Denver Broncos 2010 NFL Preview, Schedule, Odds, and Predictions: The Denver Broncos started out 2009 with a 6 game winning streak but ended up at 8-8 while losing their last 4 games, including losses to divisional cellar dwellers Kansas City and Oakland. The Broncos ranked No. 2 in the league in offense in 2008 but dropped to 15th in head football Coach Josh McDaniels’ first season. Gone are Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, in is rookie quarterback Tim Tebow and his friar tuck hair do. It’s a long shot, but Vegas odds makers have the Denver Broncos +6000 odds to win the 2011 Super Bowl.
Head Coach McDaniels runs the show during the offseason and calls the plays on game day. He made his reputation as the offensive coordinator for the 2007 New England Patriots that went undefeated in the regular season. Now he took over a team that watched the playoffs from home 3 years in a row as well as a fourth and will need to get results with all the changes he has made. In is new defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who is a Rex Ryan 3-4 disciple who likes to get in oppossing team’s backfields by bringing pressure from the outside linebackers. Martindale will need to find someone other than Elvis Dumervil who is out for the season with a pectoral tear. Mike McCoy is offensive coordinator and like McDaniel’s runs lots of 3 receiver sets from the shotgun, good news for Tebow! The odds makers at BetPhoenix have the Denver Broncos listed at +2100 odds to win the 2010 AFC Championship.
Offensively the quarterback position is getting all the press as returning starter Kyle Orton has yet to prove he can lead a team at a high level. Denver drafting Tim Tebow late in the first round was a gutsy move and there will be pressure to get him into the game to prove it was a good move. I see Tebow as starting by mid-season at the latest. Running back Knowshon Moreno will have to step up to be the player they expected from a first round pick and will get plenty of opportunity to prove himself this year. Receiver Eddie Royal will be the starter in the slot with Jabar Gaffney and No. 1 pick Demaryius Thomas split wide for the 3 receiver set. The Vegas odds makers have the Denver Broncos listed at +500 odds to win the 2010 AFC West.
Defensively the Broncos brought in Jarvis Green, and fellow 30-somethings Justin Bannan and Jamal Williams to patch up the line. At linebacker, D.J. Williams and Mario Haggan are solid, and there is a huge hole to fill with Dumervil’s absence. The Broncos have two likely Hall of Famers in their secondary with Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey. The oddsmakers at BetUS have the Denver Broncos middle number listed at over/under 7 wins for the 2010 NFL regular season.
The bad news for the Bronco’s is that the San Diego Chargers are getting much worse and will still win the AFC West easily. The good news is the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders still have a long way to go to improve enough to compete. I see the Bronco’s improving to 9-7 this year with an outside shot at a wildcard berth in the playoffs.
2010 Denver Broncos Preseason Schedule
1 Sun, Aug 15 @ Cincinnati
2 Sat, Aug 21 vs Detroit
3 Sun, Aug 29 vs Pittsburgh 8:00 PM FOX
4 Thu, Sep 2 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
2010 Denver Broncos Regular Season Schedule
1 Sun, Sep 12 @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS
2 Sun, Sep 19 vs Seattle 4:05 PM FOX
3 Sun, Sep 26 vs Indianapolis 4:15 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 3 @ Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
5 Sun, Oct 10 @ Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS
6 Sun, Oct 17 vs New York 4:05 PM CBS
7 Sun, Oct 24 vs Oakland 4:15 PM CBS
8 Sun, Oct 31 @ San Francisco 1:00 PM CBS
9 BYE WEEK
10 Sun, Nov 14 vs Kansas City 4:05 PM CBS
11 Mon, Nov 22 @ San Diego 8:30 PM ESPN
12 Sun, Nov 28 vs St. Louis 4:15 PM FOX
13 Sun, Dec 5 @ Kansas City 1:00 PM CBS
14 Sun, Dec 12 @ Arizona 4:15 PM CBS
15 Sun, Dec 19 @ Oakland 4:15 PM CBS
16 Sun, Dec 26 vs Houston 4:05 PM CBS
17 Sun, Jan 2 vs San Diego 4:15 PM CBS