Analyst predicts Broncos will make the playoffs in 2023
Last season was just as bad, if not worse, than the prior seven years the Broncos have had losing seasons. Actually, I'd say that was the Denver Broncos' worst season since 2010, as it was the most games they have lost since that year too. But what really made it worse was the expectations put […]
Last season was just as bad, if not worse, than the prior seven years the Broncos have had losing seasons. Actually, I'd say that was the Denver Broncos' worst season since 2010, as it was the most games they have lost since that year too.
But what really made it worse was the expectations put out there, and the product they delivered with on the field. The two did not match at all and weren't even close to being what anyone thought would happen.
That tumultuous season led to the Broncos starting over again with a new coaching staff, this time with a guy who has won a Super Bowl in Sean Payton. That has led a lot of people to believe that there will at least be improvements.
But one NFL analyst thinks they will improve quite a bit. In fact, he thinks there is a chance they could make the playoffs in 2023, a year after finishing last in their own division, and having the fifth-worst record in the league.
2022 finish: 5-12 (fourth in AFC West): Picking a team other than the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs or Justin Herbert-led Chargers to make the playoffs out of the AFC West may qualify as a stretch. But Los Angeles is still trying to escape its own rut of self-inflicted wounds, and Kellen Moore as Herbert's new offensive coordinator is a wild card. The Raiders, meanwhile, are banking on Jimmy Garoppolo — or a rookie successor — staying healthy behind an iffy line. In Denver, Russell Wilson simply can't be much worse than he was in 2022, and new coach Sean Payton seems to be signaling a return to run-heavier scripts after a spendy offseason prioritizing the trenches. The defense still has shutdown potential, but it's Payton's no-nonsense leadership that should catapult them into a wild card.
It would make sense why anyone would still have the Broncos missing the playoffs, even if they do improve in 2023. They are in the same division as the Chiefs, who just went 6-0 in the division in 2022 and won the Super Bowl. The Chargers continue to spend money and get star players and have one of the best quarterbacks in the league on their team.
That is just one of many reasons as to why this is such a bold task. But, there is a reason fans will love this take – because it can happen, no matter how bold it is.
Who is to say this isn't the year the AFC West has three teams in the playoffs, almost like they were supposed to last season? They added some guys in the offseason, guys that fill spots that needed help badly, and make the team much better on paper.
They are installing an offense that Russell Wilson has had success in before, and they have a head coach who isn't a rookie at this and has won at the highest level possible. There is a chance they can make the playoffs.
Now is it a big chance? I would say no. But, there is a chance nonetheless.
