# 2022 Denver Broncos season

The 2022 season was the Denver Broncos' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 63rd overall, their second under the leadership of general manager George Paton, and their first and only season under head coach Nathaniel Hackett. This was also their first season under the ownership of the Walton-Penner Family Group, replacing the Pat Bowlen Trust that had existed following the death of longtime owner Pat Bowlen in 2019.
Despite a 2–1 start, the Broncos failed to improve on their 7–10 record from 2021 or make the playoffs for the first time since 2015, as they made a blockbuster trade to land former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. The team's defense ranked near the top in several categories; however, injuries, poor offensive performances and numerous penalties plagued the team, ranking at or near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories, including last in scoring. The Broncos did not score 30 or more points until their final game of the season. The Broncos suffered their sixth consecutive losing season and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Hackett was fired on December 26, two weeks before the end of the season, after a 4–11 start. This was the second time the Broncos fired a head coach in the calendar year 2022.
The Broncos finished their disastrous season with a 5–12 record, tying a franchise record for losses in a season, with a 4–12 record that was previously set in 2010. The Broncos also finished the season with 22 players on injured reserve, the second most in the league. Several analysts and observers argued that Hackett's coaching was a major reason for Wilson's decline and Denver's woeful underachieving in 2022.

## Coaching changes
### Off-season

On January 9, one day after the Broncos' 2021 regular season finale, head coach Vic Fangio was fired after compiling a 19–30 (.388) record in three seasons and two consecutive last-place finishes. On January 27, the Broncos finalized a deal for Nathaniel Hackett to become the 18th head coach in the franchise's history, replacing Fangio. This was Hackett's first head coaching job, after previously serving as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2014, the Jacksonville Jaguars' quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator from 2015 to 2018 and the Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021. Hackett became the Broncos' sixth different head coach since 2008.
In the month after Hackett's hiring, the Broncos underwent the following coaching changes:
2022 Denver Broncos coaching staff changes :
| Position | Previous coach | 2022 replacement |
| Offensive coordinator | Pat Shurmur, 2020–2021 | Justin Outten |
| Offensive line coach | Mike Munchak, 2019–2021 | Butch Barry |
| Passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach | Mike Shula, 2019–2021 | Klint Kubiak |
| Assistant offensive line coach | Chris Kuper, 2019–2021 | Ben Steele |
| Assistant special teams coach | Chris Gould, 2017–2021 | Mike Mallory |
| Linebackers coach | Reggie Herring, 2015–2021 | Peter Hansen |
| Outside linebackers coach | John Pagano, 2020–2021 | Bert Watts |
| Offensive quality control coach | Chris Cook, 2021 Justin Rascati, 2019–2021 | Ramon Chinyoung |
| Senior defensive assistant | None | Dom Capers |
| Tight ends coach | Wade Harman, 2019–2021 | Jake Moreland |
| Assistant defensive backs coach | None | Ola Adams |
| Running backs coach | Curtis Modkins, 2018–2021 | Tyrone Wheatley |
| Defensive coordinator | Ed Donatell, 2019–2021 | Ejiro Evero |
| Defensive line coach | Bill Kollar, 2015–2021 | Marcus Dixon |
| Special teams coach | Tom McMahon, 2018–2021 | Dwayne Stukes |
| Defensive quality control coach | Nathaniel Willingham, 2019–2021 | Andrew Carter |
    Note: Bill Kollar remained on the Broncos' coaching staff as a defensive consultant.

### In-season

On December 26, one day after an embarrassing 51–14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and as a result of the team's offensive struggles, head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired after a 4–11 start. Jerry Rosburg, who was hired in Week 3 to assist Hackett following a series of game management errors in the team's first two games, was named the team's interim coach for the last two games of the season. Rosburg served as the Baltimore Ravens' special teams coach from 2008–2018. Hackett became the fifth head coach in NFL history to not last a full season, and his tenure was the shortest for a non-interim coach in franchise history. That same day, offensive line coach Butch Barry and special teams coach Dwayne Stukes, both in their first season with the Broncos, were also fired.

## Front office changes

On February 3, Darren Mougey, who served as the Broncos' Director of Player Personnel in 2021, was promoted to assistant general manager. Mougey previously served as a Broncos' scouting assistant from 2012 to 2020.

## Roster changes
### Future contracts

All players listed below were signed to reserve/future contracts from January 10–12, unless noted otherwise. Each player was officially added to the active roster on March 16—the first day of the 2022 league year.
| Position | Player | Notes |
| TE | Shaun Beyer | waived May 13 |
| RB | Damarea Crockett | placed on injured reserve August 2 |
| WR | Travis Fulgham | waived August 16 |
| OT | Drew Himmelman | waived May 13 |
| G | Zack Johnson | waived May 13, re-signed May 16, waived August 30 |
| DE | Jonathan Kongbo | waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31, promoted to the active roster on October 6, waived October 11, promoted to the active roster on December 31 |
| DE | Marquiss Spencer | designated as waived/injured on August 22 |
| OT | Casey Tucker | signed January 20, designated as waived/injured on August 23 |
| LB | Barrington Wade | designated as waived/injured on August 25 |

### Free agents
#### Unrestricted

| Position | Player | 2022 team | Notes |
| QB | Teddy Bridgewater | Miami Dolphins | signed with the Dolphins on March 14 |
| CB | Bryce Callahan | Los Angeles Chargers | signed with the Chargers on May 4 |
| OT | Cameron Fleming | Denver Broncos | signed July 27 |
| CB | Mike Ford | Atlanta Falcons | signed with the Falcons on April 8 |
| CB | Kyle Fuller | Baltimore Ravens | signed with the Ravens on May 24 |
| RB | Melvin Gordon | Denver Broncos | re-signed April 27, waived November 21 |
| CB | Nate Hairston | Minnesota Vikings | signed with the Vikings on March 28 |
| NT | Justin Hamilton | Washington Commanders | originally an RFA, signed with the Commanders on June 14 |
| S | Kareem Jackson | Denver Broncos | re-signed April 11 |
| LB | Josey Jewell | Denver Broncos | re-signed March 15 |
| LB | A. J. Johnson | None | |
| C | Brett Jones | None | |
| LB | Micah Kiser | Las Vegas Raiders | signed with the Raiders on March 21 |
| OT | Bobby Massie | None | |
| LB | Natrez Patrick | Detroit Lions | originally an RFA, signed with the Lions on May 16 |
| TE | Eric Saubert | Denver Broncos | re-signed May 4 |
| G | Austin Schlottmann | Minnesota Vikings | originally an RFA, signed with the Vikings on March 16 |
| WR | Diontae Spencer | None | originally an RFA |
| DE | Shamar Stephen | None | |
| LB | Stephen Weatherly | Cleveland Browns | signed with the Browns on April 18 |
| NT | DeShawn Williams | Denver Broncos | originally an RFA, re-signed March 18 |
| LB | Kenny Young | Las Vegas Raiders | signed with the Raiders on May 9 |
Note: Unrestricted free agents who were originally Restricted free agents (RFA) had three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season, and did not receive a qualifying offer before the start of the 2022 league year on March 16.

#### Restricted and exclusive-rights

| Position | Player | Tag | 2022 team | Notes |
| OT | Calvin Anderson | RFA | Denver Broncos | re-signed March 13 |
| TE | Andrew Beck | RFA | Denver Broncos | re-signed March 13 |
| LB | Jonas Griffith | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 13, placed on injured reserve November 18 |
| RB | Adrian Killins | ERFA | None | |
| S | P. J. Locke | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 13, re-signed April 11 |
| LB | Malik Reed | RFA | Pittsburgh Steelers | assigned tender on March 17, re-signed April 11, traded to the Steelers on August 30 |
| QB | Brett Rypien | ERFA | Denver Broncos | assigned tender on March 13, re-signed April 11 |
| Restricted Free Agent (RFA): Players with three accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season Exclusive-Rights Free Agent (ERFA): Players with two or fewer accrued seasons whose contracts expired at the end of the previous season |||||

### Signings

| Position | Player | 2021 team(s) | Notes |
| LB | Dakota Allen | Jacksonville Jaguars | signed November 22, placed on injured reserve December 19 |
| CB | Blessuan Austin | Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks | signed April 27, waived August 29 |
| RB | Tyler Badie | None | signed off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on December 29 |
| CB | Essang Bassey | Denver Broncos Los Angeles Chargers | claimed off waivers from the Chargers on February 14, waived September 1, promoted to the active roster on September 14 |
| G | Ben Braden | Green Bay Packers | signed March 14, released August 15 |
| OT | Tom Compton | San Francisco 49ers | signed March 17, placed on the physically unable to perform list August 23, activated from the physically unable to perform list November 15, placed on injured reserve December 22 |
| LS | Mitchell Fraboni | None | signed October 24, placed on injured reserve November 17 |
| DE | Elijah Garcia | None | signed off the Los Angeles Rams' practice squad on December 7 |
| DE | Randy Gregory | Dallas Cowboys | signed March 18, placed on injured reserve October 4, activated from injured reserve on December 17, placed on season-ending injured reserve December 31 |
| T | Christian DiLauro | None | promoted from the practice squad on December 19 |
| RB | JaQuan Hardy | Dallas Cowboys | signed August 10, waived August 29 |
| S | Anthony Harris | Philadelphia Eagles | promoted from the practice squad on November 8, waived December 6 |
| DE | Jonathan Harris | Denver Broncos | promoted to the active roster on November 15 |
| CB | Lamar Jackson | None | promoted from the practice squad on December 31 |
| QB | Josh Johnson | New York Jets Baltimore Ravens | signed March 18, released August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31 |
| DT | D. J. Jones | San Francisco 49ers | signed March 14 |
| CB | Donnie Lewis | None | signed April 27, designated as waived/injured on August 29 |
| RB | Marlon Mack | Indianapolis Colts | signed October 24, placed on injured reserve January 3 |
| CB | Ja'Quan McMillian | None | promoted from the practice squad on January 3 |
| RB | Latavius Murray | Baltimore Ravens | signed October 4 |
| RB | Devine Ozigbo | None | claimed off waivers from the New Orleans Saints on August 22, waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31 |
| CB | Darius Phillips | Cincinnati Bengals | signed September 1 |
| WR | Trey Quinn | None | signed April 27, waived August 23 |
| S | J. R. Reed | Los Angeles Rams New York Giants | signed March 21, waived August 30 |
| LB | Joe Schobert | Pittsburgh Steelers | signed August 15, released August 23 |
| RB | Stevie Scott III | None | signed August 10, waived August 23 |
| WR | Darrius Shepherd | None | signed August 4, waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31, released from the practice squad on October 11 |
| T | Will Sherman | None | promoted from the practice squad on January 3 |
| LB | Alex Singleton | Philadelphia Eagles | signed March 18 |
| WR | Freddie Swain | Seattle Seahawks | signed December 14 |
| TE | Eric Tomlinson | Baltimore Ravens | signed March 15, released August 30, re-signed August 31 |
| OT | Billy Turner | Green Bay Packers | signed March 24, placed on injured reserve November 15 |
| CB | K'Waun Williams | San Francisco 49ers | signed March 23 |

### Departures

| Position | Player | Notes |
| WR | Tyrie Cleveland | waived November 15 |
| RB | Melvin Gordon | waived November 21 |
| WR | Kendall Hinton | released August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31, promoted to the active roster on October 10 |
| S | Jamar Johnson | waived August 16 |
| P | Sam Martin | released August 29 |
| LB | Andre Mintze | waived May 16 |
| G | Netane Muti | waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31 |
| CB | Michael Ojemudia | waived December 27 |
| NT | Mike Purcell | released August 30, re-signed August 31 |
| WR | Seth Williams | waived August 30 |

### Draft

2022 Denver Broncos Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 9 | Traded to Seattle | Traded to Seattle | Traded to Seattle | |
| 2 | 40 | Traded to Seattle | Traded to Seattle | Traded to Seattle | |
| 2 | 64 | Nik Bonitto | LB | Oklahoma | from LA Rams |
| 3 | 75 | Traded to Houston | Traded to Houston | Traded to Houston | |
| 3 | 80 | Greg Dulcich | TE | UCLA | from New Orleans via Houston |
| 3 | 96 | Traded to Indianapolis | Traded to Indianapolis | Traded to Indianapolis | from LA Rams |
| 4 | 115 | Damarri Mathis | CB | Pittsburgh | |
| 4 | 116 | Eyioma Uwazurike | DE | Iowa State | from Seattle |
| 5 | 145 | Traded to Seattle | Traded to Seattle | Traded to Seattle | from Detroit |
| 5 | 152 | Delarrin Turner-Yell | S | Oklahoma | |
| 5 | 162 | Montrell Washington | WR | Samford | from Philadelphia via Houston |
| 5 | 171 | Luke Wattenberg | C | Washington | from Green Bay |
| 5 | 179 | Traded to Green Bay | Traded to Green Bay | Traded to Green Bay | from Indianapolis |
| 6 | 187 | Traded to San Francisco | Traded to San Francisco | Traded to San Francisco | |
| 6 | 206 | Matt Henningsen | DE | Wisconsin | from Tampa Bay via Jets and Eagles |
| 7 | 232 | Faion Hicks | CB | Wisconsin | |
| 7 | 234 | Traded to Green Bay | Traded to Green Bay | Traded to Green Bay | from Cleveland via Detroit |
| 7 | 250 | Traded to Minnesota | Traded to Minnesota | Traded to Minnesota | from San Francisco |
Draft trades
* 1 2 3 4 The Broncos traded QB Drew Lock, DE Shelby Harris, TE Noah Fant, first-, second- and fifth-round selections (9th, 40th and 145th overall), and 2023 first- and second-round selections to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for QB Russell Wilson and a fourth-round selection (116th overall).
* 1 2 The Broncos traded LB Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for second- and third-round selections (64th and 96th overall).
* 1 2 3 The Broncos traded a third-round selection (75th overall) to the Houston Texans in exchange for third- and fifth-round selections (80th and 162nd overall).
* 1 2 The Broncos traded a third-round selection (96th overall) to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a fifth-round selection (179th overall) and a 2023 third-round selection.
* 1 2 The Broncos traded WR Trinity Benson and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for fifth- and seventh-round selections (145th and 234th overall).
* 1 2 3 The Broncos traded fifth- and seventh-round selections (179th and 234th overall) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a fifth-round selection (171st overall).
* 1 2 The Broncos traded a sixth-round selection (187th overall) and a 2023 seventh-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for LB Jonas Griffith and a seventh-round selection (250th overall).
* ↑ The Broncos traded CB Kary Vincent Jr. to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a sixth-round selection (206th overall).
* ↑ The Broncos traded a seventh-round selection (250th overall) to Minnesota Vikings in exchange for DE Stephen Weatherly and a 2023 seventh-round selection.

### Post-draft trades

* August 30: The Broncos traded linebacker Malik Reed and a 2023 seventh-round selection to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round selection.
* November 1: The Broncos made two separate trades prior to the trade deadline: First, linebacker Bradley Chubb was traded to the Miami Dolphins, along with a 2025 fifth-round selection, in exchange for running back Chase Edmonds, a 2023 first-round selection and a 2024 fourth-round selection. Then, the Broncos acquired linebacker Jacob Martin and a 2024 fifth-round selection in a trade that sent their 2024 fourth-round selection to the New York Jets. Edmonds was later placed on injured reserve on November 21, and activated on December 24.

### Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft on April 30, unless noted otherwise.
2022 Denver Broncos Undrafted Free Agents :
| Player | Position | College | Notes |
| Christopher Allen | LB | Alabama | placed on injured reserve August 10 |
| Max Borghi | RB | Washington State | originally signed and waived by the Indianapolis Colts, signed by the Broncos on August 3, waived August 16 |
| Cortez Davis | CB | Hawaii | waived May 16 |
| Kaden Davis | WR | Northwest Missouri State | waived August 16 |
| Jeremiah Gemmel | LB | North Carolina | signed August 25, waived August 29 |
| Sebastian Gutierrez | OT | Minot State | waived August 29 |
| Brandon Johnson | WR | UCF | placed on injured reserve August 30, promoted to the active roster on December 3 |
| Tyreik McAllister | RB | Charleston | designated as waived/injured on August 10 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | East Carolina | waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31 |
| Kana'i Mauga | LB | USC | waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31 |
| Michael Niese | OT | Temple | waived August 30 |
| Dylan Parham | TE | NC State | waived August 30, assigned to the practice squad on August 31 |
| Jalen Virgil | WR, RS | Appalachian State | the only undrafted rookie to make the Week 1 roster |
| Rodney Williams | TE | UT Martin | waived August 16 |
| Kadofi Wright | LB | Buffalo | waived July 27 |

### Trade for Russell Wilson

On March 16, the Broncos acquired quarterback Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round selection (No. 116 overall) from the Seattle Seahawks, in one of the largest trades in NFL history. The Broncos sent quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris, their 2022 first-, second- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 9, 40 and 145 overall) and their 2023 first- and second-round selections to the Seahawks in exchange. In his ten seasons in Seattle (2012–2021), Wilson reached nine Pro Bowls, led the Seahawks to eight playoff appearances and two Super Bowl berths, including a 43–8 victory over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Wilson became the Broncos' 12th different starting quarterback since Peyton Manning's retirement after their 2015 Super Bowl-winning season—tied with the Washington Commanders for the most in the NFL during that span. Wilson was released after the 2023 season.

### Injuries

| Position | Player | Time & type of injury | Games missed |
| LS | Jacob Bobenmoyer | hand/wrist, Week 5 | injured reserve, Weeks 6–10 |
| OT | Garett Bolles | leg fracture, Week 5 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 6 |
| RB | Mike Boone | ankle, Week 7 | injured reserve, Weeks 8–12 |
| RB | Mike Boone | ankle, Week 14 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 15 |
| LB | Baron Browning | strained hip flexor, Week 7 | Week 8 |
| T | Tom Compton | back, Week 15 | season-ending injured reserve, beginning with Week 16 |
| RB | Damarea Crockett | torn ACL, preseason workouts | injured reserve, missed the entire 2022 season |
| C | Lloyd Cushenberry | groin, Week 8 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 10 |
| CB | Ronald Darby | torn ACL, Week 5 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 6 |
| TE | Greg Dulcich | hamstring, training camp | injured reserve, Weeks 1–5 |
| TE | Greg Dulcich | hamstring, Week 16 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 17 |
| RB | Chase Edmonds | high ankle sprain, Week 11 | injured reserve, Weeks 12–15 |
| LS | Mitchell Fraboni | fractured finger, Week 10 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 11 |
| LB | Randy Gregory | knee, Week 4 | injured reserve, Weeks 4–14 |
| LB | Randy Gregory | knee, Week 16 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 17 |
| LB | Jonas Griffith | foot, Week 10 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 11 |
| WR | K. J. Hamler | hamstring, November 9 practice | Weeks 10–12; season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 13 |
| RB | Marlon Mack | hamstring, Week 17 | injured reserve, Week 18 |
| WR | Jerry Jeudy | ankle, Week 10 | Weeks 11–12 |
| DE | Dre'Mont Jones | hip, Week 14 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 15 |
| CB | Michael Ojemudia | elbow, preseason | injured reserve, Weeks 1–5 |
| WR | Tim Patrick | torn ACL, preseason workouts | injured reserve, missed the entire 2022 season |
| G | Dalton Risner | elbow, Week 17 | injured reserve, Week 18 |
| S | Justin Simmons | quad, Week 1 | injured reserve, Weeks 2–5 |
| OT | Billy Turner | knee, Week 10 | injured reserve, Weeks 11–14 |
| RB | Javonte Williams | torn ACL, Week 4 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 5 |
| CB | K'Waun Williams | knee, Week 10 | season-ending injured reserve, starting with Week 11 |
| QB | Russell Wilson | hamstring, Week 6 | Week 7 |
| QB | Russell Wilson | concussion, Week 14 | Week 15 |

### Practice squad elevations

Each NFL team is permitted to elevate up to two players from the practice squad to the active game day roster per week, with those designated players being allowed to return to the practice squad after each game without being exposed to waivers. Each player can be elevated a maximum of three times.
| Week | Player(s) promoted |
| 2 | WR Kendall Hinton, G Netane Muti |
| 3 | DE Jonathan Harris, WR Kendall Hinton |
| 4 | WR Kendall Hinton, G Netane Muti |
| 5 | S Anthony Harris, RB Devine Ozigbo |
| 6 | LS Mitchell Fraboni, S Anthony Harris |
| 7 | LS Mitchell Fraboni, QB Josh Johnson |
| 10 | T Quinn Bailey, DE Jonathan Harris |
| 11 | WR Brandon Johnson, LB Harvey Langi |
| 12 | CB Faion Hicks, WR Brandon Johnson |
| 13 | CB Faion Hicks, LB Harvey Langi |
| 14 | G Netane Muti, LB Harvey Langi |
| 15 | QB Jarrett Guarantano, RB Devine Ozigbo |
| 16 | CB Lamar Jackson, LB Wyatt Ray |
| 17 | LB Wyatt Ray, LB Ray Wilborn |
| 18 | LB Wyatt Ray, LB Ray Wilborn |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 13 | Dallas Cowboys | W 17–7 | 1–0 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | at Buffalo Bills | L 15–42 | 1–1 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | Minnesota Vikings | W 23–13 | 2–1 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 12 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 16–17 | 0–1 | Lumen Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | Houston Texans | W 16–9 | 1–1 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | San Francisco 49ers | W 11–10 | 2–1 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Las Vegas Raiders | L 23–32 | 2–2 | Allegiant Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 6 | Indianapolis Colts | L 9–12 (OT) | 2–3 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | at Los Angeles Chargers | L 16–19 (OT) | 2–4 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | New York Jets | L 9–16 | 2–5 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 21–17 | 3–5 | Wembley Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 13 | at Tennessee Titans | L 10–17 | 3–6 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | Las Vegas Raiders | L 16–22 (OT) | 3–7 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | at Carolina Panthers | L 10–23 | 3–8 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 9–10 | 3–9 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 28–34 | 3–10 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | Arizona Cardinals | W 24–15 | 4–10 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 16 | December 25 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 14–51 | 4–11 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 24–27 | 4–12 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 8 | Los Angeles Chargers | W 31–28 | 5–12 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 6:15 p.m. MDT/5:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,965
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
* Preview, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Will Dissly 38-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 11:26. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:34.
DEN – Brandon McManus 30-yard field goal, 6:55. Seahawks 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:31.
Second quarter
SEA – Jason Myers 49-yard field goal, 7:20. Seahawks 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:54.
DEN – Jerry Jeudy 67-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 5:34. Tied 10–10. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:46.
SEA – Colby Parkinson 25-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 2:24. Seahawks 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.
DEN – Brandon McManus 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 26-yard field goal, 6:13. Seahawks 17–16. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 6:37.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 29/42, 340 yards, TD
SEA – Geno Smith – 23/28, 195 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Melvin Gordon III – 12 rushes, 58 yards
SEA – Rashaad Penny – 12 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD
SEA – Colby Parkinson – 2 receptions, 43 yards, TD :
The 2022 season opener marked Russell Wilson's return to Seattle, where he led the Seahawks to eight playoff appearances and two Super Bowl berths during his ten seasons there from 2012–2021. After his trade from the Seahawks to the Broncos in March, he became the Broncos' sixth different opening day starting quarterback in as many seasons. This also marked Nathaniel Hackett's debut as the Broncos' head coach.
The teams alternated scoring in the first half. The Seahawks took the early lead on the game's opening drive, with quarterback Geno Smith connecting on a 38-yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Dissly in the first quarter. Placekicker Brandon McManus got the Broncos on the scoring board with a 30-yard field goal. The Seahawks increased their lead to 10–3 midway through the second quarter with a 49-yard field goal. The Broncos then pulled even with the Seahawks, when Wilson threw his first touchdown pass as a Bronco—a 67-yarder to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. However, the Seahawks responded, with Smith's second touchdown of the first half—a 25-yarder to tight end Colby Parkinson prior to the 2-minute warning. The Broncos' defense held the Seahawks scoreless for the remainder of the game. McManus added a 30-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to narrow the Seahawks' lead to 17–13.
The Broncos had the ball on the 1-yard line on back-to-back drives in the third quarter, but suffered two very costly turnovers when running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams fumbled on the goal line on consecutive possessions. In between the two fumbles, Broncos' linebacker Randy Gregory forced a fumble off Seahawks' wide receiver D. K. Metcalf near midfield, which was recovered by safety Justin Simmons. After a scoreless third quarter, the Broncos started their first possession of the fourth quarter with 12:50 remaining in the game, but failed to reach the end zone after a 1st-and goal at the 3-yard line. McManus kicked a 26-yard field goal to narrow the Seahawks' lead to 17–16 with 6:16 left. After the defense forced a three-and-out from the Seahawks' offense, the Broncos started their final drive at their own 22-yard line with 4:02 remaining. Wilson marched the Broncos down the field and faced a 4th-and-5 on the Seahawks' 46-yard line with 56 seconds to play. Instead of calling a timeout, Hackett decided to let the clock run down to 20 seconds and called his first timeout to send out placekicker Brandon McManus to try a 64-yard game-winning field goal, which he missed wide left, sealing the win for the Seahawks. Hackett's decision to burn over 40 seconds of game clock to kick a 64-yard field goal instead of letting the offense try to convert and move the ball further down the field was widely criticized. The Broncos' offense failed to reach the end zone on all three of their red zone trips.

#### Week 2: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Broncos | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 2:25 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,083
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Michael Grady
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 20-yard field goal, 5:30. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:18.
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 40-yard field goal, 2:19. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 3:11.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 44-yard field goal, 7:20. Texans 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:32.
DEN – Brandon McManus 24-yard field goal, 0:20. Tied 6–6. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:44.
Third quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 24-yard field goal, 8:33. Texans 9–6. Drive: 11 plays, 39 yards, 5:09.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Eric Saubert 22-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 12:37. Broncos 13–9. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:56.
DEN – Brandon McManus 50-yard field goal, 3:36. 'Broncos 16–9. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 6:12.
Top passers
HOU – Davis Mills – 19/38, 177 yards
DEN – Russell Wilson – 14/31, 219 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Dameon Pierce – 15 rushes, 69 yards
DEN – Javonte Williams – 15 rushes, 75 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Nico Collins – 4 receptions, 58 yards
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 7 receptions, 122 yards :
Through the midway point of the third quarter, all of the scoring came courtesy of the placekickers—40-, 44- and 24-yard field goals by the Texans' Kaʻimi Fairbairn, and 24- and 50-yard field goals by the Broncos' Brandon McManus. The 24-yard field goal by Fairbairn occurred after an interception of Broncos' quarterback Russell Wilson on the first possession of the first half. The Broncos took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter, with Wilson connecting on a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Saubert—the game's only touchdown. After forcing a Texans' punt, McManus added a 50-yard field goal with 3:36 remaining in the game. The Broncos' defense forced two Texans' turnovers on downs, ending their rally attempt, and in the process, held the Texans to 234 total yards, helping Nathaniel Hackett earning his first win as Broncos head coach.

#### Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 6:20 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Clear, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,256
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Brandon Aiyuk 3-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 7:56. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:11.
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 55-yard field goal, 11:56. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:11.
Third quarter
DEN – Jimmy Garoppolo sacked by Mike Purcell in the end-zone, safety, 9:53. 49ers 7–5. Drive: 2 plays, -2 yards, 0:38.
Fourth quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal, 14:10. 49ers 10–5. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:19.
DEN – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (pass failed), 4:10. Broncos 11–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:04.
Top passers
SF – Jimmy Garoppolo – 18/29, 211 yards, TD, INT
DEN – Russell Wilson – 20/33, 184 yards
Top rushers
SF – Jeff Wilson – 12 rushes, 75 yards
DEN – Javonte Williams – 15 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
SF – Deebo Samuel – 5 receptions, 73 yards
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 8 receptions, 97 yards :
The Broncos' offense had ten drives that ended in a 3-and-out, but their defense stymied the 49ers throughout the entire game. The only scoring plays within the first quarter were a 3-yard touchdown pass from 49ers' quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the first quarter, and a 55-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Brandon McManus early in the second quarter. After the Broncos went 3-and-out on their first two possessions of the third quarter, the 49ers were backed up near their own goal line. Garoppolo accidentally stepped out of the back of the end zone for a safety while being pressured by Broncos' nose tackle Mike Purcell—a play which proved critical to the game's outcome. The Broncos trailed 10–5 following a 51-yard field goal by 49ers' placekicker Robbie Gould early in the 4th quarter, but finally found their rhythm on a 12-play, 80-yard drive, which running back Melvin Gordon capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run. While they failed to convert the 2-point conversion, they took an 11–10 lead with 4:13 remaining in the game. The Broncos' defense then forced two game-saving turnovers. First, Garoppolo was intercepted by linebacker Jonas Griffith, following a deflection by cornerback Kareem Jackson. Then, after the Broncos went 3-and-out just after the two-minute warning, and in the process, forcing the 49ers to burn two of their team timeouts, safety P. J. Locke forced a fumble off 49ers' running back Jeff Wilson deep in 49ers' territory, with Jackson recovering the fumble to seal the Broncos' victory.

#### Week 4: at Las Vegas Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
| Raiders | 3 | 16 | 3 | 10 | 32 |
at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 2:25 p.m. MDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,332
* Referee: Land Clark
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
LV – Daniel Carlson 26-yard field goal, 9:52. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:08.
DEN – Courtland Sutton 5-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 2:45. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:09.
Second quarter
LV – Josh Jacobs 5-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick), 11:46. Raiders 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:59.
DEN – Brandon McManus 28-yard field goal, 8:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:42.
LV – Amik Robertson 68-yard fumble return (kick failed), 3:15. Raiders 16–10.
DEN – Jerry Jeudy 20-yard pass from Russell Wilson (kick failed), 1:24. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:51.
LV – Daniel Carlson 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Raiders 19–16. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 1:24.
Third quarter
LV – Daniel Carlson 22-yard field goal, 2:27. Raiders 22–16. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:42.
Fourth quarter
LV – Daniel Carlson 30-yard field goal, 9:50. Raiders 25–16. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 3:15.
DEN – Russell Wilson 3-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 7:16. Raiders 25–23. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:34.
LV – Josh Jacobs 7-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick), 2:02. Raiders 32–23. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:14.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 17/25, 237 yards, 2 TD
LV – Derek Carr – 21/34, 188 yards
Top rushers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 4 rushes, 29 yards, TD
LV – Josh Jacobs – 28 rushes, 144 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DEN – K. J. Hamler – 1 reception, 55 yards
LV – Davante Adams – 9 receptions, 101 yards :
After a 30-yard field goal by Raiders' placekicker Daniel Carlson early in the first quarter, the Broncos responded, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. It would be their only lead of the game, as a 5-yard touchdown run by running back Josh Jacobs early in the second quarter gave the Raiders the lead. Like the previous three games, red zone struggles continued to plague the Broncos, as they were forced to settle on a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus to tie the game at 10–10. After forcing a Raiders' punt on a 3-and-out, disaster struck on the Broncos' next possession just as they were hoping to re-take the lead. Running back Melvin Gordon fumbled, and Raiders' cornerback Amik Robertson recovered the football, returning it for a 68-yard touchdown (with a missed extra point attempt). The Broncos pulled even with the Raiders, with a 5-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. McManus missed short on the extra-point attempt that would have given the Broncos the lead. The Raiders then drove down the field that resulted in a 39-yard field goal by Carlson for a 19–16 lead just before halftime. A 22-yard field goal by Carlson was the only scoring play of the third quarter. The Broncos' running game struggled after running back Javonte Williams was forced to leave the game with, what turned out to be, a season-ending knee injury. After the Broncos went 3-and-out on the first possession of the fourth quarter, Carlson's fourth field goal of the game—from 30 yards out, gave the Raiders a 25–16 lead. The Broncos drove down the field, culminating a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Wilson to narrow the Raiders' lead to 25–23 with 7:19 remaining in the game. The drive was aided by a 55-yard completion from Wilson to wide receiver K. J. Hamler to the Raiders' 3-yard line, after two holding penalties backed up the Broncos with a 1st-and-30 from their own 19-yard line. However, the Broncos' defense was unable to hold the Raiders a pair of 3rd-down conversions. Carr scrambled for 9 yards on a critical 3-and-6 for a first down, and backup running back Zamir White scrambled for 22 yards on a 3rd-and-2 from the Broncos' 29-yard line. On the next play, Jacobs rushed for a 7-yard game-clinching touchdown. Wilson rushed for 5 yards on their first play from scrimmage just before the 2-minute warning, then threw three straight incomplete passes to end the Broncos' rally attempt.

#### Week 5: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Broncos | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: October 6
* Game time: 6:15 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 69 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,702
* Referee: Brad Rogers
* TV announcers (KMGH/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 33-yard field goal, 9:28. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:09.
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 44-yard field goal, 10:58. Broncos 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 4:14.
IND – Chase McLaughlin 52-yard field goal, 0:12. Broncos 6–3. Drive: 14 plays, 52 yards, 3:36.
Third quarter
IND – Chase McLaughlin 51-yard field goal, 8:51. Tied 6–6. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:57.
DEN – Brandon McManus 45-yard field goal, 3:19. Broncos 9–6. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:19.
Fourth quarter
IND – Chase McLaughlin 31-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 2:08.
Overtime
IND – Chase McLaughlin 48-yard field goal, 5:50. Colts 12–9. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:10.
Top passers
IND – Matt Ryan – 26/41, 251 yards, INT
DEN – Russell Wilson – 21/39, 274 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
IND – Deon Jackson – 13 rushes, 62 yards
DEN – Melvin Gordon – 15 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
IND – Alec Pierce – 8 receptions, 81 yards
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 5 receptions, 74 yards :
All of the scoring came by way of the placekickers—Brandon McManus (Broncos) and Chase McLaughlin (Colts). McManus gave the Broncos a 6–0 lead with a 33-yarder in the first quarter, followed by a 44-yarder early in the second quarter. McLaughlin got the Colts on the board just before the halftime, with a 52-yard field goal, then pulled the Colts even with the Broncos, with a 51-yarder midway through the third quarter. McManus' third attempt of the game—from 34 yards out—was blocked by Colts' defensive tackle Grover Stewart—a play that would prove to be critical to the game's outcome. Following an interception of Colts' quarterback Matt Ryan by safety Caden Sterns, McManus redeemed himself with a 45-yarder late in the third quarter. The Broncos advanced into field goal range early in the fourth quarter; however, they blew a chance to add to their lead, when quarterback Russell Wilson was intercepted by Colts' safety Rodney Thomas II near the goal line. The Broncos' defense was able to stop the Colts from advancing past midfield on this possession and the next. The Broncos held a 9–6 lead with 6:47 remaining in the game, and marched down the field, hoping to either add to their lead or run out the clock. Wilson completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Eric Saubert, after facing a 4th-and-1 at the Colts' 28-yard line, forcing the Colts to use all of their team timeouts on defense. However, three plays later, Wilson was intercepted by Colts' cornerback Stephon Gilmore in the end zone for a touchback, on a pass intended for wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland. With 2:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Colts marched down the field, and McLaughlin sent the game to overtime with a 31-yard field goal. The Colts won the overtime coin toss, and grabbed a 12–9 lead, with McLaughlin's fourth field goal, from 48 yards out midway through overtime. The Broncos reached the Colts' 5-yard line in only six plays, and faced a 4th-and-1. However, instead of tying the game, they decided to either go for a new set of downs or try to win with a touchdown. However, Wilson's pass intended for wide receiver Courtland Sutton was broken up by Gilmore, resulting in a gut-wrenching loss for the Broncos. Wilson missed a wide-open K. J. Hamler on the game's final play. It was later revealed that Wilson had playing with a partially torn lat in his throwing shoulder since the second quarter of the Broncos' previous game against the Raiders.

#### Week 6: at Los Angeles Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Broncos | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
* Date: October 17
* Game time: 6:15 p.m. MDT/5:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,240
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (KMGH/ESPN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 51-yard field goal, 7:20. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 5:11.
DEN – Greg Dulcich 39-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 1:49. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:41.
Second quarter
LAC – Austin Ekeler 6-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 9:09. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 7:40.
LAC – Dustin Hopkins 37-yard field goal, 0:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 6:36.
DEN – Brandon McManus 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 0:53.
Third quarter
LAC – Dustin Hopkins 31-yard field goal, 9:08. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:19.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 48-yard field goal, 8:21. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 2:07.
LAC – Dustin Hopkins 35-yard field goal, 3:58. Tied 16–16. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 4:23.
Overtime
LAC – Dustin Hopkins 39-yard field goal, 2:38. Chargers 19–16. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:08.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 15/28, 188 yards, TD
LAC – Justin Herbert – 37/57, 238 yards, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 15 rushes, 66 yards
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 14 rushes, 36 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 3 receptions, 54 yards
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 10 receptions, 47 yards :
Yet another stellar effort by the Broncos' defense was wasted by a poor performance from their offense. A 51-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus, followed by a 39-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to rookie tight end Greg Dulcich gave the Broncos a 10–0 lead in the first quarter. However, the offense struggled through the remainder of the game. The Chargers responded in the second quarter, with a 6-yard touchdown run by running back Austin Ekeler and a 37-yard field goal by placekicker Dustin Hopkins. A 27-yard field goal by McManus gave the Broncos a 13–10 lead at halftime. After the Broncos went 3-and-out on the opening possession of the second half, Hopkins tied the game with a 31-yard field goal. The Chargers faced a 4th-and-2 at the Broncos' 29-yard line; however, the Broncos' defense came up with a stop, forcing an incomplete pass off Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert. On the Chargers' next possession, Herbert was intercepted by linebacker Baron Browning, giving the Broncos good field position at the Chargers' 30-yard line. However, the Broncos failed to gain any yardage, and McManus kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 16–13 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers responded once again, and Hopkins' third field goal of the game—from 35 yards out, tied the game at 16–16 with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. Neither team advanced past midfield, sending the game to overtime. The Broncos went 3-and-out on both of their overtime possessions, and Hopkins later kicked the game-winning 43-yard field goal. Wilson threw for 188 yards, but 173 of those came in the first half, and Wilson played through a hamstring injury during the second half.

#### Week 7: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Broncos | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,786
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Breece Hall 62-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 7:34. Jets 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:06.
DEN – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 1:33. Jets 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:01.
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 44-yard field goal, 3:37. Broncos 9–7. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:05.
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Jets 10–9. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 3:37.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 33-yard field goal, 12:49. Jets 13–9. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:35.
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 40-yard field goal, 4:35. Jets 16–9. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 6:12.
Top passers
NYJ – Zach Wilson – 16/26, 121 yards
DEN – Brett Rypien – 24/46, 225 yards, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Breece Hall – 4 rushes, 72 yards, TD
DEN – Melvin Gordon – 11 rushes, 33 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Michael Carter – 2 receptions, 45 yards
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 7 receptions, 96 yards :
The Broncos fell behind early, after Jets' running back Breece Hall ran for a 62-yard touchdown. The Broncos responded late in the first quarter, with a 2-yard run by running back Latavius Murray. However, placekicker Brandon McManus missed wide-right on the extra point attempt, and again on a 56-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter. McManus later atoned for his missed kicks, with a 44-yard field goal to give the Broncos their only lead of the game, at 10–9. However, the Broncos were held scoreless for the remainder of the game, and the Jets took the lead for good, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker Greg Zuerlein at the end of the first half. Quarterback Brett Rypien, starting in place of the injured Russell Wilson, was intercepted by Jets' safety Lamarcus Joyner, resulting in the Jets adding to their lead, with a 33-yard field goal by Zuerlein early in the fourth quarter. After the Broncos went 3-and-out, the Jets increased their lead to 16–9, with a 40-yard field goal by Zuerlein with 4:39 remaining in the game. The Broncos faced a 4th-and-3 at the Jets' 25-yard line at the two-minute warning, but Rypien's deep pass intended for wide receiver Courtland Sutton was incomplete. The Broncos' defense forced a 3-and-out from the Jets, and had one last offensive possession with 1:30 remaining in the game, but turned the football over on downs after two first downs and reaching midfield.

#### Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL London games
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/7:30 a.m. MDT
* Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 86,215
* Referee: Adrian Hill
* TV announcers (KMGH/ESPN+): Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, Dan Orlovsky and Laura Rutledge
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Evan Engram 22-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (Riley Patterson kick), 7:40. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:56.
Second quarter
JAX – Riley Patterson 37-yard field goal, 8:43. Jaguars 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:09.
DEN – Jerry Jeudy 6-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 2:44. Jaguars 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:59.
Third quarter
DEN – Melvin Gordon 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 5:07. Broncos 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 98 yards, 4:22.
Fourth quarter
JAX – Travis Etienne 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 3:54. Jaguars 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:12.
DEN – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 1:43. Broncos 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 18/30, 252 yards, TD, INT
JAX – Trevor Lawrence – 18/31, 133 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 14 rushes, 46 yards, TD
JAX – Travis Etienne – 24 rushes, 156 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Greg Dulcich – 4 receptions, 87 yards
JAX – Evan Engram – 4 receptions, 55 yards, TD :
This was the Broncos' second appearance in the International Series in London—the other occurred in 2010. After quarterback Russell Wilson was intercepted on the Broncos' second possession, the Jaguars capitalized, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Evan Engram. The Jaguars were attempting to add to lead, with a 1st-and-goal, but Broncos' safety Justin Simmons intercepted a pass in the end zone from Lawrence intended for wide receiver Marvin Jones. The Jaguars eventually added to their lead on their next possession, with a 37-yard field goal by placekicker Riley Patterson. The Broncos finally got on the scoreboard late in the first half, with Wilson connecting with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy on a 6-yard touchdown pass, and later took the lead in the third quarter, with running back Melvin Gordon rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. Following several punt exchanges, the Jaguars took a 17–14 lead, with running back Travis Etienne rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. With 3:54 remaining in the game, Wilson engineered a fourth quarter comeback, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by running Latavius Murray with 1:47 remaining. After a touchback on the kickoff, the Broncos' defense subdued the Jaguars' rally attempt, as Lawrence was intercepted by cornerback K'Waun Williams on the first play from scrimmage.

#### Week 10: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Titans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,240
* Referee: Scott Novak
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Amanda Renner
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
DEN – Jalen Virgil 66-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 8:21. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:00.
DEN – Brandon McManus 39-yard field goal, 2:23. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 3:55.
TEN – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 9-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Randy Bullock kick), 0:12. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:11.
Third quarter
TEN – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 63-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Randy Bullock kick), 5:14. Titans 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:39.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Randy Bullock 35-yard field goal, 2:59. Titans 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 3:52.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 21/42, 286 yards, TD, INT
TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 19/36, 255 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 9 rushes, 24 yards
TEN – Derrick Henry – 19 rushes, 53 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 6 receptions, 66 yards
TEN – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – 5 receptions, 119 yards, 2 TD :
The Broncos' entire scoring output occurred in the second quarter—a 66-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Jalen Virgil, along with a 39-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus. The Titans got on the scoreboard just before halftime, with quarterback Ryan Tannehill connecting on a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the corner of the end zone. The Titans grabbed the lead in the third quarter, with Tannehill throwing a 63-yard touchdown pass to Westbrook-Ikhine by way of a flea-flicker. A 35-yard field goal by placekicker Randy Bullock increased the Titans' lead to 17–10 with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Broncos' punted on their first five possessions of the second half, failing to advance past their own 42-yard line on four possessions. Wilson tried to engineer a rally, and the Broncos faced a 4th-and-8 at the Titans' 25 line with 20 seconds remaining. However, Wilson was intercepted by Titans' cornerback Terrance Mitchell near the goal line, ending the Broncos' rally attempt.

#### Week 11: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 22 |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,064
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Latavius Murray 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 6:22. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:30
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 48-yard field goal, 9:19. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:07.
LV – Davante Adams 31-yard pass from Derek Carr (Daniel Carlson kick), 5:36. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:43.
Third quarter
LV – Daniel Carlson 52-yard field goal, 10:37. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:15.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 52-yard field goal, 14:56. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 4:39.
LV – Daniel Carlson 57-yard field goal, 7:06. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 26 yards, 4:56.
DEN – Brandon McManus 48-yard field goal, 3:30. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:36.
LV – Daniel Carlson 25-yard field goal, 0:16. Tied 16–16. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 1:27.
Overtime
LV – Davante Adams 35-yard pass from Derek Carr, 8:24. Raiders 22–16. Drive: 3 plays, 67 yards, 1:36.
Top passers
LV – Derek Carr – 23/37, 307 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Russell Wilson – 24/31, 247 yards
Top rushers
LV – Josh Jacobs – 24 rushes, 109 yards
DEN – Latavius Murray – 17 rushes, 49 yards, TD
Top receivers
LV – Davante Adams – 7 receptions, 141 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 5 receptions, 80 yards :
The Broncos reached the end zone on their opening possession, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Latavius Murray, and placekicker Brandon McManus gave the Broncos a 10–0 lead, with a 48-yard field goal early in the second quarter. In between, Raiders' placekicker Daniel Carlson missed wide right on a 46-yard field goal attempt, but a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Derek Carr to wide receiver Davante Adams put the Raiders on the scoreboard. The Broncos marched down the field, and were attempting to add to their lead just before halftime; however, McManus' field goal attempt from 25 yards out was blocked by Raiders' defensive end Maxx Crosby. After the Broncos' went three-and-out to begin the second half, a 52-yard field goal by Carlson tied the game at 10–10. After an exchange of punts, McManus countered with a 52-yard field goal of his own at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Each team went three-and-out on their next offensive possessions, and a 57-yard field goal by Carlson tied the game at 13–13. McManus responded, with a 48-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 16–13 lead with 3:34 remaining in the game. After a forcing a three-and-out, the Broncos were attempting to run out the clock, but only earned one first down and were forced to punt just after the two-minute warning. The Broncos' defense was unable to stop the Raiders, as Carlson kicked a 25-yard field goal to send the game to overtime tied a 16–16. The Raiders' game-tying drive was aided by two deep pass completions from Carr—a 21-yarder to wide receiver Keelan Cole, and from midfield, a 43-yarder to running back Josh Jacobs. The Raiders won the overtime coin toss, and on the third play from scrimmage, Carr threw the game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass to Adams.

#### Week 12: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Panthers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,644
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – D. J. Moore 5-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 0:30. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 7:00.
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 27-yard field goal, 10:11. Panthers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 5:16.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 42-yard field goal, 4:42. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:29.
Third quarter
CAR – Sam Darnold 2-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:21. Panthers 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:13.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 26-yard field goal, 13:33. Panthers 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:19.
CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 36-yard field goal, 8:59. Panthers 23–3. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 4:25.
DEN – Brandon Johnson 1-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 3:19. Panthers 23–10. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 5:40.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 19/35, 142 yards, TD
CAR – Sam Darnold – 11/19, 164 yards, TD
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 13 rushes, 92 yards
CAR – D'Onta Foreman – 24 rushes, 113 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 6 receptions, 75 yards
CAR – D. J. Moore – 4 receptions, 103 yards, TD :
The Broncos' struggled offensively throughout the entire game, in a 23–10 loss to the Panthers. The Broncos trailed 23–3 midway through the fourth quarter, and failed to advance past their own 38-yard line in seven of their first ten possessions. The only scoring play came by way of a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus early in the second quarter, after a Panthers' fumble on a punt return. In the other two possessions in which the Broncos' found themselves past midfield, quarterback Russell Wilson was strip-sacked after reaching the Panthers' 23-yard line, and McManus missed wide left on a 56-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half. The Broncos finally reached the end zone at the 3:24 mark of the fourth quarter, with Wilson throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to undrafted rookie wide receiver Brandon Johnson. The Broncos' subsequent onside kick attempt was successful but earned a total of 0 yards in 4 downs. Defensively, the Broncos surrendered two touchdowns to Panthers' quarterback Sam Darnold—one passing and one rushing, as well as three field goals by placekicker Eddy Piñeiro.

#### Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Ravens | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: Clear, 43 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,443
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 52-yard field goal, 9:03. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:57.
Second quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 26-yard field goal, 5:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:02.
DEN – Brandon McManus 41-yard field goal, 0:37. Broncos 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 2:18.
Third quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 50-yard field goal, 3:58. Broncos 9–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:01.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Tyler Huntley 2-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 0:28. Ravens 10–9. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 4:34.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 17/22, 189 yards
BAL – Tyler Huntley – 27/32, 187 yards, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 17 rushes, 47 yards
BAL – Tyler Huntley – 10 rushes, 41 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Greg Dulcich – 6 receptions, 85 yards
BAL – Mark Andrews – 4 receptions, 53 yards :
The Broncos failed to score a touchdown for the third time in 2022, settling for three field goals by placekicker Brandon McManus, going 2-of-12 on third down and never advancing any further than the Ravens' 23-yard line. The Broncos led 9–3 with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The scoring play that the Broncos' defense had yielded to that point was a 26-yard field goal by Ravens' placekicker Justin Tucker in the second quarter. However, the Broncos' defense failed to protect the lead, and Ravens' backup quarterback Tyler Huntley engineered a 16-play, 91-yard game-winning drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run. Huntley entered the game after starting quarterback Lamar Jackson exited with a knee injury in the first half. With 28 seconds left in the game, quarterback Russell Wilson tried to put the Broncos in position for a game-winning field goal. After a 16-yard pass completion to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and two runs of 17 and 4 yards by Wilson, the Broncos reached the Ravens' 45-yard line with two seconds remaining after exhausting the last two of their three team timeouts. McManus attempted a long field goal from 63 yards out, but it fell short.
Notes
With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 1–7 all-time in Baltimore, including the postseason.

#### Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 6 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 34 |
| Broncos | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,389
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Harrison Butker 35-yard field goal, 10:56. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:04.
KC – Harrison Butker 45-yard field goal, 2:53. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 2:18.
Second quarter
KC – Jerick McKinnon 56-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 14:16. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:41.
KC – Jerick McKinnon 10-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 7:16. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 4:53.
KC – Willie Gay 47-yard interception return (Harrison Butker kick), 4:32. Chiefs 27–0.
DEN – Jerry Jeudy 18-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 1:35. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:18.
DEN – Jerry Jeudy 5-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 0:09. Chiefs 27–14. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
DEN – Marlon Mack 66-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 13:03. Chiefs 27–21. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:57.
KC – JuJu Smith-Schuster 4-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:38. Chiefs 34–21. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:28.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jerry Jeudy 7-yard pass from Brett Rypien (Brandon McManus kick), 10:49. Chiefs 34–28. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:49.
Top passers
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 28/42, 352 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
DEN – Russell Wilson – 23/36, 247 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Isiah Pacheco – 13 rushes, 70 yards
DEN – Russell Wilson – 4 rushes, 57 yards
Top receivers
KC – Jerick McKinnon – 7 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 8 receptions, 73 yards, 3 TD :
The Broncos fell behind 27–0 to the Chiefs, following two field goals by placekicker Harrison Butker in the first quarter, two touchdown passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to running back Jerick McKinnon and a 47-yard interception of Broncos' quarterback Russell Wilson by linebacker Willie Gay for a touchdown. The Broncos took advantage of two interceptions by Mahomes, and within the last two minutes of the first half, Wilson threw a pair of touchdown passes to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy—from 18 and 5 yards out. The Broncos took the opening possession of the second half, and narrowed the Chiefs' lead to 27–21, with Wilson's third touchdown pass of the game—a 66-yarder to running back Marlon Mack. Following an exchange of punts, the Chiefs increased their lead to 34–21, with Mahomes' third touchdown pass of the game—a 4-yarder to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster near the end of the third quarter. While the Broncos drove down the field on their next possession, Wilson suffered a concussion after a 14-yard scramble to the Chiefs' 2-yard line. Backup quarterback Brett Rypien took over for the remainder of the game, and on the same drive, he connected with Jeudy on a 7-yard touchdown pass— Jeudy's third touchdown reception of the game—to pull the Broncos within a 34–28 deficit. With six minutes remaining in the game, Mahomes was intercepted by linebacker Josey Jewell. However, just as the Broncos were hoping for a miraculous comeback from a 27–0 deficit, they failed to capitalize, as Rypien was intercepted three plays later by cornerback L'Jarius Sneed at the Chiefs' 24-yard line at the 4:34 mark of the fourth quarter. The Broncos' defense was unable to prevent the Chiefs' from running out the clock.

#### Week 15: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 56,786
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 52-yard field goal, 10:27. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:33.
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 45-yard field goal, 10:35. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 4:57.
ARI – Matt Prater 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal, 8:55. Cardinals 9–3. Drive: 11 plays, 38 yards, 6:05.
DEN – Marlon Mack 3-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 5:58. Broncos 10–9. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:57.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Latavius Murray 10-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 11:00. Broncos 17–9. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:25.
DEN – Eric Tomlinson 3-yard pass from Brett Rypien (Brandon McManus kick), 9:29. Broncos 24–9. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:41.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (pass failed), 6:01. Broncos 24–15. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:28.
Top passers
ARI – Colt McCoy – 13/21, 78 yards, INT
DEN – Brett Rypien – 21/26, 196 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 16 rushes, 63 yards, TD
DEN – Latavius Murray – 24 rushes, 130 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins – 7 receptions, 60 yards
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 7 receptions, 76 yards :
By the 9-minute mark of the third quarter, all of the scoring came by way of field goals. Broncos' placekicker Brandon McManus made a 52-yard field goal, but missed wide right on a 38-yard attempt—both in the first quarter, and the latter after an interception of Cardinals' quarterback Colt McCoy by safety Justin Simmons. McCoy started in place of Kyler Murray, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the previous week. Cardinals' placekicker Matt Prater kicked three field goals—from 45 and 50 yards out in the second quarter, followed by a 55-yarder on the initial possession of the second half. McCoy was placed in concussion protocol after the third play from scrimmage of the second half, and was replaced by third-string quarterback Trace McSorley. Trailing 9–3, Broncos' backup quarterback Brett Rypien, starting in place of Russell Wilson, led a 7-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Marlon Mack midway through the third quarter, which gave the Broncos the lead for good. Wilson was cleared from concussion protocol two days earlier, but did not play. Despite an interception of Rypien deep in Cardinals' territory at the end of the third quarter, the Broncos later added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter—a 10-yard run by running back Latavius Murray, followed by a 3-yard pass from Rypien to tight end Eric Tomlinson. The Cardinals finally reached the end zone on their next possession, with running back James Conner rushing for a 1-yard touchdown to narrow the Broncos' lead to 24–15. However, the Cardinals went for an unsuccessful two-point conversion, instead of going for the extra point that would have pulled them to within a one-score deficit. The Broncos then proceeded to run out the clock.
Notes
The Broncos improved their all-time series record against the Cardinals to 10–1–1, including 6–0 in Denver.

#### Week 16: at Los Angeles Rams

Christmas Day games
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Rams | 17 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 51 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
* Date: December 25
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. MST/1:30 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,525
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS/Nick): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson (CBS) Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Dylan Schefter, Mia Burleson and Bill Fagerbakke (as Patrick Star) (Nickelodeon)
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
LAR – Matt Gay 55-yard field goal, 8:26. Rams 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 38 yards, 6:34.
LAR – Tyler Higbee 9-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Matt Gay kick), 6:19. Rams 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 34 yards, 1:16.
LAR – Cam Akers 2-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 4:45. Rams 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:27.
DEN – Brandon McManus 54-yard field goal, 0:39. Rams 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:06.
Second quarter
LAR – Tyler Higbee 7-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Matt Gay kick), 9:42. Rams 24–3. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:57.
LAR – Cam Akers 2-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 1:06. Rams 31–3. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 6:06.
DEN – Brandon McManus 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Rams 31–6. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 1:06.
Third quarter
LAR – Matt Gay 30-yard field goal, 3:49. Rams 34–6. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 9:08.
Fourth quarter
LAR – Cam Akers 4-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 12:31. Rams 41–6. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:47.
DEN – Greg Dulcich 11-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Latavius Murray run), 8:30. Rams 41–14. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:01.
LAR – Matt Gay 53-yard field goal, 6:16. Rams 44–14. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:14.
LAR – Cobie Durant 85-yard interception return (Matt Gay kick), 4:08. Rams 51–14.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 15/27, 214 yards, TD, 3 INT
LAR – Baker Mayfield – 24/28, 230 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 8 rushes, 34 yards
LAR – Cam Akers – 23 rushes, 118 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 6 receptions, 117 yards
LAR – Tyler Higbee – 9 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD :
On Christmas Day, the Broncos traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Rams, who they have not defeated since 2002, when the franchise was based in St. Louis. The Broncos' defense, which was one of their few highs throughout the season, displayed their poorest performance, and failed to force a punt or turnover off the Rams, in a 51–14 loss. The Rams jumped out to a 17–0 lead in the first quarter, and the Broncos never recovered, with the Rams taking advantage of two early interceptions by Broncos' quarterback Russell Wilson. Rams' quarterback Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes—both to tight end Tyler Higbee, running back Cam Akers rushed for three touchdowns, and cornerback Cobie Durant returned an interception off backup quarterback Brett Rypien 85 yards for a touchdown late in the game. Offensively, the Broncos did not reach the end zone, until midway through the fourth quarter, when Wilson connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Dulcich, by which time the game had already been decided in the Rams' favor. The Broncos' surrendered 50+ points for the first time since a 51–23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during Week 9 of the 2017 season. The loss also secured the Broncos their third consecutive fourth place finish in the AFC West, marking the first time that the Broncos finished last in their division in 3+ seasons since 1963–1971. The next day, head coach Nathaniel Hackett was dismissed.

#### Week 17: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: January 1, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,571
* Referee: Tra Blake
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Isiah Pacheco 5-yard run (run failed), 7:35. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:42.
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 49-yard field goal, 10:46. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 14 plays, 49 yards, 6:46.
DEN – Russell Wilson 16-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 4:40. Broncos 10–6. Drive: 1 plays, 16 yards, 0:05.
KC – Jerick McKinnon 6-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 1:02. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:38.
Third quarter
DEN – Albert Okwuegbunam 25-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 6:35. Broncos 17–13. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:48.
Fourth quarter
KC – Blake Bell 17-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 14:50. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:06.
KC – Jerick McKinnon 3-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 12:36. Chiefs 27–17. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 1:55.
DEN – Russell Wilson 4-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 6:14. Chiefs 27–24. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:22.
Top passers
DEN – Russell Wilson – 26/38, 222 yards, TD, INT
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 29/42, 328 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Latavius Murray – 12 rushes, 56 yards
KC – Isiah Pacheco – 9 rushes, 31 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Albert Okwuegbunam – 3 receptions, 45 yards, TD
KC – Kadarius Toney – 4 receptions, 71 yards :
The Chiefs took an early lead over the Broncos, with running back Isiah Pacheco rushing for a 5-yard touchdown, coupled with a botched snap on the extra point attempt. The Broncos then took a 10–6 lead, with a 49-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus, followed by quarterback Russell Wilson scrambling for a 16-yard touchdown run. The Chiefs retook the lead just before halftime, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes connecting on a 3-yard touchdown pass to running back Jerick McKinnon just before halftime. The Broncos took a 17–13 lead midway through the third quarter, with Wilson throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. After forcing a three-and-out, the Broncos were trying to add to their lead; however, a costly pass interference penalty negated a 44-yard pass completion from Wilson to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, forcing the Broncos to punt. The Chiefs went back on top on the first play of the fourth quarter, with Mahomes' second touchdown pass of the game—a 17-yarder to tight end Blake Bell. Following a Wilson interception on the next Broncos' first play from scrimmage, the Chiefs increased their lead to 27–17, with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to McKinnon. The Broncos drove down the field, and Wilson ran for a 4-yard touchdown to narrow the Chiefs' lead to 27–24, on a drive that took over six minutes off the clock. The drive was aided by a defensive illegal use of hands penalty on Chiefs' cornerback Joshua Williams that negated an interception of Wilson on a 4th-and-7. After forcing a Chiefs' punt, the Broncos had one last possession with 3:53 remaining in the game. After earning one first down, the Broncos faced a 4th-and-2 from their own 45-yard line with 1:21 remaining; however, Wilson was sacked to end the Broncos' rally attempt. The Broncos' 15th consecutive loss to the Chiefs became the longest losing streak against one opponent in team history, surpassing a 14-game winless skid against the Oakland Raiders from 1965–1971.

#### Week 18: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 28 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: January 8
* Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 60,833
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
LAC – Keenan Allen 14-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 11:17. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:43.
DEN – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 3:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:22.
Second quarter
LAC – Gerald Everett 3-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 10:57. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 5:40.
DEN – Brandon McManus 33-yard field goal, 2:43. Chargers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:29.
LAC – Cameron Dicker 48-yard field goal, 0:26. Chargers 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 0:42.
DEN – Eric Tomlinson 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 0:06. Tied 17–17. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:20.
Third quarter
DEN – Tyler Badie 24-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 11:42. Broncos 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:18.
LAC – Cameron Dicker 36-yard field goal, 6:42. Broncos 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:08.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Courtland Sutton 20-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Brandon McManus kick), 11:15. Broncos 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 4:06.
LAC – Keenan Allen 3-yard pass from Chase Daniel (Cameron Dicker–Josh Palmer pass), 6:02. Broncos 31–28. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:03.
Top passers
LAC – Justin Herbert – 25/37, 273 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Russell Wilson – 13/24, 283 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 11 rushes, 34 yards
DEN – Latavius Murray – 15 rushes, 103 yards, TD
Top receivers
LAC – Keenan Allen – 8 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 5 receptions, 154 yards :
In their finale of what was a difficult 2022 season, the Broncos achieved their highest scoring output against the Chargers, in their only game with 30+ points. After a 17–17 tie at halftime, the Broncos took the lead for good early in the third quarter, with quarterback Russell Wilson throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to running back Tyler Badie. Wilson threw another touchdown pass to tight end Eric Tomlinson just before halftime, and running back Latavius Murray rushed for another. Defensively, the Broncos surrendered two touchdown passes to Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert—both in the first half, and after building a 31–20 lead, yielded another to backup quarterback Chase Daniel (plus a successful two-point conversion) to narrow the Broncos' lead to 31–28 at the 6-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Chargers attempted a rally, but turned the football over on downs on their next possession, and the Broncos ran out the clock. With the win, the Broncos avoided a winless division record and avoided setting a new franchise record for most losses in a season.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 6–0 | 9–3 | 496 | 369 | W5 |
| $^{(5)}$ Los Angeles Chargers | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 2–4 | 7–5 | 391 | 384 | L1 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 395 | 418 | L3 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 287 | 359 | W1 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .453 | .422 | W5 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 9–2 | .489 | .471 | W7 |
| 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 3–3 | 8–3 | .507 | .490 | W8 |
| 4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .467 | .438 | W5 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .443 | .341 | L1 |
| 6 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .509 | .456 | L2 |
| 7 | Miami Dolphins | East | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .537 | .457 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .519 | .451 | W4 |
| 9 | New England Patriots | East | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .502 | .415 | L1 |
| 10 | New York Jets | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .538 | .458 | L6 |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .509 | .336 | L7 |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns | North | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .524 | .492 | L1 |
| 13 | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .474 | .397 | L3 |
| 14 | Denver Broncos | West | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .481 | .465 | W1 |
| 15 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 4 | 12 | 1 | .265 | 1–4–1 | 4–7–1 | .512 | .500 | L7 |
| 16 | Houston Texans | South | 3 | 13 | 1 | .206 | 3–2–1 | 3–8–1 | .481 | .402 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| ↑ Other members of the ownership group include Carrie Walton Penner, Greg Penner, Mellody Hobson, Condoleezza Rice, and Lewis Hamilton 1 2 LA Chargers claimed the No. 5 seed over Baltimore based on conference record (7–5 vs. 6–6). 1 2 Miami finished ahead of Pittsburgh based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot. 1 2 3 NY Jets and Tennessee finished ahead of Cleveland based on conference record (5–7 vs. 4–8). 1 2 NY Jets finished ahead of Tennessee based on common record (3–3 vs. 2–4 against: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville). ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

### Statistics
#### Team leaders

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Russell Wilson | 3,524 |
| Passing touchdowns | Russell Wilson | 16 |
| Rushing yards | Latavius Murray | 703 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Latavius Murray | 5 |
| Receptions | Jerry Jeudy | 67 |
| Receiving yards | Jerry Jeudy | 972 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Jerry Jeudy | 6 |
| Points | Brandon McManus | 109 |
| Kickoff return yards | Montrell Washington | 340 |
| Punt return yards | Montrell Washington | 271 |
| Tackles | Alex Singleton | 163 |
| Sacks | Dre'Mont Jones | 6.5 |
| Forced fumbles | Justin Simmons | 3 |
| Interceptions | Justin Simmons | 6 |
Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.

#### League rankings

Offense :
| Category | Value | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Total yards | 325.1 YPG | 21st |
| Yards per play | 5.1 | T–23rd |
| Rushing yards | 113.8 YPG | 21st |
| Yards per rush | 4.4 | T–16th |
| Passing yards | 211.3 YPG | 19th |
| Yards per pass | 7.0 | T–16th |
| Pass completions | 345/571 (.604) | 29th |
| Total touchdowns | 29 | T–28th |
| Rushing touchdowns | 11 | 28th |
| Receiving touchdowns | 18 | 23rd |
| Scoring | 16.9 PPG | 32nd |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 20/36 (.556) | 16th |
| Third down efficiency | 67/230 (.291) | 32nd |
| Fourth down efficiency | 12/24 (.500) | T–18th |
| First downs per game | 17.6 | 25th |
| Fewest sacks allowed | 63 | 32nd |
| Fewest giveaways | 24 | 26th |
| Fewest penalties | 113 | T–30th |
| Least penalty yardage | 970 | 32nd |
Defense :
| Category | Value | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Total yards | 320.0 YPG | 7th |
| Yards per play | 5.0 | T–3rd |
| Rushing yards | 109.8 YPG | 10th |
| Yards per rush | 4.3 | T–11th |
| Passing yards | 210.2 YPG | 12th |
| Yards per pass | 6.3 | T–1st |
| Pass completions | 392/605 (.648) | 18th |
| Total touchdowns | 35 | T–6th |
| Rushing touchdowns | 12 | T–10th |
| Receiving touchdowns | 20 | T–5th |
| Scoring | 21.1 PPG | T–13th |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 24/47 (.511) | 7th |
| Third down efficiency | 75/220 (.341) | 2nd |
| Fourth down efficiency | 9/14 (.643) | 29th |
| First downs per game | 19.1 | T–12th |
| Sacks | 36 | T–23rd |
| Takeaways | 23 | T–14th |
| Fewest penalties | 106 | 29th |
| Least penalty yardage | 922 | 31st |
Special teams :
| Category | Value | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Gross punting | 46.6 YPP | 17th |
| Net punting | 41.4 YPP | T–11th |
| Kickoffs | 62.7 YPK | 13th |
| Punt returns | 8.3 YPR | T–20th |
| Kick returns | 17.5 YPR | 32nd |
| Punt coverage | 8.2 YPR | 13th |
| Kick coverage | 21.2 YPR | T–8th |
Source for this section: Pro-Football Reference.

## Awards and honors

| Recipient | Award(s) |
| Corliss Waitman | Week 3: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week |
| Dre'Mont Jones | Week 8: AFC Defensive Player of the Week |
| Jerry Jeudy | Week 18: AFC Offensive Player of the Week |

### Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections

On December 21, cornerback Patrick Surtain II was named a starter for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. He is the Broncos' lone representative. Surtain was later named as a first-team All-Pro in the NFL's inaugural All-Pro team on January 11, 2023, and two days later (January 13), safety Justin Simmons was named as a second-team All-Pro.