Broncos' schedule: Denver hosts Carolina in season opener, plays Houston Oct. 24 By Troy Renck DenverPost.com The Broncos find themselves smack 'Dab' in the middle of a featured bout to open the season. They host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Sept. 8 in a Super Bowl 50 rematch, kicking off a juicy home schedule that features the New England Patriots on Dec. 18 and quarterback Brock Osweiler's return with Houston on Monday night Oct. 24. "I hope he's ready," linebacker Brandon Marshall said, "cuz we're coming for him." First things first. The previous Super Bowl combatants play in Week 1 for the first time since 1970. The Broncos upset Carolina 24-10 in the final game a year ago, with several defensive players admitting afterward they were motivated to silence the Panthers, who spent the two weeks building up to the game 'Dabbing' and talking too much for the Broncos' liking. Denver delivered seven sacks in the trouncing. "I think it's great," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. "It's a big challenge for our team. It gets our attention really quick. We know that we're going to have to have a really good offseason. We've got some changes going on with our football team, but our standard will be the same. We look forward to it." While Carolina brings intrigue, Houston drips with vengeance. Osweiler upset multiple teammates when he bolted to the Texans on a four-year, $72-million deal while cutting off communication with the Broncos during free agency. Osweiler went 5-2 as the Broncos' starter for an injured Peyton Manning, then lost his job in the season finale. The benching bothered him and his family, accelerating his exit, which became easier when Houston exceeded Denver's offer in guaranteed money by $7 million. The Broncos defeated the Patriots in overtime last season, capping a dramatic 14-point rally. This game carries added significance because it typically settles home-field advantage in the playoffs. "It's going to be fun," running back C.J. Anderson said. As receiver Emmanuel Sanders tweeted, there are "No JV games" on Denver's schedule. The Broncos follow Carolina with Indianapolis at home and playoff entrant Cincinnati on the road. Two of their divisional road games are in prime time at San Diego on Thursday, Oct. 13 and at Kansas City on Christmas night. Though a reprieve comes from a late bye week on Nov. 20, it's part of a rugged, sixweek stretch when Denver plays four road games at Oakland, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Tennessee. "People will be ready to play us," general manager John Elway said. "When you come off a world championship, you're going to get everybody's best shot.
Matt Paradis signs tender with Broncos; Nick Kasa waived By Cameron Wolfe DenverPost.com There wasn't much doubt, but the Broncos have locked up their starting center for the 2016 season. Matt Paradis signed his exclusive rights tender Thursday, ensuring he will be in camp when the Broncos offseason workouts begin Monday. Paradis, a 2014 sixth-round pick, was the only Broncos player on offense or defense to play every snap this season. In another roster move, the Broncos waived former University of Colorado tight end Nick Kasa with a non-football injury designation. Kasa signed with the Broncos after the AFC championship game to simulate Panthers tight end Greg Olsen in practice during their Super Bowl 50 preparations for Carolina. Kasa will receive a Super Bowl ring.
Connor Cook makes predraft visit with the Denver Broncos By Cameron Wolfe DenverPost.com The search for the Broncos' next franchise quarterback continues as the team hosted former Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook for a predraft visit Thursday, an NFL source confirmed. Cook has the athleticism to move around in Broncos coach Gary Kubiak's zone-read system. He went 34-4 as a four-year starter at Michigan State. He ran a pro-style offense with the Spartans, showing off his strong arm, with more focus on downfield throws than screens and dump-offs that litter many college offenses. Cook is one of the most NFL-ready quarterbacks in the draft. There are questions about Cook's leadership skills because he wasn't named a team captain at Michigan State. Low accuracy numbers and shaky footwork also are concerns. Cook joins Mississippi State's Dak Prescott and Memphis' Paxton Lynch among top tier quarterbacks who have met with the Broncos over the past two weeks. The meetings might indicate Denver intends to draft a quarterback high in this month's draft. Shaking up the draft. The Los Angeles Rams changed the landscape of the NFL draft Thursday morning by trading with Tennessee for the No. 1 pick. Their eyes seem to be locked on a quarterback, with Cal's Jared Goff and North Dakota State's Carson Wentz being options. The Cleveland Browns at No. 2 also are in the market for a quarterback. If Goff and Wentz are off the board by No. 2, the stock of the remaining potential first-round quarterbacks Lynch and Cook is likely to rise. All four could be off the board by No. 31 when the Broncos are scheduled to pick. Irish captains. Former Broncos Ryan Harris and David Bruton will be honorary captains at Notre Dame's spring game Saturday. Harris, who signed a two-year, $3.9 million contract with the Steelers in the offseason, graduated from Notre Dame in 2007 before he was drafted by the Broncos in the third round. Bruton, who signed a three-year, $9 million deal with the Redskins in the offseason, graduated from Notre Dame in 2009 before he was drafted by the Broncos in the fourth round. Both played key roles in the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 run.
John Bowlen, son of Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, guilty of harassment By Jordan Steffen DenverPost.com John Michael Bowlen, the son of Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, was found guilty of harassment Thursday by an Arapahoe County jury. The charges stem from a domestic violence case in which Bowlen pushed his girlfriend against a bathroom wall on June 3, 2015. He was also charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor for allegedly hanging up the phone when the woman tried to call 911. The jury found Bowlen guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor charge of harassment, according to a news release from the Arapahoe County District Attorney's office. Bowlen was sentenced to 24 months of probation with drug and alcohol evaluations. He also was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. In June, Bowlen's girlfriend told investigators that he was under the influence of "whippets" nitrous oxide and alcohol. The two had been dating for about 10 months, and she told police there were "previous incidences of verbal abuse," according to a warrant in the case. The Broncos placed Bowlen, a marketing employee, on an indefinite leave of absence after the arrest. In the 911 call from Bowlen's girlfriend, she screamed and hung up. The dispatcher called back and Bowlen answered. "She has had seven beers," Bowlen told the dispatcher. "She is 95 pounds, and she is being picked up by another male who she works out with. She is fine, and she is trying to cause a problem. As the blood of the city, I'm telling you right now, nothing is wrong. She is leaving my house." Bowlen went on to assure the dispatcher that he was sober and had "done nothing wrong." "I'm a man of the city, a friend of the mayor, and everybody knows exactly who I am," he said. "I've been going through a lot because I've been taking care of my dad."
John Bowlen's hubris and guilt By Denver Post Editorial Board DenverPost.com You may recall that when John Michael Bowlen was trying to assure an emergency dispatcher last year that everything was fine after his girlfriend called 911 and hung up, he told the dispatcher, "I'm a man of the city, a friend of the mayor, and everybody knows exactly who I am." Actually, of course, most of us had never heard of Broncos owner Pat Bowlen's boastful son, nor did we have any interest in getting to know this young man with a striking sense of entitlement. Yet Bowlen's statement was quite prescient, even if he didn't know it at the time. Ten months later, everybody now knows exactly who he is: He's the guy who was found guilty Thursday of harassment.
Broncos release 2016 regular season schedule By Mike Klis 9News And the last shall be first. The previous NFL season ended with the Denver Broncos meeting the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. After two weeks of hype where the storyline was league MVP and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton against the terrific Denver defense and star pass-rusher Von Miller, the Broncos prevailed 24-10 on Feb. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. To open the new 2016 season, the NFL will do it all over again. It will be Miller s Broncos showing off their Lombardi Trophy against Newton s Panthers in the season opener Sept. 8 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It s the league s first Super Bowl rematch to open the new season since the NFL merger in 1970. Looking forward to it, Broncos general manager John Elway told 9NEWS on Thursday. It was a great game when we played them in February and I m sure it will be a great rematch when they come here and play us in the opener. Just to make sure, Von Miller will be there, right, John? That s the plan, Elway said. The plan is have to Von there, no question. Miller, the Broncos star pass-rushing linebacker, set up both of the Broncos two touchdowns in Super Bowl 50 with strip sacks of Newton. The Broncos have since designated an exclusive franchise tag tender of $14.129 million on Miller, who figures to stay away from the team s offseason workout program until he gets a multiyear contract. Here is the Broncos schedule: REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE 1. Thursday, Sept. 8 vs. Carolina Panthers Sports Authority Field at Mile High 6:30 p.m. NBC (9NEWS) Super Bowl 50 rematch again pits Cam Newton against Von Miller. 2. Sunday, Sept. 18 vs. Indianapolis Colts... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 2:25 p.m.... CBS Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is coming off a turnover-filled injury-plagued season. Peyton Manning is not coming back. 3. Sunday, Sept. 25 at Cincinnati Bengals... Paul Brown Stadium... 11 a.m.... CBS
The Bengals are always tough at home in the regular season. It s the playoffs where they aren t so tough. 4. Sunday, Oct. 2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers... Raymond James Stadium... 2:05 p.m.... CBS Broncos get first chance to harass Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston. 5. Sunday, Oct. 9 vs. Atlanta Falcons... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 2:05 p.m.... FOX Broncos secondary will have to do a better job against Julio Jones than it did last year against the NFL s other top receiver, Antonio Brown. 6. Thursday, Oct. 13 at San Diego Chargers... Qualcomm Stadium... 6:25 p.m.... NBC (9NEWS) It s nice that the city of San Diego remains a road destination for the Broncos, who count Qualcomm Stadium as their second home. 7. Monday, Oct. 24 vs. Houston Texans... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 6:30 p.m.... ESPN J.J. Watt will bring his Texans into the House Where Brock Sat. Bronco fans may boo Houston QB like they ve never booed anyone before. 8. Sunday, Oct. 30 vs. San Diego Chargers... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 2:05 p.m.... CBS Philip Rivers can hope Bronco fans boo out their voices on Brock. 9. Sunday, Nov. 6 at Oakland Raiders... O.co Coliseum... 6:30 p.m....nbc (9NEWS) The league must be sold on Jack Del Rio s Raiders if they are putting this game on primetime Sunday night. 10. Sunday, Nov. 13 at New Orleans Saints... Mercedes-Benz Superdome... 11 a.m.... CBS Not easy defending Drew Brees at the Superdome. 11. Bye Broncos have one of the league s latest bye weeks but it breaks up tough portion of their schedule. 12. Sunday, Nov. 27 vs. Kansas City Chiefs... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 2:25 p.m.... CBS The Chiefs are the biggest threat to snap the Broncos five-year AFC West title streak. 13. Sunday, Dec. 4 at Jacksonville Jaguars... Everbank Field... 11 a.m.... CBS Look out Malik and Julius. Here come your former Broncos. 14. Sunday, Dec. 11 at Tennessee Titans... Nissan Stadium... 11 a.m.... CBS
Wade Phillips gets his first chance to coral Marcus Mariota. 15. Sunday, Dec. 18 vs. New England Patriots... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 2:25 p.m.... CBS It won t be Manning-Brady. Who knows, maybe by this game it will be Brady-Siemian. 16. Sunday, Dec. 25 at Kansas City Chiefs... Arrowhead Stadium... 6:30 p.m.... NBC (9NEWS) All the Broncos want for Christmas is to clinch a playoff spot. 17. Sunday, Jan. 1 vs. Oakland Raiders... Sports Authority Field at Mile High... 2:25 p.m.... CBS This time, the Broncos plan on having Donald Stephenson block Khalil Mack. A closer look at the good, bad, trends and twists to the Broncos 2016 schedule: *The toughest part of the schedule? There are two stretches. The first is the first three games. Carolina, Indianapolis and a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Panthers and Bengals combined for a 27-5 regular-season record last year. The Colts are coming off a disappointing year, largely because Luck, their star quarterback, was hurt. The Broncos will have to play well to come out of those first three games with a 2-1 record. The second difficult stretch begins the second-half of the season when the Broncos play four of five games on the road. Then it s New England at home and Kansas City on the road. Obviously you have to stay healthy, Elway said. That s always a big thing. We were fortunate enough to kind of stay healthy last year. When we did get some guys banged up we had young guys step up. And obviously people will be ready to play us, too. When you come off a world championship you re going to get everybody s best shot. *The easy part of the schedule? Besides their own AFC West, which hasn t exactly been a juggernaut division outside of Denver in recent years, the Broncos play teams from the AFC South and NFC South. The AFC South Houston (9-7), Indy (8-8), Jacksonville (5-11) and Tennessee (3-13) combined for a 25-39 record last year. The NFC South outside of Carolina Atlanta (8-8), New Orleans (7-9) and Tampa Bay (6-10) were a combined 21-27. *The Broncos opposing schedule is loaded with young, up-and-coming quarterbacks. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in last year s draft. Blake Bortles, Brock Osweiler and Derek Carr are up-and-comers. Luck and Newton are still only 26. No matchup will be more anticipated than game 7 against Houston and their new quarterback Osweiler, who was the Broncos backup to Manning the previous four years. It will be nice for Brock to come back here, Elway said. But they re a good football team. They re going to be a team that s going to compete for the AFC (championship) so with Indy coming in, New
England coming in, Carolina coming in, Houston coming in, we ve got a lot of top-notch teams coming in. *The Broncos really have two bye weeks. Their official bye is week 11, which is late. When it s that late teams worry about keeping their players bodies healthy. But the Broncos also have an 11-day break between their week 6 game on Thursday, Oct. 13 at San Diego and week 7 game on Monday, Oct. 24 against Houston. *It s no longer the Peyton Manning factor. The Broncos again have the maximum five primetime games the opener against Carolina, all three AFC West road games and against Osweiler and the Texans. It s nice to have some exposure, our guys like that, Elway said. *The Broncos-Carolina opener is the first Super Bowl rematch in week 1 of the following season since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The Kansas City Chiefs upset the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7 in Super Bowl IV to finish the 1969 season. The Vikings won the rematch in the 1970 opener, 27-10.
Broncos look for a linebacker to step up and replace Danny Trevathan By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com On Monday, the Denver Broncos will begin their offseason program and get their first look at a roster that is still under construction. After some need-specific moves in free agency with additions at quarterback, offensive line and in the defensive, the Broncos will have a group at their suburban Denver complex that coach Gary Kubiak has called "a good team, a really good team." This is the last of the one-a-day looks at where things stand at some of the positions that carried the biggest question marks when the offseason opened. Today: Linebackers. Who s in: When Danny Trevathan exited in free agency -- he signed with the Chicago Bears -- it meant the guy who had led the Broncos in tackles in two of the last three seasons, topping 100 tackles each of those times, would no longer be a three-down player in the team's defense. And Trevathan led the team in tackles under two different defensive coordinators -- Jack Del Rio and Wade Phillips -- with one of those seasons being in a 4-3 defense and last season in Phillips 3-4. The Broncos will have to replace plenty of scheme and situational versatility. There is plenty of production and talent remaining on the depth chart. DeMarcus Ware willingly took a pay reduction to stay. Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and Brandon Marshall, who led the Broncos in tackles in 2014 and was second to Trevathan this past season, also return. The Broncos are also looking for a big jump in production from Shane Ray, last year s No. 1 pick, and Todd Davis likely will get the first chance to replace Trevathan at one of the inside linebacker spots. Corey Nelson has been a key special teams player already in his career and Shaquil Barrett made several impact plays last season in a rotation with Ware and Miller. Zaire Anderson, who spent last season on the practice squad also has a chance at a roster spot. Cap matters: Miller s figure could change if the Broncos are successful in getting a long-term deal done before training camp, but with the franchise player tag he is scheduled to count just over $14 million against the cap. Ware, after taking a cut in base salary in a new deal that has some incentives built in, will count just $8 million against the cap. Marshall, who would like a long-term deal, is on a one-year tender as a restricted free agents so will count $2.553 million against the cap with Shane Ray at $2.072 million against the cap. Nelson, Davis, Barrett and Anderson are at $612,150, $600,000, $525,000 and $450,000 respectively against the cap.
Who starts: If the Broncos stick to their plan to use Ware, who missed five games last season with a back injury, in a more pass-rush specific role this season, then the initial early-down configuration could be Miller and Ray at the two outside linebacker spots with Marshall and Davis at the two inside spots. What s left to do: Overall, the Broncos like the group and believe they have depth. The wild card in any prediction of a starting lineup is if the Broncos use a premium draft pick on an inside linebacker, such as in the first or second round. It will be a tough group for a new player to crack, especially given that seven of the eight players at the position currently on the roster were on the 53-player roster last season and Anderson spent the year on the team s practice squad.
Broncos to open regular season against Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 rematch By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com The Broncos full regular-season schedule is on the way Thursday night and the team has been informed its regular-season opener will be the league s season opener, a Sept. 8 prime-time affair with the Carolina Panthers in a Super Bowl 50 rematch at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Panthers, 24-10, in the title game this past February for the franchise's third Super Bowl win. The rest of the Broncos' schedule will be revealed Thursday evening, but their home schedule will include games against the New England Patriots in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game, the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, with whom former Broncos backup quarterback Brock Osweiler signed in free agency. Also Thursday the team finalized its preseason schedule. The Broncos will open the preseason Aug. 11 at Chicago, face the San Francisco 49ers Aug. 20 in Denver, face the Los Angeles Rams Aug. 27 in Denver and close out the preseason Sept. 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, against the Cardinals.
Denver Broncos' schedule features tough early stretch By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com Breakdown: The Denver Broncos will face the Carolina Panthers (in the season opener), the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots in Denver in addition to their traditional AFC West opponents. The Broncos will have an early look at where things stand given they will open in the Super Bowl rematch with the Panthers, followed by Week 2 game against the Colts to go with a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. The Broncos will also have to wait to face the Kansas City Chiefs, given both games against the division rival fall in the final six weeks of the season -- including a Christmas night game in Arrowhead Stadium. Also waiting in December is a game against the New England Patriots, a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. Circle the date: When quarterback Brock Osweiler said signing with the Houston Texans was his best opportunity to succeed over the long haul, it got the attention of many of his former teammates. Osweiler and the Texans will come to Denver for an Oct. 24 game. What the Broncos have done at quarterback by that time remains to be seen. But it's clear there were, despite what all involved have said, some hard feelings about Osweiler's exit. Broncos general manager John Elway said the team wanted to keep players who wanted to be in Denver. Osweiler was obviously happy at the chance to play outside the long shadow cast by Elway and Peyton Manning. Pack up and go: The Broncos will have to handle their business on the road if they are going to have a chance at their sixth consecutive division title. When November opens until the end of the regular season they will play five of their final eight games on the road. The Broncos do have their bye week in there -- Week 11 -- but it presents their most difficult stretch of road games of the season. And it includes, at least at the moment, two games in the early time slot -- 11 a.m. MT kickoff -- at Jacksonville and at Tennessee. Strength of schedule: 14th,.504 Broncos Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern) Week 1: Thursday, Sept. 8, Carolina, 8:30 p.m. Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 18, Indianapolis, 4:25 p.m. Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 25, at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 2, at Tampa Bay, 4:05 p.m. Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 9, Atlanta, 4:05 p.m. Week 6: Thursday, Oct. 13, at San Diego, 8:25 p.m. Week 7: Monday, Oct. 24, Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 30, San Diego, 4:05 p.m. Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 6, at Oakland, 8:30 p.m. Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 13, at New Orleans, 1 p.m. Week 11: BYE Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 27, Kansas City, 4:25 p.m. Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 4, at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 11, at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 18, New England, 4:25 p.m. Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 25, at Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 1, Oakland, 4:25 p.m.
2016 Denver Broncos game-by-game predictions By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com The Denver Broncos have the schedule befitting a defending Super Bowl champ with the league s opener on Sept. 8 -- a rematch with the Carolina Panthers -- to go along with five prime-time games and yet another regular-season matchup with the New England Patriots. It will be the sixth consecutive season the teams have played in the regular season. They have played again in the playoffs in three of those years. Week 1: Thursday, Sept. 8, vs. Carolina Panthers, 8:30 p.m. ET A Super Bowl rematch almost seven months to the day from the Broncos 24-10 victory in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos last faced the Panthers in regular season in 2012 -- John Fox s second season as Broncos coach and Peyton Manning s first season with the team -- and the Panthers haven t played in Denver since 2004, a 20-17 Broncos' win. Record: 1-0. Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 18, vs. Indianapolis Colts, 4:25 p.m. ET The Colts handed the Broncos one of their four regular-season losses in 2015 -- 27-24 on Nov. 29 in Indianapolis -- and the Colts earned a playoff win in Denver to close out the Broncos 2014 season. It means the Broncos will face two quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall in the draft -- Cam Newton and Andrew Luck -- to open their Super Bowl defense. Record: 2-0. Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 25, at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET The Bengals had a frustrating finish to their 2015 season with a playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The last time the Broncos faced the Bengals -- a 20-17 overtime win for Denver in December -- Andy Dalton didn t play at quarterback because of injury and Brock Osweiler started for the injured Peyton Manning. Both teams figure to be far healthier this time around. Record: 2-1. Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 2, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. ET This will be the Broncos first in-person look at Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and the first trip to Tampa since 2004. The Broncos have faced the Buccaneers eight times over the franchise s history -- Denver is 6-2 in those games with the Buccaneers two wins coming in 1993 and 1999. Record: 3-1. Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 9, vs. Atlanta Falcons, 4:05 p.m. ET A lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge, but the last time the Broncos faced the Falcons -- Sept. 17, 2012 -- some folks actually were wondering if the whole Manning-at-quarterback idea was going to work after he threw four interceptions in the Week 2 loss to Atlanta. However, the Broncos went 12-2 the rest of the way in that regular season and the rest turned into one of the most successful runs in franchise history. Record: 4-1. Week 6: Thursday, Oct. 13, at San Diego Chargers, 8:25 p.m. ET
This will be the Broncos' first AFC West game. The Broncos have won the past five meetings with the Chargers and nine of the past 10 overall, including one playoff game. The only San Diego win in that span was, 27-20 in Denver, during the 2012 regular season and came on a Thursday night. Record: 5-1. Week 7: Monday, Oct. 24, vs. Houston Texans, 8:30 p.m. ET In the era of free agency, each week in an NFL season features several former players facing their former teams, but this one will carry a little more zest. Brock Osweiler left the Broncos in free agency for the greener financial pastures the Texans offered -- a four-year, $72 million deal -- and made no secret he was looking for a fresh start. The Broncos defense will remember that whole "Texans gave him a better chance for success" thing. Record: 6-1. Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 30, vs. San Diego Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET Given this will be the second time in a 17-day span the Broncos face the Chargers, they won t need to dig too far into the video archives to see what the Chargers are up to on offense and defense. The two Chargers games mark the Broncos start into the AFC West portion of the schedule. With the two San Diego games, the Broncos will play all six of their division games over their last 11 weeks. Record: 7-1. Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 6, at Oakland Raiders, 8:30 p.m. ET When the Broncos saw Raiders defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack last December, he was busy running past whatever blocker was in front of him on the way to five sacks. It was a third of Mack s 15 sacks for the season and was one of the most glaring displays of the struggles the Broncos had in their offensive line for much of the 2015 season. The Raiders feel as if they are poised to compete for a division title and this could be a measuring stick. Record: 7-2. Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 13, at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET This will be the Broncos' first trip to New Orleans since 2004, and given the schedule rotations it just might be the last time the team faces Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Ironically, Brees may not have signed with the Saints in free agency in 2006 had he not injured his throwing shoulder against the Broncos in the 2005 regular-season finale. Record: 8-2. Week 11: BYE Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 27, vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET The last time the Chiefs were in Denver, it was a season-changing experience for the Broncos. Manning, with 35 yards passing and four interceptions in the game, was pulled because it was clear he could no longer function because of his left foot injury. Manning missed the next seven starts, but Denver composed itself for a Super Bowl run. Record: 9-2. Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 4, at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET This one sits right in the upset wheelhouse for the Broncos. Much like their loss to the Raiders last December, their loss at Cincinnati in December 2014 and their loss to the Chargers in December 2013,
there always seems to be a bobble in the pre-holiday season. Put a game in the early time slot, in the Eastern time zone, against a coach in Gus Bradley whose defensive scheme has given the Broncos some trouble in the recent past, and all of the elements are there. Record: 9-3. Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 11, at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET Given Broncos coach Gary Kubiak spent nine seasons as the Houston Texans' coach, there won t be much about this trip he won t already know. It will be the team's first trip back to Music City since September 2011 -- John Fox s first season as Broncos coach -- and the team had not yet made the move to Tim Tebow at quarterback. Record: 10-3. Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 18, vs. New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET For the first time in four seasons, the overriding narrative is not whether Manning or Tom Brady has had a better career. No, this time will offer a new page and could be the preview, if things go the way each team expects, of yet another postseason meeting. The Broncos and Patriots have faced each other in the regular season and postseason in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Both of the Broncos Super Bowl trips in the past three seasons have come with wins over the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Record: 10-4. Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 25, at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:30 p.m. ET A stretch-drive game between these two longtime rivals on Christmas night means the Broncos will face an Arrowhead crowd at its throaty best. The Broncos needed a stunning fumble return for a touchdown by cornerback Bradley Roby to win the last time they played in Kansas City. Record: 10-5. Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 1, vs. Oakland Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET The Broncos will ring in the New Year and may need this win to secure their playoff seeding, or perhaps even get themselves a home game to open their hoped-for postseason. If the Broncos aren t in the playoff conversation at this point, then things have gone terribly wrong and a team Kubiak has said has the potential to be "very, very good" didn t live up to its billing. Record: 11-5.
Broncos favored by 3 against Panthers in 2016 season opener By Ben Fawkes ESPN.com With the 2016 NFL schedule officially released, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has put out lines for all 16 Week 1 games. The Denver Broncos will open their title defense at home on Thursday, Sept. 8, as 3-point favorites over the Carolina Panthers in a Super Bowl 50 rematch. In the Sunday night game on Sept. 11, the New England Patriots are pick-em at the Arizona Cardinals. In ESPN's Monday Night Football games on Sept. 12, the Pittsburgh Steelers head into the nation's capital as 2.5-point favorites over the Washington Redskins in the early game. In the later kickoff, the Los Angeles Rams head to San Francisco as 2.5-point favorites over the 49ers. The three highest spreads are all 7.5 points, belonging to Seattle Seahawks (vs. Miami Dolphins), Kansas City Chiefs (vs. San Diego Chargers) and Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Cleveland Browns). The Minnesota Vikings (-2.5 at Tennessee Titans) and Green Bay Packers (-3.5 at Jacksonville Jaguars) are also road favorites.
Super Bowl rematch: Panthers-Broncos opens season By Barry Wilner Associated Press Super Bowl rematch. Minus Peyton Manning, of course. The NFL season will begin the way the last one ended, with the Denver Broncos playing the Carolina Panthers. Denver beat Carolina 24-10 in February in the Super Bowl, Manning's final game. The rematch will be on Thursday night, Sept. 8 in Denver. "We're glad that it's out," Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway said. "We knew who we were going to play and now we know when we're going to play them. It's always exciting to take that next step and look at the 2016 season. With the schedule coming out, that's kind of the first step. With the draft coming up in the next couple of weeks, we're on to 2016." It is the first Super Bowl rematch on opening weekend since 1970, when Minnesota beat champion Kansas City 27-10. "It's exciting for our players to compete on a national stage," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "We have earned the right to be in the spotlight and we have to take advantage of it." Among the highlights for opening weekend is the Rams' return to representing Los Angeles as they visit San Francisco in the nightcap of a Monday night doubleheader. Pittsburgh is at Washington in the first game. Also facing off in Week 1 will be the Patriots and Cardinals at Arizona on Sunday night, Sept. 11. "It is truly an honor to open the season at home, at MetLife Stadium, on the 15th anniversary of 9/11," Jets center Nick Mangold said of a matchup with the Bengals. "I know that will be an emotional time for everyone, as it was in 2011." The Rams get their first home game in the LA Coliseum in Week 2, hosting Seattle. That night, the Vikings open their new stadium in Minneapolis against Green Bay. Week 3's Monday nighter has Atlanta at New Orleans to mark the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Week 16 will feature most games on a Saturday because Sunday is Christmas. There will be two games on Christmas Day: Baltimore at Pittsburgh in late afternoon, Denver at Kansas City at night. "I don't know how much my wife will think of that," a chuckling Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said of playing on Christmas, "but that's part of it. I've done that many times before. It will be a tough place to play. We always have great games there."
Houston hosts Cincinnati in a Christmas Eve night game. A tripleheader on the other major holiday, Thanksgiving, will have the traditional home games for Detroit (vs. Minnesota) and Dallas (against Washington). The prime-time matchup is Pittsburgh at Indianapolis. The regular season ends on New Year's Day 2017 with 16 divisional matchups. Four games will be played abroad. Jacksonville will host Indianapolis in London on Oct. 2, at Wembley Stadium. On Oct. 23, the first NFL game at Twickenham Stadium will have the Rams hosting the Giants. And the following Sunday, Cincinnati will host Washington at Wembley. The NFL returns to Mexico City for the first time in 11 years when Oakland hosts Houston on Nov. 21. Byes begin in Week 4 when Green Bay and Philadelphia are off. They end in Week 13 with Cleveland and Tennessee idle. The playoffs start on the weekend of Jan. 7-8. Houston hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. Only one team, Green Bay, has three straight road games: Nov. 13 at Tennessee, Nov. 20 at Washington, and Nov. 28 at Philadelphia. Strangely, the Packers also have a string of five weeks without leaving Wisconsin. They have four straight games at Lambeau Field, with a bye after the first one. Miami also has four consecutive home matches, from Oct. 9-Nov. 6, with a bye in there, too. Overall, including the Packers and Dolphins, 11 teams have at least three straight home contests: Titans, Giants, Lions, Buccaneers, Bills (in December, no less), Patriots (Weeks 2-4), Jets, Browns and Chiefs (also in December). Oakland sort of has a similar home stay. The Raiders host Denver on Nov. 6, then have a bye before being the home team in that game in Mexico City. They follow with games in Oakland against Carolina and Buffalo.
Broncos center Matt Paradis signs his tender By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press Center Matt Paradis, who took every snap for the Denver Broncos from their opener through the Super Bowl, signed his exclusive rights tender on Thursday, four days before they start their offseason program. Paradis is the only member of the Super Bowl champs who played every snap from scrimmage last season. He'll anchor a retooled offensive line that includes new veteran tackles Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson and has lost Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris, Tyler Polumbus, Evan Mathis and Louis Vasquez this offseason. Paradis, a 2014 sixth-round draft choice of the Broncos from Boise State, played for the league's rookie minimum salary of $435,000 last year. He was also the top earner ($391,648) through the league's performance-based pay program. The Broncos also waived tight end Nick Kasa, whom they signed to their practice squad Jan. 25 to simulate Carolina's Greg Olsen.
Broncos owner's son convicted of harassment of girlfriend By AP Associated Press A son of Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has been found guilty of harassment after he was accused of pushing his girlfriend during an argument last summer. Thirty-year-old John Bowlen was convicted Thursday and sentenced to 24 months of probation. He was also ordered to undergo evaluations for drugs, alcohol and mental health and get mental health and domestic violence treatment. Bowlen had pleaded not guilty. The case was in Arapahoe County District Court in suburban Denver. John Bowlen was a marketing assistant for the Broncos but has been on indefinite leave since his arrest. His father is suffering from Alzheimer's and relinquished control of the team in 2014.
NFL schedule highlights: Revenge games, holidays and odd travel By Chris D Amico USA Today And so we will pick up where we left off. Well, at least the NFL will. The league released the 2016 schedule Thursday night, an event it deems so important the PR staff on Wednesday tweeted an announcement that an announcement of the schedule was coming soon. Really. They did. But we digress. The schedule is out, and here are the highlights: BRONCOS-PANTHERS II The season starts with the traditional Thursday night opener on Sept. 8 when the Denver Broncos host the Carolina Panthers. Yes, the last game you saw from the 2015 season will be the first game you see in the 2016 season. Cam Newton and the Panthers hope for a better ending or Dancing with the Stars asks Von Miller back for a second season and moves the show to Thursday night. The one big difference, of course, is Peyton Manning has retired and right now the starting quarterback for the Broncos is Mark Sanchez. OPENING STATEMENTS Everyone will project how their teams will do, but who really knows which teams will be good in November and December. Did you have the Panthers going 15-1 last season? That s what we thought. But those first couple weeks are easier to gauge, and that is why we are intrigued by: Besides Panthers-Broncos in Week 1, the New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Night Football should be another game worthy of prime time. But in Week 2, it really gets interesting:
The headliner is the Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers and all of those bad feelings from last season s playoff game. It's the best rivalry in the AFC North, and it will make for a busy week on Twitter. But this game loses a bit of its luster because Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict will still be serving his three-game suspension to start the season. (The rematch is in Week 15 on national television.) For more early division supremacy, we get the New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins at Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings. Our favorite matchup in Week 3 is the Vikings at Panthers. We can finally find out what would have happened in the divisional-round playoff game last year we, uh, missed, because of the, uh, missed field goal attempt by the Vikings against the Seattle Seahawks. THE PATRIOTS IN WEEK 5 In case you were wondering, the Patriots play at the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. We note that just in case a certain quarterback is suspended for the first four games of the season and is making his debut this week. WELCOME BACK, ROBERT Washington sports talk radio has been joking this week that they better schedule Cleveland at Washington early in the season before Robert Griffin III is sidelined again. The game will be in Week 4 so maybe someone was listening. HO, HO, HO! Christmas is a Sunday, so the league will play the majority of its schedule on Saturday, Dec. 24. But never one to let a TV opportunity pass it by, the league still scheduled two games for Christmas Day the Broncos at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens at the Steelers. We re sure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will explain to the children of the Broncos and Ravens players that Daddy has to travel to work on Christmas Day so the league can fill its stockings with broadcast TV money. Los Angeles Rams in London They host the Giants on Oct. 23. Kickoff time in L.A.: 6:30 a.m. And, oh yeah, this one interests us because we just know Rams coach Jeff Fisher will do something with his defense to get under Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.'s skin. And before we go San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills on Oct. 16: Chip Kelly vs. LeSean McCoy, Part II. Come on, you enjoyed all the "he won't shake my hand" stories from last season.
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers on Oct. 30: The NFC Championship Game rematch could quite possibly be next year's NFC Championship Game preview as well. Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots on Nov. 13: We can promise you this for the Super Bowl XLIX rematch: If the Seahawks have the ball at 1-yard line with the game on the line, Pete Carroll will NOT give the ball to Marshawn Lynch. And wherever he is watching the game, Beast Mode will still get upset. The Indianapolis Colts play in London on Oct. 2 and do not have a bye week the following. That's a rough way to travel. And the New York Giants will be at Dallas in Week 1, marking their fourth consecutive opener on the road.
Rams signal bold rebirth with trade for No. 1 pick By Jarrett Bell USA Today Lights. Camera. Suspense. With one bold stroke, the Los Angeles Rams did so much more than merely seize the top slot in the upcoming NFL draft to land the quarterback of their dreams. They served notice. This is how you sell a football team that is returning home after a 20-year exodus to a mega-market that thrives on sizzle, flash and cinematic theatre. The Rams demonstrated to their long-time loyalists, potential additions to the fan base, and the Hollywood A-listers, too, that they will represent a certain type of business. They will lower their horns... and charge. Kobe s finished? We re here! Of course, the big blockbuster trade announced Thursday will likely mean absolutely zilch to the millions in Southern California who have never heard of Carson Wentz, Jared Goff or Laremy Tunsil, and they could care less. They have so many other entertainment options, and maybe a dozen favorite beaches. Yet to the millions in the region who might be interested in football and the NFL s return especially if the Rams provide a winning product - the aggressive move is just the ticket to signal the arrival of something fresh. There s nothing quite like a splashy move in the offseason to fuel the hype and hope. That s what makes this big deal even bigger. Ask Dan Snyder, the Washington owner who has a collection of offseason championships and in 2012 was party to the last big, pre-draft blockbuster trade to land a franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III. You can t blame the Rams for trying. This is a reboot in the truest sense of the word. The trade certainly fits the aggressive vibe that has surrounded the franchise throughout the process of bolting from St. Louis. Team owner Stan Kroenke hurt many feelings in Missouri and blew away the competition from Carson and NFL traditionalists with his sparkling, $2 billion-plus stadium plan for a site in Inglewood. Now the football operation shakes up the league in another sense. And Rams coach Jeff Fisher, a Southern California native, scored a bonus, too, by ensuring that the trade with the Tennessee Titans that was struck on Wednesday night wasn t revealed until Thursday out of respect to Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant s farewell. How sweet. A nod to Black Mamba. The locals can relate to that.
Of course, the real impression of the trade the football impact - will be realized later. Sure, star power helps. Look at the Lakers. Kobe was the latest in a roll call that spanned generations, and included Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West. Yet nothing sells quite like winning, especially over the long haul. Look at the New England Patriots. After the novelty of the Rams move wears off, after the stadium that s scheduled to open in 2019 is christened, the Rams will still have to sustain their relevance the old-fashioned way by winning football games. If Wentz or Goff fare better than the last quarterback the Rams drafted with the No. 1 pick overall, injury-stung Sam Bradford in 2010, Fisher and GM Les Snead may come off like geniuses for pulling the trigger on the blockbuster deal. In two weeks, the Rams will at least have that essential building block in place, to supplement star running back Todd Gurley, who might be the real face of the franchise, regardless. Whether that quarterback block holds up or crumbles is another matter, a continuation of the suspense that now surrounds their decision of which quarterback to choose. At least they have a hot prospect to investigate. Obviously, it was never going to be Case Keenum for the long haul. The Rams, among the NFL s most quarterback-needy teams, have for weeks seemed poised to make a move from their 15th slot in the first round to land a potential quarterback answer. And new Titans GM Jon Robinson has been waving a virtual open for business banner for weeks in dangling the top pick in the draft. Done. Did the Rams give up too much? Hardly. Quarterbacks in the pass-happy sport, even with a 50-50 hitmiss rate for highly touted rookies, are seemingly costing a higher premium than ever (as the Brock Osweiler contract and Kirk Cousins' franchise tender illustrate). After Wentz and Goff, or Goff and Wentz, Paxton Lynch is pegged as a first-rounder. Beyond that, there are even more question marks with the rookie crop. Then flash back to the haul the Rams got from Washington in 2012. This package - two second-round picks, first- and third-rounders next year, plus the swap of No. 1s to move up 14 slots looks like something of a bargain compared to that. According to the trade value chart that began with Jimmy Johnson and the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 (remember the in-season Herschel Walker heist), the points in Wednesday s deal match up much closer than the lopsided exchange two additional No. 1s and a second-rounder -- that Washington agreed to in order to move up four slots to second overall to pick RG3. So another bonus for L.A. seemingly comes from the price of this aggressive deal. Then again, when it comes to draft-day chips, the Rams have been playing with house money for some time, thanks to the RG3 deal. Now is the perfect time to cash in some chips for impact in more ways than one.
Cam Newton on season opener vs. Broncos: I'll be looking for revenge By John Breech CBSSports.com Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was one of the first people to find out that Carolina would be opening the 2016 NFL season against the Broncos, and after he found out, Newton went straight to Instagram to share his feelings: He wants revenge. Specifically, he wants revenge on Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, who sacked him 2.5 times in the Broncos 24-10 win. Here's the photo that Newton shared on Instagram: If you're confused about why Newton's in a pool, that's because he was practicing with the U.S. water polo team this week. If you're confused about why Von Miller is also in the pool, but in his full uniform, that's because he Photoshopped himself into the picture and said he was getting a "water polo sack." And if you're confused about what Newton's Instagram caption says (he basically invented his own typing font for Instagram), it says, "Thought this was cute Von Miller. Lookin lookin lookin... lookin for revenge. Sept. 8." Yup, Newton's looking for revenge, or he's just quoting the lyrics from Drake's song Summer Sixteen, or both. I'm guessing both. Anyway, Broncos-Panthers wasn't the only game that was announced on Thursday. The NFL released its entire 2016 schedule, which you can see here. If you like to digest your schedule information in nugget form, here's plenty of things to know about the 2016 schedule.
The best and worst NFL schedules, from Green Bay (good!) to Washington (ouch!) By Chris Chase FoxSports.com With the release of the NFL schedule on Thursday night, fans in 32 NFL cities are busy convincing themselves that the league did them over and saddled them with a horrible schedule that'll make it impossible to reach the playoffs. Calm down, y'all. First off, schedules in April mean nothing as your "easy" November game quickly turns hard while your hard December game often becomes a cakewalk. But there's a clear line of demarcation between teams with good schedules and bad. Here at FOX Sports, we pick the four teams on each side. BEST 1. Green Bay Packers The beauty of a second-place schedule. The NFC North plays the NFC East (a break-even proposition depending on the year) and AFC South (thumbs up), but given Green Bay's placement behind Minnesota last year (yeah, I forgot Aaron Rodgers didn't win the division too such an underachieving team this is like Yoda I sound), the Pack get Atlanta and Seattle in their common-finish games, the latter game being at home. And when you have a game against Seattle and it's at home, that's always a moral victory. There's no tough stretch on the Pack's schedule: Their four games against 2015 playoff teams are in Weeks 2, 11, 14 and 16. 2. Dallas Cowboys The sun truly is shining on the Cowboys, as a nice slate of 16 opponents turned into a stellar schedule of those 16 opponents. If your division is matched up with the NFC North, you'd rather not have to go to Lambeau, but a last-place NFC East finish gives Dallas non-common games against Tampa and San Francisco. Throw in a closing stretch against the Giants, Bucs, Lions and Eagles, and Tony Romo and Co. very well could be in control of their own destiny with four winnable games to finish. Also, below we'll mention a reason both the Packers and Cowboys have to be happy about their schedules on Thanksgiving week. 3. New England Patriots When you've won your division seven times in a row and 13 times in the past 15 years, there's no such thing as a bad schedule, especially given that what should have been a tough trip to Denver now will involve playing Mark Sanchez and a tough opener in Arizona is followed by games against Miami, Houston, Buffalo and Cleveland. Right now, look at that home schedule and tell me which games Kansas City would be playing as a home dog? With the obvious caveat that perceived schedule strength in April is nothing like actual schedule strength in October, you have to like Kansas City's slate at Arrowhead. A Christmas home game against