Week 6 will come quickly for the Kansas City Chiefs, who will host the Denver Broncos in a highly anticipated national broadcast of “Thursday Night Football” at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Broncos’ 2022 season was nothing short of a massive failure. After acquiring quarterback Russell Wilson in a blockbuster trade, they believed that his veteran presence would prove to be the missing piece for their ailing offense.
A return to the postseason was expected, and Super Bowl glory seemed within reach given the talent that Denver hosted on paper.
Instead, Wilson had the worst season of his career. Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired in-season and Denver finished with a paltry 5-12 record.
With Wilson under center, the Broncos had the worst scoring offense in the NFL, averaging just 16.9 points per game, and they managed to have the fifth-most turnovers in the league at the end of the 2022 season with 24. Their offensive line gave up 55 sacks, which tied for the most of any team around the league.
Nonetheless, in keeping with the tradition of the Broncos’ identity, Denver fielded a solid defense. The unit surrendered yards at the seventh-best rate and ranked 14th in scoring, which wasn’t bad considering the tough situations the offense put it in. The Broncos’ defense also did a good job of limiting chunk yardage, allowing just five yards per play, good for the second-best mark in the NFL.
Denver brought in Super Bowl champion Sean Payton to be its head coach after their abysmal 2022 campaign, hoping to bring stability back to the franchise using the same rubric that the Chiefs followed by signing Andy Reid back in 2013.
The Broncos then signed two new starters for their offensive line in tackle Mike McGlinchey and guard Ben Powers. The cherry on top of their free agency period was their agreement to terms on a contract with former Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, which broke the hearts of Kansas City’s fanbase back in June.
They spent their first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on speedy receiver Marvin Mims with the 63rd overall selection. Mims should be expected to contribute from day one but doesn’t have the pressure of being a starter right off the bat. Third-round choice Riley Moss will compete for the second spot on Denver’s depth chart at the cornerback position and should make an immediate difference for the Broncos’ special teams unit.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the Broncos’ top players and their outlooks heading into the 2023 NFL season: