2023 Broncos Schedule

 Here is the 2023 Broncos schedule with some analysis and breakdown....

WEEK 1- Sunday 9/10/23: Las Vegas- 4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 2-Sunday 9/17/23: Washington-4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 3-Sunday 9/24/23: @ Miami-1:00pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 4-Sunday 10/1/23: @Chicago-1:00pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 5-Sunday 10/8/23: NY Jets- 4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 6-Thursday 10/12/23: @Kansas City- 8:15pm EST (Amazon Prime)

WEEK 7-Sunday 10/22/23: Green Bay- 4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 8-Sunday 10/29/23: Kansas City-4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 9- BYE WEEK

WEEK 10-Monday 11/13/23: @Buffalo-8:15pm EST (ESPN)

WEEK 11-Sunday 11/19/23: Minnesota-8:20pm EST (NBC)

WEEK 12-Sunday 11/26/23: Cleveland-4:05pm EST (FOX)

WEEK 13-Sunday 12/3/23: @Houston-4:05pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 14-Sunday 12/10/23: @LA Chargers-4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 15-Sunday 12/17/23: @Detroit- TBD (Game could be flexed to Saturday 12/16)

WEEK 16-Sunday 12/24/23: New England-8:15pm EST (NFL Network)

WEEK 17-Sunday 12/31/23: LA Chargers-4:25pm EST (CBS)

WEEK 18-Sunday 1/7/24: @Las Vegas-TBD 

-I like having the first two games of the Sean Payton era at home. Those are two winnable games (Raiders and Commanders) and to get off to a 2-0 start will be helpful for this team. 

-The back-to-back road games will be tough in Weeks 3 and 4. Miami will be hot and humid that time of the year, and then the Bronco come back from Florida and travel the next week to Chicago. That will be a challenging two weeks.

-Weeks 5-10 will be challenging because the Broncos play the Jets, Chiefs twice, and Buffalo in that span. Those are four really tough games in that spot. I think Denver going to Arrowhead to play the Chiefs on TNF is a tough spot and going to Buffalo on a Monday night will be daunting as well.

-The Broncos get the dreaded three straight road games in Weeks 13-16. They are going to have to win 2 out of those 3 games-especially at that time of the year-which won't be tough with Houston, Chargers, and Detroit. I actually hope the Lions game gets flexed to Saturday December 16th. 

-I like the fact that the Broncos are hosting the Patriots on Christmas Eve, but I hate the fact that it is at 8:15pm EST. Christmas Eve is an impossible spot for me to truly watch and pay attention to this game.

-I'm good with the New Year's Eve game-especially since it is at 4:25pm. That works for me.

-The big advantage for the Broncos and this schedule is that 5 out of the first 8 games are at home. If you count the bye week in Week 9, Denver is only traveling for 3 out of the first 9 weeks of the season. That means that in September and October, they only travel for a road game 3 times, and have the mini-bye after the KC TNF game. To take it a step further, Denver has home games for 7 out of the first 11 games and don't have to travel only 4 times during the first 12 weeks, or 3 months of the season.  

Broncos 2023 Draft Class

 The Broncos only had five picks going into the 2023 NFL Draft, and they had no picks in the 1st and 2nd round due to the Russell Wilson trade and Sean Payton acquisition. The Broncos ended up making five picks but they maneuvered their way around and ending up trading into the second round. Here are their picks for the 2023 Draft and some analysis for each one...

-2nd Round (#63 overall):Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma: Mims is a burner and speed guy who can stretch the defense and provide a deep threat to open up other elements of the passing game. He can also return punts and kicks. His selection puts KJ Hamler and Montrell Washington's status on this roster in serious jeopardy.

-3rd Round (#67 overall): Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas: Sanders was mocked to go in the late 1st round in a lot of the projections, so to get him here is a great value. Sanders can play ILB, but he also can rush the passer, so he could be a very valuable player on the Broncos defense. He will also play special teams and play a role in improving that part of the team.

-3rd Round (#83 overall): Riley Moss, CB, Iowa: Moss was a highly productive player on Iowa's defense the last few years, and he fits a role in Denver's defense. You can never have enough CBs, and there is a chance he can play Safety too. Moss figures to play a role on special teams as well. He should be able to contribute in his first year as a Bronco.

-6th Round (#183 overall): JL Skinner, S, Boise State: Skinner is a depth player added to the secondary. He will also be asked to contribute on special teams as well. He will probably be a fringe player as far as making the main roster or practice squad, but if he does well in training camp and preseason, then he can contribute in those areas on the active roster. 

-7th Round (#257 overall): Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon: Forsyth could provide depth as a backup Center this year if he makes the 53-man roster. If he doesn't, he will be a practice squad candidate. 

2023 NFL Mock Draft

 Here it is....my 2023 NFL Mock Draft....

1) Carolina Panthers select Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2) Houston Texans select Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

3) TRADE- Arizona Cardinals trade with Las Vegas Raiders (Arizona gets Las Vegas 1st round pick, 7th overall, Las Vegas 2nd round pick, 38 overall, and a 2024 2nd round pick)

Las Vegas Raiders select C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

4) Indianapolis Colts select Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

5) Seattle Seahawks select Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

6) Detroit Lions select Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

7) Arizona Cardinals select Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia

8) TRADE-Atlanta Falcons trade with Minnesota Vikings (Atlanta gets Minnesota's 1st round pick, 23rd overall, Minnesota's 3rd round pick, 87th overall, and Minnesota's 5th round pick, 119th overall) 

Minnesota Vikings select Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

9) Chicago Bears select Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern

10) Philadelphia Eagles select Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

11) Tennessee Titans select Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

12) Houston Texans select Jaxson Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

13) Green Bay Packers select Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

14) New England Patriots select Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

15) New York Jets select Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

16) Washington Commanders select Broderick Jones, OT Georgia

17) Pittsburgh Steelers select Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

18) Detroit Lions select Steve Avila, G, TCU

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas 

20) Seattle Seahawks select Quentin Johnson, WR, TCU

21) Los Angeles Chargers select Jordan Addison, WR, USC

22) Baltimore Ravens select O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

23) Atlanta Falcons select Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

24) Jacksonville Jaguars select Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

25) New York Giants select Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

26) Dallas Cowboys select Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

27) Buffalo Bills select Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas

28) Cincinnati Bengals select Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

29) New Orleans Saints select Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson

30) TRADE-Philadelphia Eagles trade with Miami Dolphins (Philly gets Miami's 2nd round pick, 51st overall, and Miami's 2024 2nd round pick)

Miami Dolphins select Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

31) Kansas City Chiefs select Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma 

2023 NFL Draft Cheat Sheet-Offensive Rankings

 Quarterback

1) Bryce Young- Alabama

2) C.J. Stroud- Ohio State

3) Will Levis- Kentucky

4) Anthony Richardson- Florida

5) Hendon Hooker- Tennessee

6) Jake Haener- Fresno State

7) Aidan O'Connell- Purdue

8) Clayton Tune- Houston

9) Tanner McKee- Stanford

10) Jaren Hall- BYU

Running Back

1) Bijan Robinson- Texas

2) Jahmyr Gibbs- Alabama

3) Roschon Johnson- Texas

4) Devon Achane- Texas A&M

5) Tyjae Spears- Tulane

6) Zach Charbonnet- UCLA

7) Tank Bigsby- Auburn

8) Zach Evans- Ole Miss

9) Eric Gray- Oklahoma

10) Kendre Miller- TCU

Wide Receiver

1) Quentin Johnson- TCU

2) Jaxon Smith-Njigba- Ohio State

3) Zay Flowers- Boston College

4) Jordan Addison- USC

5) Josh Downs- North Carolina

6) Tyler Scott- Cincinnati 

7) Jalin Hyatt- Tennessee

8) Jayden Reed- Michigan State

9) Rashee Rice- SMU

10) Marvin Mims- Oklahoma

11) Cedric Tillman- Tennessee

12) Parker Washington- Penn State

13) Nathaniel Dell- Houston

14) A.T. Perry- Wake Forest

15) Kayshon Boutte- LSU

Tight End

1) Michael Mayer-Notre Dame

2) Dalton Kincaid- Utah

3) Darnell Washington-Georgia

4) Sam LaPorta-Iowa

5) Luke Musgrave-Oregon State

6) Tucker Kraft- South Dakota State

7) Will Mallory-Miami

8) Brenton Strange- Penn State

9) Zack Kuntz- Old Dominion

10) Luke Schoonmaker- Michigan 

Offensive Tackle

1) Peter Skonronski- Northwestern

2) Paris Johnson- Ohio State

3) Tyler Steen- Alabama

4) Jaelyn Duncan-Maryland

5) Darnell Wright- Tennessee

6) Broderick Jones-Georgia

7) Anton Harrison-Oklahoma

8) Nick Broeker- Ole Miss

9) Dawand Jones- Ohio State

10) Ryan Hayes- Michigan

Guard

1) O'Cyrus Torrence- Florida

2) Cody Mauch- North Dakota State

3) Steve Avila - TCU 

4) Joe Tippman- Wisconsin

5) Jarrett Patterson- Notre Dame

6) Emil Ekiyor- Alabama

7) Andrew Vorhees- USC

8) Braeden Daniels- Utah

9) McClendon Curtis-Chattanooga

10) K.T. Leveston- Kansas State

Center

1) Olusegan Oluwatimi- Michigan

2) John Michael Schmitz-Minnesota

3) Luke Wypler- Ohio State

4) Alex Forsyth-Oregon

5) Darrian Dalcourt- Alabama

2023 NFL Draft Cheat Sheet-Defensive Rankings

 Defensive Line

1) Jalen Carter- Georgia

2) Bryan Bresee- Clemson

3) Calijah Kancey- Pittsburgh

4) Adetomiwa Adebawore- Northwestern

5) Mazi Smith- Michigan

6) Gervon Dexter- Florida

7) Karl Brooks- Bowling Green

8) Moro Ojomo- Texas

9) Zacch Pickens- South Carolina

10) Tuli Tuipulotu-USC

Edge

1) Will Anderson- Alabama

2) Tyree Wilson- Texas Tech

3) Lukas Van Ness- Iowa

4) Nolan Smith- Georgia

5) Myles Murphy- Clemson

6) BJ Ojulari- LSU

7) Derick Hall- Auburn

8) Felix Anudike-Uzomah- Kansas State

9) Will McDonald- Iowa State

10) Andre Carter- Army 

11) Jalen Redmond- Oklahoma

12) Byron Young- Tennessee

13) Keion White- Georgia Tech

14) Isaiah Foskey- Notre Dame

15) Zach Harrison- Ohio State

Linebacker

1) Drew Sanders- Arkansas

2) Daiyan Henley- Washington State

3) Jack Campbell- Iowa

4) Trenton Simpson- Clemson

5) Dorian Williams- Tulane

6) Henry To'oto'o- Alabama

7) Noah Sewell-Oregon

8) Mike Jones- LSU

9) Owen Pappoe- Auburn

10) DeMarvion Overshown- Texas

Cornerback

1) Christian Gonzalez- Oregon

2) Devon Witherspoon- Illinois

3) Joey Porter Jr. Penn State

4) Cam Smith- South Carolina

5) Deonte Banks- Maryland

6) Kelee Ringo- Georgia

7) Emmanuel Forbes- Miss State

8) Jakorian Bennett-Maryland

9) Eli Ricks- Alabama

10) Julius Brents- Kansas State

11) DJ Turner- Michigan

12) Cory Trice- Purdue

13) Clark Phillips- Utah

14) Ji'Ayir Brown- Penn State

15) Darius Rush- South Carolina

Safety

1) Brian Branch- Alabama

2) JL Skinner- Boise State

3) Jartavius Martin- Illinois

4) Antonio Johnson- Texas A&M

5) Daniel Scott- Cal

6) Sydney Brown- Illinois

7) Marte Mapu- Sacramento State

8) Jordan Battle- Alabama

9) Kaevon Merriweather- Iowa

10) Brandon Joseph- Notre Dame

Broncos Make Major Moves in Free Agency

 The Broncos wasted no time and no money when they dove into the free agency market at the beginning of the new league year this week. The Broncos spent a lot of money to sign free agents and were very active. I know that winning free agency in March doesn't guarantee winning games in September, but at least the Broncos were aggressive and went out and improved the team. Here are the moves the Broncos made and some analysis for each one:

1) Broncos sign RT Mike McGlinchey (5 years $87.5 million -$50 million guaranteed): The Broncos needed to improve their offensive line and they did by adding McGlinchey. He is a road-grader and was a top offensive tackle for the 49ers the last few years. The Broncos have needed solid stability at the Right Tackle spot, and they think they have found one in McGlinchey.

2) Broncos sign G Ben Powers ( 4 years $51.5 million- $28.5 million guaranteed): The Broncos also needed to improve on the interior of their offensive line, and Powers was one of the top-rated Guards available. He was really good in Baltimore last year, and this is another move that improves the Broncos offensive line. 

3) Broncos sign DE Zach Allen (3 years $45.75 million- $32.5 million guaranteed): Instead of trying to sign Dremont Jones, the Broncos opted to sign Allen away from Arizona. He had similar production to Jones last year, and he is run-stuffer and can get after the QB. We will see if this turns out to be an upgrade over Jones. 

4) Broncos sign QB Jarrett Stidham (2 years $10 million- $5 million guaranteed): I had a feeling that Brett Rypien's days in Denver as the backup QB were going to be over, and Stidham comes over from the Raiders to back up Russell Wilson. If Stidham has to play due to a Wilson injury, there is some optimism that he can play well for a start or two. 

5) Broncos sign TE Chris Manhertz (2 years $6 million-$3.3 million guaranteed): Not only did the Broncos need to improve their offensive line, but they needed to add another blocker to the TE position. Manhertz is a blocking TE, and it will be fun to see him join Greg Dulcich and Albert O. 

6) Broncos sign RB Samaje Perine (2 years $7.5 million-$3 million guaranteed): This was a really good signing by Denver. They get a physical back in Perine, who can also help out in pass protection. Perine could be a real key in the Broncos offense under Sean Payton. 

7) Broncos sign FB Michael Burton (1 year $1.3 million guaranteed): The Broncos didn't have a Fullback on the roster last season, and now they add Burton from the Chiefs. It will be fun to see Denver line up in some formations with a fullback leading the way for their tailbacks. 

8) Broncos sign CB/RET Tremon Smith (2 years $5.5 million): Montrell Washington did not have a good rookie season as a returner in Denver, so it was a position that they had to look to help and/or upgrade. They sign Smith from the Texans and this could be a big upgrade to get the special teams going.

9) Broncos re-sign LB Alex Singleton (3 years $18 million- $9 million guaranteed): This was a move that every Broncos fan wanted to see the team make. Getting Singleton back was huge. He had a great season in Denver last year, and is a tackling machine. It will be nice to see him comeback and pair up with Josey Jewell in the middle again.

10) Broncos re-sign S P.J. Locke (Terms Undisclosed): Locke was re-signed as a restricted free agent, and he brings some depth and value to the secondary. 

Super Bowl LVII Recap and Reaction

 Super Bowl LVII is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Eagles in a thriller 38-35. It is the third Super Bowl in franchise history for the Chiefs and the second in four years. Pat Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, and the game certainly lived up to the hype. It was a great back and forth game and a shootout, but in the end Mahomes and the Chiefs pulled it out late and are back on top of the NFL. Here are some quick hit thoughts about the game from my perspective.....

1) This was a very fun and entertaining Super Bowl. There haven't been to many shootouts in the Super Bowl, but this was a classic. It had a lot of big plays on both sides of the ball and came down to a field goal at the end. A great game by any measure for a Super Bowl.

2) The Chiefs deserved the win and Mahomes was lights out in the second half. After trailing 24-14 at halftime, Mahomes led the Chiefs to three straight touchdown drives and the game-winning field goal. He has cemented his status as the NFL's best player, and he is already a Hall of Famer after only starting for five seasons. He is the face of the league and with two Super Bowls, he might be on pace to catch Tom Brady. It is still early and a lot can happen but it is all there for Mahomes to ascent himself as a Top 3 All-Time QB.

3) The Eagles and their fans will have a very long and bitter offseason after losing this game. The Eagles controlled this game for three quarters, and I really felt like they were going to win until the very end. I think the key moments in this game for the Eagles were: The Jalen Hurts fumble that was recovered by Nick Bolton and returned for a TD in the 2nd quarter to tie the game at 14. Also, when they were up 24-21 and settled for a field goal and going up 27-21 instead of possibly being up 31-21 in the 3rd quarter. The overturn replay of the Devonta Smith catch on the sideline really hurt the Eagles chances. Finally, when the Chiefs took the lead at 28-27 with 12:04 left in the game, it felt like the Eagles had done so much right in this game, and then all of a sudden they were trailing.

4) Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was amazing all game long. He ran for three touchdowns and threw for another and accounted for almost 400 yards of total offense. He matched Mahomes play-for-play, and he was the best player on the field-despite the critical fumble- and would have won the MVP if the Eagles won the game. Give credit to Hurts because he was phenomenal in a losing effort, and proved he will be a top-tier QB moving forward.

5) The Eagles defense had a very bad day and it cost them the game. For two weeks, all we heard about was the Eagles pass rush and how they were going to get after Mahomes, but they didn't even register a sack in the game. They barely generated any pressure. Their defense also got gashed by the Chiefs in the run game-which no one had predicted. They had no adjustments in the second half and had no answers as the Chiefs went down the field on them the entire second half and took the game over. The Eagles prided themselves for two weeks on how good their defense was, but they didn't match that hype in the Super Bowl at all.

6) I thought Andy Reid did a great job in this game. His play-calling and play design was fantastic and he created some great plays to help KC get in the endzone at key moments down the stretch. He out-schemed and out-coached the Eagles coaching staff in the second half and it proved the difference in the game.He once again showed why is a Hall of Fame caliber head coach and now he has two Super Bowl rings to prove it. 

7) The refs called a controversial penalty late in the game that cost Philly the Super Bowl, and that can't be overlooked. On 3rd and 8 from the Philly 15 with only 1:54 seconds left, Mahomes threw incomplete to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the end zone. There was a flag and Philly CB James Bradberry was flagged for defensive holding. It gave the Chiefs a first down and they were essentially able to run the clock down to 8 seconds and kick the game-winning field goal. Yes, there was a tug from Bradberry on the play, but it really wasn't that bad and I think the ref should have not thrown the flag. You can't throw the flag at that point in the game. The problem is that every week in the NFL the officiating either makes a call or a non-call on a play like that and it affects the outcome-in this case the Super Bowl. It is just not consistent week to week with these NFL officials. I hated the call. The ball was overthrown anyway. I just think the ref has to put the flag away in those situations and just let them play. It was a rough call to end a really good game.

8) The Eagles have a built a very talented team and Hurts has blossomed into a star, but you just never know if you will get back to a Super Bowl. It is so tough. Even though the NFC is weak, you just can't pencil the Eagles in to get back there next year. This will be an opportunity lost for them and this one will sting a long, long time for Eagles fans. EVERYONE was picking the Eagles to win this game by the time the game kicked off. They were favored to win the game, and the line never really moved. Most of the experts on the pregame shows picked the Eagles. They were expected to win the game, dominated and controlled most of the game, and still lost. That is a tough pill to swallow.

9) As I said in my Super Bowl preview, if KC wins this game, then you can start talking about them being a dynasty. Mahomes is only 27, and Andy Reid is 65 and not looking to retire anytime soon, so this team is going to be favored next year to get back and win another Super Bowl. They are going to be a force to reckon with in the foreseeable future, and I think we will be seeing this group in many more Super Bowls-unfortunately.

10) As far as the Broncos are concerned, it is definitely demoralizing to see the Chiefs win another Super Bowl, but with Sean Payton coming into the fold as our new head coach, maybe it gives us Broncos fans some hope that we can turn this team around and somehow find a way to challenge the Chiefs.