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.
Nevertheless, 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 pick 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:
QB Russell Wilson
Wilson was perhaps the most disappointing player in the league last season. He set a career low in touchdown passes with just 16 and finished with an abysmal 84.4 quarterback rating. There were reports of his Broncos teammates not knowing some of the plays that he would call, and that he was mistakenly still using audibles from his days with the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite his disastrous 2022 campaign, Denver’s fans have reason to hold out hope for a rebound in 2023. Wilson played much better in his last two games following the departure of Nathaniel Hackett, who was at least partially to blame for Wilson’s struggles. The Broncos have improved their offensive line and will get starting running back Javonte Williams back from injury.
The biggest reason for optimism is Wilson’s new coach Sean Payton, who is an offensive guru and normally produces excellent play from his quarterbacks. If Payton can’t turn Wilson’s fortunes around, the 2023 season may prove to be the end of the line for the now 35-year-old veteran quarterback, even after he signed a lucrative long-term contract last summer.
RB Javonte Williams
Williams had high expectations entering 2022 after a stellar rookie season in 2021. He got off to a mediocre start along with the rest of the Broncos’ offense, but a brutal season-ending knee injury in Week 4 ended his year prematurely. Despite tearing three knee ligaments, Williams was shockingly able to participate in OTAs during the offseason and could be a full go for the start of training camp.
Williams is a bruising three-down power back who is difficult to tackle, has upside as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, and possesses the ability to be a rock-solid pass protector. He will lose some of his snap-share to new backup Samaje Perine, but Williams will undoubtedly give Denver’s offense a big boost.
Jeudy led the Broncos in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last season. He finished 2022 on an absolute tear, averaging seven catches and 105 yards per game over the season’s last six weeks. In Week 11, Jeudy managed to torch the Chiefs for eight receptions and three touchdowns.
The fourth-year pass catcher is a speed merchant who makes big plays downfield in the passing game and has dangerous abilities after the catch. With Sean Payton at the helm, Jeudy will look to establish himself as a legitimate number-one receiver for the Broncos and go over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. If things turn around for Denver’s offense, Jeudy could become a top-10 receiver in the NFL.
CB Patrick Surtain II
With just two years of professional football under his belt, Surtain has already established himself as an elite cornerback in the NFL. He was the second-highest-ranked CB in the league last season according to Pro Football Focus after allowing just 417 passing yards, forcing eight incompletions, and pulling down two interceptions. Those numbers earned him first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection.
Surtain will have to adjust to another new defensive coordinator in 2023, his third in as many years. Defensive mastermind Vance Joseph will differ quite a bit from the previous two as an aggressive blitzer who leaves his cornerbacks on an island in man-to-man coverage. Surtain played plenty of man coverage during his college days at Alabama, so he should be up for the challenge.
OLB Frank Clark
Frank Clark left Kansas City after four seasons earlier this year and will begin his tenure with the Broncos as the Chiefs’ all-time postseason sacks leader. Despite having some lows, he was instrumental in both of Kansas City’s Super Bowl wins. Clark currently ranks third all-time in postseason sacks with 13.5, trailing Hall-of-Fame linebacker Willie McGinest by just 2.5 for first place.
Still just 29 years old, Clark should have some juice left in the tank as long as he stays healthy, but will face a new challenge in Denver as he switches from a 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker. He posted five sacks and a forced fumble last season and is still an edge-setting force against opposing run games.
Story originally appeared on Chiefs Wire