List of Denver Broncos seasons

Last updated

Empower Field at Mile High, where the Broncos have played their home games since 2001. Invesco Field at Mile High satellite 2004.jpg
Empower Field at Mile High, where the Broncos have played their home games since 2001.

The Denver Broncos are an American football franchise based in Denver, Colorado. Founded by Bob Howsam on August 14, 1959, the team was one of the founder members of the American Football League (AFL), which began in 1960, before merging with the National Football League (NFL) ahead of the 1970 season, [1] when the Broncos became part of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division; they have been in the same division ever since. As of the end of the 2020 season, Denver has completed 61 seasons (playing in over 970 combined regular season and playoff games), and has appeared in eight Super Bowls; although they lost in each of their first four Super Bowl appearances, they have since won three of them, most recently Super Bowl 50.

Contents

The franchise has experienced three 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 most recent run of success began in 2011, lasting until their victory in Super Bowl 50 at the end of the 2015 season. The five-year stretch was primarily spearheaded by the 2012 free agent acquisition of the then four-time League MVP former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and included five AFC West titles, two AFC championships, as well as the Super Bowl. 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 10 years of existence (although the team finished at 7–7 in 1962), 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 14 games in both 1963 and 1964. [3]

The Broncos have been AFC West champions 15 times, winning the division for five consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2015, and have also earned wild card berths into the playoffs seven times, for a total of 22 playoff appearances. They have been conference champions eight times (tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and two behind the New England Patriots who have the most AFC championships) and Super Bowl champions thrice. [3]

Seasons

Super Bowl Champions (1970–present)Conference ChampionsDivision ChampionsWild Card berth
SeasonTeam League ConferenceDivision Regular season Post-season resultsAwardsHead coaches
FinishWLT
1960 1960 AFL West4th491 Frank Filchock
1961 1961 AFLWest3rd3110
1962 1962 AFLWest2nd770 Jack Faulkner (COY) Jack Faulkner
1963 1963 AFLWest4th2111
1964 1964 AFLWest4th2111Jack Faulkner (0–4)
Mac Speedie (2–7–1)
1965 1965 AFLWest4th4100Mac Speedie
1966 1966 AFLWest4th4100Mac Speedie (0–2)
Ray Malavasi (4–8)
1967 1967 AFLWest4th3110 Lou Saban
1968 1968 AFLWest4th590
1969 1969 AFLWest4th581
1970 [lower-alpha 1] 1970 NFL AFC West 4th581
1971 1971 NFLAFCWest4th491Lou Saban (2–6–1)
Jerry Smith (2–3)
1972 1972 NFLAFCWest3rd590 John Ralston
1973 1973 NFLAFCWest3rd752
1974 1974 NFLAFCWest2nd761
1975 1975 NFLAFCWest2nd680
1976 1976 NFLAFCWest2nd950
1977 1977 NFLAFCWest1st1220Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 34–21
Won AFC Championship (Raiders) 20–17
Lost Super Bowl XII (vs. Cowboys) 10–27
Craig Morton (CBPOY) Red Miller
1978 1978 NFLAFCWest1st1060Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Steelers) 10–33 Randy Gradishar (DPOY)
1979 1979 NFLAFCWest2nd1060Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Oilers) 7–13
1980 1980 NFLAFCWest4th880
1981 1981 NFLAFCWest2nd1060 Dan Reeves
1982 [lower-alpha 2] 1982 NFLAFC12th270
1983 1983 NFLAFCWest3rd970Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Seahawks) 7–31
1984 1984 NFLAFCWest1st1330Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 17–24
1985 1985 NFLAFCWest2nd1150
1986 1986 NFLAFCWest1st1150Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 22–17
Won AFC Championship (at Browns) 23–20 (OT) [lower-alpha 3]
Lost Super Bowl XXI (vs. Giants) 20–39
1987 [lower-alpha 4] 1987 NFLAFCWest1st1041Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 34–10
Won AFC Championship (Browns) 38–33 [lower-alpha 5]
Lost Super Bowl XXII (vs. Redskins) 10–42
John Elway (MVP)
1988 1988 NFLAFCWest2nd880
1989 1989 NFLAFCWest1st1150Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 24–23
Won AFC Championship (Browns) 37–21
Lost Super Bowl XXIV (vs. 49ers) 10–55
1990 1990 NFLAFCWest5th5110
1991 1991 NFLAFCWest1st1240Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 26–24
Lost AFC Championship (at Bills) 7–10
Mike Croel (DROY)
1992 1992 NFLAFCWest3rd880
1993 1993 NFLAFCWest3rd970Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Raiders) 24–42 Wade Phillips
1994 1994 NFLAFCWest4th790
1995 1995 NFLAFCWest3rd880 Mike Shanahan
1996 1996 NFLAFCWest1st1330Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) 27–30 Terrell Davis (OPOY)
1997 1997 NFLAFCWest2nd1240Won Wild Card Playoffs (Jaguars) 42–17
Won Divisional Playoffs (at Chiefs) 14–10
Won AFC Championship (at Steelers) 24–21
Won Super Bowl XXXII (1) (vs. Packers) 31–24
Terrell Davis (SB MVP)
1998 1998 NFLAFCWest1st1420Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 38–3
Won AFC Championship (Jets) 23–10
Won Super Bowl XXXIII (2) (vs. Falcons) 34–19
Terrell Davis (MVP, OPOY)
John Elway (SB MVP)
1999 1999 NFLAFCWest5th6100
2000 2000 NFLAFCWest2nd1150Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Ravens) 3–21 Mike Anderson (OROY)
2001 2001 NFLAFCWest3rd880
2002 2002 NFLAFCWest2nd970 Clinton Portis (OROY)
2003 2003 NFLAFCWest2nd1060Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Colts) 10–41
2004 2004 NFLAFCWest2nd1060Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Colts) 24–49
2005 2005 NFLAFCWest1st1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 27–13
Lost AFC Championship (Steelers) 17–34
2006 2006 NFLAFCWest3rd970
2007 2007 NFLAFCWest2nd790
2008 2008 NFLAFCWest2nd880
2009 2009 NFLAFCWest2nd880 Josh McDaniels
2010 2010 NFLAFCWest4th4120Josh McDaniels (3–9)
Eric Studesville (1–3)
2011 2011 NFLAFCWest1st880Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 29–23 (OT)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Patriots) 10–45
Von Miller (DROY) John Fox
2012 2012 NFLAFCWest1st1330Lost Divisional Playoffs (Ravens) 35–38 (2 OT) Peyton Manning (CBPOY)
2013 2013 NFLAFCWest1st1330Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 24–17
Won AFC Championship (Patriots) 26–16
Lost Super Bowl XLVIII (vs. Seahawks) 8–43
Peyton Manning (MVP, OPOY)
2014 2014 NFLAFCWest1st1240Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 13–24
2015 2015 NFLAFCWest1st1240Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 23–16
Won AFC Championship (Patriots) 20–18
Won Super Bowl 50 (3) (vs. Panthers) 24–10
Von Miller (SB MVP) Gary Kubiak
2016 2016 NFLAFCWest3rd970
2017 2017 NFLAFCWest4th5110 Vance Joseph
2018 2018 NFLAFCWest3rd6100
2019 2019 NFLAFCWest2nd790 Vic Fangio
2020 2020 NFLAFCWest4th5110
2021 2021 NFLAFCWest4th7100
2022 2022 NFLAFCWest4th5120 Nathaniel Hackett (4–11)
Jerry Rosburg (1–1)
Total records (regular season/playoffs/combined)50045610(1960–2022, includes only regular season)
2319(1960–2022, includes only playoffs)
52347510(1960–2022, regular season and playoffs; 3 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.

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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. 1 2 "Denver Broncos Franchise Encyclopedia". Sports Reference. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  4. "The AFL: A Football Legacy". Sports Illustrated . January 22, 2001. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  5. 1 2 "HISTORY 1981–1990". NFL.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  6. "Pro Football Hall of Fame – The Drive". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 13, 2008.