The Denver Broncos are a team many see as one of the better teams in the AFC this coming season, and the schedule set up nicely for them in the first month, with the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts to start the season.
Ali Bhanpuri and Adam Rank, two analysts over at NFL.com, recently made game-by-game picks for each team in the league. Broncos Country will love the thoughts of each of them. Bhanpuri has the Broncos finishing 11-6 on the season and becoming the AFC's top wild card. Rank does him one better, putting the Broncos at 12-5, winning the AFC West, and becoming the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
Looking at things from a different perspective, John Breech of CBS Sports decided to predict when each team would lose its first game of the season.
Breech has the Broncos getting off to a 3-0 start with wins over the Titans, Colts and on the road over the Los Angeles Chargers. But he suggests that the team will come back home in Week 4 and suffer its first loss at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.
"This might end up being the best game of Week 4. These two teams gave us a shootout last season and it won't be surprising if we get another one with the Bengals pulling off the road upset", wrote Breech.
The Broncos and Bengals played in one of the best games of the 2024 season, going shot for shot with major playoff implications on the line. The Bengals won the game 30-24 in overtime, dealing a blow to the Broncos' playoff hopes while significantly helping their own.
While the Broncos were the team that took the last playoff spot, many fans felt that the Bengals should have been there instead. The Broncos will still have that loss fresh in their minds for this one and will be seeking a measure of revenge.
READ: Broncos backup QB making case for team to repeat recent history
The Bengals are built just like they were last year, with a high-powered offense and a lackluster defense. The Broncos improved on both sides of the ball and could have one of the league's best defenses, so they should have the advantage in this game.
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