Week 1: Denver-20 Tennessee-12: I was worried about the high expectations that Denver was getting in the preseason leading up to this Week 1 game against the Titans. Everyone was expecting an easy Broncos win to start the year. It wasn't easy at all. A sloppy game by Bo Nix made this a lot closer than expected, but Denver won the game-which is all that matters. A win is a win and it was nice to start the year 1-0.
Week 2: Indianapolis-29 Denver 28: This game really bothered me. The Broncos had a lot of chances to put the game away in the second half, secure a road win, and they just couldn't do it. They made too mistakes and basically gave the game away to the Colts. The worst part was watching Indy miss a 60 yard field goal on the last play of the game only to have Denver get called for a penalty for a lineman using leverage to try and block the field goal. Indy made the 45 yarder with no time left and won the game. This game really bothered me because I was worried that it would come back and bite Denver down the road. The Broncos were 1-1 but should have been 2-0
Week 3: LA Chargers-23 Denver-20: This game was just as frustrating as the Indy game. Denver again had a lot of chances in the second half to put the game away, but couldn't do it. Justin Herbert was amazing in the 4th quarter and pulled the game out. At 1-2, I wasn't freaking out and there was a lot of football ahead, but I was just pissed at how Denver blew back-to-back road games. They should have been 3-0
Week 4: Denver-28 Cincinnati-3: The Broncos caught a break for this Monday Night Football game at home against the Bengals. Joe Burrow got hurt in Week 2, so they had Jake Browning, coming off an awful loss the week before, coming to Denver for this MNF game. I felt good about the game and Denver's defense eased my nerves as they teed off on Browning all night long. This wasn't a stressful game, and Denver was in control for most of the game. It was nice to get to 2-2, but I knew there would be tougher tests ahead.
Week 5: Denver-21 Philadelphia-17: All week I felt confident the Broncos were going to play well in this game- even though it was in Philly. The Eagles were 4-0 but didn't look great in those games. Denver should have been 4-0 instead of 2-2. Down 17-3 going into the 4th quarter, Denver stormed back and won the game 21-17. This was the game that really made me believe in this team and in Bo Nix. He rallied the Broncos in the 4th quarter and had his signature win of his career. I was so happy and proud of the Broncos after they won this game. At 3-2, I felt Denver really had something brewing.
Week 6: Denver-13 NY Jets-11: I hate the London Games, and I hated the fact that Denver was in this one against the Jets. You never know what you are going to get in these London games, so this game made me nervous. It was an ugly game, but I remember thinking that the Broncos just had to get out of there with a win, and that is what they did. It didn't matter how, but just get back to Denver at 4-2.
Week 7: Denver- 33 NY Giants-32: This was the craziest game of the year. Denver looked slow and out of sorts coming back from the London win over the Jets and not having a bye after that game. The Giants looked sharp and took a commanding 19-0 lead going into the 4th quarter. I took my dog for a walk when Denver was down 19-0 and I was so pissed. 5-2 seemed so much better than 4-3. That 4th quarter will go down as the greatest 4th quarter in Broncos history. Bo Nix rallied his team once again and pulled off one of the greatest regular season wins in my lifetime. It made me feel like something special was happening with this team.
Week 8: Denver-44 Dallas-24: The was an ass-whipping at home for the Broncos. Dallas was coming into the game playing very well, and Denver was a slight favorite. The Broncos just handed it to the Cowboys with their best performance of the year for the offense and Bo Nix. This was just a great game from start to finish, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The Broncos were 6-2 and it was their best record after 8 games since 2016. I felt at this point that the AFC West was definitely in play for the Broncos this season.
Week 9: Denver-18 Houston-15: This was a game that I thought Denver was going to lose. The Texans were playing better after a 0-3 start, their defense was one of the best in the NFL, and this was a road game in the early window for the Broncos. That all added up to a loss. I really was convinced they were losing this game, but somehow they found a way to pull it out. Bo Nix once again used his 4th quarter magic and Denver won on a late field goal 18-15. They were now 7-2 and I was wondering when they were going to lose a game again. The vibes were really good after this one.
Week 10: Denver-10 Las Vegas-7: This was another ugly win in a similar fashion to the Jets game in London. It was a Thursday night game in Denver, and the Broncos were big favorites over the dismal Raiders, but Denver's offense just couldn't get it going. They did what they had to do to win a very ugly game, and I remember thinking to myself that no matter what the game looked like it didn't matter because they won. The Broncos were 8-2 and that's that mattered to me.
Week 11: Denver-22 Kansas City-19: The Broncos proved a lot of people wrong in this game in Denver against the Chiefs. KC was 5-4 and in the playoff picture at this point of the season. Denver was 8-2 and everyone was shitting on them for how they played against the Raiders. Most people picked the Chiefs to win this game, but I was confident that Denver would play well. I was so excited for this game. This game was the first time that Patrick Mahomes didn't scare me in a game against the Broncos. The Broncos defense played great and Bo Nix made plays again down the stretch to win it late. At 9-2, I started thinking not only about the AFC West crown but also the #1 seed in the AFC. It felt like a changing of the guard moment in the AFC West.
Week 12: Bye Week: I felt really good about the Broncos at the bye week. The Broncos were 9-2 and atop the AFC West. It was a good week to relax and reflect about how great this season was in Denver.
Week 13: Denver-27 Washington-26: This will always be a special game for me. I got tickets to this game for me and my two sons. We got great seats for really cheap, and we got a nice little hotel not far from the stadium. We got to Landover on Sunday morning, tailgated in the parking lot before the game, went in to watch warmups, and just soaked in the atmosphere. There were so many Broncos fans there. It was such a cool experience. The crowd was great and we stood the whole game. The game was great too. Denver pulls out the 27-26 OT win with Nik Bonitto knocking down a two-point conversion pass to win the game. I was so happy the Broncos won and were now 10-2. I didn't want to go to this game and watch them lose-even though it wouldn't have killed our season. Special game and special moment for me and my family.
Week 14: Denver-24 Las Vegas-17: The Broncos were in control of this game throughout. There was never a doubt in my mind about this game. This game was 24-7 with like 3 minutes to go. Denver took care of business and even as a fan you could tell. It was about as ho-hum of a game all year for the Broncos on their way to 11-2.
Week 15: Denver 34 Green Bay 26: This was another signature game of the year for the Broncos. The Packers came in at 9-3-1, and one of the top NFC contenders. Everyone was picking Green Bay to win this game. The game had a playoff feel to it. The Broncos crowd was into the game early on, and it just felt like a huge game. Even when the Broncos fell behind, I still had confidence they would come back and they did. This was probably Bo Nix's best game of the year and he threw four TDs to lead Denver to the win. Patrick Surtain made the defensive play of the year when he intercepted Jordan Love on a play that turned the tide in the second half. Just a great game and great performance, and it really made me believe that this team could go on and get to the Super Bowl this year.
Week 16: Jacksonville-34 Denver-20: The Jaguars came in red-hot and came to Denver and whipped the. Broncos. It was 17-17 in the third quarter, but Jacksonville took over from there and was the better team down the stretch. I had a feeling that Denver would have a tough time in this game, and I had a feeling they could finally lose a game since September. I was bummed about the loss, but the Broncos were still 12-3 and in control of their own destiny for the AFC West title and even homefield advantage.
Week 17: Denver-20 Kansas City-13: The Broncos went into Arrowhead and beat the Chiefs on Christmas night, who were without the injured Patrick Mahomes. KC was already eliminated from playoff contention, so the Broncos took advantage of that. This game was similar to the Raiders game a few weeks earlier. Denver did what it had to do to get the win and move on. It was still nice to see Denver win in Arrowhead for the first time since 2015 and it was nice way to end Christmas and head into the final week of the season at 13-3
Week 18: Denver-19 LA Chargers-3: Denver clinched the AFC West when the Chargers lost to Houston in Week 17, so Denver was playing for homefield advantage and the #1 seed, while the Chargers were resting a bunch of starters with their wild card spot locked in. This game was an interesting one because once again it looked like Denver was just doing what they needed to get by on offense. The defense feasted on the Chargers without Justin Herbert and it was nice to clinch the #1 overall seed in the AFC at home in Denver. It was a special game, and I just couldn't believe this Broncos team finished 14-3, won the AFC West, and will host their first playoff game since 2015.
AFC Divisional Playoff: Denver-33 Buffalo-30: This is a classic that Broncos fans will watch on replay and certainly all offseason. I just remember how nervous I was about the facing the Bills and the buildup all week going into that game. I remember how I analyzed it from every angle. One day, I was convinced the Broncos would win. Another day, I was convinced the Bills would win. The hype was so exciting leading up the game on that Saturday. The game was a classic and I went through every range of emotions. I lost my voice by the end of it, and I'll never forget celebrating with my family at the end. Obviously, everything changed when we found out after the game that Bo Nix would be out for the rest of the playoffs with the ankle injury, but nothing will ever take away the joy of watching that game seeing Denver knock off the Bills and advance to the AFC Championship Game.
AFC Championship Game: New England-10 Denver-7: There's nothing really to say about this. I don't think I'll ever re-watch this game or watch the highlights of it again. Bo Nix's injury changed the whole outlook of the game. If Nix plays, then Denver wins. The 4th and 1, Jarret Stidham's fumble, and the blizzard in the second half all contributed to the Broncos losing. It was a crappy way to go out after such an amazing season.
