In a 16-game season, every game can have massive implications for the Denver Broncos. That being said, here are five Broncos games that cannot be missed in 2018.
Top Five Must-Watch Broncos Games in 2018
5) Oakland Raiders At Denver Broncos – Week 2
Questions engulf the Raiders. Does Head Coach Jon Gruden still have the magic? If he doesn’t, can quarterback Derek Carr and the newly-loaded offense featuring wide receivers Jordy Nelson, Amari Cooper, and Martavis Bryant make up the difference? If they live up to their potential, the Broncos defense will be put to the test. Also, with this possibly being the first of the next 20 meetings under Gruden’s new 10-year contract, this game will be a tone-setter for the next generation of the rivalry. Which team will set the tone?
4) Pittsburgh Steelers At Denver Broncos – Week 12
At this point, the Broncos and the Steelers seem to be nearly a perfect match. One of the best cornerbacks in the league in Chris Harris Jr. will match up against one of the best wide receivers in the league in Antonio Brown and, based on 2017 statistics, the third-ranked Steelers offense will match up against the third-ranked Broncos defense. This game has the makings of a thriller and one Broncos game that cannot be missed.
3) Kansas City Chiefs At Denver Broncos – Week 4
The Broncos are 1-5 against the Chiefs since the start of the 2015 season and have not won a game against head coach Andy Reid since September 17, 2015. However, this game could be the best chance that the Broncos have had in years to snap the losing streak.
The Chiefs have an unproven, brand-new quarterback in Patrick Mahomes II. Despite the raucous praise that the Chiefs have thrown him, he is still essentially a rookie quarterback in the National Football League. If he doesn’t hit the ground running, the Chiefs will be at their weakest in over three years, despite adding wide receiver Sammy Watkins to the roster.
When the Broncos face the Chiefs, Mahomes will only have had four games of NFL experience. Denver knows this and will be hungry for a win. Even though Mahomes defeated the Broncos in his first start, the Broncos will be much more ready this time around after a draft and free agency period that saw them fill many holes in their roster.
Overall, this game will be a tone-setter for the Mahomes Era of the Chiefs-Broncos rivalry and could play a huge part in the battle for the AFC West.
2) Los Angeles Rams At Denver Broncos – Week 6
While the game should be electric on its own, the history between these two teams will set the stage for an epic showdown.
The game looks to be the defensive game of the year, with both defenses looking to be top-three material. There are several storylines leading up to this matchup, with players and coaches of both teams playing for more than just a win.
Newly-minted Rams cornerback Aqib Talib will be looking to make a statement after he was traded away from Denver during the offseason. Additionally, this will be the first game against ex-Bronco defensive coordinator Wade Phillips since he left Denver after the 2016 campaign.
On the other side, defensive coordinator Joe Woods, who worked under Phillips for several years in Denver, will be looking to prove that the student has now become the master. If Woods can beat Phillips, it will prove his worth and solidify him as a premier defensive coordinator in the league.
There are not many early-season must-win games of this magnitude in sports, but the Rams-Broncos matchup will be one of them.
1) Seattle Seahawks At Denver Broncos – Week 1
This game feels a lot like having dessert before the meal. The first game of the year for the Broncos will be their best opportunity to move past their embarrassing defeat in Super Bowl 48, where the Broncos were pounded into submission by the Legion of Boom to the tune of 43-8. To add insult to injury, the Broncos have not beaten the Seahawks since 2010.
The Seahawks will be at their most vulnerable since the birth of the Legion of Boom in 2011. They lost defensive end Michael Bennett, cornerback Richard Sherman, tight end Jimmy Graham, and defensive end Cliff Avril in the span of one offseason. Suffice it to say that the Seahawks will be a wounded animal in 2018 and Denver will be smelling blood.
In the end, it’s an opening-weekend football game with a good chance to get revenge for a loss that has been haunting Broncos fans for years. What else could be asked of an opening-weekend matchup?