Denver Broncos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Year founded: 1960 | |||||
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| City | Denver, Colorado | ||||
| Other nicknames | Orange Crush | ||||
| Team colors | Broncos Navy Blue, Orange, and White | ||||
| Head Coach | Mike Shanahan | ||||
| Owner | Pat Bowlen | ||||
| General manager | Ted Sundquist | ||||
| Mascot | Miles | ||||
| League/Conference affiliations | |||||
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American Football League (1960-1969)
National Football League (1970–present)
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| Team history | |||||
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| Championships | |||||
League Championships (2)
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Conference Championships (6)
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Division Championships (10)
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| Home fields | |||||
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The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) Western Division in the National Football League (NFL). The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger.
The Broncos were a 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. The Broncos are now widely considered one of the most successful teams in the National Football League -- not only on the field, but also in fan support, measured both in TV ratings and merchandising. In their first four Super Bowl 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.
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[edit] 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 in a preseason game. 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. As such, they were the only original AFL team never to have played in the title game during the upstart league's 10-year history. 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. Not only was that the Broncos' first winning season; they were in playoff chase as well, with only a loss to the powerful Oakland Raiders in the last game of the season (that NBC chose to televise nationally) that kept them out of the playoffs. 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 (a nickname originating in the early '70's) 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 first pick of the draft, Elway proclaimed that he would shun football in favor of baseball (he was drafted by the New York Yankees to play center field) 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. The Broncos would lose Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants 39-20, Super Bowl XXII to the Washington Redskins 42-10 and Super Bowl XXIV to the San Francisco 49ers 55-10, the most lopsided Super Bowl in history.
In 1995, the Broncos debuted rookie running back Terrell Davis, who, in 1997 would lead the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory, in Super Bowl XXXII, over the Green Bay Packers 31-24. Although Elway completed only 12 of his 22 passing attempts, throwing one interception and no touchdowns, Terrell Davis was able to overcome a severe migraine headache that caused him blurred vision and rush for 157 yards and three touchdowns [1] to earn MVP honors.
The Broncos repeated the following year, defeating the Dan Reeves led Atlanta Falcons 34-19 to win Super Bowl XXXIII. Since Elway's retirement following 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), and as a division champion once (2005). However, they have won only one playoff game since Elway's retirement. Prior to the 2005 season, 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. In 2005, the Broncos would have a much-improved season, going 13-3 and earning a bye week in the playoffs with the #2 seed in the AFC. They would finally win a playoff game without Elway, defeating the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 27-13, ending the Patriots' 10 game playoff winning streak. The following weekend, the hosting Broncos were defeated at home by the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship by a score of 34-17.
Broncos fans have been long critizied by other fans and media members for failing to to move on from Elway’s retirement. Brian Griese and Jake Plummer have faced the most scrutiny in attempting to replace Elway as the team’s quarterback. Elway’s jersey remains the most frequently worn at Invesco Field at Mile High, with the crowd generally voicing their loudest ovations when his name is mentioned or shown. Many members of the media have run stories and articles on the pressures that come with playing quarterback in Denver, as most fans believe no player will ever live up the standard set by Elway.
Elway’s overwhelming popularity in Colorado is generally contributed to a number of factors including the length of time spent on the team at the league’s premier position, his leading of 4th quarter comebacks (Elway ranks 1st in NFL history), his community work, and retiring after 2 Super Bowl wins.
[edit] 2005 Season
- Further information: 2005 Denver Broncos season
[edit] 2006 Season
- Further information: 2006 Denver Broncos season
[edit] Logo and uniforms
When the Broncos debuted in 1960, their original uniforms were vilified by the public. It consisted of brown helmets, brown pants, white and mustard yellow jerseys, and vertically striped socks. The club eventually got rid of these jerseys two years later, and celebrated the occasion by holding a public bonfire to burn the striped socks.
The team then unveiled a new logo featuring a bucking horse, and changed their team colors to orange, blue, and white. The 1962 uniform design consisted of white pants, orange helmets, and either orange or white jerseys.
In 1968, the Broncos debuted a design that became known as the "Orange Crush". Their logo was redesigned so that the horse was coming out of a "D". Also, the helmets were changed to blue, thin stripes were put onto the sleeves, and other minor modifications were added. From 1969 to 1971, and again from 1978 to 1979), the team wore orange pants with their white jerseys.
The club then radically changed their logo and uniforms in 1997, a design that they continue to use to this day. The current logo is a profile of a horse's head. They wear "Broncos Navy Blue" jerseys instead of orange ones. This new uniform design also features a streak that runs down the sides of both the jerseys and the pants; it's orange on the blue jerseys and blue on the white jerseys. When they debuted, these uniforms were also vilified by the press and fans, until the Broncos won their first ever Super Bowl in the new design. The team also introduced blue pants with orange stripes to be worn with blue jerseys. These pants are primarily worn for prime-time home games.
The Broncos have also introduced an alternate orange jersey with a navy blue stripe going up the side. The jerseys were first used in 2002 against the Indianapolis Colts and last used in the 2004 game against the Oakland Raiders in the downpour of snow. Many believe that the jersey is only to be used in the snow, such as the 2002 and 2004 games. Owner Pat Bowlen has frequently said he would like to see the Broncos in orange once a year, however, the Broncos did not don orange uniforms in the 2005 season.
[edit] Home field
For most of their history they played in Mile High Stadium, which became one of the shrines of professional football for its record unbroken string of sell-outs: every game from 1970 to 2004, with the exception of two replacement games during the 1987 strike (but both were sold out before the strike), for a total of 282 games, including post-seasons. The stadium's legendary home-field advantage is regarded as one of the best in the NFL, 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. Sportswriter Woody Paige, along with many of Denver's fans, however, often refuse to call the new stadium by its full name, preferring to use Mile High Stadium because of its storied history and sentimental import.
[edit] The Shanahan Era
The team's current head coach is Mike Shanahan, a position he's held since 1995. Since the Shanahan era began, the Broncos have been known for having high-yardage running backs, and explosive offenses. Tuesday Morning Quarterback writer Gregg Easterbrook once mused that Denver’s helmets should have a label that says "Insert running back, gain 1,000 yards." To wit: Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, and, Reuben Droughns have all posted 1000-yard rushing seasons in Denver with Davis shattering the 2,000 yard barrier in 1998. In 2005, Mike Anderson rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the first time in five seasons. Anderson's backfield mate, Tatum Bell, fell 79 yards short of 1,000 with 921 while missing a game to injury. That would have made them the first two running backs in over 20 years to break 1,000 yards in a single season on the same team.
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.
[edit] Trivia
- The Broncos currently hold the best season record for a team that did not make the playoffs that year. Their 1985 team went 11-5, but lost out in tiebreakers for the last wild card spot. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns that same year finished 8-8, but since they won the AFC Central division, they got an automatic spot in the playoffs.
- In The Simpsons episode You Only Move Twice, Hank Scorpio gives Homer Simpson the Denver Broncos as a thank-you gift for helping him. Homer complained that he wanted to own the Dallas Cowboys.
- South Park, set in fictional Park County, Colorado, often mentions the Denver Broncos; show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone both grew up in Colorado as devout Bronco fans.
- The Broncos are the only franchise to have played in a Super Bowl televised by each network (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX)
- On November 27th, 2006 Mike Shanahan announced that because of Jake Plummer's inability to make plays, he will be replaced with rookie quarterback Jay Cutler from Vanderbilt. Jay Cutler will be the 4th rookie of the 2006 season to start for his team marking an NFL record for most rookies to start for their team in a season (the others are Matt Leinart of the Arizona Cardinals, Vince Young of the Tennessee Titans, and Bruce Gradkowski of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
[edit] Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos (AFL) | |||||
| 1960 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1961 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3rd AFL West | -- |
| 1962 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2nd AFL West | -- |
| 1963 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1964 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1965 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1966 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1967 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1968 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 1969 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 4th AFL West | -- |
| 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 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) Won Conference Championship (Raiders) 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 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) Won Conference Championship (Browns) Lost Super Bowl XXI (Giants) |
| 1987 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1st AFC West | Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) Won Conference Championship (Browns) Lost Super Bowl XXII (Redskins) |
| 1988 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2nd AFC West | -- |
| 1989 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) Won Conference Championship (Browns) Lost Super Bowl XXIV (49ers) |
| 1990 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5th AFC West | -- |
| 1991 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) Lost Conference Championship (Bills) |
| 1992 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | -- |
| 1993 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3rd AFC West | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (L.A. 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 Wild Card Playoffs (Jaguars) Won Divisional Playoffs (Chiefs) Won Conference Championship (Steelers) Won Super Bowl XXXII (Packers) |
| 1998 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) Won Conference Championship (Jets) Won Super Bowl XXXIII (Falcons) |
| 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 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1st AFC West | Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) Lost Conference Championship (Steelers) |
| *2006 | 7 | 5 | 0 | T-2nd AFC West | -- |
| Totals | 380 | 338 | 10 | (1960-2006, including AFL & NFL playoffs) | |
* = Current Standing
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Current players
Clinton Kilduff RB
[edit] Pro Football Hall of Famers
- 24, Willie Brown, CB, (1963-66) Class of 1984
- 33, Tony Dorsett, RB, (1988) Class of 1994
- 7, John Elway, QB, (1983-98) Class of 2004
[edit] Retired numbers
- John Elway – #7
- Frank Tripucka – #18
- Floyd Little – #44
[edit] Ring of Fame
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, 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
[edit] Colorado Sports Hall of Fame
- 23 Goose Gonsoulin, S, 1960-66
- 44 Floyd Little, RB, 1967-75
- 87 Lionel Taylor, WR, 1960-66
- 87 Rich Jackson, DE, 1967-72
- Gerald Phipps, team owner, 1961-81
- 18 Frank Tripucka, QB, 1960-63
- 36 Billy Thompson, CB, 1969-81
- 7 Craig Morton, QB, 1977-82
- 25 Haven Moses, WR, 1972-81
- 53 Randy Gradishar, LB, 1976-83
- 57 Tom Jackson, LB, 1973-86
- 80 Rick Upchurch, WR, 1975-83
- 20 Louis Wright, S, 1975-86
- Red Miller, Head Coach, 1977-80
- Dan Reeves, Head Coach, 1981-92
- 7 John Elway, QB, 1983-98
- 77 Karl Mecklenburg, LB, 1983-94
- 84 Shannon Sharpe, TE, 1990-99, 2002-03
- 30 Terrell Davis, RB, 1993-2001
[edit] Head coaches
- Frank Filchock (1960-1961)
- Jack Faulkner (1962-1964)
- Mac Speedie (1964-1966)
- Ray Malavasi (1966)
- Lou Saban (1967-1971)
- Jerry Smith (1971)
- John Ralston (1972-1976)
- Red Miller (1977-1980)
- Dan Reeves (1981-1992)
- Wade Phillips (1993-1994)
- Mike Shanahan (1995-present)
[edit] Current staff
- Head Coach - Mike Shanahan
- Assistant Head Coach - Mike Heimerdinger
[edit] Offensive coaches
- Offensive Coordinator - Rick Dennison
- Quarterbacks Coach - Pat McPherson
- Running Backs Coach - Bobby Turner
- Wide Receivers Coach - Steve Watson
- Tight Ends Coach - Tim Brewster
- Offensive Line Coach - TBA
- Offensive Assistant - Jeremy Bates
[edit] Defensive coaches
- Defensive Coordinator - Larry Coyer
- Defensive Line/Tackles Coach - Andre Patterson
- Defensive Line/Ends Coach - Jacob Burney
- Linebackers Coach - Kirk Doll
- Defensive Backs Coach - Bob Slowik
- Defensive Assistant - Jim Ryan
- Defensive Assistant - Ryan Slowik
[edit] Special Teams coach
- Special Teams Coach - Ronnie Bradford
[edit] Conditioning coach
- Strength and Conditioning - Rich Tuten
[edit] Personnel
- General Manager - Ted Sundquist
- Assistant to General Manager - Pam Papsdorf
- Director of Pro Personnel - Rick Smith
- Director of College Scouting - Jim Goodman
- Director of Football Administration - Mike Bluem
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- The Orange Mane - Denver Broncos News and Discussion
- BroncosFreak.com
- The Bronco Nation
- 2005 Team Statistics at NFL.com
| Denver Broncos Head Coaches |
|---|
| Filchock • Faulkner • Speedie • Malavasi • Saban • Smith • Ralston • Miller • Reeves • W. Phillips • Shanahan |
| The American Football League |
|---|
| Eastern Division |
| Boston Patriots | Buffalo Bills | Houston Oilers | New York Titans/Jets | Miami Dolphins |
| Western Division |
| Denver Broncos | Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs | Oakland Raiders | Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Seasons | Playoffs | All-Star games | AFL Draft | All-Time Team | NFL |
