The Broncos have a chance to steady themselves over the next month, and the path in front of them is pretty clear: win the games they should, split the ones that can swing either way, and head into the bye with some real breathing room.
Denver is 2-2 again, making it three straight years the team has sat at .500 through four games. That’s not exactly new territory for this group.
The encouraging part is what happened after those starts in 2024 and 2025. Last year, the Broncos went 8-5 the rest of the way.
In 2025, they ripped off a 12-1 finish.
If that kind of surge happens again, Denver could be looking at 10 wins across the final 13 games. But that’s the big if. The offense has to clean itself up, because if it keeps playing like it has over the first month, the Broncos won’t be in the playoff conversation at all.
The next five games, with the bye waiting in Week 10, will tell a lot about where this team is headed.
Week 5 sends Denver to Los Angeles to face the Chargers, and this matchup looks a lot different than it did not long ago. The Chargers are 0-4, and there’s a real chance they won’t have Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt, Derwin James, or Ladd McConkey in the lineup. That’s before even getting into the other injuries they’re carrying.
It’s not just the health situation, either. The roster was shaky to begin with, and the fit with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has not been there.
Yes, it’s a divisional game, and those always carry some chaos, but this is one of the weakest teams in football right now. Denver should handle this one.
Prediction: Broncos win 24-16 (3-2)
Week 6 brings a short turnaround and a home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. That matters, because the Broncos have already shown they can survive at home in tight spots. They beat Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Rams at home with second-half comebacks, and Sam Darnold does not feel like a tougher challenge than Trevor Lawrence or Matthew Stafford.
There are concerns for Denver here, though. The run game could be a problem because of backfield injuries, and the loss of Kenneth Walker III in free agency is part of that picture.
On the other side, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the player that really forces the issue. He’s the one who could give Denver’s secondary headaches.
Still, the Broncos get this one at home. The bigger issue is whether Seattle’s punishing defensive line can overwhelm a Denver offensive line that has regressed this year.
Week 7 is a trip to Arizona, and this is the kind of game Denver needs to take care of if it wants that 6-3 look before the bye. The Cardinals have some intriguing offensive pieces in Michael Wilson, Jeremiyah Love, and Trey McBride, but the quarterback play has been rough and the defense is simply not good enough.
There’s also the coaching factor. Mike LaFleur’s staff is in its first year together, and the Cardinals are in the middle of a rebuild. Denver should have the edge in both roster quality and experience.
Prediction: Broncos win 27-17 (4-3)
Then comes Week 8 and the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that has a different feel to it entirely. The Broncos have beaten the Chiefs at home each year of the Sean Payton era, and there’s no reason that streak can’t continue.
This one could look and feel like a playoff game, the way last year’s matchup in Denver did. The biggest task for Denver will be finding a way to slow down Walker, who has been the MVP of the league this year. Beyond him, Kansas City does not have the kind of overwhelming offensive talent that changes the entire game plan.
That points toward another tight one. Broncos-Chiefs games in the Bo Nix-Payton era have usually leaned low-scoring and competitive, and this one should fit that mold. Denver has already found the formula for beating Kansas City at home, and that gives them a real shot again.
Prediction: Broncos win 20-19 (5-3)
Week 9 takes Denver to Carolina, where the Panthers bring a good offense, a bad defense, and enough energy to make this one interesting. Bryce Young has been excellent, but he has also done most of that damage against shaky defenses. Carolina’s offensive line is also banged up, and that could open the door for Denver’s pass rush if that remains the case on November 8.
The Broncos should have the edge in both coaching and roster strength. Carolina did win the division last year and started fast offensively, but the bigger sample says otherwise. The Panthers are just 10-11 since the start of 2025, and that’s the kind of mark that puts them in the middle class, not the top tier.
Denver should be able to avoid a shootout, take control, and get to the bye at 6-3.
In Other News...
Broncos Finally Get A Chance To Fix Whats Holding This Offense Back
The Broncos have spent the early part of the season fighting for answers on offense, and now they get a chance to make some progress against a Chargers team dealing with plenty of its own problems. Los Angeles is still looking for its first win, and the issues around Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels system have made that side of the matchup far from clean. For Denver, it is the kind of opponent that can either provide a reset or expose how much work still remains.
After a stretch against stronger competition, the Broncos should see this as an opportunity to finally settle some of the things that have held the offense back. But a winless team can be a dangerous one if it is treated like a soft landing spot, especially in the AFC West where little margin exists for careless football. Denver does not just need the result, it needs proof that the offense can take advantage when the matchup is there. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Mims' Costly Mistake Has Broncos Fans Asking About Accountability
Marvin Mims spent the aftermath of a rough outing doing what players are supposed to do after a mistake, even if the admission was uncomfortable. The Broncos wide receiver said he did not go back and review the film on the play where he fumbled, and he went so far as to call it possibly his worst NFL game. For a Denver offense still trying to find cleaner execution, the moment landed as another reminder of how thin the margin can be when a key touch turns into a turnover.
The larger conversation around accountability did not stop with Mims, either. Former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw took aim at Sean Payton after the game, and Payton did not push back in his postgame availability, instead responding positively to Greenlaws comments. Meanwhile, across the division, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak was already talking about changing the approach around Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington, a sign that coaches on both sidelines are feeling the pressure to fix problems before they harden. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Need One Eagles Move Before The Trade Market Shifts
Philadelphias roster has already started to look different in the wake of the Cam Jurgens trade, and that kind of movement can reshape the market before the rest of the league catches up. The Eagles are dealing with a changing front as well, with Lane Johnson retired and the club sitting at 2-2, which makes any evaluation of their veteran talent more interesting for teams watching for an opening.
From Denvers side, the name worth tracking is Zack Baun, the inside linebacker who has recently earned both Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition. His contract is considered movable, and if the Eagles decide to keep adjusting their roster, the Broncos could make sense as a team ready to act before trade talks around the league shift into a more crowded market. [Read more 🡒]