What is the Denver Broncos’ 2021 NFL schedule, how many primetime games do they play, and who are the toughest and easiest opponents on their schedule this season?
Denver Broncos Preseason Schedule
All times listed below are Eastern Time
PS1: at Vikings | TBD
PS2: at Seahawks | TBD
PS3: vs. Rams | SAT | 9 PM | NFLN
Denver Broncos Schedule | 2021 Regular Season
All days are Sunday unless otherwise noted. All times listed below are Eastern Time.
Week 1: at Giants | 4:25 PM | FOX
Week 2: at Jaguars | 1 PM | CBS
Week 3: vs. Jets | 4:05 PM | CBS
Week 4: vs. Ravens | 4:25 PM | CBS
Week 5: at Steelers | 1 PM | FOX
Week 6: vs. Raiders | 4:25 PM | CBS
Week 7: at Browns | TNF | 8:20 PM | FOX/NFLN/Amazon
Week 8: vs. Washington | 4:25 PM | FOX
Week 9: at Cowboys | 1 PM | FOX
Week 10: vs. Eagles | 4:25 PM | CBS
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: vs. Chargers | 4:05 PM | CBS
Week 13: at Chiefs | 1 PM | CBS
Week 14: vs. Lions | 4:05 PM | FOX
Week 15: vs. Bengals | 4:05 PM | CBS
Week 16: at Raiders | 4:25 PM | CBS
Week 17: at Chargers | 4:05 PM | CBS
Week 18: vs. Chiefs | 4:25 PM | CBS
How many primetime games do the Broncos play in 2021?
The Broncos will have one primetime game, which will be in Week 7 against the Browns.
When is the Broncos’ bye week?
The Broncos’ bye will be in Week 11.
Broncos’ strength of schedule and win/loss prediction
The Broncos head towards the 2021 NFL season with a schedule that projects as the fifth easiest in the league. How does that schedule break down in terms of the toughest and easiest opponents Denver will face in the 2021 season?
Toughest opponents
Denver’s 2021 schedule will see them play just three games against opponents projected to win 10 or more games. Two of those games will come against the back-to-back AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs, with the third against the Baltimore Ravens.
The two games against the Chiefs are especially daunting given the recent history between the two franchises. The Broncos have not defeated the Chiefs since September 2015, resulting in 11 straight victories for the Chiefs in head-to-head matchups. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are expected to be as strong as ever, so both the home and road game will be extremely tough for the Broncos to get a result.
Facing the Ravens and Lamar Jackson is always difficult. However, the home-field advantage could help level the playing field against Baltimore. Playing in Denver is tough for teams that are not used to it. Baltimore has not played in Denver since 2015, and Jackson has not experienced it at all. Could the thin mountain air, therefore, help the Broncos slow down Jackson and the Ravens’ impressive run game?
Easiest opponents
While the Broncos have three really tough games on their 2021 schedule, they also have five games against teams projected to win seven games or fewer. Those games come against the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Cincinnati Bengals.
Four of those five teams have new coaching staffs, making them tough to call. However, all of them could have growing pains in their first season. Additionally, they face the Eagles, Bengals, and Jets at home, which always gives the Broncos that major advantage.
Among those four teams, there are intriguing QB situations. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are in their first season, and both Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow did not play full seasons in 2020. Meanwhile, Jared Goff will be playing his first season outside of Los Angeles. With this in mind, all five of those games are very winnable for a Broncos unit that has had a couple of seasons to gel under head coach Vic Fangio.
2021 season prediction
When you look at the easiest games on the Broncos 2021 schedule, you see that none of the games fall within their division. That underlies the issue for the Broncos, in which they will play six extremely tough games in the AFC West. With all four teams projected to win 7.5 games or more in that division, going 3-3 within the division would be considered a success.
Denver’s home-field advantage always gives them an edge, but they have also been one of the more underwhelming teams in recent seasons. Often considered a favorite to outperform expectations in the last few years, Denver has not won eight or more games in the last four years. Nevertheless, this is a roster loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Therefore, they could be a surprise team in the playoff hunt going down the stretch.
Projected 2021 record: 8-9
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