List of Denver Broncos seasons
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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 |
|
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
- ↑ 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]
- ↑ Due to the 1982 strike-shortened season, the league was broken up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment.[5]
- ↑ 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]
- ↑ The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games.[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
- "NFL – History – Yearly Standings (click the drop down box for yearly standings)". NFL. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
- "Denver Broncos – History". CBS. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
- "Denver Broncos Franchise Encyclopedia". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- "Denver Broncos History". Football @ JT-SW.com. John Troan. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- Specific
- ↑ "Denver Broncos". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
- ↑ "John Elway". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Denver Broncos Franchise Encyclopedia". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- ↑ "The AFL: A Football Legacy". Sports Illustrated. 2001-01-22. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "HISTORY 1981–1990". NFL. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- ↑ "Pro Football Hall of Fame – The Drive". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- ↑ "1987 AFC Championship Game vs. Cleveland Browns". Denver Broncos. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
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