WEEK 1
TENNESSEE TITANS
2:05 p.m., Sept. 7, FOX
This is like the Broncos’ 2024 opener at Seattle, but in reverse. The Titans have a rookie quarterback — No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward — and they’re traveling to a hostile environment for his first game. Vance Joseph’s group should be licking its chops and there’s no reason to expect they’ll come out anything other than flying. This is the kind of game playoff teams must win.
Prediction: Broncos 28, Titans 13
WEEK 2
AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
2:05 p.m., Sept. 14, CBS
Sean Payton’s two teams in Denver have started 1-5 and 0-2. Yet even 1-1 would feel like a disappointment given the expectations on this group and also the daunting stretch that arrives after this game. The Broncos can’t bank on Jonathan Taylor fumbling the game away this time, but they should be well equipped to handle a Colts team trying to find its footing — and a quarterback.
Prediction: Broncos 24, Colts 20
WEEK 3
AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
2:05 p.m., Sept. 21, CBS
Jim Harbaugh’s team swept Payton’s in 2024 thanks to a powerful start in Week 6 and a dominant second half in Week 16. So much of the conversation about this fall is whether the Broncos can unseat Kansas City, but the Chargers should be pretty darn good, too. Winning there on the road is no easy task, even if SoFi Stadium will likely be half Broncos fans.
Prediction: Chargers 24, Broncos 23
WEEK 4
CINCINNATI BENGALS
6:15 p.m., Sept. 29 (Monday Night Football), ESPN
Chargers and Bengals back-to-back, just like last year’s stretch run. This time, Joe Burrow’s high-flying offense comes to Denver for a saucy Monday Night matchup. Pat Surtain II against Ja’Marr Chase lived up to the hype last year. Tee Higgins against Riley Moss was a mismatch. This is an early-season test of whether the Broncos are better equipped to handle the best offenses in football.
Prediction: Broncos 27, Bengals 24
WEEK 5
AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
11 a.m. Oct. 5, CBS
Before the Broncos jet off to Jolly Old England, they swing through the City of Brotherly Love to ring the Liberty Bell and take on the defending world champions. The Eagles are stacked, from Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts on offense to Jalen Carter, Zach Baun and a loaded secondary on defense. Denver can be a legitimate contender in 2025 and still not win this game.
Prediction: Eagles 30, Broncos 17
WEEK 6
VS. NEW YORK JETS (LONDON)
7:30 a.m., Oct. 12, NFL Network
If it feels like the Broncos and Jets play every year, well, yeah. This marks six straight seasons, and they face off again in 2026. This is a different Jets team with new head coach Aaron Glenn and QB Justin Fields. Denver won as ugly a game as you’ll see in the Meadowlands rain last fall. What will October in London bring? Let’s go out on a limb and say more than minus-7 passing yards for Bo Nix in the first half.
Prediction: Broncos 20, Jets 13
WEEK 7
NEW YORK GIANTS
2:05 p.m., Oct. 19., CBS
The Broncos don’t have a bye week after their international game. And while the Giants may be the worst team on their schedule, it’s not ideal that they land in this post-London spot. These back-to-back home games after the international trip are a spot where the culture and toughness of this group will get tested — even if on paper this is a mismatch. Surtain vs. Malik Nabers should be awesome.
Prediction: Broncos 21, Giants 14
WEEK 8
DALLAS COWBOYS
2:25 p.m., Oct. 26, CBS
If the Cowboys are healthy — and haven’t somehow managed to make their star players too upset unnecessarily — this is a really tough game. They’re talented and a healthy Dak Prescott makes a huge difference. By this time, it’ll be pretty clear how Nix’s second season is going. And that, obviously, will be a critical component to whether the Broncos can meet expectations.
Prediction: Broncos 31, Cowboys 30
WEEK 9
AT HOUSTON TEXANS
11 a.m., Nov. 2, FOX
The Texans should have another of the NFL’s most disruptive defenses. They need to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud much better than they did in Year 2. If they succeed, he’s got a terrific set of weapons in Nico Collins, Christian Kirk and exciting rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Joe Mixon’s health is worth watching, but this is an explosive offense and a dynamite defense led by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter and Derek Stingley, Jr.
Prediction: Texans 21, Broncos 17
WEEK 10
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
6:15 p.m., Nov. 6 (Thursday Night Football), Prime Video
The Broncos finally shook off the black and silver curse last fall and swept the Raiders. Vegas, though, cleaned house and now features head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith. Not to mention a pair of terrific young talents in TE Brock Bowers and rookie RB Ashton Jeanty. Denver’s got to continue its winning ways vs. the Raiders, but it’s not going to be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination. Still, they should be able to take care of business at home.
Prediction: Broncos 27, Raiders 17
WEEK 11
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
2:25 p.m., Nov. 16, CBS
Ah yes, the nine-time defending AFC West champs. The Broncos have beaten the Chiefs at home two straight years — though Week 18 last year barely counts. In order for Denver to get where it wants to go, it must beat Patrick Mahomes and company at least once. One of the most impressive Vance Joseph stats: In four games since returning to Denver as DC, Joseph’s defenses have yielded just two offensive touchdowns to Kansas City. Two might be too many in this one.
Prediction: Chiefs 20, Broncos 19
WEEK 12
BYE
The bye week comes in a pretty good spot for a team in contention. Not quite as late as a year ago, but potentially well situated to help get some guys healthy for the stretch run. If only it were just before playing the Chiefs.
WEEK 13
AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
6:20 p.m., Nov. 30 (Sunday Night Football), NBC
Bo Nix against Jayden Daniels. Von Miller against the Broncos. A team from each conference that enters 2025 squarely hoping to leap from 2024 upstart to full-on Super Bowl contender. This is a terrific matchup and it got Sunday Night Football billing because of it. Hopefully, it matches the hype even after Thanksgiving’s passed.
Prediction: Commanders 27, Broncos 20
WEEK 14
AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
2:05 p.m., Dec. 7, CBS
You know what would be fun? If an offensive rookie of the year campaign was brewing between the three AFC West running backs — Harvey in Denver, Jeanty in Las Vegas and Omarion Hampton in L.A. This game could pit two of them against each other to kick off December. Oh, and Bowers could be an offensive player of the year threat playing with a competent quarterback. Also, there’s going to be a Wil Lutz walk-off attempt somewhere along the way. Maybe this is it.
Prediction: Broncos 24, Raiders 23
WEEK 15
GREEN BAY PACKERS
2:25 p.m., Dec. 14, CBS
The Broncos and the Packers enter 2025 in pretty similar positions. They both view themselves as contenders despite coming off third-place finishes in their divisions. They also happen to play in the two toughest divisions in the NFL. So, will this end up being a game that draws thoughts like, “Well, it’s not impossible they meet again in February?” Or will it end up being a tale of one or both seasons being on the line? In this one, Brandon McManus misses from 55 at the buzzer and Payton gives an extra big fist-pump.
Prediction: Broncos 21, Packers 20
WEEK 16
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
2:05 p.m., Dec. 21, FOX
Imagine Travis Hunter, reigning Heisman Trophy winner and former Colorado star, covering Courtland Sutton for part of the game and trying to get open against Pat Surtain II at other times. We can only hope. Hunter drew rave reviews from Surtain and many others over the course of last fall. Game recognize game. As far as the actual game, Payton’s team can’t be losing this one and expect to get where it wants to go.
Prediction: Broncos 31, Jaguars 17
WEEK 17
AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
6:15 p.m., Dec. 25 (Thursday Night Football), Prime Video
The boom-or-bust potential here is massive. Christmas Night. Standalone game. The big, bad wolves of the division against the team whose coach essentially said they’d have whooped Kansas City if they’d met in the divisional round last year. So, is this a division title game? Or is it a dud? Somewhere in between’s fine, too. At the end, it’ll be a surprise if there’s not some level of stakes here.
Prediction: Chiefs 23, Broncos 16
WEEK 18
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
TBD, Jan. 3 or 4
Win and in? Seeding on the line? Two seasons gone horribly awry? Finishing the season with Kansas City and the Chargers is a clear sign from the league schedulers that they expect a dogfight in the AFC West. It’d be fun if that were the case when the calendar turns to 2026. We can all remember this prediction right here when Jahdae Barron’s covering Ladd McConkey on a decisive fourth-quarter red zone snap in … well, four short months.
Prediction: Broncos 24, Chargers 20
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