Your Denver Broncos are World Champions. The excitement of winning a Super Bowl never entirely wears off. No matter what happens from here, the 2015 Broncos will always possess the Lombardi Trophy from the one and only 50th Big Game. Nobody can ever take that away. The thrill of Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII has never dulled and this one certainly won’t fade quickly either. Still, the NFL seems to be insistent on taking at least some of the wind out of Broncos Country’s sails with a 2016 regular season schedule that is hot garbage.
The Broncos will he highlighted to kick off the 2016 NFL season on Thursday, Sept. 8, as Super Bowls champions traditionally are. However, they will face the same opponent that they did in the Super Bowl which is very unusual. Cam Newton and the Panthers will have plenty to play for after the way the Broncos wiped the turf with them at Levis Stadium so for fans of the NFL, in general, this pairing makes sense. It’s certainly a better match-up than Broncos Vs. Texans would have been. Brock Osweiler alone isn’t going to make Houston not suck.
The NFL got this game right. It should be pretty good and provide plenty of juicy story lines such as, “Will Cam Newton stick around for the post-game press conference this time?” The Panthers will be the first of three NFC South opponents Denver will face next season. The opener will be one of five National prime-time tilts for the 2016 Broncos.
Weeks two and three the Broncos get Indy at home and travel to Cincy. The Cincy game kicks off at eleven AM mountain time. Eleven o’clock games are a total drag.
Normally the early NFL slate (which usually involves over twice as many games as the afternoon slate) is when Denver fans flip on NFL Red Zone and half-watch the rest of the league while tracking their fantasy players and getting a few honey-dos wrapped up around the house before signing off for the day when the Broncos come on. When Denver plays the eleven o’clock game the whole day is pretty well shot in the ass. That all-too-valuable morning period gets filled up and there’s not a decent time available the rest of the day for getting the lawn mowed and stuff. It’s only supposed to happen once or twice per season.
Two o’clock PM is the ideal time for a Broncos game but sadly only seven of the games they play in 2016 will kick off then. Five will kick off at 6:15 and four will begin at eleven – at Cincy, at New Orleans, at Jacksonville and at Tennessee. Whose idea was it for us to play the NFC and AFC South, anyway? The Jacksonville and Tennessee games come back-to-back, in weeks thirteen and fourteen. Ugh. Talk about bad football. And we have to tune in early to watch ‘em.
Naturally, the Broncos have to play New England again. Sure, it’s at home for the second year in a row, but still … how do these mofos wind up on our schedule every season? It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t see the Dolphins, Bills or Jets on there. Last I checked the Pats and Broncos are in separate divisions and Peyton Manning has retired so why does the NFL continue to force these two teams to play each other every friggin’ year?
Aside from the normal six inter-divisional games, the Broncos will play versus the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers they will play the Colts and Patriots, three NFC South teams and three AFC South teams – including the Texans who they are getting on a Monday night. A Monday night? Osweiler or no Osweiler, Houston is a putrid team. Granted, the Texans at least know who their quarterback will be to start the season and that’s more than the Broncos can say – but it’s still ridiculous to pit that lowly squad against the World Champions in prime time.
Speaking of prime time, one of Denver’s five prime-time tilts in 2016 occurs versus the Chiefs on Sunday, December 25th. Yes, that’s ON CHRISTMAS! Normally Christmas is set aside for a handful of NBA games. For the NFL to move in on the Holy Day is beyond blasphemous. And Christmas being on a Sunday this year doesn’t explain it away. There are only three games scheduled that day. They could easily have scheduled around it.
Christmas is not a day for watching football. If anything it’s a day for forgetting all about the game and focusing on family. I know that I am not the only husband/father dreading having to explain to his wife that there’s a Broncos game on friggin’ Christmas.
All in all the 2016 Broncos schedule is the lousiest one I can remember. It stacks up mostly in their favor since there are so many patsies on the list but it’s not a fan-friendly schedule at all. Sure, I am still looking forward to football season but it seems as though the NFL decided to punish Broncos fans for the unexpected success they experienced last year.
0 Comments (2 conversations)
You sir are an idiot ….the defending Champs have a target on there back …..there are NO easy games anymore …..yeah these 11:00 games might be a challenge for some of the players but these guys are professionals and sure aren’t gonna use that as an excuse …a true champion deals with these hurdles in the road and perseveres on …all us TRUE die hard fans will be there at 11:00 tuned in ….all us die hardes will be watching Xmas day …..maybe the NFL should’ve asked you before they did the schedule so they can plan around your little chores and holiday….or it sounds like maybe they should’ve advised your wife …..my girl on the other hand will be up with me early at 9 am to get ready for gametime….and she sure as hell will be there for the Xmas game and I won’t need to ask her permission ….
Schedule is AWESOME!!! I love the fact you start the season out with the top two teams playing each other. Granted Carolina only lost one regular season game last year… they get their revenge, Broncos fans are cool with it… if Carolina can beat Denver, maybe they have a shot at going undefeated? well, til Denver beats them in a rematch in the Superbowl – lol …I’ve watched the Broncos EVERY GAME since the 1976 season…so, when I see a schedule and think Denver can easily win a game here and there I go UHGH!!! So, with that in mind, I LOVE PLAYING THE PATS…. We win FAR OUT!!!! We lose, that’s a great team – gotta have them on the schedule! As for having the Texans on national tv, LOVE IT!!!! Everyone knows Denver gets pumped for national tv…. and we soooooo much want to make the Texans look like idiots for paying Brock as if he’s a superstar. I’ve looked at the Texan’s schedule – LOVE IT!!! Houston could very well be winless all year – or, maybe, just maybe Brock learned just enough from Manning to compete, either way, the Nationally Televised game is what us BRONCO FANS are craving. Christmas in KC? gotta love it… KC plays the Broncos great, so having it in KC makes that game so much more exciting. I know at Chistmas we’ll be playing cards and have the game on – I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CHRISTMAS when normally I try not to think of Christmas – ya know, the commercial side of Christmas where you’re expected to buy presents for everyone even though you’re broke… maybe, just maybe knowing that I’m looking forward to Christmas, I just might be able to plan it better than I have in previous years. ….as far as the Broncos not having a QB, SANCHEZ was a huge pu for such a small price – the boy is gonna show why Elway picked him up…. only thing I don’t understand, Why Elway doesn’t bring Tebow, Johnny Football and Kap in NOW…. Kap I think will end up on the team, but Tebow and Johnny are available NOW…. SIGN THEM to incentive contracts to where if they are not on the team after preseason, ya cut them and they don’t get any more money…. This season could be one of the best in Broncos history – and if they make the Superbowl, I could careless if they win it…. getting there gives them a 9th appearance – They will have more appearances in Superbowl history… one more than any other team…. This schedule can make the Broncos…. now, say Denver had a weak schedule, they’d be weak at playoff time…. This is the Perfect schedule from game one on…. and getting the Colts early is cool too. Manning won’t be on the field, so we won’t have a QB playing his old girlfriend – Manning just could not play against them…. Who’s ever at QB will take out the Colts. ….I don’t see Elway giving Tebow or Johnny a shot – as a Broncos fan, I’d love to see it…. we’d go from No QB, Manning is gone to – damn, which QB is gonna take the wheel…. I suggest you get your chores done on Saturday – us true NFL FANS DO…. SUNDAY IS FOOTBALL – DEAL WITH IT!!!!