List of Denver Broncos seasons

Sports Authority Field at Mile High, where the Broncos have played their home games since 2001

The Denver Broncos are an American football franchise. They are members of the 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 2013 season, the team has completed 54 seasons and entered their 55th at the start of the 2014 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). The team joined the NFL in 1970 as a result of 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 were 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 Broncos have also experienced one notable period of deterioration. From their inaugural season in 1960 until 1975, they did not make either the AFL playoffs or NFL 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 ten years of existence, with their first winning season not occurring until 1973, their fourth year as a member of the NFL's AFC. They also experienced their two seasons with the fewest wins ever, winning just two of fourteen games in both 1963 and 1964.[3]

The Broncos have been AFC West champions thirteen times, and have also earned wild card berths into the playoffs seven times. They have been conference champions seven 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 2013 season, the Broncos have played over 800 regular-season and post-season games in 54 seasons, and have appeared in the post-season twenty times.[3]

Seasons

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

Official NFL records as of April 2014

Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Post-season results Awards
Finish Wins Losses Ties
Denver Broncos
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 (COY)
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
1970[lower-alpha 1] 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
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) 10–27

Craig Morton (CBPOY)

1978 1978 NFL AFC West 1st 10 6 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 10–33 Randy Gradishar (DPOY)
1979 1979 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers) 7–13
1980 1980 NFL AFC West 4th 8 8 0
1981 1981 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0
1982[lower-alpha 2] 1982 NFL AFC 12th 2 7 0
1983 1983 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) 7–31
1984 1984 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 17–24
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) 23–20 (OT)[lower-alpha 3]
Lost Super Bowl XXI (Giants) 20–39
1987[lower-alpha 4] 1987 NFL AFC West 1st 10 4 1 Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 34–10
Won Conference Championship (Browns) 38–33[lower-alpha 5]
Lost Super Bowl XXII (Redskins) 10–42
John Elway (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) 10–55
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) 7–10
Mike Croel (DROY)
1992 1992 NFL AFC West 3rd 8 8 0
1993 1993 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Raiders) 24–42
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) 27–30 Terrell Davis (OPOY)
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 (1) (Packers) 31–24
Terrell Davis (SB MVP)
1998 1998 NFL AFC West 1st 14 2 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 38–3
Won Conference Championship (Jets) 23–10
Won Super Bowl XXXIII (2) (Falcons) 34–19
Terrell Davis (MVP, OPOY)

John Elway (SB MVP)

1999 1999 NFL AFC West 5th 6 10 0
2000 2000 NFL AFC West 2nd 11 5 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 3–21 Mike Anderson (OROY)
2001 2001 NFL AFC West 3rd 8 8 0
2002 2002 NFL AFC West 2nd 9 7 0 Clinton Portis (OROY)
2003 2003 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 10–41
2004 2004 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 24–49
2005 2005 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 27–13
Lost Conference Championship (Steelers) 17–34
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 Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 29–23 (OT)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 10–45
Von Miller (DROY)
2012 2012 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Ravens) 35–38 (2OT) Peyton Manning (CBPOY)
2013 2013 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 24–17
Won Conference Championship (Patriots) 26–16
Lost Super Bowl XLVIII (Seahawks) 8–43
Peyton Manning (MVP, OPOY)
2014 2014 NFL AFC West 1st 12 4 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 13–24
Total 444 382 10 (1960–2014, includes only regular season)
20 19 -- (1960–2014, includes only playoffs)
464 401 10 (1960–2014, regular season and 1960–2013, playoffs; 2 NFL Championships)

Footnotes

  1. 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.[4]
  2. Due to the 1982 strike-shortened season, the league was broken up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment.[5]
  3. This game included The Drive, where quarterback John Elway led the Broncos on a 98-yard drive to tie the game with less than a minute left.[6]
  4. The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games.[5]
  5. This game included The Fumble, where Cleveland Browns' running back Earnest Byner fumbled at the Broncos' 3-yard line, enabling the Broncos to win the game.[7]

References

General
Specific
  1. "Denver Broncos". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  2. "John Elway". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Denver Broncos Franchise Encyclopedia". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  4. "The AFL: A Football Legacy". Sports Illustrated. 2001-01-22. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "HISTORY 1981–1990". NFL. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  6. "Pro Football Hall of Fame – The Drive". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  7. "1987 AFC Championship Game vs. Cleveland Browns". Denver Broncos. Retrieved 2008-07-10.