The Denver Broncos 2022 season has been wildly disappointing, and they have already found themselves eliminated from playoff contention as a result of their struggles. This wasn't how things were supposed to go this season, but there is still hope that things can be salvaged in 2023, which makes the Broncos Week 15 contest very important. With the game nearing, we decided to lay out our Broncos Week 15 predictions for their matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals find themselves in a similar spot as the Broncos in that their 2022 season has simply not gone as expected. They are 4-8 on the season, so they have virtually no chance of making the playoffs themselves, and just lost their starting quarterback in Kyler Murray for quite some time after he tore his ACL in Week 14.

This game means very little in terms of the 2022 season, but it will be interesting to see how a pair of ravaged squads go out and perform in Week 15. With that being said, let's jump into our Broncos Week 15 predictions, and see what could be expected in what figures to be a very strange game.

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3. Broncos DE Baron Browning will have a multi-sack game

While Denver's offense has been awful all season long, the same thing cannot be said about their defense, which has often kept the Broncos in games for far longer than they should be. And it's safe to say the Broncos defense will have a favorable matchup on their hands against a banged up Cardinals offense.

Colt McCoy will be taking over for Murray throughout the remainder of the 2022 season, and while he's a solid placeholder, he's really not the guy you want going up against this feared Broncos defense, especially considering the state of Arizona's offensive line. The Cards' o-line has been in shambles all season long, and that doesn't bode well for this game.

McCoy got ripped to shreds by the New England Patriots pass rush in Week 14, and the same thing could happen against Denver. With top pass rusher Dre'Mont Jones questionable for this game, Baron Browning will step and record a multi-sack game on McCoy and the Cardinals offense, showcasing some of the elite pass-rushing potential he has in his game.

2. Broncos RB Latavius Murray will score both of Denver's touchdowns

We've already established that the Broncos offense is a complete mess, but things have managed to get even worse ahead of this game. Russell Wilson picked up a concussion in Week 14, and while he has actually made his way out of the concussion protocol, the Broncos decided to stick Brett Rypien back under center for this game.

Maybe Rypien playing is a good thing (Wilson has been bad, after all) but either way, he will have an opportunity to carve up a weakened Cardinals defense. Unfortunately, he never really gets anything going in the air. The good news is that Latavius Murray does, and ends up carrying the offense on a day where Rypien, who will without top target Courtland Sutton, struggles pretty mightily.

Murray won't have great efficiency, picking up 90 yards on 24 carries, but he will plunge in for a pair of goal-line scores to give the Broncos their only two touchdowns on the day. Murray has been a solid placeholder for Denver during his time filling in for Javonte Williams, and he will put together the best game of his season just when he's needed the most.

1. Broncos QB Brett Rypien will lead a game-winning field goal drive late in the fourth quarter

Based on how good their defense is playing, Murray's two touchdowns would typically be enough to win Denver this game. However, Brandon McManus will shank his second extra-point attempt, which inadvertently allows the Cardinals to stay in this game longer than they should.

Murray's second touchdown midway through the third quarter will give Denver a 13-3 lead, which seems insurmountable for the Cardinals. Despite that, McCoy begins to get into a bit of a rhythm over the final quarter of the game, and after leading a field goal drive early in the fourth quarter, he eventually finds DeAndre Hopkins in the end zone later in the fourth to tie the game.

That will force Rypien to take to the air with under two minutes left in the game for a chance to walk away with the win. He finds Jerry Jeudy, who accrues nearly all of Rypein's passing yards on the day, for a 36-yard gain early on the drive, but converts a huge third-and-seven just a few plays later to Greg Dulcich to get in McManus' range. He overcomes his earlier miss by nailing a 52-yarder as time expires, allowing the Broncos to pick up a rather unexpected victory against Arizona.