Broncos' 2025 Schedule: The Good, Bad & Ugly

Three of Four October Games vs. NFC East

While every game matters, some matter more. Having Weeks 5-9 feature three of Denver's five NFC East opponents is good. These games don’t have the playoff implications that AFC games do, but winning these ones will help the Broncos' overall record, which is the most important factor. 

If the Broncos are to be in the playoff hunt, it's better that they face AFC opponents later in the season, as a win helps push them up and can help with tiebreakers while pushing fellow conference teams down. 

Three of Final Four at Home

Speaking of making a playoff push, nothing is better than closing the season with three of four at home. The home crowd can help spark energy, and if the Broncos are in the hunt, Empower Field at Mile High will be buzzing with energy from the fans that can hopefully help fuel the team. 

Denver had two of the final four at home last year, with Weeks 16 and 17 being on the road. The Broncos needed one win to clinch a playoff spot in those games, but they lost both on the road. So, it's good to have three of their final four in Denver this year. 

The Bad

Week 4: Monday Night Football 

The bad part isn’t being on Monday Night Football or who the Broncos are playing, but when. Last year, the Broncos had a chance to clinch a playoff spot against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, but lost in an overtime heartbreaker. This is a revenge game for Denver. 

However, it would have been great to have more riding on the game. The Broncos and Bengals are expected to be in the playoff hunt, so a later-in-the-season match would’ve been better. There could be a lot riding on the game if it were scheduled somewhere between Weeks 14-17, but in Week 4, there won’t be as much riding on it, though it'll still matter in the final AFC arithmetic. 

No Bye after the London Game

The Broncos landed a good bye in Week 12. It isn’t too early and isn’t too late.

The only problem is the Broncos have a London game vs. the New York Jets in Week 6 and then have to prepare to play a home game vs. the New York Giants in Week 7. It's possible that Denver elected to forego a post-International Game bye in favor of a later-season rest week, but we can only hope the team doesn't live to rue that decision.

With all the travel for overseas games, both there and back, teams need that rest. Thankfully, Denver faces the Giants at home after their game in London, but ideally, this is a bye week. With all the travel and jet lag, Denver could put up two rough showings in games that it should win. 

Early Game at Philadelphia Eagles

This is the second most-challenging game on the schedule. The Broncos struggle, historically, when playing early games on the East Coast. Then you have them facing a tough defense, led by Vic Fangio and the reigning Super Bowl Champions, and this game's drama factor rises several notches. It's a bit of a surprise that the NFL didn’t make this a primetime game, even with them being in different conferences.

The way the Eagles succeed is in the trenches, so this will be a test for the Broncos on both sides of the ball. It could get ugly for the Broncos if they can’t hold up there. With the Broncos' historic struggles in early East Coast games (outside of last year), winning will be tough, but you know what they say about any given Sunday.

Ugly

Two of First Six at Home

It isn’t about how you start but how you finish, and the Broncos' last two seasons are evidence of that. Denver will need a bit of a hotter start this season, but its schedule doesn't favor that, with only two of its first six games at home. These include the aforementioned early East Coast game against the Eagles and a trip to London.

Thankfully, the Broncos also get the season starter at home vs. Tennessee and the Monday night game against the Bengals. The Indianapolis Colts on the road are not a scary threat, but the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 are.

It's hard to see the Broncos beating the Eagles in Philly, but the other games are in their grasp. A 5-1 start is entirely possible, but it all comes down to how well the Broncos handle all that travel, though having it earlier in the season is nice as players are still relatively fresh and won't have 10-plus games of wear and tear under their belt.

Four Divisional Games in November & December

The four divisional games over the final two months will be a stiff task for a team like the Broncos, who are looking to compete for the division title. All four of those games come against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams present formidable challenges for the Broncos and play tough, physical football, often leading to banged-up players.

Having these games land in the middle of what the Broncos hope to be a potential playoff run makes it even trickier. The Raiders love to play the spoiler, and with Pete Carroll in charge, you know what type of team you will play. The Chiefs are the Chiefs. Denver plays Kansas City tough, but has struggled to walk out with a win when Patrick Mahomes and the starters play. 

Christmas Day at the Chiefs

This is the most challenging game of the season. Denver gets the team that has been the perennial division champs on a short week with a holiday. There can be a lot riding on the game, including the division lead, and Denver has to go to Kansas City on a short week in the second-to-last week of the season. 

The Broncos play the Chiefs tough under Sean Payton, but there could be too much going against them in this one. Thursday night games already see a drop-off in quality from both teams, with the road team having an even bigger drop.

Things get even worse when you add in the holiday factor. Payton will have his work cut out to keep Denver focused and on task. Let's hope the late-season stakes are enough to get the Broncos appropriately fired up for this Christmas Day road game vs. the Chiefs.

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