Broncos' Rank No. 15 in 2022 Strength of Schedule | What it Means

How tough is Denver's slate of regular-season games this year?

The 2022 NFL schedule was released on Thursday night after a handful of games leaked throughout the past week. The Denver Broncos are in for a slew of games in front of a national audience, putting their new coaching staff and quarterback to the test.

But how tough is the Broncos' 2022 slate of games? 

Denver's strength of schedule is .509 (going against teams with a combined 147-142 record), which ranks No. 15 in the league — about the middle of the pack. In 2021, the Broncos faced the 28th-hardest schedule and finished with a mediocre 7-10 record. 

As for 2020, the Broncos met the 12th-hardest schedule and ended with an abysmal 5-11 record. Quarterback woes and coaching blunders played a significant role in the Broncos underachieving over that span. 

With another mid-range collection of opponents this year, the Broncos need to take care of teams they're favored against and show out against the more formidable opponents in order to climb back into the championship conversation. Here's a snapshot of the 2022 schedule. 

Preseason

• Game 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys
• Game 2: at Buffalo Bills
• Game 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Regular Season

• Week 1 | 9/12: at Seattle Seahawks (MNF) 6:15 PM
• Week 2 | 9/18: vs. Houston Texans 2:25 PM
• Week 3 | 9/25: vs. San Fransisco 49ers (SNF) 6:20 PM
• Week 4 | 10/2: t aLas Vegas Raiders 2:25 PM
• Week 5 | 10/6: vs. Indianapolis Colts (TNF) 6:15 PM
• Week 6 | 10/17: at Los Angeles Chargers (MNF) 6:15 PM
• Week 7 | 10/23: vs. New York Jets 2:05 PM
• Week 8 | 10/30: at Jacksonville Jaguars (In London) 7:30 AM
• Week 9: Bye
• Week 10 | 11/13: at Tennessee Titans 11:00 AM
• Week 11 | 11/20: vs. Las Vegas Raiders 2:05 PM
• Week 12 | 11/27: at Carolina Panthers 11:00 AM
• Week 13 | 12/4: at Baltimore Ravens 11:00 AM
• Week 14 | 12/11: vs. Chiefs (SNF) 6:20 PM
• Week 15 | 12/18: vs. Arizona Cardinals 2:05 PM
• Week 16 | 12/25: at Los Angeles Rams (Christmas Day) 2:30 PM
• Week 17 | 1/1: at Kansas City Chiefs 11:00 AM
• Week 18 | 1/8: vs. Los Angeles Chargers TBD

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Kicking off the season in Seattle is a game ripe with storylines — from Drew Lock possibly starting against his former team and Russell Wilson's homecoming to show the football world that the Seahawks made the wrong decision. It also marks a return to Monday Night Football for Denver, making the late Pat Bowlen proud. 

After a drought the past couple of years, the Broncos have five primetime games, not counting the one on Christmas day against the defending Super Bowl-Champion Rams and a contest across the pond in London vs. the Jaguars. A Week 9 bye is a good spot for a team with a new coaching staff and QB to assess its progress and reset mentally if needed. 

Four of the primetime games come in the first six weeks. Denver will have to wait till Week 14 to break its dreadful losing streak against the Chiefs in a Sunday night showdown. Finishing up the season, the Broncos will take a trip to Arrowhead, then back home to battle the Chargers. 

These two games have profound divisional seeding and playoff implications. The Broncos are in for a season full of excitement and on a grander stage than seasons past. The right QB is finally in Denver, so now is the time to show out in front of the world. 

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