Broncos' History Hints at Future Outcome vs. Raiders in Week 1

The Denver Broncos' full 2023 regular-season schedule dropped on Thursday, and while it features a fair number of tough matchups, the order of each game is relatively fortuitous. Seven games will be against teams that made the playoffs last year, including the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs (twice), Los Angeles Chargers (twice), Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings.

Fortunately, the Broncos will face only one of those playoff teams in the first four frames (Miami/Week 3). The first quarter of the season is quite forgiving, giving Denver a real chance to hit the ground running, stack some early wins, and build confidence.

Obviously, one big key to any NFL team's success is starting a season out on the right foot with a Week 1 victory. However, in order for the Broncos to pull it off, they'll have to get the Las Vegas Raiders monkey off their back. The Raiders are Denver's most bitter division rival, and they currently own a six-game winning streak over the Broncos.

The Broncos haven't defeated the Raiders since 2019 — Drew Lock's rookie season. Jon Gruden seemingly had Denver's number, and Josh McDaniels picked up right where he left off, sweeping the team he coached from 2009-10 in his first year as head coach in Vegas. That hurt.

You can believe that Sean Payton and company will be licking their chops at the opportunity to snap that streak and begin rebalancing the AFC West scales of power. There is a historical precedent that could be a harbinger of how the next Broncos-Raiders throwdown shakes out, though.

Denver happens to have a stalwart record in season-openers. In fact, the Broncos have the NFL's best winning percentage (.656) in season-openers. When it comes to season-openers at home, the Broncos have won four of their last five.

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This is far from a guarantee that the Broncos will defeat the Raiders in Week 1 of the 2023 regular season, but you have to like their odds. Denver has been energized by Payton's hiring, who has reshaped the roster in his image.

Meanwhile, the Raiders have undergone some serious changes since last they met Denver. Gone is quarterback Derek Carr (to New Orleans), and in his place is Jimmy Garoppolo. 'Jimmy G' reunites with McDaniels, the offensive coordinator who was part of the New England Patriots regime that drafted him back in 2014.

Garoppolo has some serious playoff experience, but it remains to be seen how he'll fare outside the bolstering embrace of Kyle Shanahan. Time will tell.

For now, Broncos Country should feel optimistic about how the stars are aligning for Denver's Week 1 matchup with Las Vegas. With the seven games against playoff opponents, and four matchups on primetime, Payton will get the chance to reintroduce a competitively-relevant Broncos to a national audience.

But in order for Denver to hit the ground running in 2023, this ignominious losing streak to the Raiders, which, alas, pales in comparison to the 13-game skid vs. the Chiefs, has to come to an end.

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