The Denver Broncos are an American football franchise. They are members of the American Football Conference West Division (AFC West) of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The list documents their season-by-season records from 1960 to the present day, including post-season records, and league awards for individual players and head coaches. As of the end of the 2008 season, the team has completed 49 seasons and will be entering their 50th at the start of the 2009 season. The Broncos franchise was founded on August 14, 1959 by Bob Howsam and played their first season in 1960, in Denver, Colorado as part of the original American Football League (AFL).[1] They became part of the NFL in 1970 after the AFL-NFL merger.[1]
The franchise has experienced two major periods of success. The first was from 1976 to 1981, when the Broncos did not have a losing season (a season when the team has more losses than wins), and won two AFC West division titles, and one AFC championship. The second began in 1983 and ended in 1998. During this period, the Broncos had just two losing seasons, were AFC champions five times and Super Bowl champions for two consecutive years. This second period of success is best remembered for John Elway being the team's quarterback.[2] The Denver Broncos have also experienced one notable period of deterioration. From their inaugural season in 1960 until 1975, they did not make the playoffs and had just two winning seasons. The Broncos were the only charter AFL franchise to never have a winning season during the AFL's 10 years of existence, with their first winning season not occurring until 1973, their fourth year as a member of the NFL's American Conference. They also experienced their two seasons with the most losses ever, winning just two of fourteen games in both 1963 and 1964.[3]
The Broncos have been AFC West champions ten times, and have also earned wild card berths into the playoffs six times. They have been conference champions six times and Super Bowl champions twice. However, the Broncos did not make the AFL playoffs prior to the merger in 1970. As of the end of the 2007 season, the Broncos have played over 800 regular and post-season games in 51 seasons, and have appeared in the post-season sixteen times.[3]
Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any post-season play.
Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth |
AFL/NFL Season | Team's season[3] | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Post-season results | Awards[4][5][6][7][8][9] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||
1960 | 1960 | AFL | West | 4th | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||
1961 | 1961 | AFL | West | 3rd | 3 | 11 | 0 | |||
1962 | 1962 | AFL | West | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | Jack Faulkner (Coach of the Year) | ||
1963 | 1963 | AFL | West | 4th | 2 | 11 | 1 | |||
1964 | 1964 | AFL | West | 4th | 2 | 11 | 1 | |||
1965 | 1965 | AFL | West | 4th | 4 | 10 | 0 | |||
1966 | 1966 | AFL | West | 4th | 4 | 10 | 0 | |||
1967 | 1967 | AFL | West | 4th | 3 | 11 | 0 | |||
1968 | 1968 | AFL | West | 4th | 5 | 9 | 0 | |||
1969 | 1969 | AFL | West | 4th | 5 | 8 | 1 | |||
1970a | 1970 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 5 | 8 | 1 | ||
1971 | 1971 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 4 | 9 | 1 | ||
1972 | 1972 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 5 | 9 | 0 | ||
1973 | 1973 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 7 | 5 | 2 | John Ralston | |
1974 | 1974 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||
1975 | 1975 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||
1976 | 1976 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 5 | 0 | ||
1977 | 1977 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 12 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 34–21 Won Conference Championship (Raiders) 20–17 Lost Super Bowl XII (Cowboys) 27–10 |
Red Miller (AFC Coach of the Year) |
1978 | 1978 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 33–10 | Randy Gradishar (Defensive Player of the Year) |
1979 | 1979 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild card Playoffs (Oilers) (13–7) | |
1980 | 1980 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
1981 | 1981 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | ||
1982b | 1982 | NFL | AFC | 12th | 2 | 7 | 0 | |||
1983 | 1983 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild card Playoffs (Seahawks) 31–7 | |
1984 | 1984 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 24–17 | |
1985 | 1985 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 11 | 5 | 0 | ||
1986 | 1986 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 22–17 Won Conference Championship (Browns) 23–20c Lost Super Bowl XXI (Giants) 39–20 |
|
1987d | 1987 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 10 | 4 | 1 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 34–10 Won Conference Championship (Browns) 38–33e Lost Super Bowl XXII (Redskins) 42–10 |
John Elway (NFL MVP) |
1988 | 1988 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
1989 | 1989 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 24–23 Won Conference Championship (Browns) 37–21 Lost Super Bowl XXIV (49ers) 55–10 |
Dan Reeves (AFC Coach of the Year) |
1990 | 1990 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
1991 | 1991 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 26–24 Lost Conference Championship (Bills) 10–7 |
Dan Reeves (AFC Coach of the Year) |
1992 | 1992 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
1993 | 1993 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild card Playoffs (Raiders) 42–24 | |
1994 | 1994 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
1995 | 1995 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
1996 | 1996 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) 30–27 | Terrell Davis (Offensive Player of the Year) |
1997 | 1997 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Wild card Playoffs (Jaguars) 42–17 Won Divisional Playoffs (Chiefs) 14–10 Won Conference Championship (Steelers) 24–21 Won Super Bowl XXXII (Packers) 31–24 |
Terrell Davis (Super Bowl MVP) |
1998 | 1998 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 14 | 2 | 0 | Won Division Playoffs (Dolphins) 38–3 Won Conference Championship (Jets) 23–10 Won Super Bowl XXXIII (Falcons) 34–19 |
Terrell Davis (NFL MVP) (Offensive Player of the Year) John Elway (Super Bowl MVP) |
1999 | 1999 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
2000 | 2000 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild card Playoffs (Ravens) 21–3 | Mike Anderson (Offensive Rookie of the Year) |
2001 | 2001 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
2002 | 2002 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Clinton Portis (Offensive Rookie of the Year) | |
2003 | 2003 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild card Playoffs (Colts) 41–10 | |
2004 | 2004 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild card Playoffs (Colts) 49–24 | |
2005 | 2005 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Won Division Playoffs (Patriots) 27–13 Lost Conference Championship (Steelers) 34–17 |
|
2006 | 2006 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | ||
2007 | 2007 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
2008 | 2008 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
2009 | 2009 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
2010 | 2010 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
2011 | 2011 | NFL | AFC | West | 1st | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
Total | 406 | 372 | 10 | (1960–2010, includes only regular season) | ||||||
17 | 15 | -- | (1960–2010, includes only playoffs) | |||||||
423 | 387 | 10 | (1960–2010, includes both regular season and playoffs; 2 NFL Championships) |
^a As a result of the AFL-NFL Merger, the league was broken into two conferences, with the AFL teams moving into the American Football Conference.[10]
^b Due to the 1982 strike-shortened season, the league was broken up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment.[11]
^c This game included The Drive, where Elway led the Broncos on a 98 yard drive to tie the game with less than a minute left.[12]
^d The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games.[11]
^e This game included The Fumble where Browns running back Earnest Byner fumbled at the Broncos 3-yard line, enabling the Broncos to win the game.[13]
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