The who, what, when, where and details of the Denver Broncos' 2022 schedule

We’ve known the who and the where of the Denver Broncos’ schedule for months … and now we know the when.

The Broncos’ 2022 slate features a benign start to the season against two teams that were a combined 11-23 in 2021 … and a brutal six-game closing stretch that includes games at Baltimore, the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City.

A full look at the Broncos’ schedule

WEEK 1: DENVER AT SEATTLE
Monday, September 12 – 6:15 p.m. MDT – ESPN/ABC

• The Broncos will open on the road for the third time in the last four seasons after having eight consecutive Week 1 games at home from 2011-18.
• If the Broncos see Drew Lock, it will mark the second consecutive year in which they’ve faced one of their former quarterbacks starting for another team. Denver lost 17-14 at Cleveland last year; the Browns had ex-Bronco Case Keenum under center.
• This will mark the fourth consecutive regular-season game in the series to take place in September. The teams met in Week 1 of the 2018 season, Week 3 of 2014 and Week 2 of 2010.
• Denver is 4-5 all-time when opening on Monday Night Football, including a 1-2 mark on the road. This is the fourth time in the last six seasons that the Broncos have opened on MNF.

WEEK 2: DENVER VS. HOUSTON
Sunday, September 18 – 2:25 p.m. MDT – CBS

• Denver is 5-3 all-time against the Texans, including wins in three of the last four games in the series.
• The Texans are 2-2 all-time in Denver, with their most recent trip here ending in a 19-17 win on Nov. 4, 2018. That game is best remembered for featuring the late Demaryius Thomas, playing for Houston in his first game after being traded from Denver five days earlier.
• Seven quarterbacks have started for the Broncos in their eight games against the Texans. Peyton Manning is the only quarterback to start multiple games for Denver against Houston.

WEEK 3: SAN FRANCISCO AT DENVER
Sunday, September 25 – 6:20 p.m. MDT – NBC

• This is the first game between the clubs since the Broncos fell, 20-14 to the 49ers on Dec. 9, 2018 — a game that started an eight-game losing streak which spanned two seasons – with four losses each in 2018 and 2019. The season-ending skid in 2018 resulted in the dismissal of then-coach Vance Joseph after the season.
• The regular-season series between the teams is deadlocked at seven wins apiece. San Francisco holds the overall series lead thanks to a 55-10 win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV on Jan. 28, 1990.
• Denver has won four of its last five at home against the 49ers; the only loss in that stretch came in Week 17 of the 2006 season, a 26-23 overtime defeat that came hours before cornerback Darrent Williams was murdered.

WEEK 4: DENVER AT LAS VEGAS
Sunday, October 2 – 2:25 p.m. MDT – CBS

• Road games against the Raiders have been brutal in recent years. Denver has dropped six consecutive road games to the Silver and Black — four in Oakland and two in Las Vegas.
• This will mark the Broncos’ first game against former head coach Josh McDaniels. Denver has won seven consecutive games against former head coaches, defeating John Fox (2015 at Chicago), Mike Shanahan (2013 vs. Washington), Wade Phillips (2009 vs. Dallas and 2013 at Houston) and Dan Reeves (1997 at Atlanta, 1998 in Super Bowl XXXIII and 2000 vs. Atlanta in Denver). Their only loss to a former head coach was a 38-14 defeat at Lou Saban-led Buffalo in 1975.

WEEK 5: INDIANAPOLIS AT DENVER
Thursday, October 6 – 6:15 p.m. MDT – Amazon Prime

• This will be a tie-breaking game; the series is knotted at 14 wins apiece. Denver holds the regular-season series advantage, 14-11, but the Colts have won all three playoff duels between the clubs.
• The Broncos are 8-4 all-time against the Colts in Denver, but the Colts have won four of the seven games played between the teams at what is now known as Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos were a perfect 5-0 against the Colts at old Mile High Stadium.
• Denver is 14-13 all-time on Thursdays, including games played on Thanksgiving.
• Teams led by current Colts QB Matt Ryan are 3-1 against Denver. The Falcons beat the Broncos with Ryan at quarterback in 2012, 2016 and 2020. Denver beat the Ryan-led Falcons in 2008.

WEEK 6: DENVER AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Monday, October 17 – 6:15 p.m. MDT – ESPN

• Denver will be looking for its first win at SoFi Stadium against two defeats. The Chargers have won four of their last six home games against the Broncos dating back to 2016, their final season in San Diego.
• The Broncos head into this season having lost 14 of their last 17 Monday Night Football road games dating back to December 1998. However, two of the three wins were against the Chargers, both in San Diego: in 2009 and 2012.

WEEK 7: DENVER VS. NEW YORK JETS
Sunday, October 23 – 2:05 p.m. MDT – CBS

• The Jets pop on the Broncos’ home slate for a second consecutive year because both teams finished in last place in their respective divisions la st year.
• Denver has posted four shutouts since moving to what is now known as Empower Field at Mile High. Three of them were against the Jets, by scores of 27-0 in 2005, 23-0 in 2017 and 26-0 last season.
• The Broncos have held the Jets to an average of just 7.4 points per game in five games played at Empower Field.

WEEK 8: DENVER VS. JACKSONVILLE IN LONDON
Sunday, October 30 – 7:30 a.m. MDT – ESPN+

• This is the Broncos’ first trip to England since they lost 24-16 to San Francisco on Oct. 31, 2010, a trip most remembered for the illicit videotaping of a 49ers walk-through at Wembley Stadium one day before the game, a move that hastened the eventual firing of then-coach Josh McDaniels.
• Jacksonville is 4-4 in games played in London since agreeing to play at least one home game there in 2013. In that same span, the Jaguars are 23-43 in Jacksonville, including a playoff win there in January 2018.

WEEK 9: BYE

WEEK 10: DENVER AT TENNESSEE
Sunday, November 13 – 11 a.m. MST – CBS

• Denver heads to Nashville for its first game in six years — and potentially its last game at Nissan Stadium. The two teams could meet in the postseason or in the next two years if they finish in the same spot in their respective divisions, but with Denver’s next currently-scheduled visit to Music City coming in 2028, this could drop the curtain on the Broncos’ history at Nissan Stadium, which includes wins in 2004 and 2010 and losses in 2011 and 2016.
• The Broncos are 24-9 all-time after bye weeks, including 8-4 on the road.

WEEK 11: LAS VEGAS AT DENVER
Sunday, November 20 – 2:05 p.m. MST – FOX

• Denver concludes its season series with the Raiders before even beginning its home-and-home with the Chiefs. The Broncos and Raiders had played in Week 16 or later in four consecutive seasons prior to this year.
• After going 19-11 at home against the Raiders from the 1977 AFC Championship Game through the 2007 season, Denver has gone just 7-7 against the Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High, including two defeats in the last two seasons.

WEEK 12: DENVER AT CAROLINA
Sunday, November 27 – 11 a.m. MST – FOX

• Denver begins an East Coast swing against the Panthers in a game determined by the last-place finishes by both teams on the schedule. This is effectively the 17th game, as it was the one added to the slate with the expansion to 17 games last year.
• The Broncos have won two straight in Charlotte following a 30-10 defeat in their first game in the Queen City, on Dec. 14, 2008.
• Denver is 6-1 overall against the Panthers, including the 24-10 win in Super Bowl 50.

WEEK 13: DENVER AT BALTIMORE
Sunday, December 4 – 11 a.m. MST – CBS

• There has never been a good time to go to Baltimore for the Broncos. Denver is 1-6 all-time against the Ravens there, including a 27-14 loss in Week 3 of the 2018 campaign that is most recalled for the ejection of Phillip Lindsay. Including games against the then-Baltimore Colts, the Broncos are 3-7 in Charm City.
• Denver has a 6-9 overall record against the Ravens, including two playoff games. The Broncos went 3-1 against the Ravens with Peyton Manning starting at quarterback, but are 3-8 with anyone else under center.

WEEK 14: KANSAS CITY AT DENVER
Sunday, December 11 – 6:20 p.m. MST – NBC

• You’re used to seeing the Broncos play in the land of fountains and barbecue in December; Denver had played at Kansas City in three consecutive Decembers, four of the last six and seven of the last 13. This will be just the Chiefs’ third December game in Denver since 2009, although they did play January games in December to conclude the 2009, 2011 and 2021 seasons.
• This will mark the 10th consecutive season in which one of the Broncos’ games against Kansas City has come in prime time, and includes a season (2016) in which both games took place on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
• Denver is 7-12 all-time against the Chiefs in prime time.
• The Broncos have an 11-game losing streak against the Chiefs. The less said about this, the better.

WEEK 15: ARIZONA AT DENVER
Sunday, December 18 – 2:05 p.m. MST – FOX

• Denver has a 9-1-1 series advantage dating back to a 17-17 draw at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Nov. 4, 1973. This includes a perfect 5-0 record at home against the Cardinals, with their last three wins coming by an average of 27.7 points.
• Each of the last seven games in the series — a run dating back to Nov. 5, 1995 — has been decided by at least three scores. The closest game in that span was a 37-20 Broncos win at Arizona on Dec. 17, 2006; this game saw two Champ Bailey interceptions off Cardinals QB Matt Leinart and two 1-yard touchdown runs by then-rookie RB Mike Bell.

WEEK 16: DENVER AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
Sunday, December 25 – 2:30 p.m. MST – CBS/Nickelodeon

• This game will be the Broncos’ third on Christmas Day. They are 2-1 on the holiday, defeating Detroit 17-7 in 1999 and Tennessee 37-16 in 2004, but losing 33-10 at Kansas City in 2016 in a game most remembered for Dontari Poe’s “Fat Tebow” touchdown catch in the final moments.
• This will be the Broncos’ first game against the Rams in Southern California since Nov. 6, 1994 — the final season of the Rams’ first stint there. Denver lost that game, 27-21.
• The Broncos are 2-2 all-time against the Rams in California and 2-4 overall against the Rams in road games, including season-opening defeats at St. Louis in 2000 and 2006.
• This will be the Broncos’ first December game against the Rams since Dec. 12, 1982 — a 27-24 Broncos win.

WEEK 17: DENVER AT KANSAS CITY
Sunday, January 1 – 11 a.m. MST – CBS

• It’s not a December game, which has been deadly for the Broncos over the years, but it could be nearly as bad, as the Broncos will ring in 2023 at Arrowhead Stadium.
• Denver is 1-14 in regular-season games played at Kansas City in Week 14 or later; the Broncos’ only win in that scenario was a 20-17 overtime win on Dec. 4, 1994 in which Hugh Millen relieved an injured John Elway and led the Broncos to a game-winning Jason Elam field goal.

WEEK 18: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Saturday, January 7 or Sunday, January 8 – Time and network TBD

• For the 15th consecutive year, the Broncos will close with a divisional opponent. For the 13th time in that span — and the ninth consecutive year — the Broncos will finish the regular season at home.
• Since 2008, Denver is 1-3 against the Chargers in Week 18 games, including a 23-9 loss to conclude the 2018 season and end Joseph’s ill-fated tenure as Broncos head coach.