Timeline

The AFL holds its first draft

The AFL’s first player selection draft is held, lasting 32 rounds. Denver’s first pick is Roger LeClerc of Trinity College in Connecticut. He does not play for the Broncos until 1967, as he opts to join the NFL’s Chicago Bears, who made him a 15th-round selection in the 1959 draft.

1960 Defense

Pos Player Starts
LDE Joe Young
LDT Bud McFadin
RDT John Hatley
RDE Bill Yelverton
LLB Pete Mangum
MLB Hardy Brown
RLB Albert Day
LCB Bob McNamara
RCB John Pyeatt
LS Al Romine
RS Goose Gonsoulin
P George Herring

1960 offense

Pos Player Starts
E Lionel Taylor
LT Gordy Holz
LG Ken Adamson
C Mike Nichols
RG Willie Smith
RT Eldon Danenhauer
E Bill Jessup
QB Frank Tripucka
HB/K Gene Mingo
HB Al Carmichael
FB Dave Rolle

The name “Denver Broncos” was chosen from 500 entries in a name-the-team contest in January 1960.

Frank Filchock named first head coach of the Broncos

Denver placed in AFL’s western division with Dallas, Oakland and Los Angeles

Record: 4-9-1
Fourth place, AFL West

1960 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/9 at Boston Patriots 13-10
9/18 at Buffalo Bills 27-21
9/23 at New York Titans 24-28
10/2 Oakland Raiders 31-14
10/16 Los Angeles Chargers 19-23
10/23 Boston Patriots 31-24
10/30 Dallas Texans 14-17
11/6 Houston Oilers 25-45
11/13 at Dallas Texans 7-34
11/20 at Houston Oilers 10-20
11/27 Buffalo Bills 38-38
12/4 New York Titans 27-30
12/10 at Los Angeles Chargers 33-41
12/27 at Oakland Raiders 10-48

1961 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/10 at buffalo bills 22-10
9/16 at boston patriots 17-45
9/24 at new york titans 28-35
10/1 at oakland raiders 19-33
10/8 dallas texans 12-19
10/15 oakland raiders 27-27
10/29 at san diego chargers 0-37
11/5 houston oilers 14-55
11/12 san diego chargers 16-19
11/19 buffalo bills 10-23
11/26 at houston oilers 14-45
12/3 boston patriots 24-28
12/10 at dallas texans 21-49

1961 offense

Pos Player Starts
le lionel taylor
lt jack mattox
lg ken adamson
c mike nichols
c jim barton
rg carl larpenter
rt eldon danenhauer
te gene prebola
fl al frazier
qb frank tripucka
qb george herring
hb don stone
fb fred bukaty

Frank Filchock released as Broncos head coach

Jack Faulkner hired as Broncos head coach

1962 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/7 san diego chargers 30-21
9/15 at buffalo bills 23-20
9/21 at boston patriots 16-41
9/30 at new york titans 32-10
10/5 oakland raiders 44-7
10/14 at oakland raiders 23-6
10/21 houston oilers 20-10
10/28 buffalo bills 38-45
11/4 at san diego chargers 23-20
11/11 boston patriots 29-33
11/18 dallas texans 3-24
11/22 new york titans 45-46
12/2 at houston oilers 17-34
12/9 at dallas texans 10-17

1962 offense

Pos Player Starts
le lionel taylor
lt jerry sturmn
lt jim perkins
lg ken adamson
c jim barton
rg bob mccullough
rt eldon danenhauer
te gene prebola
fl bob scarpitto
fl al frazier
qb frank tripucka
qb george shaw
hb don stone
hb gene mingo
fb bo dickinson

Sept. 15, 1962: Frank Tripucka hits Al Frazier for a 96-yard touchdown pass at Buffalo. At the time, the reception marked the longest play from scrimmage in Broncos history.

Jack Faulkner named coach of the year in AFL

Gene Mingo sets professional field goal record of 27 in a season

1963 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/7 kansas city chiefs 7-59
9/14 at houston oilers 14-20
9/29 boston patriots 14-10
10/6 san diego chargers 50-34
10/13 houston oilers 24-33
10/18 at boston patriots 21-40
10/26 at new york jets 35-35
11/3 buffalo bills 28-30
11/9 at buffalo bills 17-27
11/17 new york jets 9-14
11/28 oakland raiders 10-26
12/8 at kansas city chiefs 21-52
12/15 at oakland raiders 31-35
12/22 at san diego chargers 20-58

1963 offense

Pos Player Starts
se lionel taylor
lt harold olson
lt jim perkins
lg bob mccullough
c jerry sturm
rg ernie barnes
rt eldon danenhauer
te gene prebola
fl bob scarpitto
fl bill groman
qb mickey slaughter
qb don breaux
hb don stone
hb hewritt dixon
fb billy joe

The AFL and NBC announce a new TV contract that pays the AFL $36 million over five seasons.

1964 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/12 at new york jets 6-30
9/20 at buffalo bills 13-30
9/27 houston oilers 17-38
10/4 boston patriots 10-39
10/11 kansas city chiefs 33-27
10/18 at san diego chargers 14-42
10/25 at oakland raiders 7-40
11/1 at kansas city chiefs 39-49
11/8 san diego chargers 20-31
11/15 new york jets 20-16
11/20 at boston patriots 7-12
11/29 oakland raiders 20-20
12/13 buffalo bills 19-30
12/20 at houston oilers 15-34

1964 offense

Pos Player Starts
se lionel taylor
lt harold olson
lg jim perkins
lg tom nomina
c jerry sturm
rg bob mccullough
rt eldon danenhauer
te hewritt dixon
fl bob scarpitto
qb jacky lee
qb mickey slaughter
hb charley mitchell
hb abner hayes
fb billy joe

Aug. 14, 1964: Broncos obtained QB Jacky Lee form Houston in “lend-lease” trade for Bud McFadin.

October 4, 1964
Jack Faulkner released as head coach

October 5, 1964
Mac Speedie accepts appointment as interim head coach

1965 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/11 at san diego chargers 31-34
9/19 buffalo bills 15-30
9/24 at boston patriots 27-10
10/3 new york jets 16-13
10/10 kansas city chiefs 23-31
10/17 houston oilers 28-17
10/24 at buffalo bills 13-31
10/31 at new york jets 10-45
11/7 san diego chargers 21-35
11/14 at houston oilers 31-21
11/21 oakland raiders 20-28
12/5 at oakland raiders 13-24
12/12 boston patriots 20-28
12/19 at kansas city chiefs 35-45

March 5, 1965
Record sale of 941 season tickets in one day

Season ticket drive goal of 20,000 sales reached

1965 offense

Pos Player Starts
se lionel taylor
lt bob breitenstein
lg jerry sturm
c ray kubala
rg bob mccullough
rt elden danenhauer
te hewritt dixon
te al denson
fl bob scarpitto
qb mickey slaughter
qb john mccormick
hb abner haynes
hb charlie mitchell
fb cookie gilchrist
fb wendell hayes

Dec. 12, 1965: Broncos conclude home season with total attendance of 219,786, an average of 34,398 per game. Both the total and average attendance were AFL Western Division records.

December, 1965
Tackle Eldon Danenhauer, Split End Lionel Taylor and Fullback Cookie Gilchrist named to the all-AFL team

1966 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/3 at houston oilers 26-21
9/18 boston patriots 10-24
9/25 new york jets 7-16
10/2 houston oilers 40-38
10/8 at kansas city chiefs 10-37
10/16 at miami dolphins 7-24
10/23 kansas city chiefs 10-56
10/30 at san diego chargers 17-24
11/6 at boston patriots 17-10
11/20 oakland raiders 3-17
11/27 san diego chargers 20-17
12/4 miami dolphins 17-7
12/11 at oakland raiders 10-28
12/18 at buffalo bills 21-38

June 8, 1966
Merger of American and National Leagues announced

1966 offense

Pos Player Starts
se lionel taylor
lt bob breitenstein
lg jerry sturm
c ray kubala
c larry kaminski
rg john gonzaga
rg jon homan
rt lee burnet
te al denson
fl bob scarpitto
qb john mccormick
qb max choboian
hb abner haynes
hb charlie mitchell
fb wendell hayes

September 19, 1966
Ray Malavasi named Head Coach of the Broncos

1967 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/3 Boston Patriots 26-21
9/10 at Oakland Raiders 0-51
9/17 at Miami Dolphins 21-35
9/24 New York Jets 24-38
10/1 at Houston Oilers 6-10
10/8 Buffalo Bills 16-17
10/22 San Diego Chargers 21-38
10/29 at Kansas City Chiefs 9-52
11/5 Oakland Raiders 17-21
11/12 Houston Oilers 18-20
11/19 at Buffalo Bills 21-20
11/23 at San Diego Chargers 20-24
12/3 at New York Jets 33-24
12/17 Kansas City Chiefs 24-38

May 17, 1967
Floyd Little becomes the first No. 1 choice to sign with Denver in the history of the club

August 5, 1967
Broncos defeat Detroit Lions 13-7 in preseason game at DU for AFL’s first win over the NFL

1967 Offense

Pos Player Starts
SE Eric Crabtree 14
LT Sam Brunelli 12
LG George Goeddeke 10
C Larry Kaminski 14
RG Pat Mattson 14
RT Tom Cichowski 11
TE Tom Beer 14
FL Al Denson 14
QB Steve Tensi 14
HB Floyd Little 13
HB Charlie Mitchell 14
FB Bo Hickey 12
FB Wendell Hayes 14
P Bob Scarpitto 14
PK Bob Humphreys 8

January 1968
Lou Saban and staff coach the West stars

1968 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/15 at Cincinnati Bengals 10-24
9/22 at Kansas City Chiefs 2-34
9/29 Boston Patriots 17-20
10/6 Cincinnati Bengals 10-7
10/13 at New York Jets 21-13
10/20 at San Diego Chargers 24-55
10/27 Miami Dolphins 21-14
11/3 at Boston Patriots 35-14
11/10 Oakland Raiders 7-43
11/17 at Houston Oilers 17-38
11/24 Buffalo Bills 34-32
12/1 San Diego Chargers 23-47
12/8 at Oakland Raiders 27-33
12/14 Kansas City Chiefs 7-30

1968 offense

Pos Player Starts
se al denson
se billy van heusen
lt sam brunelli
lg george goeddeke
c larry kaminski
rg bob young
rg jon homan
rt mike current
te tom beer
wr eric crabtree
wr jimmy jones
qb marlin briscoe
qb steve tensi
hb floyd little
hb fran lynch
fb garrett ford
fb brendan mccarthy

December 14, 1968
Bears Stadium is officially re-named Denver Mile High Stadium

1969 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/14 Boston Patriots 35-7
9/21 New York Jets 21-19
9/28 at Buffalo Bills 28-41
10/5 Kansas City Chiefs 13-26
10/12 Oakland Raiders 14-24
10/19 at Cincinnati Bengals 30-23
10/26 at Houston Oilers 21-24
11/2 San Diego Chargers 13-0
11/9 at Oakland Raiders 10-41
11/16 Houston Oilers 20-20
11/23 at San Diego Chargers 24-45
11/27 at Kansas City Chiefs 17-31
12/7 at Miami Dolphins 24-27
12/14 Cincinnati Bengals 27-16

Jan. 19, 1969: Dave Costa, Rich Jackson and Floyd Little participate in AFL All-Star Game in Jacksonville, Fla.

1969 offense

Pos Player Starts
WR Al Denson 13
LT Sam Brunelli 14
LG George Goeddeke 14
C Larry Kaminski 14
RG Bob Young 14
RT Mike Current 14
TE Tom Beer 8
TE Dave Pivec 5
TE Tom Buckman 1
WR Mike Haffner 9
WR John Embree 5
QB Steve Tensi 12
QB Peter Liske 2
RB Floyd Little 9
RB Frank Quayle 1
RB Tom Smiley 10
RB Fran Lynch 7
RB/WR/KR Wandy Williams 2
K Bobby Howfield 0

January 17, 1970
Rich Jackson, Dave Costa, Floyd Little, Mike Current and George Goeddeke play in All-Star Game on West team

1970 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/20 at buffalo bills 25-10
9/27 pittsburgh steelers 16-13
10/4 kansas city chiefs 26-13
10/11 atoakland raiders 23-35
10/18 atlanta falcons 24-10
10/25 at san francisco 49ers 14-19
11/1 washington redskins 3-19
11/8 at san diego chargers 21-24
11/15 oakland raiders 19-24
11/22 at new orleans saints 31-6
11/29 at houston oilers 21-31
12/6 at kansas city chiefs 0-16
12/13 san diego chargers 17-17
12/20 cleveland browns 13-27

1970 offense

Pos Player Starts
QB pete liske 9
qb al pastrana 3
qb steve tensi 2
rb willis crenshaw 12
rb floyd little 14
rb fran lynch 2
wr al denson 14
wr john embree 1
wr mike Haffner 7
wr bill van heusen 5
te billy masters 2
te jim whalen 13
c larry kaminski 14
t steve alexakos 1
t jay bachman 1
t sam brunelli 12
t mike current 14
g george goeddeke 14
g mike schnitker 2
g bob young 12

September, 1970
Season ticket sale hits record number of 43,584

In their first regular-season game against a team that was a part of the NFL before the merger, the Broncos defeat Pittsburgh 16-13 in front of 50,705 at Mile High Stadium.

1971 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/19 miami dolphins 10-10
9/26 at green bay packers 13-34
10/3 kansas city chiefs 3-16
10/10 oakland raiders 16-27
10/17 san diego chargers 20-16
10/24 at cleveland browns 27-0
10/31 at philadelphia eagles 16-17
11/7 detroit lions 20-24
11/14 cincinnati bengals 10-24
11/21 at kansas city chiefs 10-28
11/29 at pittsburgh steelers 22-10
12/5 chicago bears 6-3
12/12 at san diego chargers 17-45
12/19 at oakland raiders 13-21

1971 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb don horn 9
qb steve ramsey 5
rb bobby anderson 13
rb floyd little 13
rb fran lynch 1
rb dickie post 1
wr jack gehrke 10
wr dwight harrison 5
wr john mosier 1
wr jerry simmons 12
te billy masters 12
te jim whalen 2
c/g george goeddeke 12
c larry kaminski 3
t mike current 14
t roger shoals 14
g sam brunelli 4
g larron jackson 9
g tommy lyons 1
g mike schnitker 13

1972 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/17 houston oilers 30-17
9/24 at san diego chargers 14-37
10/1 kansas city chiefs 24-45
10/8 at cincinnati bengals 10-21
10/15 minnesota vikings 20-23
10/22 at oakland raiders 30-23
10/29 cleveland browns 20-27
11/5 at new york giants 17-29
11/12 at los angeles rams 16-10
11/19 oakland raiders 20-37
11/26 at atlanta falcons 20-23
12/3 at kansas city chiefs 21-24
12/10 san diego chargers 38-13
12/17 new england patriots 45-21

1972 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb charley johnson 9
qb steve ramsey 5
rb bobby anderson 9
rb joe dawkins 5
rb floyd little 14
wr dwight harrison 1
wr haven moses 6
wr rod sherman 13
wr jerry simmons 8
te billy masters 14
c george goeddeke 1
c larry kaminski 9
c bobby mapples 4
t mike current 14
t marv montgomery 14
g larron jackson 14
g tommy lyons 9
g mike schnitker 5

Broncos wallop San Diego 38-13 in a game played in 9-degree conditions, the coldest regular-season home game in Broncos history.

1973 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/16 cincinnati bengals 28-10
9/23 san francisco 49ers 34-36
9/30 chicago bears 14-33
10/7 at kansas city chiefs 14-16
10/14 at houston oilers 48-20
10/22 oakland raiders 23-23
10/28 at new york jets 40-28
11/4 at st. louis cardinals 17-17
11/11 san diego chargers 30-19
11/18 at pittsburgh steelers 23-13
11/25 kansas city chiefs 14-10
12/2 dallas cowboys 10-22
12/9 at san diego chargers 42-28
12/16 at oakland raiders 17-21

1973 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb charley johnson 14
rb otis armstrong 1
rb joe dawkins 14
rb floyd little 13
wr haven moses 14
wr jerry simmons 13
wr bill van heusen 1
te riley odoms 14
c bobby maples 14
t mike current 14
t marv montgomery 10
g larron jackson 12
g tom lyons 14
g mike schnitker 6

Dec. 9, 1973: Broncos defeat San Diego 42-28 and assures the club of a winning record for the first time.

1974 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/15 Los Angeles Rams 10-17
9/22 pittsburgh steelers 35-35
9/30 at washington redskins 3-30
10/6 at kansas city chiefs 17-14
10/13 new orleans saints 33-17
10/20 san diego chargers 27-7
10/27 at Cleveland Browns 21-23
11/3 Oakland Raiders 17-28
11/10 at Baltimore colts 17-6
11/18 Kansas City Chiefs 34-42
11/24 at Oakland Raiders 20-17
11/28 at Detroit Lions 31-27
12/8 Houston oilers 37-14
12/15 at San Diego Chargers 0-17

1974 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb charley johnson 13
qb steve ramsey 1
rb otis armstrong 14
rb jon keyworth 5
rb floyd little 9
wr billy masters 1
wr haven moses 9
wr jerry simmons 2
wr bill van heusen 12
te riley odoms 14
c bobby maples 14
t mike current 14
t claudie minor 14
g paul howard 5
g larron jackson 9
g tom lyons 14

1975 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/21 kansas city chiefs 37-33
9/29 green bay packers 23-13
10/5 at buffalo bills 14-38
10/12 at pittsburgh steelers 9-20
10/19 cleveland browns 16-15
10/26 at kansas city chiefs 13-26
11/2 oakland raiders 17-42
11/9 cincinnati bengals 16-17
11/16 at san diego chargers 27-17
11/23 at atlanta falcons 21-35
11/30 san diego chargers 13-10
12/8 at oakland raiders 10-17
12/14 philadelphia eagles 25-10
12/20 at miami dolphins 13-14

1975 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john hufnagel 1
qb charley johnson 6
qb steve ramsey 7
rb otis armstrong 3
rb jon keyworth 14
rb floyd little 10
rb fran lynch 1
wr jack dolbin 1
wr haven moses 14
wr bill van heusen 13
te riley odoms 14
c bobby maples 14
t mike current 7
t claudie minor 14
t marv montgomery 7
g paul howard 14
g tom lyons 10
g carl schaukowitch 2

Jan. 26, 1976: TE Riley Odoms makes his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, and ILB Randy Gradishar makes his Pro Bowl debut.

1976 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/12 at Cincinnati Bengals 7-17
9/19 New York Jets 46-3
9/26 Cleveland Browns 44-13
10/3 San Diego Chargers 26-0
10/10 at Houston Oilers 3-17
10/17 Oakland Raiders 10-17
10/24 at Kansas City Chiefs 35-26
10/31 at Oakland Raiders 6-19
11/7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-13
11/14 at San Diego Chargers 17-0
11/21 New York Giants 14-13
11/28 at New England Patriots 14-38
12/5 Kansas City Chiefs 17-16
12/12 at Chicago Bears 28-14

Oct. 24, 1976: Rick Upchurch ties an NFL record with his fourth punt return touchdown of the season in a 35-26 win over Kansas City.

1976 Offense

Pos Player Starts
WR Rick Upchurch 9
WR Jack Dolbin 5
LT Bill Bain 13
LG Tom Glassic 14
C Bobby Maples 10
RG Tom Lyons 14
RT Claudie Minor 14
TE Riley Odoms 14
WR Haven Moses 14
QB Steve Ramsey 12
HB Otis Armstrong 14
HB Lonnie Perrin
FB Jon Keyworth 13
FB Jim Klick
P Bill Van Heusen
P Norris Weese
PK Jim Turner

Jan. 31, 1977: John Ralston resigns as head coach of the Broncos after five seasons that included the club’s first three winning records.

1977 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/18 St. Louis Cardinals 7-0
9/25 Buffalo Bills 26-6
10/2 at Seattle Seahawks 24-13
10/9 Kansas City Chiefs 23-7
10/16 at Oakland Raiders 30-7
10/23 at Cincinnati Bengals 24-13
10/30 Oakland Raiders 14-24
11/6 Pittsburgh Steelers 21-7
11/13 at San Diego Chargers 17-14
11/20 at Kansas City Chiefs 14-7
11/27 Baltimore Colts 27-13
12/4 at Houston Oilers 24-14
12/11 San Diego Chargers 17-9
12/18 at Dallas Cowboys 6-14
12/24 Pittsburgh Steelers (Divisional Playoff) 34-21
1/1 Oakland Raiders (AFC Championship) 20-17
1/15 Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl XII) 10-27

1977 Offense

Pos Player Starts
QB Craig Morton 14
RB Otis Armstrong 10
RB Jon Keyworth 9
WR Jack Dolbin 13
WR Haven Moses 14
TE Riley Odoms 14
C Mike Montler 14
OT Andy Maurer 13
OT Claudie Minor 13
G Tom Glassic 14
G Paul Howard 14
K Jim Turner

1977 Defense

Pos Player Starts
DE Lyle Alzado 14
DE Barney Chavous 11
NT Rubin Carter 14
LB Randy Gradishar 14
LB Tom Jackson 13
LB Joe Rizzo 12
LB Bob Swenson 14
CB Steve Foley 13
CB Louis Wright 14
S Bernard Jackson 13
S Billy Thompson 14
P Bucky Dilts

1978 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/3 Oakland Raiders 14-6
9/11 at Minnesota Vikings (OT) 9-12
9/17 San Diego Chargers 27-14
9/24 at Kansas City Chiefs (OT) 23-17
10/1 Seattle Seahawks 28-7
10/8 at San Diego Chargers 0-23
10/16 Chicago Bears 16-7
10/22 at Baltimore Colts 6-7
10/29 at Seattle Seahawks (OT) 20-17
11/5 New York Jets 28-31
11/12 at Cleveland Browns 19-7
11/19 Green Bay Packers 16-3
11/23 at Detroit Lions 14-17
12/3 at Oakland Raiders 21-6
12/10 Kansas City Chiefs 24-3
12/16 Pittsburgh Steelers 17-21
12/30 at Pittsburgh Steelers (Divisional Playoff) 10-33

1978 offense

Pos Player Starts
QB Craig Morton 13
RB Otis Armstrong 9
RB Jon Keyworth 16
WR Jack Dolbin 14
WR Haven Moses 16
TE Riley Odoms 16
C Billy Bryan 12
OT Claudie Minor 16
OT Tom Neville 15
G Tom Glassic 10
G Paul Howard 13
K Jim Turner
KR Lonnie Perrin
PR Rick Upchurch

1978 defense

Pos Player Starts
DE Lyle Alzado 16
DE Barney Chavous 16
NT Rubin Carter 16
LB Randy Gradishar 16
LB Tom Jackson 16
LB Joe Rizzo 15
LB Bob Swenson 15
CB Steve Foley 16
CB Louis Wright 16
S Bernard Jackson 16
S Billy Thompson 16
P Bucky Dilts

1979 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/2 cincinnati bengals 10-0
9/6 los angeles rams 9-13
9/16 at atlanta falcons 20-17
9/23 seattle seahawks 37-34
9/30 at oakland raiders 3-27
10/7 san diego chargers 7-0
10/14 at kansas city chiefs 24-10
10/22 at pittsburgh steelers 7-42
10/28 kansas city chiefs 20-3
11/4 new orleans saints 10-3
11/11 new england patriots 45-10
11/18 at san francisco 49ers 38-28
11/25 oakland raiders 10-14
12/2 at buffalo bills 19-16
12/8 at seattle seahawks 23-28
12/17 at san diego chargers 7-17
12/23 at houston oilers (afc wild card) 7-13

1979 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb craig morton 10
qb norris weese 6
rb otis armstrong 1
rb jim jensen 7
rb jon keyworth 9
rb rob lytle 12
rb dave preston 3
wr haven moses 16
wr rick upchurch 16
te ron egloff 4
te riley odoms 12
c billy bryan 16
t claudie minor 16
t dave studdard 16
g tom glassic 16
g paul howard 16

Dec. 17, 1979: Denver clinches a playoff berth for the third consecutive year, but fails to win its third consecutive division title, falling 17-7 at San Diego.

1979 defense

Pos Player Starts
de barney chavous 16
de brison manor 16
nt rubin carter 15
nt don latier 1
lb larry evans 4
lb randy gradishar 15
lb tom jackson 13
lb rob nairne 4
lb joe rizzo 12
lb bob swenson 16
cb steve foley 16
cb louis wright 16
s bernard jackson 9
s billy thompson 16
s charlie west 7

1980 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/7 at philadelphia eagles 6-27
9/14 dallas cowboys 41-20
9/21 san diego chargers 13-30
9/29 at new england patriots 14-23
10/5 at cleveland browns 19-16
10/13 washington redskins 20-17
10/19 kansas city chiefs 17-23
10/26 at new york giants 14-9
11/2 houston oilers 16-20
11/9 at san diego chargers 20-13
11/16 new york jets 31-24
11/23 seattle seahawks 36-20
12/1 at oakland raiders 3-9
12/7 at kansas city chiefs 14-31
12/14 oakland raiders 21-24
12/21 at seattle seahawks 25-17

1980 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb craig morton 9
qb matt robinson 7
rb otis armstrong 6
rb jim jensen 13
rb jon keyworth 3
rb dave preston 10
wr haven moses 14
wr rick upchurch 14
wr steve watson 1
te ron egloff 4
te riley odoms 15
c billy bryan 16
t kelvin clark 5
t dave studdard 12
g tom glassic 14
g paul howard 13
g glenn hyde 5

Oct. 5, 1980: Randy Gradishar returns an interception 93 yards for a TD vs. Cleveland, the longest such return in team history and the NFL’s longest in 1980.

Jan. 17, 1981: Red Miller and the Broncos’ coaching staff coach the South team in the 1981 Senior Bowl. It will turn out to be Miller’s last game as a Broncos head coach.

March 9, 1981: Less than two weeks after Kaiser assumed control of the Broncos, head coach Red Miller and GM Fred Gehrke are fired.

1981 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/6 oakland raiders 9-7
9/13 at seattle seahawks 10-13
9/20 baltimore colts 28-10
9/27 san diego chargers 42-24
10/4 at oakland raiders 17-0
10/11 detroit lions 27-21
10/18 at kansas city chiefs 14-28
10/25 at buffalo bills 7-9
11/2 minnesota vikings 19-17
11/8 cleveland browns 23-20
11/15 at tampa bay buccaneers 24-7
11/22 at cincinnati bengals 21-38
11/29 at san diego chargers 17-34
12/6 kansas city chiefs 16-13
12/13 seattle seahawks 23-13
12/20 at chicago bears 24-35

1981 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb craig morton 16
rb rick parros 16
rb dave preston 15
wr haven moses 6
wr rick upchurch 10
wr steve watson 12
wr steve wilson 1
te ron egloff 5
te riley odoms 15
c billy bryan 13
c glenn hyde 3
t kelvin clark 3
t ken lanier 1
t claudie minor 13
t dave studdard 16
g tom glassic 16
g paul howard 15

1982 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/12 san diego chargers 3-23
9/19 san francisco 49ers 24-21
11/21 seattle seahawks 10-17
11/28 at san diego chargers 20-30
12/5 atlanta falcons 27-34
12/12 at los angeles rams 27-24
12/19 kansas city chiefs 16-37
12/26 at los angeles raiders 10-27
1/2 at seattle seahawks 11-13

1982 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb steve deberg 5
qb mark herrmann 1
qb craig morton 3
rb rick parros 9
rb dave preston 5
rb gerald willhite 2
rb sammy winder 2
wr rick upchurch 8
wr steve watson 9
te ron egloff 1
te riley odoms 6
te jim wright 3
c billy bryan 9
t ken lanier 9
t claudie minor 7
t keith uecker 2
g tom glassic 9
g dave studdard 9

Feb. 6, 1983: The Broncos are represented in the Pro Bowl game by Randy Gradishar, Luke Prestridge and Rick Upchurch.

1983 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/4 at Pittsburgh Steelers 14-10
9/11 at Baltimore Colts 17-10
9/18 Philadelphia Eagles 10-13
9/25 Los Angeles Raiders 7-22
10/2 at Chicago Bears 14-31
10/9 at houston oilers 26-14
10/16 Cincinnati Bengals 24-17
10/23 san diego chargers 14-6
10/30 kansas city chiefs 27-24
11/6 at Seattle Seahawks 19-27
11/13 at Los Angeles raiders 20-22
11/20 Seattle Seahawks 38-27
11/27 at san diego chargers 7-31
12/4 cleveland browns 27-6
12/11 baltimore colts 21-19
12/18 at kansas city chiefs 17-48
12/24 at Seattle Seahawks (AFC Wild card) 7-31

1983 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb steve deberg 5
qb john elway 10
qb gary kubiak 1
rb rick parros 5
rb nathan poole 10
rb dave preston 3
rb sammy winder 13
wr clint sampson 2
wr rick upchurch 11
wr steve watson 16
te ron egloff 10
te john sawyer 4
te jim wright 6
c billy bryan 16
t ken lanier 16
t dave studdard 16
g keith bishop 16
g mark cooper 2
g paul howard 14

Jan. 29, 1984: Randy Gradishar makes his seventh Pro Bowl appearance. Louis Wright also is named to the AFC Pro Bowl team but is unable to play because of a fractured finger.

March 23, 1984: Pat Bowlen is introduced as the new owner of the Denver Broncos, assuming the title of President and Chief Executive Officer.

1984 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/2 cincinnati bengals 20-17
9/9 at chicago bears 0-27
9/16 at cleveland browns 24-14
9/23 kansas city chiefs 21-0
9/30 los angeles raiders 16-13
10/7 at detroit lions 28-7
10/15 green bay packers 17-14
10/21 at buffalo bills 37-7
10/28 at los angeles raiders 22-19
11/4 new england patriots 26-19
11/11 at san diego chargers 16-13
11/18 minnesota vikings 42-21
11/25 seattle seahawks 24-27
12/2 at kansas city chiefs 13-16
12/9 san diego chargers 16-13
12/15 at seattle seahawks 31-14
12/30 pittsburgh steelers (divisional playoff) 17-24

1984 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 14
qb gary kubiak 2
rb rick parros 2
rb don summers 1
rb gerald willhite 1
rb sammy winder 15
wr butch johnson 11
wr clint sampson 3
wr steve watson 15
wr steve wilson 1
te clarence kay 13
te john sawyer 8
te jim wright 9
c billy bryan 16
t winford hood 2
t ken lanier 15
t dave studdard 16
g keith bishop 14
g mark cooper 4
g paul howard 14

Jan. 27, 1985: Sammy Winder represents the Broncos in the Pro Bowl.

1985 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/8 at Los Angeles Rams 16-20
9/15 New Orleans Saints 34-23
9/22 at Atlanta Falcons 44/28
9/29 Miami Dolphins 26-30
10/6 Houston Oilers 31-20
10-13 at Indianapolis Colts 15-10
10/20 Seattle Seahawks 13-10
10/27 at Kansas City Chiefs 30-10
11/3 at San Diego Chargers 10-30
11/11 San Francisco 49ers 17-16
11/17 San Diego Chargers 30-24
11/24 at Los Angeles Raiders 28-31
12/1 at Pittsburgh Steelers 31-23
12/8 Los Angeles Raiders 14-17
12/14 Kansas City Chiefs 14-13
12/20 at Seattle Seahawks 27-24

1985 Offense

Pos Player Starts
QB John Elway 16
RB Gene Lang 2
RB Steve Sewell 2
RB Gerald Willhite 4
RB Sammy Winder 12
WR Butch Johnson 7
WR Vance Johnson 8
WR Steve Watson 15
TE Mike Barber 1
TE Clarence Kay 16
TE James Wright 12
C Billy Bryan 16
T/TE Mark Cooper 2
T Ken Lanier 16
T Dave Studdard 15
G Keith Bishop 14
G Winford Hood 3
G Paul Howard 15

Pat Bowlen announces that former owner Gerald Phipps will become the fifth member of the Ring of Fame. “I can’t overstate the gratitude that I feel for this honor,” Phipps said.

1986 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/7 Los Angeles Raiders 38-36
9/15 at Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10
9/21 at Philadelphia Eagles 33-7
9/28 New England Patriots 27-20
10/5 Dallas Cowboys 29-14
10/12 at San Diego Chargers 31-14
10/20 at New York Jets 10-22
10/26 Seattle Seahawks 20-13
11/2 at Los Angeles Raiders 21-10
11/9 San Diego Chargers 3-9
11/16 Kansas City Chiefs 38-17
11/23 at New York Giants 16-19
11/30 Cincinnati Bengals 34-28
12/7 at Kansas City Chiefs 10-37
12/13 Washington Redskins 31-30
12/20 at Seattle Seahawks 16-41
1/4 New England Patriots (AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF) 22-17
1/11 at Cleveland Browns (AFC CHAMPIONSHIP) 23-20
1/25 New York Giants (SUPER BOWL XXI) 20-39

1986 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 16
rb gene lang 2
rb steve sewell 2
rb gerald willhite 12
rb sammy winder 15
wr mark jackson 1
wr vance johnson 7
wr clint sampson 5
wr steve watson 16
te joey hackett 4
te clarence kay 12
te orson mobley 3
c billy bryan 16
t ken lanier 16
t dave studdard 15
g keith bishop 14
g mark cooper 5
g winford hood 2
g paul howard 13

Oct. 12, 1986: The Broncos post a 31-14 win over San Diego to equal the best start in team history with 6-0 record.

“The Drive”

The Broncos post a thrilling, 23-20 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns. It began auspiciously, with a poorly fielded squib kickoff knocking the Broncos back to their 2-yard line. In the Broncos’ huddle, tension grew along with the noise from 79,915 fans yelling, barking and brandishing Milk-Bones in honor of their beloved “Dawg Pound” defense. […]

1987 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/13 Seattle Seahawks 40-17
9/20 at Green Bay Packers (OT) 17-17
9/28 at Cleveland Browns (canceled -- strike)
10/4 Houston Oilers 10-40
10/12 Los Angeles Raiders 30-14
10/18 at Kansas City Chiefs 26-17
10/26 at Minnesota Vikings 27-34
11/1 Detroit Lions 34-0
11/8 at Buffalo Bills 14-21
11/16 Chicago Bears 31-29
11/22 at Los Angeles Raiders 23-17
11/29 at San Diego Chargers 31-17
12/6 New England Patriots 31-20
12/13 at Seattle Seahawks 21-28
12/20 at Kansas City Chiefs 20-17
12/27 San Diego Chargers 24-0
1/10 Houston Oilers (Divisional Playoff) 34-10
1/17 Cleveland Browns (AFC Championship) 38-33
1/31 Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII) 10-42

Steve Foley retires

Safety Steve Foley announces his retirement. “I first thought about retirement after the Super Bowl,” Foley said. “I decided not to make any decisions hastily. I decided to let it go and see if the desire to come back was really there. It wasn’t.”

1987 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 12
qb ken karcher 3
rb scott caldwell 1
rb joe dudek 2
rb gene lang 8
rb gerald willhite 3
rb sammy winder 8
fb ken bell 1
fb bobby micho 3
wr laron brown 1
wr mark jackson 11
wr vance johnson 9
wr rick massie 3
wr ricky nattiel 3
wr shane swanson 2
wr steve watson 1
te mitch andrews 3
te clarence kay 12
te orson mobley 4
c billy bryan 4
c larry lee 4
c jack peavey 1
t kevin belcher 1
t keith kartz 3
t ken lanier 12
t dave studdard 14
g john ayers 5
g keith bishop 12
g winford hood 2
g stefan humphries 7
g david jones 1
g/c mike freeman 9

1987 defense

Pos Player Starts
de walt bowyer 4
de steve bryan 3
de freddie gilbert 3
de rulon jones 12
de ray woodard 1
nt andre townsend 11
nt jeff tupper 3
nt/lb greg kragen 9
lb kirk dodge 1
lb simon fletcher 11
lb ricky hunley 12
lb tim joiner 3
lb tim lucas 3
lb karl mecklenburg 12
lb jim ryan 14
lb bryant winn 3
cb kevin clark 3
cb mike harden 12
cb mark haynes 12
cb earl johnson 3
cb martin rudolph 1
cb steve wilson 5
s steve fitzhugh 1
s roger jackson 2
s daryll jones 1
s leonard jones 1
s tony lilly 9
s randy robbins 4
s dennis smith 6

Elway earns MVP

The Broncos win their third AFC West title in four years after shutting out San Diego 24-0 in a blizzard. Denver finishes the season with a 10-4-1 record, becoming the only team in the NFL to post eight 10-win seasons since 1977. Quarterback John Elway is named NFL Most Valuable Player by the Associated Press.

1988 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/4 seattle seahawks 14-21
9/11 san diego chargers 34-3
9/18 at kansas city chiefs 13-20
9/26 los angeles raiders (OT) 27-30
10/2 at san diego chargers 12-0
10/9 at san francisco 49ers (OT) 16-13
10/16 atlanta falcons 30-14
10/23 at pittsburgh steelers 21-39
10/31 at indianapolis colts 23-55
11/6 kansas city chiefs 17-11
11/13 cleveland browns 30-7
11/20 at new orleans saints 0-42
11/27 los angeles rams 35-24
12/4 at los angeles raiders 20-21
12/11 at seattle seahawks 14-42
12/17 new england patriots 21-10

1988 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 15
qb gary kubiak 1
rb tony dorsett 12
rb steve sewell 3
rb gerald willhite 1
rb sammy winder 12
wr mark jackson 4
wr vance johnson 13
wr ricky nattiel 11
te clarence kay 14
te orson mobley 10
c billy bryan 16
t jim juriga 15
t ken lanier 16
t dave studdard 4
g keith bishop 10
g stephan humphries 1
g keith kartz 12
g gerald perry 6

Oct. 16, 1988: QB Craig Morton, WR Haven Moses and K Jim Turner are inducted into the Ring of Fame at halftime of a 30-14 win over Atlanta.

1989 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/10 kansas city chiefs 34-20
9/18 at buffalo bills 28-14
9/24 los angeles raiders 31-21
10/1 at cleveland browns 13-16
10/8 san diego chargers 16-10
10/15 indianapolis colts 14-3
10/22 at seattle seahawks 24-21
10/29 philadelphia eagles 24-28
11/5 pittsburgh steelers 34-7
11/12 at kansas city chiefs 16-13
11/20 at washington redskins 14-10
11/26 seattle seahawks 41-14
12/3 at los angeles raiders 13-16
12/10 new york giants 7-14
12/16 at phoenix cardinals 37-0
12/24 at san diego chargers 16-19
1/7 pittsburgh steelers (afc divisional game) 24-23
1/14 cleveland browns (afc championship) 37-21
1/28 at san francisco 49ers (super bowl xxiv) 10-55

1989 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 15
qb gary kubiak 1
rb bobby humphrey 12
rb steve sewell 3
rb sammy winder 2
fb jeff alexander 6
fb melvin bratton 3
fb pat kelly 1
wr mark jackson 16
wr vance johnson 16
te clarence kay 16
te orson mobley 5
c keith kartz 16
t ken lanier 16
t gerald perry 15
g keith bishop 7
g jim juriga 16
g doug widell 10

Oct. 15, 1989: LB Randy Gradishar is officially inducted into the Ring of Fame at halftime of a game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Nov. 26, 1989: The Broncos clinch their third AFC West title in four seasons after a 41-14 victory at home against Seattle.

Jan. 28, 1990: Denver loses 55-10 to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIV in the Louisiana Superdome.

1990 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/9 at los angeles raiders 9-14
9/17 kansas city chiefs 24-23
9/23 seattle seahawks 34-31
9/30 at buffalo bills 28-29
10/8 cleveland browns 29-30
10/14 pittsburgh steelers 17-34
10/21 at indianapolis colts 27-17
11/4 at minnesota vikings 22-27
11/11 at san diego chargers 7-19
11/18 chicago bears 13-16
11/22 at detroit lions 27-40
12/2 los angeles raiders 20-23
12/9 at kansas city chiefs 20-31
12/16 san diego chargers 20-10
12/23 at seattle seahawks 12-17
12/30 green bay packers 22-13

1990 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 16
rb bobby humphrey 14
rb sammy winder 2
fb melvin bratton 3
fb kerry porter 3
fb steve sewell 1
wr mark jackson 15
wr vance johnson 13
wr ricky nattiel 3
wr shannon sharpe 2
wr michael young 1
te clarence kay 14
te orson mobley 8
te chris verhulst 1
c keith kartz 16
t darrell hamilton 8
t ken lanier 16
t gerald perry 8
g jim juriga 11
g dave widell 5
g doug widell 16

1991 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/1 cincinnati bengals 45-14
9/8 at los angeles raiders 13-16
9/15 seattle seahawks 16-10
9/22 san diego chargers 27-19
9/29 at minnesota vikings 13-6
10/6 at houston oilers 14-42
10/20 kansas city chiefs 19-16
10/27 at new england patriots 9-6
11/3 pittsburgh steelers 20-13
11/10 los angeles raiders 16-17
11/17 at kansas city chiefs 24-20
11/24 at seattle seahawks 10-13
12/1 new england patriots 20-3
12/8 at cleveland browns 17-7
12/15 phoenix cardinals 24-19
12/22 at san diego chargers 17-14
1/4 houston oilers (AFC divisional game) 26-24
1/12 at buffalo bills (afc championship game) 7-10

1991 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 16
rb gaston green 12
rb greg lewis 4
fb robert perryman 7
wr mark jackson 10
wr derek russell 5
wr steve sewell 1
wr michael young 13
te reggie johnson 3
te clarence kay 16
te shannon sharpe 9
c keith kartz 16
t jeff davidson 14
t darrell hamilton 2
t ken lanier 16
g sean farrell 4
g crawford ker 10
g dave widell 2
g doug widell 16

Sept. 1, 1991: Denver records its biggest opening day win ever with a 45-14 pounding of Cincinnati.

Dec. 1, 1991: A 17-7 win at Cleveland clinches a playoff berth for the Broncos.

Dec. 22, 1991: Denver closes out the regular season at 12-4 and wins the AFC West title for the fifth time in eight years.

The Drive II

On January 4, 1992, John Elway and the Broncos faced first-and-10 at their own 2-yard-line. Sounds familiar, right? But even though the Broncos trailed the Houston Oilers by a solitary point, they had over three minutes less time than they did five years earlier at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. The Broncos did not have to march […]

Feb. 2, 1992: Gaston Green, Karl Mecklenburg, Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith represent the Broncos in the Pro Bowl. S

1992 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/6 Los Angeles Raiders 17-13
9/13 San Diego Chargers 21-13
9/20 at Philadelphia Eagles 0-30
9/27 at Cleveland Browns 12-0
10/4 Kansas City Chiefs 20-19
10/12 at Washington Redskins 3-34
10/18 Houston Oilers 27-21
10/25 at San Diego Chargers 21-24
11/8 New York Jets 27-16
11/15 New York Giants 27-13
11/22 at Los Angeles Raiders 0-24
11/30 at Seattle Seahawks 13-16
12/6 Dallas Cowboys 27-31
12/12 at Buffalo Bills 17-27
12/20 Seattle Seahawks 10-6
12/27 at Kansas City Chiefs 20-42

1992 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 12
qb tommy maddox 4
rb gaston green 13
rb greg lewis 2
rb sammy smith 1
fb victor jones 1
fb robert perryman 1
wr mark jackson 13
wr vance johnson 7
wr arthur marshall 1
wr derek russell 6
wr cedric tillman 1
te reggie johnson 7
te clarence kay 13
te shannon sharpe 11
c keith kartz 15
c dave widell 1
t russell freeman 16
t ken lanier 16
g jeff davidson 16
g doug widell 16

Dec. 28, 1992: Pat Bowlen announces that the franchise will not renew the contract of Dan Reeves, thus creating a coaching vacancy in Denver for the first time since 1981.

1993 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/5 at new york jets 26-20
9/12 san diego chargers 34-17
9/20 at kansas city chiefs 7-15
10/3 indianapolis colts 35-13
10/10 at green bay packers 27-30
10/18 los angeles raiders 20-23
10/31 seattle seahawks 28-17
11/7 at cleveland browns 29-14
11/14 minnesota vikings 23-26
11/21 pittsburgh steelers 37-13
11/28 at seattle seahawks 17-9
12/5 at san diego chargers 10-13
12/12 kansas city chiefs 27-21
12/18 at chicago bears 13-3
12/26 tampa bay buccaneers 10-17
1/2 at los angeles raiders (OT) 30-33
1/9 at los angeles raiders (afc wildcard game) 24-42

1993 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 16
rb rod bernstein 14
rb robert delpino 5
rb glyn milburn 1
rb reggie rivers 2
wr vance johnson 8
wr arthur marshall 9
wr derek russell 12
wr cedric tillman 3
te jerry evans 2
te reggie johnson 12
te shannon sharpe 12
c keith kartz 11
t russell freeman 14
t don maggs 2
t gary zimmerman 16
g brian habib 16
g jon melander 6
g/c dave widell 15

Oct. 3, 1993: CB Louis Wright is inducted into the Ring of Fame at halftime of a game against Indianapolis.

1993 defense

Pos Player Starts
de shane dronett 16
de willie oshodin 5
de dan williams 11
nt darren drozdov 2
nt greg kragan 14
lb mike croel 16
lb simon fletcher 16
lb karl mecklenburg 16
lb dave wyman 16
cb ronnie bradford 3
cb tyrone braxton 16
cb charles dimry 11
cb frank robinson 2
s steve atwater 16
s darryl hall 2
s dennis smith 14

Feb. 6, 1994: The Broncos are represented in Pro Bowl game by John Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Karl Mecklenburg, Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith.

1994 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/4 San Diego Chargers 34-37
9/11 at New York Jets 22-25
9/18 Los Angeles Raiders 16-48
9/26 at Buffalo Bills 20-27
10/9 at Seattle Seahawks 16-9
10/17 Kansas City Chiefs 28-31
10/23 at San Diego Chargers 20-15
10/30 Cleveland Browns 26-14
11/6 at Los Angeles Rams 21-27
11/13 Seattle Seahawks 17-10
11/20 Atlanta Falcons 32-28
11/27 Cincinnati Bengals 15-13
12/4 at Kansas City Chiefs (OT) 20-17
12/11 at Los Angeles Raiders 13-23
12/17 at San Francisco 49ers 19-42
12/24 New Orleans Saints 28-30

1994 Offense

Pos Player Starts
QB John Elway 14
QB Hugh Millen 2
RB Rod Bernstein 3
RB Derrick Clark 4
RB Glyn Milburn 6
RB Reggie Rivers 1
RB Leonard Russell 14
WR Jeff Campbell 1
WR Anthony Miller 14
WR Derek Russell 12
WR Cedric Tillman 3
TE Jerry Evans 9
TE Shannon Sharpe 13
C Dave Widell 16
T Russell Freeman 7
T Don Maggs 1
T Kirk Scrafford 8
T Gary Zimmerman 16
G Brian Habib 16
G Jon Melander 15
G Tom Nalen

Dec. 29, 1994: Wade Phillips and his staff are dismissed after two seasons.

1995 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/3 Buffalo Bills 22-7
9/10 at Dallas Cowboys 21-31
9/17 Washington Redskins 38-31
9/24 at San Diego Chargers 6-17
10/1 at Seattle Seahawks 10-27
10/8 at New England Patriots 37-3
10/16 Oakland Raiders 27-0
10/22 Kansas City Chiefs 7-21
11/5 Arizona Cardinals 38-6
11/12 at Philadelphia Eagles 13-31
11/19 San Diego Chargers 30-27
11/26 at Houston Oilers 33-42
12/3 Jacksonville Jaguars 31-23w
12/10 Seattle Seahawks 27-31
12/17 at Kansas City Chiefs 17-20
12/24 at Oakland Raiders 31-28

Aug. 5, 1995: The Broncos defeat the 49ers 24-10 in the American Bowl in Tokyo, Japan. At this point, the Broncos are one of just three teams to play in five American Bowl games.

Terrell Davis steals the spotlight

Davis leapt up the depth chart after clobbering San Francisco’s Tyronne Drakeford on a second-half kickoff. But it almost didn’t happen. “You know the hit, but you don’t know the story behind it,” Davis would recall two decades later. “So it was the second preseason game in Tokyo. Well, the first preseason game, I didn’t […]

1995 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 16
rb rod bernstein 3
rb aaron craver 12
rb terrell davis 14
rb glyn milburn 1
wr vance johnson 1
wr ed mccaffrey 4
wr anthony miller 14
wr mike prtichard 13
wr rod smith 1
te dwayne carswell 2
te jerry evans 2
te shannon sharpe 12
c tom nalen 15
c ralph tamm 1
t broderick thompson 16
t gary zimmerman 16
g brian habib 16
g mark schlereth 16

Nov. 5, 1995: John Elway surpasses the 40,000-yard passing plateau, becoming the seventh player in pro football history to accomplish that feat.

Dec. 10, 1995: Simon Fletcher plays his last home game as a Bronco, having announced his intention to retire before the season.

Feb. 4, 1996: Denver is represented in the annual AFC-NFC Pro Bowl by Steve Atwater, Jason Elam, Glyn Milburn, Anthony Miller and Shannon Sharpe. Gary Zimmerman was selected but did not play because of injury.

1996 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/1 New York Jets 31-6
9/8 at Seattle Seahawks 30-20
9/15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-23
9/22 at Kansas City Chiefs 14-17
9/29 at Cincinnati Bengals 14-10
10/6 San Diego Chargers 28-17
10/20 Baltimore Ravens 45-34
10/27 Kansas City Chiefs 34-7
11/4 at Oakland Raiders 22-21
11/10 Chicago Bears 17-12
11/17 at New England Patriots 34-8
11/24 at Minnesota Vikings 21-17
12/1 Seattle Seahawks 34-7
12/8 at Green Bay Packers 6-41
12/15 Oakland Raiders 24-19
12/22 at San Diego Chargers 10-16
1/4 Jacksonville Jaguars (Divisional Playoff) 27-30

1996 offense

Pos Player Starts
QB John Elway 15
QB Bill Musgrave 1
RB Terrell Davis 16
FB Aaron Craver 15
WR Ed McCaffrey 15
WR Anthony Miller 16
WR/PR Rod Smith 1
TE Dwayne Carswell 2
TE Shannon Sharpe 15
C Tom Nalen 16
OT Jamie Brown 2
RT Broderick Thompson 16
LT Gary Zimmerman 14
G David Diaz-Infante 2
RG Brian Habib 16
LG Mark Schlereth 14
K Jason Elam
PR Todd Kinchen
KR Vaughn Hebron

1997 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31 Kansas City Chiefs 19-3
9/7 at Seattle Seahawks 35-14
9/14 St. Louis Rams 35-14
9/21 Cincinnati Bengals 38-20
9/28 at Atlanta Falcons 29-21
10/6 New England Patriots 34-13
10/19 at Oakland Raiders 25-28
10/26 at Buffalo Bills (OT) 23-20
11/2 Seattle Seahawks 30-27
11/9 Carolina Panthers 34-0
11/16 at Kansas City Chiefs 22-24
11/24 Oakland Raiders 31-3
11/30 at San Diego Chargers 38-28
12/7 at Pittsburgh Steelers 24-35
12/15 at San Francisco 49ers 17-34
12/21 San Diego Chargers 38-3
12/27 Jacksonville Jaguars (Wild Card Playoff) 42-17
1/4 at Kansas City Chiefs (Divisional Playoff) 14-10
1/11 at Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC Championship) 24-21
1/25 Green Bay Packers (Super Bowl XXXII) 31-24

1997 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb john elway 16
rb terrell davis 15
rb vaughn hebron 1
fb howard griffith 13
wr willie green 1
wr ed mccaffrey 15
wr rod smith 16
te dwayne carswell 3
te shannon sharpe 16
c tom nalen 16
t jamie brown 2
t tony jones 16
t gary zimmerman 14
g david diaz-infante 7
g brian habib 14
g mark schlereth 11

1998 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/7 new england patriots 27-21
9/13 dallas cowboys 42-23
9/20 at oakland raiders 34-17
9/27 at washington redskins 38-16
10/4 philadelphia eagles 41-16
10/11 at seattle seahawks 21-16
10/25 jacksonville jaguars 37-24
11/1 at cincinnati bengals 33-26
11/8 san diego chargers 27-10
11/16 at kansas city chiefs 30-7
11/22 oakland raiders 40-14
11/29 at san diego chargers 31-16
12/6 kansas city chiefs 35-31
12/13 at new york giants 16-20
12/21 at miami dolphins 21-31
12/27 seattle seahawks 28-21
1/9 miami dolphins (afc divisional) 38-3
1/17 new york jets (afc championship) 23-10
1/31 atlanta falcons (super bowl xxxiii) 34-19

June 5, 1998
Broncos players and coaches receive their Super Bowl rings in a private ceremony at team headquarters

1998 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb bubby brister 4
qb john elway 12
rb terrell davis 16
fb howard griffith 14
fb detron smith 2
wr willie green 1
wr ed mccaffrey 15
wr rod smith 16
te dwayne carswell 1
te shannon sharpe 16
c tom nalen 16
t tony jones 16
t harry swayne 16
g dan neil 16
g mark schlereth 16

The Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers are selected to play the first NFL game in Australia

Denver-area voters approve a ballot issue to appropriate tax money to partially fund a new football stadium in Denver

The Broncos clinch the AFC West division title for the ninth time in franchise history with a 31-16 win at San Diego

1999 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/13 miami dolphins 21-38
9/19 at kansas city chiefs 10-26
9/26 at tampa bay buccaneers 10-13
10/3 new york jets 13-21
10/10 at oakland raiders 16-13
10/17 green bay packers 31-10
10/24 at new england patriots 23-24
10/31 minnesota vikings 20-23
11/7 at san diego chargers 33-17
11/14 at seattle seahawks 17-20
11/22 oakland raiders 27-21
12/5 kansas city chiefs 10-16
12/13 at jacksonville jaguars 24-27
12/19 seattle seahawks (OT) 36-30
12/25 at detroit lions 17-7
1/2 san diego chargers 6-12

John Elway announces his retirement in a press conference at the Inverness Hotel and Golf Club in Englewood

Broncos players, coaches and staff receive their Super Bowl rings in a private ceremony

1999 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb brian griese 13
qb chris miller 3
rb terrell davis 4
rb olandis gary 12
fb howard griffith 16
wr andre cooper 1
wr ed mccaffrey 15
wr marcus nash 1
wr rod smith 15
te dwayne carswell 11
te shannon sharpe 5
c tom nalen 16
t tony jones 12
t matt lepsis 16
t trey teague 4
g chris banks 1
g dan neil 15
g mark schlereth 16

Denver has two players post 100 or more receiving yards in the same game for the first time in franchise history

2000 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/4 at st. louis rams 36-41
9/10 atlanta falcons 42-14
9/17 at oakland raiders 33-24
9/24 kansas city chiefs 22-23
10/1 new england patriots 19-28
10/8 at san diego chargers 21-7
10/15 cleveland browns 44-10
10/22 at cincinnati bengals 21-31
11/5 at new york jets 30-23
11/13 oakland raiders 27-24
11/19 san diego chargers 38-37
11/26 at seattle seahawks 31-24
12/3 at new orleans saints 38-23
12/10 seattle seahawks 31-24
12/17 at kansas city chiefs 7-20
12/23 san francisco 49ers 38-9
12/31 at baltimore ravens (afc wildcard) 3-21

The Broncos conclude season ticket renewals and waiting list additions for 2000, leading to an anticipated 31st consecutive season of sellouts at Mile High Stadium

2000 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb gus frerotte 6
qb brian griese 10
rb mike anderson 12
rb terrell davis 4
fb howard griffith 14
wr ed mccaffrey 16
wr rod smith 16
te dwayne carswell 16
te desmond clark 2
c tom nalen 16
t tony jones 16
t matt lepsis 16
g lennie friedman 8
g dan neil 16
g mark schlereth 8

Broncos rookie running back Mike Anderson becomes just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for more than 100 yards in each of his first two NFL games

The Broncos are represented at the annual AFC-NFC Pro Bowl by Brian Griese, Tom Nalen, Trevor Pryce and Rod Smith.

2001 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/10 New York Giants 31-20
9/23 at Arizona Cardinals 38-17
9/30 Baltimore Ravens 13-20
10/7 Kansas City Chiefs 20-6
10/14 at Seattle Seahawks 21-34
10/21 at San Diego Chargers 10-27
10/28 New England Patriots 31-20
11/5 at Oakland Raiders 28-38
11/11 San Diego Chargers 26-16
11/18 Washington Redskins 10-17
11/22 at Dallas Cowboys 26-24
12/2 at Miami Dolphins 10-21
12/9 Seattle Seahawks 20-7
12/16 at Kansas City Chiefs 23-26
12/30 Oakland Raiders 23-17
1/6 at Indianapolis Colts 10-29

2001 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb gus frerotte 1
qb brian griese 15
rb mike anderson 7
rb terrell davis 8
rb olandis gary 1
fb tony carter 6
fb patrick hape 8
wr chris cole 1
wr kevin kasper 5
wr ed mccaffrey 1
wr rod smith 14
te dwayne carswell 16
te desmond clark 4
c tom nalen 16
t matt lepsis 16
t trey teague 16
g lennie friedman 14
g steve herndon 3
g dan neil 15

The Broncos officially christen INVESCO Field at Mile High with a season-opening 31-20 win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football

Wide receiver Rod Smith sets a team record with 14 receptions in a 38-17 win at Arizona

The Broncos defeat the Dallas Cowboys 26-24 at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, marking the club’s first Thanksgiving Day appearance since 1990

Ted Sundquist is promoted to general manager after six years as director of college scouting

AFC-NFC Pro Bowl 2002

The Broncos are represented in the annual AFC-NFC Pro Bowl in Honolulu by tight end Dwayne Carswell, kicker Jason Elam, linebacker/special teams player Ian Gold, cornerback Deltha O’Neal, defensive tackle Trevor Pryce, wide receiver Rod Smith and linebacker Al Wilson.

2002 schedule

Date Opponent Score
9/8 st. louis rams 23-16
9/15 at san francisco 49ers 24-14
9/22 buffalo bills 28-23
9/30 at baltimore ravens 23-34
10/6 san diego chargers 26-9
10/13 miami dolphins 22-24
10/20 at kansas city chiefs (OT) 37-34
10/27 at new england patriots 24-16
11/11 oakland raiders 10-34
11/17 at seattle seahawks 31-9
11/24 indianapolis colts (OT) 20-23
12/1 at san diego chargers (OT) 27-30
12/8 at new york jets 13-19
12/15 kansas city chiefs 31-24
12/22 at oakland raiders 16-28
12/29 arizona cardinals 37-7

The Broncos conclude season ticket renewals and waiting list additions for 2002, leading to an anticipated 33rd consecutive season of home sellouts.

2002 offense

Pos Player Starts
qb steve beuerlein 3
qb brian griese 13
rb mike anderson 12
rb olandis gary 2
rb clinton portis 12
wr ashley lelie 1
wr ed mccaffrey 16
wr rod smith 16
te dwayne carswell 7
te jeb putzier 1
te shannon sharpe 13
c tom nalen 7
g/c ben hamilton
t blake brockermeyer 1
t matt lepsis 15
t ephraim salaam 16
g steve herndon 9
g dan neil 16