5 Games to Circle on Broncos' 2020 Regular-Season Schedule

With a little time for the dust to settle since the NFL revealed the 2020 regular season, I've had time to marinate on the slate of games the Denver Broncos will face this fall.

As a team that placed second in the AFC West last year, the Broncos will face the 12th-hardest schedule in 2020. In each of the last three seasons, the Broncos have improved upon the previous year's finish by one game.

Obviously, for this team to meet expectations, Denver will have to do better than that in 2020. No one is writing home about an 8-8 season.

Now that the Broncos have emerged from their four-year wandering in QB desert, this team fills confident that it can once again compete. Drew Lock, to quote John Elway, has given the GM something to "build around" and on paper, the roster the Broncos have constructed is teeming with talent.

With the schedule now laid out, which games should fans look forward to most in 2020? Are there any fixtures imbued with more meaning than others?

Here are the five games to circle on the Broncos' 2020 schedule.

Week 1 vs. Tennessee Titans

This isn't an important game strictly based on the fact that it's the season-opener but also because of what it could mean for the AFC playoff picture come January. Last year, the Titans were a Wildcard team that pushed all the way to the AFC title game before running out of luck.

No matter how optimistic one is, the likelihood of the Broncos unseating the Chiefs as Division champs is slim, which means the Wildcard formula takes on additional meaning. There's a good chance the Titans will also be in the Wildcard hunt so defeating them early would help down the road, and would also give the Broncos some real momentum out of the gate.

Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It might be with a different club but any time Tom Brady comes to the Mile High City, it's a fixture to circle with special significance. In this case, gone are the Conference implications. Instead, this matchup will serve as a great measuring stick for the Lock-led offense.

Can Lock and company keep pace with Brady and Rob Gronkowski in the Bruce Arians offense? Arians' scheme can be explosive with the right triggerman so there's a chance Lock will have to come ready to sling that gun on his right shoulder.

As a young QB entering his first full season as an NFL starter, going head-to-head with arguably the greatest of all-time is one heck of way to measure one's standing in the scheme of things.

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Week 7 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Considering the Broncos haven't defeated the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season, asking or expecting them to sweep the defending World Champions is a bridge too far. However, splitting with the Chiefs would be the most feasible way to showcase that indeed, the Broncos have bounced off the bottom and are trending with upward momentum.

If the Broncos are to split with the Chiefs, that home game in Week 7 will be their best opportunity to do so. Although a Chiefs squad mostly led by backup QB Matt Moore trucked the Broncos at Mile High last year, the season prior Denver was one sailed Case Keenum pass to Demaryius Thomas down the right sideline away from victory.

Like the Bucs, if the Broncos are to finally beat the Chiefs and begin balancing the AFC West scales, Lock will have to fight fire with fire and find a way to keep pace with Patrick Mahomes and the explosive Kansas City offense.

Week 10 at Las Vegas Raiders

This matchup will represent the Broncos first trip to Allegiant Stadium to face off with the Raiders in Las Vegas. I happen to believe that Jon Gruden and company could be one of the surprise teams of 2020 and if that's the case, similarly to the Titans season-opener, the Broncos will have to take care of their business to earn the Wildcard advantage later in the season.

As one of the NFL's most storied rivalries all-time, it's also a game worth noting because of its historical significance. The symbolism of defeating the Raiders in their first head-to-head matchup in Vegas would be saccharine-sweet for the Broncos.

Week 15 vs. Buffalo Bills

With Brady out of the AFC East, it makes sense that Josh Allen and the Bills would be the favorites to win the Division in 2020. As a Wildcard team last season, the Bills have real momentum and added some impressive pieces this offseason.

Don't completely count out Bill Belichick and the Patriots as threats to win the AFC East, and as such, this Bills game takes on Wildcard implications for the Broncos. If Lock and company want to establish a bulletproof case for the playoffs as unlikely candidates to win the AFC West, handling their Wildcard-caliber opponents is a must.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.