TMJ Pick: Broncos and Chiefs to Tie For AFC West Title With 12-5 Mark
Bob Volpe
Denver Bronco fans all over the world (and there is such a thing) are rejoicing at the prospect of a successful season in 2022.
I’m going to predict with confidence that the Broncos will go 12-5 this year as will the Kansas City Chiefs, and winning the AFC West division will be decided by tie breaker rules.
Regardless of whether the Broncos win the West, they will at least be a high wild card. The Los Angles Chargers will finish third and the Las Vegas Raiders will be last.
It’s been five long years since the Broncos have made the playoffs. This is the longest streak of not making the playoffs since the team was founded in 1966. It took 12 years to break that streak and the Broncos did it in great fashion by going 12-2, in 1977 on the arm of Craig Morton, the hands of Haven Moses, and the legs of Otis Armstrong. They made their first Super Bowl appearance that year, unfortunately they got creamed by the Dallas Cowboys, 10-27.
The time is now for the team to go from last to first. With the addition of Quarterback, Russell Wilson, the Broncos are poised to do just that. It won’t be an easy task, considering the AFC West Division is absolutely the toughest division in the NFL. We got your Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders, all of whom have top tier quarterbacks and have made significant improvements to their rosters in the off season.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to a playoff run for the Broncos is the dreaded Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have owned the Broncos since 2015 and payback is on the horizon. The Chiefs traded their speed goat wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins during the off season. Hill has been a thorn in the Broncos side for much of those losing years, but they still have Travis Kelce who is one of the best tight ends in the business. Chiefs’ Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes is still one of the biggest threats to any team they play, but he’ll meet his match when the Chiefs come to Denver on December 11, for a Sunday Night Football match-up.
The road to the playoffs for the Broncos must go through six AFC West games. (two each against the Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders). Of the five losses the Broncos suffer this year, two of those will come against division rivals, Chiefs and Chargers. The Broncos are going to sweep the Raiders this year. The other three will come at the hands of, the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and either the Indianapolis Colts, or the Tennessee Titans.
Picks of Top NFL Insiders
So. Is it just me being a Homer or do other insiders and talking heads think the Broncos have the right stuff this year? Hint. It ain’t just me.
Pro Football Network sports betting guru Ian Wharton picks the Broncos to go 11-5-1. According to Wharton, the Broncos are projected as favorites in 11 games, underdogs in five, and one push.
NFL Network’s Adam Rank picks the Broncos to go 12-5. He said, “Russell Wilson is the man and proves to be the missing piece for the Broncos.”
Freelance Sports Writer, Joshua Kellem has the Broncos going 12-5.
CBS Sports has the Broncos at 10-7, but they also pick Teddy Bridgewater as the number three quarterback for 2022, so I wouldn’t put much stock in their prognosticating.
Pro Football Focus talking head Sam Monson wouldn’t give a season record prediction but thinks, “K.J. Hamler could be a perfect designated deep threat for Wilson, and arguably, the best deep passer in the league.”
Bleacher Report talking head, Maurice Moton also takes a conservative view of the Broncos, picking a 10-7 record for the team.
Plenty of Bronco Critics Still Abound
Draft Kings betting site. “For all the progress the Broncos made this off-season, their direct competition made comparable or superior improvements. By consensus, the Chiefs and Chargers possess superior rosters and have returning coaching staffs. And while the Las Vegas Raiders trail the AFC West in win total, they come off a playoff appearance and remain competitive. The team that wins this division might only have 10 or 11 wins and, unless one believes Denver will take the crown, the under looks like the smarter play.”
USA Today Sports Writer, Nate Davis isn’t buying the hype either. He thinks the Broncos will go 8-9 and remain in the AFC West basement. All of these skeptics may not have noticed the Broncos, (for once) may just have the easiest schedule in the NFL this year.
Much if not all of the predictions that don’t support a playoff run for the Broncos deal with rookie head coach Nathan Hackett. They feel he is unproven as a head coach and may fall flat on his face. Hackett does not have a winner record when he was calling plays for the Buffalo Bills from 2013-14, but he didn’t have the talent he has now with the 2022 Broncos and a seasoned quarterback who knows how to win.
