Season Predictions

[champ11]

I don't think we've had an official prediction thread so since the roster is set I think it's time.

A couple things stick out to me about the schedule

-The AFC West is gonna be rough

-There are only three easy wins and two of them are in the last three weeks of the season (@Bills, Jets, @Colts.....on a thursday) 

-4 of the first 5 are at home - we are gonna know how the season is gonna go real quick

So I personally see us splitting the division. I think we'll probably be 3-3 there. Running through the schedule, I think the first 4 weeks are so huge. Chargers, Cowboys, and Raiders at home will be tough and you gotta win 2 of those 3. It could get ugly if we don't. My preseason guess is, unfortunately, 8-8. I really do think this team could get to 10 wins if the offense steps up, but it just seems unlikely. 

The run defense needs to improve on last year and I'm not sure that can happen. We are missing Shane Ray for a very important stretch of the schedule and we obviously lost Ware. Realistically our defense might slip.

On offense, I'm definitely hopeful that the unit can take a step forward. If the team can create a good running game and Siemian doesn't suck....that could be huge with our defense. It's still wait and see as of now with Siemian and the OL, though, so the safe bet is to assume they are gonna suck again tbh.

 

Other predictions !!

Breakout or surprise players?? Offense and Defense? 

You going over/under 12 games for Siemian to start?

How many rushing yards is CJ Anderson going for? 

Does Brock Osweiler start a game? 

Does Brad Roby take a step forward this year?

Will a tight end step up? 

[bMiller031]

This season feels like 2015 to me.

 

At the beginning of the 2015 season there was a lot of pessimism surrounding the team. We had known commodities (Von, CHJr, Talib, DWare, Ward, Thomas, etc) similar to what we have now-but the reason that we had so much depth was because the 2nd-4th year guys made the leap, NOT because the high end guys dragged the team along. 

Malik Jackson was a solid player pre-2015 but he wasn't on anyone's radar as a $15m/year guy. Same with Derek Wolfe, he was a young guy that had been solid but unspectacular (to that point). Stewart was a new signee that was undervalued on the market, someone who many didn't view as a significant upgrade to the departed Rahim Moore. The offensive line was worrisome, Peyton's decline was unsettling, TE was such a glaring weakness that Elway felt the need to make a midseason trade for Vernon Davis. 

This season, we have our known commodities (Anderson, Paradis, Leary, Thomas, Sanders, Wolfe, Miller, Shaq&Ray, and the secondary) but the success of this team will depend on the development of our second tier guys (Simmons, Gotsis, Kerr, Bolles, Derby, Booker, Jordan Taylor) and we have some guys that could come in and surprise (Henderson, McGovern, Butt-midseason). 

There have been power rankings throughout the last few weeks that rank the Broncos anywhere from 27-15. This team is far too talented to not take these slights personally. The team believes in Siemian and I am optimistic that he can out-produce the 2015 QB pair, the run game is looking improved, McCoy is sure to breathe more life into the offense than Kubiak and Dennison did in 2015.

I'm not saying that this team is a Super Bowl contender (because at the moment, I don't think that they are) but I also don't remember much optimism in September of 2015 either. I don't see any reason why we can't have a discussion or two in a Game Day Thread in January. 

[Broncofan]

Always a fun thread, nothing else to do until games start, can't wait....

 

Breakout - Justin Simmons.   Has to be a big reason behind Ward's exit.  

Surprise - if we give him the 3rd WR job and he stays healthy I like Cody Latimer to impress.   Had the tools in college now give him the opportunity.   The other guy I'm hopeful on is Barbre.   He's just learning to gel with his teammates and hasn't even played with Paradis yet.   Very hopeful  

Struggles - it's expected but Bolles in pass pro going to have a trial by fire with Chargers x 2 Giants Chiefs and Raiders pass rushers facing him.   I also worry Todd Davis limits will get exploited.  

Siemian - over on 12 games.  I have to say that because if we don't we are sunk.  

Roby - I think he bounces back from last year's inconsistent play.  

TE - I wish I thought someone would step up but no one really looks ready yet.   Derby has the best shot skill wise but is 3rd on our depth chart.     

 

 

[AnAngryAmerican]

It's going to be a rough year. There are too many questions, or outright short-comings, in too many places.  

• Trevor Siemian is a great guy and I believe, unequivocally, he is the best QB on the roster. That said, he is backup level talent. 
• We have a rookie HC who was hired not because he was a highly-accomplished and successful coordinator, let alone proven head coach, but rather because he was frat brothers with Matt Russell and would be a yes-man for John Elway, both of whom's resumes look worse with each passing day that Peyton Manning is not here. 
• We have a rookie DC who seems to be itching too much to put his stamp on the defense so as to not be cast as "the guy who won with Wade's defense stacked with All Pros and future Hall of Famers" that he will make a number of costly mistakes. 
• Aside from Derek Wolfe, we do not have any quality players on the D-Line. When people are chomping at the bit for Zack Kerr and Jared Crick to return, two guys who are the epitome of JAGs, you know you're in trouble. 
• We do not have Shane Ray for 1/2 the season. Ray is far from an All-Pro (in fact, Shaq is the better all-around OLB) but as one of three in the OLB rotation his absence is going to be felt. Especially when a rookie 4-3 DE/3-tech miscast at OLB and a career journeyman are going to be the other two. 
• Make any justifications and excuses you can - and many of them are entirely valid - getting rid of TJ Ward the way the team did has sapped locker room morale. That's never good. Remember the 2009-10 period?
• We have an offensive line that cannot pass block and our meathead rookie LT is a penalty waiting to happen. 
• Our prize FA acquisition is playing out of position at RG. 
• We do not have a third option in the passing game. Anywhere. 
• We do not have a legitimate TE in an offense that is not only supposed to have one but have a good one, or two. 

If everything goes well and we stay relatively healthy I think we can be at or around .500. But 6-10 and a last-place finish in the AFCW wouldn't surprise me. But, hey, here's hoping like hell I'm wrong. 

[AKRNA]

After the performances of KC and OAK it looks like we're looking uphill at arguably the two best teams in the AFC. We could end up being the 3rd best in the AFC and still miss the playoffs.

Lots of unknowns (too many IMO) have to work out perfectly for us to change that.

I'd be satisfied with continuing improvement during the season with a home field spoiler against KC at seasons end.

Lots of attention should be paid to improvement in the trenches on both sides of the LOS. SD will give us a pretty good benchmark to look at as we play them again in a little over a month.

[champ11]

Yeah, gotta say.....AFC West not looking encouraging for us so far. And a lot of pundits expect LAC to be good. Hopefully they don't live up to the hype (which is the norm for them)

[BroncoSojia]

I have us at 6-10/7-9 This season. Hopefully we're able to get an actual franchise QB in the draft next year, as that's the only way I see us competing in the division over the next couple of years.

[Scoundrel]

5-11 is my prediction 

[AKRNA]

30 minutes ago, BroncoSojia said:

I have us at 6-10/7-9 This season. Hopefully we're able to get an actual franchise QB in the draft next year, as that's the only way I see us competing in the division over the next couple of years.

I don't agree with that. SB's can be won with just sound QB play.

Siemian is not our main weakness this year. Look in the trenches on both sides of the LOS and that's where you'll find our most serious weaknesses. If those units perform at a very high level we've got a pretty realistic shot. IMO that's extremely unlikely to happen early this season.

[BroncoSojia]

11 minutes ago, AKRNA said:

I don't agree with that. SB's can be won with just sound QB play.

Siemian is not our main weakness this year. Look in the trenches on both sides of the LOS and that's where you'll find our most serious weaknesses. If those units perform at a very high level we've got a pretty realistic shot. IMO that's extremely unlikely to happen early this season.

Siemian is best suited to be a backup. IMO, he's one of our biggest weaknesses because he plays the most important position on the field. All of the other issues are valid, but QB is the one that most needs addressing next year.

[broncos67]

On 9/6/2017 at 11:57 PM, AnAngryAmerican said:

It's going to be a rough year. There are too many questions, or outright short-comings, in too many places.  

• Trevor Siemian is a great guy and I believe, unequivocally, he is the best QB on the roster. That said, he is backup level talent. 
• We have a rookie HC who was hired not because he was a highly-accomplished and successful coordinator, let alone proven head coach, but rather because he was frat brothers with Matt Russell and would be a yes-man for John Elway, both of whom's resumes look worse with each passing day that Peyton Manning is not here. 
• We have a rookie DC who seems to be itching too much to put his stamp on the defense so as to not be cast as "the guy who won with Wade's defense stacked with All Pros and future Hall of Famers" that he will make a number of costly mistakes. 
• Aside from Derek Wolfe, we do not have any quality players on the D-Line. When people are chomping at the bit for Zack Kerr and Jared Crick to return, two guys who are the epitome of JAGs, you know you're in trouble. 
• We do not have Shane Ray for 1/2 the season. Ray is far from an All-Pro (in fact, Shaq is the better all-around OLB) but as one of three in the OLB rotation his absence is going to be felt. Especially when a rookie 4-3 DE/3-tech miscast at OLB and a career journeyman are going to be the other two. 
• Make any justifications and excuses you can - and many of them are entirely valid - getting rid of TJ Ward the way the team did has sapped locker room morale. That's never good. Remember the 2009-10 period?
• We have an offensive line that cannot pass block and our meathead rookie LT is a penalty waiting to happen. 
• Our prize FA acquisition is playing out of position at RG. 
• We do not have a third option in the passing game. Anywhere. 
• We do not have a legitimate TE in an offense that is not only supposed to have one but have a good one, or two. 

If everything goes well and we stay relatively healthy I think we can be at or around .500. But 6-10 and a last-place finish in the AFCW wouldn't surprise me. But, hey, here's hoping like hell I'm wrong. 

LOL here we go.

Some of these points are valid, but honestly, everything you say about the coaches is complete bias. Vance Joseph, was, in fact, highly respected around the league. He wasn't my first choice, but Dan you're smart enough to know that being a highly successful coordinator is not a pre-requisite for a successful head coach. Look no further than Josh McDaniels for why that's the case. Also, that statement about Elway is flat out ludicrous. Not sure what the Joe Woods comment is about? Can you elaborate? All accounts are this dude built the NFZ. Gotta be willing to at least give these guys a chance. Some of these points are valid, the ones I called out above are total unknowns. 

Also, the TJ Ward thing may sap morale, but guarantee if the team starts winning all will be fine. Winning cures any bad feelings. It's a business, always has been. If these guys don't know that by now it's a problem.

[broncos67]

For the record, I could see us being 10-6 at best. The schedule, particularly the division, is just too good. We have a marginal at best DL, and unless Gotsis learns how to play football, we're in some trouble there. If Siemian takes a leap I'll feel a little better, but I think this team needs to reload a little bit before they're a major contender again.

[champ11]

Regarding Woods:

 

 

[BroncosFan2010]

I expect 6-10 and last place in the AFC West. I have little faith or excitement for Vance and his team, and don't necessarily see many young talents ready to break out outside our Safeties (Simmons / Parks). Our DL is one of the worst in the league on talent alone, and needs to really overperform as a unit to even attain mediocracy. We have been looking for a 3rd pass catcher since Julius Thomas left and cant seem to find one.

Trevor isn't a good enough talent to out-and-out win games for us. If we had a solid team around him top-to-bottom, he could be enough to get us into the playoffs and even make a run (Like the Super Bowl year), but we have lost a ton of talent, the young guys have really not stepped in to replace said lost talent and its starting to show.

You cant be the cream-de-la-crem of the league every year and I expect this season to hurt but flash enough to keep us excited.

[iLikeDefense]

2 minutes ago, BroncosFan2010 said:

I expect 6-10 and last place in the AFC West. I have little faith or excitement for Vance and his team, and don't necessarily see many young talents ready to break out outside our Safeties (Simmons / Parks). Our DL is one of the worst in the league on talent alone, and needs to really overperform as a unit to even attain mediocracy. We have been looking for a 3rd pass catcher since Julius Thomas left and cant seem to find one.

Trevor isn't a good enough talent to out-and-out win games for us. If we had a solid team around him top-to-bottom, he could be enough to get us into the playoffs and even make a run (Like the Super Bowl year), but we have lost a ton of talent, the young guys have really not stepped in to replace said lost talent and its starting to show.

You cant be the cream-de-la-crem of the league every year and I expect this season to hurt but flash enough to keep us excited.

This is sort of how I view this season. I'm going in hoping to see the development of our young players and if we play above our talent, that's great, it means we have the right staff in place guiding and motivating our players.