While the Denver Broncos are 5-2 to open the season and are in first place in the AFC West going into Week 8, they are about to face some bigger challenges ahead.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis shared a chart about strength of schedule, past and present. Though his post on X was more about the Minnesota Vikings, every team is included on the chart and it’s worth talking about the Broncos.
the Vikings have played the #1 easiest schedule this year
they play the #1 hardest schedule the rest of the season
thru 8 weeks their only 3 wins?
vs Jake Browning, Dillon Gabriel & Caleb Williams
still have the Packers 2x, Lions 2x, Seahawks, Ravens, Cowboys, Commanders etc pic.twitter.com/gVuZ7gkKB6
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 24, 2025
Note that the Broncos, through the first eight weeks, had the sixth-easiest schedule among NFL teams, to include this week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. For the final eight weeks, their schedule ranks 21st.
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On one hand, the Broncos don’t face the toughest schedule among NFL teams. On the other hand, the schedule will get tougher than it has been.
In the final eight games of the season, the Broncos will face the Kansas City Chiefs twice, plus the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Chargers — all teams that have shown they can be playoff contenders. The Broncos also get the Houston Texans, who had a slow start but have a good defense.
In the case of the Commanders and Chargers, they are missing key players because of injuries. However, the Broncos play them after their Week 12 bye, and by that point, those teams could have more of those players back in the lineup.
The Broncos do get the Las Vegas Raiders twice, but they are the only team that could truly be considered bad. Therefore, the Broncos won’t be able to take much for granted in the second half of the season.
The Cowboys game, of course, is an opponent the Broncos will have to play well in all aspects because they have one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Cowboys do not have a good defense, though, so the Broncos must come through on offense.
It’s good to see the Broncos get off to a good start as far as the overall record goes; they must improve if they are going to finish with a strong overall record. It won’t get any easier from here.
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