The Denver Broncos American football club is a National Football League team based in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos were founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger.
| Denver Broncos | |||
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| Established 1960 Play in Denver, Colorado | |||
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| League/conference affiliations | |||
| National Football League ([[{{{NFL_start_yr}}} NFL season|{{{NFL_start_yr}}}]]–present) | |||
| Uniforms | |||
| Team colors | Broncos Navy Blue, Orange, and White | ||
| Personnel | |||
| Head coach | Mike Shanahan | ||
| Team history | |||
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| Championships | |||
League championships (2)
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Conference championships (6)
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Division championships (9)
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| Home fields | |||
| {{{stadium_years}}} | |||
The Denver Broncos were a backwater small-market team that met with little success in their early years but have since become one of the elite franchises of the league after having advanced to the Super Bowl six times. In their first four appearances, they suffered successively lopsided defeats, achieving near-legendary status as frustrated losers before winning back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1998 and 1999 under quarterback John Elway, running back Terrell Davis and coach Mike Shanahan. For most of their history they played in Mile High Stadium, which became one of the shrines of professional football for its unbroken string of sell-outs and its famous home-field advantage percentage for the Broncos, especially during the post-season. Mile High Stadium was one of the NFL's loudest stadiums, with steel flooring instead of concrete, which may have given the Broncos an advantage over opponents. Since 2001, they have played at INVESCO Field at Mile High, built next to the former site of Mile High Stadium.
- Founded: 1960
- Home field: INVESCO Field at Mile High (capacity 76,125).
- Previous home field: Mile High Stadium (1960-2000)
- Uniform colors: "Broncos Navy Blue", Orange, and White
- Helmet design: Navy Blue background with a white horse-head profile.
- Radio Stations: KOA (850 AM)-English and KBNO (1280 AM)-Spanish
- Radio Announcers: David Diaz-Infante and Dave Logan-English; Luke Sandoval and Fernando Sergio-Spanish
Franchise history
Although the Denver Broncos' 39-97-4 record was the worst of any of the original eight American Football League teams, the franchise had many proud moments and several AFL superstars, including Lionel Taylor and Floyd Little. The Broncos won the first-ever American Football League game over the Boston Patriots, 13-10, on September 9, 1960. They were the first AFL team ever to defeat an NFL team, on August 5, 1967 when they beat the Detroit Lions 13-7. Despite their relative lack of early success, the Broncos produced some memorable games, like the 38-38 tie against the Buffalo Bills in 1960.
Denver has reached the Super Bowl six times, winning it in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. It is odd to remember a time, then, when Denver was the lowliest of teams, managing its first winning season in 1973 after thirteen years of futility. Denver, in fact, came close to losing its franchise in 1965, but a local ownership group took control that year and began to build the team.
In 1967, under head coach Lou Saban, Denver took the field with almost two dozen rookies on its roster; though Saban's tenure was unsuccessful, it set the stage for later successes. In 1973, John Ralston coached the now-mature Broncos to a 7-5-2 record, including a dramatic tie with Oakland in Denver's first-ever Monday Night Football appearance that is still remembered as a pivotal game in Broncos history. Ralston coached the team until 1976, when well-publicized clashes between Ralston and his players led to Ralston's removal.
Rookie coach Red Miller, along with the Orange Crush Defense and aging quarterback Craig Morton, promptly took Denver to its first playoff appearance – and, ultimately first Super Bowl – in 1977, where they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 27-10. Prior to 1977 season, Denver had received very little national attention and was rarely featured on nationally-televised games.
Quarterback John Elway arrived in 1983. Originally drafted by the Baltimore Colts as the #1 pick of the draft, Elway proclaimed that he would shun football in favor of baseball(he was drafted by the New York Yankess to play centerfield) unless he was traded to a selected list of other teams, which included Denver. Prior to Elway, Denver had had over 24 different starting quarterbacks in its 23 seasons to that point. Elway would remain the quarterback through five Super Bowls, three under head coach Dan Reeves and two under Mike Shanahan, and would end his career as the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, his last NFL game. Since the 1998 season, Denver has only had one losing season (1999), and has made the playoffs as a wild card three times (in 2000, 2003, and 2004). However, they lost all three times in the wild card round. The Broncos were plagued by early season success followed by late season flops. In both 2003 and 2004 they started the season 5-1 and ended 10-6.
Since the Shanahan era began, the Broncos have been known for having high-yardage running backs. Tuesday Morning Quarterback writer Gregg Easterbrook once mused that Denver’s helmets should have a label that says "Insert running back, gain 1000 yards." To wit: Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, and, most recently, Reuben Droughns have all posted 1000-yard rushing seasons in Denver, with Davis shattering the 2,000 yard barrier in 1998. So the debate rages on: is it Denver's system, or their running backs, that are responsible for the huge numbers year-in and year-out? Football Outsiders did a study to determine just that, and found some evidence that Denver's system of 'zone-blocking' did aid running backs, and that most rushers who succeed in Denver will have a drop-off elsewhere. The study can be found here. It must be noted that both Droughns and Portis have had great success with their new teams after leaving the Broncos.
Current Season
So far in the 2005 season, the Broncos have gone 11-3. After losing their first game to the Miami Dolphins on September 11, the Broncos won 5 straight games, defeating the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins, and the two-time defending champion New England Patriots on October 16 before losing to the New York Giants on October 23. They then beat the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles 49-21 on October 30. In that game the Broncos became the first team in NFL history to have two players, Anderson and Bell, rush for over 100 yards and another player, Plummer, pass for over 300 yards in a single game. They then beat the Oakland Raiders on November 13 31-17. They beat the New York Jets on November 20 27-0. It was the first time the Broncos had shut out a team at home since the Carolina Panthers on November 9 1997. They played the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving day, November 24, winning a very hard fought game in overtime 24-21. The winning field goal was set up on a 55 yard run by Ron Dayne who filled in for the injured Tatum Bell. They lost to the Chiefs 31-27 on December 4, but defeated the Baltimore Ravens the following week 12-10. On December 17, the Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills 28-17.
They are currently in first place in the AFC West, two games ahead of the Chiefs and Chargers. For the third consecutive year, the Broncos have earned a spot in the playoffs. They are third overall in the league, along with the Cincinnati Bengals with a win percentage of .769. The 12-2 Seattle Seahawks are in second with win percentage of .846, all trailing the 13-1 Indianapolis Colts.
They have relied on their rushing game behind Tatum Bell, Ron Dayne and Mike Anderson and their defense to snuff opposing running backs. The Broncos currently place second in the league in rushing yards per game, fifth in total offense, and have the fewest rushing yards allowed in the league.
Another key to Denver's success this year is their ability to keep control of the ball. So far this year they have a total of 13 turnovers, tied for the second-least in the league, and have taken it away from their opponents 28 times, fourth-best in the league. This results in a turnover differential of +15 (second-best in the NFL). Jake Plummer, after throwing an NFL-high 20 interceptions in the 2004 season, has so far thrown only 6 interceptions on the year with only 2 games left, home against the Oakland Raiders on December 24 and finishing up on the road against the San Diego Chargers on 31 December.
Season-by-season
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos (AFL) | |||||
| 1960 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1961 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3rd West (AFL) | -- |
| 1962 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2nd West (AFL) | -- |
| 1963 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1964 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1965 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1966 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1967 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1968 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| 1969 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4th West (AFL) | -- |
| Merged into NFL | |||||
| 1970 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4th AFC West | -- |
| 1971 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4th AFC West | -- |
| 1972 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | -- |
| 1973 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1974 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1975 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1976 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1977 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost Super Bowl XII (Cowboys) |
| 1978 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) |
| 1979 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers) |
| 1980 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 4th AFC West | -- |
| 1981 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1982 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 12th AFC Conf. | -- |
| 1983 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) |
| 1984 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) |
| 1985 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1986 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost Super Bowl XXI (Giants) |
| 1987 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1st AFC West | Lost Super Bowl XXII (Redskins) |
| 1988 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1989 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost Super Bowl XXIV (49ers) |
| 1990 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5th AFC West | -- |
| 1991 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost AFC Championship (Bills) |
| 1992 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | -- |
| 1993 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Raiders) |
| 1994 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 4th AFC West | -- |
| 1995 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 4th AFC West | -- |
| 1996 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) |
| 1997 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | Won Super Bowl XXXII |
| 1998 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Won Super Bowl XXXIII |
| 1999 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 5th AFC West | -- |
| 2000 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) |
| 2001 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | -- |
| 2002 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 2003 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) |
| 2004 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) |
| *2005 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Qualified for Playoffs |
*=Current Standing
Players of note
Current players
- John Elway (2004)
Retired numbers
- John Elway - #7
- Floyd Little - #44
- Frank Tripucka - #18 (Tripucka's number has been removed from retirement, due to a lack of evidence that it was retired, according to Broncos PR.)
In addition, the Broncos have a Ring of Fame on the Level 5 facade of INVESCO Field at Mile High, which honors the following:
- 23 Goose Gonsoulin, S, 1960-66, inducted 1984
- 44 Floyd Little, RB, 1967-75, inducted 1984
- 87 Lionel Taylor, WR, 1960-66, inducted 1984
- 87 Rich Jackson, DE, 1967-72, inducted 1984
- Gerald Phipps, team owner, 1961-81, inducted 1985
- 12 Charley Johnson, QB, 1972-75, inducted 1986
- 18 Frank Tripucka, QB, 1960-63, inducted 1986
- 70 Paul Smith, DE, 1968-78, inducted 1986
- 36 Billy Thompson, CB, 1969-81, inducted 1987
- 7 Craig Morton, QB, 1977-82, inducted 1988
- 15 Jim Turner, K, 1971-79, inducted 1988
- 25 Haven Moses, WR, 1972-81, inducted 1988
- 53 Randy Gradishar, LB, 1976-83, inducted 1989
- 57 Tom Jackson, LB, 1973-86, inducted 1992
- 20 Louis Wright, S, 1975-86, inducted 1993
- 7 John Elway, QB, 1983-98, inducted 1999
- 49 Dennis Smith (NFL player), S, 1981-94, inducted 2001
- 77 Karl Mecklenburg, LB, 1983-94, inducted 2001
- 65 Gary Zimmerman, OT, 1993-97, inducted 2003
- 27 Steve Atwater, S, 1989-98, inducted 2005
Not to be forgotten
- Lyle Alzado
- Marlin Briscoe
- Dale Carter
- Mike Croel
- Terrell Davis (third player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season)
- Karl Dorrell (current head coach of the UCLA Bruins football team)
- Tony Dorsett
- Reuben Droughns
- Miller Farr
- Olandis Gary
- Cookie Gilchrist (born 1935)
- Abner Haynes
- Reggie Hayward
- Garrison Hearst
- Micah Knorr
- Ed McCaffrey
- Wahoo McDaniel
- Gene Mingo (first black field goal kicker in professional football, 1960)
- John Mobley
- Clinton Portis
- Shannon Sharpe
- Dennis Smith (NFL player)
- Rick Upchurch