ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Throughout months of preparation, training camp and preseason competition, excitement has been building for the Broncos' 2024 season.
With new talent and positive energy, Denver's young and hungry roster is confident that it can continue to reestablish a winning standard.
But as the Broncos approach their Week 1 matchup with Seattle, veteran players Josh Reynolds and Baron Browning stressed it will be important for the team to approach each game as it comes, rather than get caught up in postseason aspirations.
"We're thinking about the next game," Reynolds said Monday. "… Yeah, the ultimate goal is playoffs and [the]Super Bowl, but right now we have to focus one day at a time and one week at a time to be able to get to that point. So, there hasn't been much talk on any of that. It's just focusing on the team that's ahead."
Denver's first test will be Sunday's season opener in Seattle, and the energetic fan base and loud stadium environment will present a unique early challenge for the young team. Reynolds, who played six games at Lumen Field throughout his career, believes the team is ready for the challenge under the leadership of rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
"It's definitely a tough environment," Reynolds said. "… Bo, he's played in big games, he's played in crowds that have been kind of compared to this Seattle fan base. So, I think he'll adjust perfectly."
Reynolds said it will be critical for him and other veteran players such as wide receiver Courtland Sutton to make the job easier for Nix in his first NFL regular-season start.
"Be where we're supposed to be when we're supposed to be there," Reynolds said of his job this Sunday. "And just help him be in a calm mindset. He does a great job of that already."
After establishing a strong foundation during the offseason, Denver's defense will also look to focus on gradual improvement this season and take each opponent as they come.
Outside linebacker Baron Browning said the defense is focusing on being "consistent as a unit" when it comes to defending the run, and he believes that team chemistry both on and off the field will allow Denver's defense to do just that.
"I think just the energy we built, the relationships we built as a defense [will make us better]," Browning said. "… I just like the strides we've been making this whole offseason, from OTAs to training camp, and I think it's going to show up for us this season."
Browning himself plans to take a calculated approach this season, as he hopes to establish a more consistent presence on Denver's defensive unit. The former third-round draft pick appeared in 14 games in each of his first two seasons in Denver before being limited to just 10 last year due to injury.
And although he has his sights set on appearing in all 17 games this season, Browning said that he prefers to focus on one matchup at a time and let the rest take care of itself.
"I think it's just something I don't think about," Browning said of playing a complete season. "[I'm just] preparing like a pro, taking care of my body, having a routine and doing what I need to do to be ready each week. That's my approach. And I think that will take care of me playing all 17 games."
It's this game-by-game approach — both individually and as a collective — that the Broncos believe will help them find success in 2024.
The first step in that journey sits just days away in Seattle.
