1999 Denver Broncos season

Last updated

1999 Denver Broncos season
Denver Broncos wordmark.svg
Owner Pat Bowlen
General manager Neal Dahlen and Mike Shanahan
President Pat Bowlen
Head coach Mike Shanahan
Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak
Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson
Home field Mile High Stadium
Results
Record6–10
Division place5th AFC West
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers C Tom Nalen
FB Detron Smith
DT Trevor Pryce
Denver visits the Green Bay Packers in preseason at Camp Randall Stadium, August 23 ScannedImage-11.jpg
Denver visits the Green Bay Packers in preseason at Camp Randall Stadium, August 23

The 1999 season was the Denver Broncos' 30th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 40th overall. The 1999 Broncos were hoping to win a third consecutive Super Bowl, but after winning a second against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami, the team suffered the retirement of Super Bowl XXXIII MVP quarterback John Elway during the off-season. Elway had spent his entire career with the Broncos, and much of the focus in the weeks leading up to the season centered on the void left by Elway's departure. Head coach Mike Shanahan announced that third-round 1998 draft pick Brian Griese, son of Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese, would take the reins of the offense, passing over veteran and credible back-up quarterback Bubby Brister.

Contents

In the preseason, the Broncos played in the first and so far only NFL game held in Australia. On August 7, before a crowd of 73,811 spectators at Stadium Australia in Sydney, the Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 20–17. [1]

Although no one expected a serious defense of their title, the Broncos would stumble out of the gate this season, losing the first four regular season games. Many of the games would be decided in the final two minutes of play, but the Broncos found themselves on the losing end at 6–10. It was their first losing season since 1994, their worst season since 1990 and the worst record of the five-team AFC West. Until the 2022 Los Angeles Rams season, this was the worst ever season for a team defending their Super Bowl title in a non-strike season. Only the 1982 San Francisco 49ers had a lower winning percentage as they failed to defend their first Super Bowl championship. [2]

The Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons combined for an 11–21 record in 1999. This is, as of 2022, the worst combined record for both defending conference and/or Super Bowl champions in the season following a Super Bowl appearance. The 11-21 mark was matched by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders four years later, one season removed from Super Bowl XXXVII.

Statistics site Football Outsiders calculates that the Broncos went from the league's third-easiest schedule in 1998, to the hardest schedule in 1999: [3]

Before 2011, the worst one-year increase in strength of schedule belonged to the 1999 Broncos. Denver had ridden the third-easiest schedule (in a 30-team league) to a Lombardi Trophy in 1998, only to fall apart the next season under the weight of John Elway's retirement, Terrell Davis'[s] Week 4 injury, and – oh, by the way – the toughest schedule in the league.

This was the largest single-season change in Football Outsiders' rankings until the 2011 St. Louis Rams.

Week 4 saw star running back Terrell Davis, who was last year's league MVP, hurt his knee and was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Offseason

NFL draft

1999 Denver Broncos draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
131 Al Wilson  *  Linebacker Tennessee
258 Montae Reagor   Defensive tackle Texas Tech from San Francisco   [R2 1]
261 Lennie Friedman  *  Guard Duke
367 Chris Watson   Cornerback Eastern Illinois from Carolina   [R3 1]
393 Travis McGriff   Wide receiver Florida
4127 Olandis Gary   Running back Georgia
5158 David Bowens   Defensive end Western Illinois from Dallas   [R5 1]
5167 Darwin Brown   Defensive back Texas Tech
6179 Desmond Clark  *  Tight end Wake Forest from New Orleans via Washington   [R6 1]
6204 Chad Plummer   Wide receiver Cincinnati
7218 Billy Miller   Tight end USC from New Orleans via Washington   [R7 1]
7238 Justin Swift   Tight end Kansas State
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Draft notes

  1. ↑ No. 58: San Francisco → Denver (PD). San Francisco traded its second-round selection (58th) to Denver in exchange for offensive tackle Jamie Brown in 1998.
  1. ↑ No. 67: Carolina → Denver (PD). Carolina traded its third-round selection (67th), as well as its fourth-round selection in 2000 (112th), to Denver in exchange for quarterback Jeff Lewis.
  1. ↑ No. 158: Dallas → Denver (PD). Dallas traded its fifth-round selection (158th) to Denver in exchange for tight end Kendell Watkins in 1998.
  1. ↑ No. 179: multiple trades:
        No. 179: New Orleans → Washington (D). see No. 5: Washington → New Orleans.
        No. 179: Washington → Denver (D). see No. 165: Denver → Washington.
  1. ↑ No. 218: multiple trades:
        No. 218: New Orleans → Washington (D). see No. 5: Washington → New Orleans.
        No. 218: Washington → Denver (D). see No. 165: Denver → Washington.

Personnel

Staff

1999 Denver Broncos staff

Front office

Head coaches

  • Head coach/vice president of football operations – Mike Shanahan
  • Assistant head coach/offensive line – Alex Gibbs

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning


Roster

1999 Denver Broncos roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad


53 active, 10 inactive, 4 practice squadReserve


Rookies in italics

[4]

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordAttendance
1September 13 Miami Dolphins L 21–380–175,623
2September 19at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–260–278,683
3September 26at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 10–130–365,297
4October 3 New York Jets L 13–210–474,181
5October 10at Oakland Raiders W 16–131–455,704
6October 17 Green Bay Packers W 31–102–473,352
7October 24at New England Patriots L 23–242–560,011
8October 31 Minnesota Vikings L 20–232–675,021
9November 7at San Diego Chargers W 33–173–661,204
10November 14at Seattle Seahawks L 17–203–766,314
11November 22 Oakland Raiders W 27–214–770,012
12Bye
13December 5 Kansas City Chiefs L 10–164–873,855
14December 13at Jacksonville Jaguars L 24–274–971,357
15December 19 Seattle Seahawks W 36–30 (OT)5–965,987
16 December 25 at Detroit Lions W 17–76–973,158
17January 2 San Diego Chargers L 6–126–1069,278

Standings

AFC West
WLTPCTPFPASTK
(3) Seattle Seahawks 970.563338298L1
Kansas City Chiefs 970.563390322L2
San Diego Chargers 880.500269316W2
Oakland Raiders 880.500390329W1
Denver Broncos 6100.375314318L1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Broncos</span> National Football League franchise in Denver, Colorado

The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXI</span> 1987 National Football League championship game

Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1986 season. It was the 21st Super Bowl and was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants defeated the Broncos, 39–20, for their first Super Bowl and first NFL title since 1956. It was the first of consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Broncos, who lost the Super Bowl a year later 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXII</span> 1988 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1987 season. The Redskins defeated the Broncos by the score of 42–10, winning their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, which was the first time that the Super Bowl was played there. It was the second consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, who had lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl the year before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXIV</span> 1990 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1989 season. The game was played on January 28, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 49ers defeated the Broncos by the score of 55–10, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, and their fourth overall, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins at that time. San Francisco also became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls with two different head coaches; rookie head coach George Seifert took over after Bill Walsh retired following the previous season's Super Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXXII</span> 1998 National Football League championship game

Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1997 season. The Broncos defeated the Packers by the score of 31–24. The game was played on January 25, 1998, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the second time that the Super Bowl was held in that city. Super Bowl XXXII also made Qualcomm Stadium the only stadium in history to host both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXXIII</span> 1999 National Football League championship game

Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXII champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1998 season. The Broncos defeated the Falcons by the score of 34–19, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Elway</span> American football player and executive (born 1960)

John Albert Elway Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 11 years with the Broncos in various front office positions, eventually being promoted to general manager. Elway, along with former backup quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, are the only individuals to be associated with all three of the Broncos' Super Bowl wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Griese</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

Brian David Griese is an American professional football coach and former player who is the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). A former quarterback in the NFL, he played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed McCaffrey</span> American football player and coach (born 1968)

Edward Thomas McCaffrey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning first-team All-America honors in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Reeves</span> American football player and coach (1944–2022)

Daniel Edward Reeves was an American professional football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an individual. He was a head coach for 23 seasons, a position he held with the Denver Broncos from 1981 to 1992, the New York Giants from 1993 to 1996, and the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2003. As a player, he spent his eight-season career with the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 1965.

The 1983 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983, at the New York Sheraton Hotel in New York City, New York. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that year.

Eugene Keefe Robinson is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1985. In addition to his 11 seasons with the Seahawks, he was a member of the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons for two seasons each and the Carolina Panthers for one season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kubiak</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Gary Wayne Kubiak is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos before coaching, serving as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position on January 1, 2017, citing health reasons.

The 1998 season was the Denver Broncos' 29th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 39th overall. The Broncos entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions and looked to become only the fifth team in league history to win consecutive Super Bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 NFL draft</span> National Football League Draft

The 1999 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17–18, 1999, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 NFL draft</span> 66th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players

The 2001 NFL draft was the 66th draft annual of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on April 21–22, 2001.

The history of the Denver Broncos American football club began when the team was chartered a member of the American Football League in 1960. The Broncos have played in the city of Denver, Colorado throughout their entire history. The Broncos did not win any titles as members of the AFL. Since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the Broncos have won 15 division titles, and played in eight Super Bowls, following the 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013, and 2015 seasons. They won Super Bowl XXXII, Super Bowl XXXIII and Super Bowl 50. Their most famous player is former quarterback John Elway, starting quarterback in five Super Bowls and holder of many NFL records. The Broncos currently play in the National Football League's AFC West division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Denver Broncos season</span> NFL team season

The 1987 Denver Broncos season was the team's 28th year in professional football and its 18th with the National Football League (NFL). Games scheduled during the third week of the season were cancelled, and games played from weeks 4 to 6 were played with replacement teams. The Broncos finished first in the AFC West, and were AFC Champions for the second straight year. Quarterback John Elway was voted league MVP for 1987. The Broncos reached the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season, but lost for the second straight time, 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 NFL draft</span> 76th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players

The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, over three days: this year, the first round took place on Thursday, April 28, 2011; the second and third rounds took place on Friday, April 29; with the final four rounds on Saturday, April 30, 2011. The Carolina Panthers, who had the worst record for the 2010 NFL season at 2–14, had the right to the first selection in the draft, where they selected Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton, who was the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. The 2011 draft is regarded as one of the most talented draft classes in NFL history, as 12 of the first 16 players have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broncos–Seahawks rivalry</span> National Football League rivalry

The Broncos–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry in the National Football League (NFL) between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. The teams were AFC West divisional rivals from 1977 until 2001, after which the Seahawks moved to the NFC West. The Broncos lead the series 35–23. The teams have met twice in the playoffs, most notably the 43–8 Seahawks victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.

References

  1. ↑ Aussies Rule: During a three-day footy-fest in Sydney, the author didn't have much luck convincing two mates that the NFL game measured up to two Australian brands. by Gary Smith
  2. ↑ Broncos' record worst among Super Bowl champions, Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 3, 2000 by John Branch
  3. ↑ Football Outsiders Almanac 2012 ( ISBN   1478201525), page 216-217
  4. ↑ "1999 Denver Broncos starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.