Bo Nix’s health.

So, let’s borrow Nathan MacKinnon’s goggles, flippers and snorkel and dive in:

Week 1 at Chiefs

San Jose Jazz Summer Fest annoyance index on scale 1-10: 7. The Broncos would have preferred this game at home. The Chiefs are 8-2 in their last 10 openers at Arrowhead Stadium, and it likely marks the return of Patrick Mahomes. But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody. Steal this game, and the Broncos will have a card up their sleeve all season.

Week 2 vs. Jaguars

Jazz Fest annoyance index: 6. The “smaller market” Jaguars delivered a big punch to the Broncos’ gut last season, snapping their 12-game home winning streak. Denver fears no one. But facing the Jaguars after the Chiefs and before the Rams is nasty business. Trevor Lawrence is willing to take sacks to make big plays. This needs to be the game the Broncos show how takeaways have become a top priority.

Week 3 vs Rams

Jazz Fest annoyance index: 3. Sean McVay is who Sean Payton used to be. The wunderkind continues pursuing a second Super Bowl title. Payton, who is close friends with the Rams coach, was 46 when he won his ring. He hasn’t been back since. McVay claimed his at age 36. He boasts the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford and weapons that conjure images of the Broncos with Peyton Manning. This could be the day where we find out if Davis Webb is really calling plays or the offensive coordinator in name only.

Week 4 at San Francisco

Jazz Fest annoyance index: 8. The music has died. But the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon takes over the streets, including a 5K and KIDS ROCK event on Saturday. If vice president of operations Chip Conway, a tireless worker in a thankless job, books the wrong hotel, he will likely be forced to run back to Denver. The good news? The 49ers are aging like Nick Nolte, making this a very winnable game.

Week 5 at Los Angeles Chargers

Jazz Fest annoyance ranking: 4. Forget the glitz. Los Angeles is a business trip. Jim Harbaugh has given the Chargers a jolt, but this isn’t exactly like playing Pete Carroll’s 2004 USC Trojans at the Coliseum. The problem with the Chargers in this spot is the physical games leading up to it. The Chargers want a rock fight. The Broncos’ ability to pull off the upset will depend on limiting penalties and multiple big strikes from Justin Herbert, who figures to improve under former Smoky Hill grad Mike McDaniels.

Week 6 vs. Seattle Seahawks

Jazz Fest annoyance index: 6. By my math, the Broncos are facing the league’s best two teams back-to-back. It was for games like these that Denver acquired Jaylen Waddle. You have to be able to keep up with the Rams, and deliver a few gash plays through the air (looking at you Waddle) and on the ground (hello, J.K. Dobbins) to stiff arm the Seahawks’ pass rush.

It definitely feels like something is up with this schedule set up. It is tilted with heavyweight matchups. And September has not been their friend. Payton is 4-7 in the first month as the Broncos coach.

If they can hold serve through mid-October, the next eight weeks offer a runway for a long winning streak or a 6-2 stretch.

The schedule matters more to teams with poor coaches and bad quarterbacks. That is no longer the case with the Broncos. They are equipped to get in the ring or an octagon.

But even for those who believe orange sunsets are an ode to the Broncos must acknowledge the challenge ahead. Those opening six games are straight out of the SEC. In all, they play six teams projected to win 10 games.

The Broncos will return to the playoffs. Mother Nature helped knock them out last year. The challenge this season will be avoiding a haymaker from September and October.