Schedule release: Broncos, coach Payton open season at home vs. rival Raiders

ENGLEWOOD — The hype reached a crescendo with the release of last year's schedule. The Broncos could not step outside their facility without wandering into a spotlight following the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson.

They lived in stand alone games.

A year later, everything is different. The Broncos ran the risk of being left "Home Alone" after dissolving before the country's eyes in 2022 with a series of retina-burning performances.

New coach Sean Payton pulled the emergency brake on the hype train, but the league's fascination with Denver's new boss after his one-year sabbatical remains.

Aiming to end their streak of six-straight losing seasons and seven years without a playoff berth, the Broncos open the season against the Raiders and face the Chiefs, Bills, Vikings and Patriots in prime time in 2023, a schedule released with annual hilarity by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

Denver will not play on a holiday this year, and their bye comes in Week 9, the halfway point all things considered.

The Broncos have been working away from prying eyes and social media platforms this offseason, a Super Bowl champion coach working to change the culture and the results.

The 2023 schedule presents challenges and intriguing opportunities for a team desperate for a U-turn.

The Sean Payton era begins against the Raiders. This sounds like a win — has for years — until you consider that Las Vegas owns a six-game winning streak against Denver and has won eight of nine overall. The Broncos will face former coach Josh McDaniels, who swept them last year, and new starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the Broncos to return to relevancy, it requires significant improvement in the AFC West, where they have posted a 6-18 record over their last 24 games.

No team has given the Broncos more fits than the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City boasts a 15-game winning streak vs. Denver, which hasn't beaten its rival since Manning was the quarterback. They face the Chiefs on Thursday night on the road on Oct. 12 — last year the NFL flexed out of the Broncos and Chiefs in Week 17 because of Denver's cascade of failures. The Broncos will know by the halfway point how they measure up because they host Kansas City two weeks later at home, leaving half of their AFC West schedule a wrap before Halloween.

If there's any consolation, Wilson, during the worst season of his career, played arguably his best games a year ago against Kansas City, posting four passing and two rushing touchdowns.

An intriguing matchup arrives on Nov. 13 as the Broncos travel to Buffalo for a Monday Night clash when the weather starts to get interesting and the crowd will be rowdy. The Bills have had their way with Denver in recent years, a fact that creates angst among Broncos fans still bitter that the team drafted outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, since traded, instead of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen in 2018.

The Broncos welcome the Vikings in Sunday Night prime time in November. The Vikings held the best record in one-score games last season, while the Broncos were the worst.

Most Las Vegas sportsbooks predict the Broncos will win somewhere between eight and nine games. That means, as a bubble team, they need to triumph in tiebreaker home contests in the AFC against the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. The Jets face the Broncos on Oct. 8, featuring Aaron Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, the pair arriving in Denver a year too late for many.

The Broncos play the entire NFC North this season, including the upstart Lions in Week 15.

The Broncos finish their season in their division, hosting the Chargers, who hired new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for star quarterback Justin Herbert, and traveling to Las Vegas.

BRONCOS 2023 SCHEDULE
Week 1 Sept. 10 Raiders at Broncos, 2:25 p.m.
Week 2 Sept. 17 Commanders at Broncos, 2:25 p.m.
Week 3 Sept. 24 Broncos at Dolphins, 11 a.m.
Week 4 Oct. 1 Broncos at Bears, 11 a.m.
Week 5 Oct. 8 Jets at Broncos, 2:25 p.m.
Week 6 Oct. 12 Broncos at Chiefs, Thursday Night Football, 6:`15 p.m.
Week 7 Oct. 22 Packers at Broncos, 2:25 p.m.
Week 8 Oct. 29 Chiefs at Broncos, 2:25 p.m.
Week 9 Nov. 5 Bye
Week 10 Nov. 13 Broncos at Bills, Monday Night Football, 6:15 p.m.
Week 11 Nov. 19 Vikings at Broncos, Sunday Night Football, 6:20 p.m.
Week 12 Nov. 26 Browns at Broncos, 2:05 p.m.
Week 13 Dec. 3 Broncos at Texans, 2:05 p.m.,
Week 14 Dec. 10 Broncos at Chargers, 2:25 p.m.
Week 15 Dec. 16/17 Broncos at Lions, TBD
Week 16 Dec. 24 Patriots at Broncos, 6:15 p.m., Sunday Night Football
Week 17 Dec. 31 Chargers at Broncos, 2:25 p.m.
Week 18 Jan. 6/7 Broncos at Raiders, TBD

BRONCOS 2023 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Aug. 10-12 at Arizona
Aug. 17-19 at 49ers
Aug. 26 Los Angeles Rams 7 p.m.