How the Broncos can return to the playoffs in 2023

The Broncos haven’t made a postseason appearance since their Super Bowl 50 win, but with a new coaching staff, new ownership and massive offseason spending, they might be on their way back.

Here are seven things that need to happen for the Broncos to play playoff football next season…

1. Russell Wilson bounces back

This one is obvious; if Russell Wilson plays the way he did in 2022, you can kiss the Broncos’ playoff chances goodbye.

The good news is that if any coach can turn Wilson around, it’s Sean Payton.

2. Javonte Williams is Javonte Williams

The Broncos might be able to find a path to the playoffs without their star running back, but Javonte Williams is one of the most talented players on the roster and would be one of the best bets to make the Pro Bowl… if he’s healthy.

Williams tore his ACL and a bunch of other parts of his knee in early October, and given the severity injury there’s no guarantee we’ll see him in 2023. If he does come back, and he looks like himself, Williams could be the engine behind the Broncos’ offense.

3. The injury luck turns around

The Broncos gave the most money in the NFL to players who finished the season on injured reserve in 2022. They’ve finished in the top five in total cap hits for players who finished the year on injured reserve in four of the past five seasons. The other season was 2019, when they finished with the sixth-most. They’ve led the NFL in torn ACLs in three of the last four seasons.

Maybe the string of bad injury luck isn’t a coincidence, but turning it around in 2023 will be crucial to returning to the playoffs. Sean Payton tabbed Beau Lowery of Vice President of Player Health and Performance.

4. Damarri Mathis and Baron Browning step up

The Broncos have a proven defense built around a stable of star players and battle-tested veterans. But they also have a couple of question marks and little draft capital to provide easy answers.

At edge rusher, the Broncos have a half-dozen solid options, but they lack top-end production outside of Randy Gregory, who hasn’t played more than 12 games in a season since 2018. Baron Browning, 24, showed flashes of why the Broncos believe he can be a longtime starter in 2022, but he needs to take another step to hold onto that job.

Damarri Mathis performed admirably as a rookie starting cornerback in 2022, but the tape is out on him and he’ll need to provide the same caliber of play this time around. If he can’t hold his own, the Broncos won’t have many options behind him.

5. A lineman makes the Pro Bowl

If the Broncos are going to be a good offensive football team in 2022, they trenches will probably be leading the way.

Two of Denver’s three big free-agent additions came in the form of offensive linemen. They held onto their big-money left tackle, despite trade rumors. They may even have one more move left in the tank, which would mean replacing three of last season’s starters.

But that will all be for naught if they don’t get the production they expect. At least one of their five linemen needs to be rewarded with a Pro Bowl appearance for the experiment to be a success.

6. McManus is McMoney

Almost everybody had a down year for the Broncos in 2022, and the kicker was no exception.

Brandon McManus posted his lowest field goal percentage since 2016 last season. It wasn’t entirely his fault—he was asked to make a couple of 60-yarders, there were blocks, there were bad holds—but the kicking game needs to get back on track.

If the Broncos had made every kick last season, they would have improved from last in the NFL in scoring to 25th.

7. End a losing streak

This one is simple… The Broncos have lost 15 games in a row to the Chiefs and six in a row to the Raiders.

If the Broncos can’t snap one of those streaks, they won’t stand a chance in the playoff race.