2017 NFL win/loss projections for all 32 teams

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are a proud football organization, but what kind of team will they have in 2017? In a way, it feels as if they are in a cross between being a slight rebuild and still wanting to contend for championships. Honestly, they don’t have anything close to a championship-level quarterback in either Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian, but Denver should get improved play out of that position group in 2017.

Here’s why. General manager John Elway traded up to draft the strong-armed Lynch out of Memphis in 2016. He clearly needed a redshirt year, but has the build, arm talent and mobility to be a viable quarterback in this league. If he wins the job, Denver’s ceiling rise. However should it be Siemian for another year, he will improve on reps alone, which raises Denver’s already high floor.

Denver should be able to get after the quarterback and break up passes on defense. It helps having star players on that side of the ball in Von Miller, Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. However, Denver is not so quietly becoming also-ran in run defense. If the Broncos can’t stop the run, they aren’t making the AFC Playoffs. In a way, that’s their margin of error: winning in the trenches.

Playing in the AFC West does not help either. All four teams in that division have fair shots at reaching the AFC Playoffs. As many as three can get in, probably two. However, Denver is at best third in the quarterbacking department depending on how the final year of the Alex Smith saga in Kansas City goes.

Overall, this team is going to hover around .500. The Broncos will win low-scoring games for being a defensive-minded team and a step-up franchise. However, Denver will lose at least three games this year on poor offensive play alone. The defense will hate that very much. Look for the Broncos to be a more balanced football team in 2017, but sadly won’t see a jump in the standings. The will just miss the AFC Playoffs.

Projected Record: 9-7, Misses AFC Playoffs