Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' 2020 schedule was released Thursday, and Broncos Country already has plenty of questions about how the season will unfold.
In this edition of "Ask Aric," we explore another late-season trip to Kansas City, how early games could impact the playoff hunt and a lot more.
To submit a question for a future mailbag, click here.
Hi from England. For the past ten odd years we have to play in KC second ... when it's colder and more hostile. Once in about a blue/orange moon we play them early in season in KC and guess what?? We win!! Why does this happen? Why are we always home first then away?? – Niall F.
Niall, it may seem like the Broncos are always in Kansas City late in the year, but it's actually been a fairly even split. Over a 10-year stretch from 2010-19, the second matchup of the season between the Broncos and Chiefs took place in Kansas City on six occasions. The Broncos, perhaps unsurprisingly, were actually fairly successful during the first three of those matchups. They were 2-0 in Kansas City in December with Peyton Manning under center and started the decade with a 2-1 mark. The last few years, though, have been tougher. The Broncos have not won in Arrowhead at all since 2015, and they've gone 0-3 in those late-season matchups since Manning retired. That's not altogether surprising. Just three Broncos quarterbacks have won a game at Arrowhead in December. And while Broncos fans shouldn't expect to play there in December every year, the Broncos played in Kansas City before the end of September just twice in the last 20 years. A large majority of the matchups in either location have been concentrated later in the year over the last decade, but there's a pretty logical explanation for why the Chiefs haven't played host early in the season: They share a parking lot with the Kansas City Royals. The possibility of conflicting games is enough to keep the Chiefs away until the baseball season is over, and the scheduling has reflected that. The Chiefs have played two of their first three games on the road in eight of the last 10 seasons.
Do you think a loss to the Patriots or Steelers early could come back to bite us when we try and make a playoff run? – Noah G.
Noah, it's hard to predict which games could factor into the wild-card race at the end of the season. It's possible that the first four AFC teams the Broncos face could all be jockeying for wild-card positioning at the end of the season. That becomes particularly true with an added playoff spot this season. Depending on how things play out, the Titans, Steelers, Jets and Patriots could all be fighting for one of those three wild-card spots in the AFC. If the Broncos don't go at least 2-2 during that stretch, they could hurt themselves in a future tiebreak, as conference record plays a major role.
If the season opens with no fans/reduced number of fans, what will happen to tickets that have been purchased? – Erin T.
We received lots of questions this week about the upcoming season and what it will look like. Here's what we do know: The Broncos are preparing to play all 10 of their home games — including two preseason games — and they are following recommendations from public health officials, the NFL and local and state guidelines as they prepare for the season. If games are cancelled or fans cannot attend, the Broncos will provide full refunds or an account credit, depending on what the individual season ticket member wants. Fans are also protected if they purchase tickets through the NFL's ticketing partners. For more information, click here.