The Broncos open with an NFC opponent for the second time in three years and the 10th time in franchise history. Denver has won four consecutive Week 1 games against NFC opponents dating back to a 7-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977. This will also be the Broncos' eighth consecutive Week 1 home game after a run of six consecutive Week 1 road trips from 2005-10.   (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)

For the fourth time in the last seven seasons, the Broncos host the Raiders in the first quarter of the season. The Broncos have won three of those games -- including the last three in succession (2012, 2013 and 2017). The Broncos also hope to continue their strong performance against Jon Gruden-led teams; Denver is 9-1 against his clubs -- 7-1 against the Raiders from 1998 through 2001 and 2-0 against his Buccaneers. The Broncos won at Tampa in 2004 and in Denver four years later, giving them an overall 5-0 mark at home against teams coached by Gruden.   (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

The last time the Broncos played at Baltimore so early in the season was in John Elway's rookie year. On Sept. 11, 1983, he started and helped power Denver to a 14-10 win over the Colts on a day when the 99-degree heat was exceeded by the fire of anger from Baltimore fans still upset that Elway opted not to play there, which helped set up the famed blockbuster trade to the Broncos.   (Kirby Lee via AP)

If it's the Chiefs, it must be in prime time -- or so it seems. This will mark the sixth consecutive season in which at least one of the Broncos-Chiefs games takes place in prime time, with ESPN airing this game on "Monday Night Football." The teams have split the six prime-time games in that span. Denver is also looking to snap a three-game home losing streak -- and a five-game overall skid -- against the Chiefs.   (G. Newman Lowrance via AP)

The Broncos draw a bit of a break getting the Jets early in the season. Denver is 6-4 all-time in games played in New Jersey from September through November, but is 0-3 in games played after that -- including the loss to Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII.   (Kirby Lee/NFL)

Historically, the Rams are one of the more problematic opponents for the Broncos. They are the only NFC West team with a winning record against the Broncos (8-5), and they hold a current three-game winning streak over Denver dating back to an 18-10 decision in St. Louis to open the 2006 campaign. So anything different can help, including this item: Their 2018 game will mark the first time the teams have ever met in October.   (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

It's a quick turnaround before the 24th Thursday game in Broncos history. Denver is 12-11 all-time on Thursday — including a series of Thanksgiving games during the AFL years — but the Broncos are 11-4 on Thursdays in the 21st century. Denver has also triumphed in four of its last five Thursday road games, including a 25-13 triumph at Indianapolis last December.    (Gene Lower via AP)

The Broncos end their season series with the Chiefs before they even see the Chargers. This marks the first time since 1996 and just the second time since 1980 that the Broncos will complete their home-and-home with the Chiefs before November.   (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)

Denver hopes to continue its recent form in games before the bye when Deshaun Watson makes his first visit to Denver. The Broncos have won five of their last six games preceding a bye week, with the only loss in that run coming in a 26-20 overtime loss at Seattle in 2014. This will also be Case Keenum's first game against his original team.   (Bill Baptist via AP)

Denver gets a November bye for the fourth time this decade (2010, Week 9; 2013, Week 9; 2016, Week 11).    (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver hopes to snap a two-game post-bye losing streak when the team ventures to StubHub Center. The Broncos are 21-8 all-time after byes, including a 6-3 mark in post-bye road games.    (Ric Tapia via AP)

This has often been a prime-time game -- but it won't be this year unless it is moved via the NFL's flexible-scheduling policy. The last three Broncos-Steelers regular-season games in Denver (2007, 2009, 2012) were all played on Monday or Sunday night.   (Ryan Kang via AP)

This marks the fourth consecutive season in which the Broncos and Bengals have met, which has never happened before. That isn't all that is unusual about this game; consider that the last three contests have each seen the losing team score exactly 17 points -- with two of the games decided by the same 20-17 score.   (Scott Boehm via AP)

The Broncos' first regular-season game at Levi's Stadium -- where they won Super Bowl 50 -- is also their first true road game against the 49ers since 2002, when they won 24-14. The 2010 game against the 49ers was moved to London's Wembley Stadium. The 16-year gap between regular-season trips to the San Francisco Bay Area to face the 49ers is the longest in the history of the series, beating the previous mark by seven years.   (NFL Photos via AP)

Denver hopes to continue its trend of Saturday home success in its first game with the Browns since 2015. The Broncos have won six of their last seven regular-season Saturday home games, dating back to a 14-13 Week 15 win over the Chiefs in 1985. The Broncos also hope to extend their home mastery over the Browns; they haven't lost at home to Cleveland since 1990. Including the postseason, Denver has won 12 of its last 13 home against the Browns.   (AP Photo/David Richard)

The Broncos hope that their Christmas Eve showdown with their longtime rivals brings more glad tidings than their last few Dec. 24 road trips. The Broncos have lost three consecutive Christmas Eve road games -- at San Diego in 2007, at Buffalo in 2011 and at Washington last year -- and haven't won a Dec. 24 road game since 1995 ... at Oakland.   (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

This will mark the ninth season since the NFL mandated that regular-season schedules end with division games. Playing the Chargers at home ensures that the Broncos will have closed the season with each of their division opponents three times since the league changed its Week 17 protocol. This will also mark the ninth time in the last 10 seasons that the Broncos have ended their regular season at home.   (Greg Trott via AP)