Broncos' Schedule: NFL.com Reveals 3 Big Takeaways

The Denver Broncos 2023 regular-season schedule dropped on Thursday night. There are several matchups that Broncos Country has to look forward to and a few storylines, including the return of a former head coach.

NFL.com pinpointed the three biggest takeaways from Denver's upcoming schedule. Here’s what they had to say about the Broncos 2023 roadmap.

The return of Nathaniel Hackett.
Great chance to start fast.
Double dose of defending champs.

The season before the season.

Our 2023 preseason schedule » https://t.co/auE7ztw6mw pic.twitter.com/h9qREx4jzu
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 12, 2023

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Just in case Broncos Country missed seeing their former head coach, Hackett is returning to Denver for a Mile High showdown. His astronomical failure as the Broncos leader in 2022 will likely stick with fans for decades, but Russell Wilson and company have a chance to stick it to Hackett and prove that he was the reason for Wilson’s decline.

Aaron Rodgers will be Hackett's quarterback this year, and their chemistry working together could give the New York Jets positive results early. Rodgers burned the Broncos by sticking with the Green Bay Packers for another season, triggering the butterfly effect for the Wilson trade.

The fabric of the 2022 season may have been woven differently with Rodgers in Denver, but the quilt for last season is finished, and the Broncos will have to thread the needle and weave their path against a tough New York squad.

It's crucial to how fast Payton and the Broncos get their operation in order. Starting at home against the Las Vegas Raiders gives this Denver squad a chance to snap a four-game losing streak and hit the ground running in the first month. Vegas has a new quarterback in town, Jimmy Garoppolo, who the Broncos' defense demolished last year.

Look for the Broncos to do the same against an underwhelming Raiders team. The Washington Commanders are a team that could be picking first overall in the 2024 draft. Sam Howell will lead the Commanders as a second-year quarterback with only one game under his belt. This is a game that Denver's defense should absolutely take over.

The Broncos' first big challenge comes in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins. Mike McDaniel lead a 9-8 team to the playoffs in his first year with three different quarterbacks. Miami’s track team of wide receivers could give Vance Joseph and the Denver defense nightmares. McDaniel also sprouted from the Kyle Shanahan tree, which bears creative offenses. An exciting matchup, indeed.

Finishing out the month, the Broncos travel to Soldier Field. Justin Fields has improved as an NFL quarterback but still needs to take a big step to be a viable threat outside the running game. Time will tell if Denver can contain Fields, and his lightning-fast speed could determine the game's outcome. Getting off to a hot start in the first month can make or break the entire season. 3-1 would be a fantastic start for the new regime.

You can’t discuss the Broncos' schedule without mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs. 15 games in a row, Denver has lost to the uber-dominant Chiefs, but this year brings a new challenge. The Broncos will have to play Kansas City twice in three weeks, the first of which comes in Week 6 on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

A short week to prepare for the reigning Super Bowl champions is daunting, especially after playing a very physical Jets team the week before. The second meeting is at Mile High, where the Broncos may have their best chance to break the ugliest streak in recent memory.

Sean Payton was brought in to lift Denver out of obscurity, and the best way to do that is to snap the streak against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

It won’t be long before Broncos Country sees their beloved team's new direction. The path Sean Payton and Wilson paved this coming season could shape the Broncos organization for the next decade, back to winning and back to the Mile High Magic.

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