List of Denver Broncos seasons

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.

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

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 Champions Division Champions Wild Card berth
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Post-season results Awards Head coaches
Finish W L T
1960 1960 AFL West 4th 4 9 1 Frank Filchock
1961 1961 AFL West 3rd 3 11 0
1962 1962 AFL West 2nd 7 7 0 Jack Faulkner (COY) Jack Faulkner
1963 1963 AFL West 4th 2 11 1
1964 1964 AFL West 4th 2 11 1 Jack Faulkner (0–4)
Mac Speedie (2–7–1)
1965 1965 AFL West 4th 4 10 0 Mac Speedie
1966 1966 AFL West 4th 4 10 0 Mac Speedie (0–2)
Ray Malavasi (4–8)
1967 1967 AFL West 4th 3 11 0 Lou Saban
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 Lou Saban (2–6–1)
Jerry Smith (2–3)
1972 1972 NFL AFC West 3rd 5 9 0 John Ralston
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 AFC Championship (Raiders) 20–17
Lost Super Bowl XII (vs. Cowboys) 27–10
Craig Morton (CBPOY) Red Miller
1978 1978 NFL AFC West 1st 10 6 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Steelers) 33–10 Randy Gradishar (DPOY)
1979 1979 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Oilers) 13–7
1980 1980 NFL AFC West 4th 8 8 0
1981 1981 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Dan Reeves
1982[lower-alpha 2] 1982 NFL AFC 12th 2 7 0
1983 1983 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Seahawks) 31–7
1984 1984 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 24–17
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 AFC Championship (at Browns) 23–20 (OT)[lower-alpha 3]
Lost Super Bowl XXI (vs. Giants) 39–20
1987[lower-alpha 4] 1987 NFL AFC West 1st 10 4 1 Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 34–10
Won AFC Championship (Browns) 38–33[lower-alpha 5]
Lost Super Bowl XXII (vs. Redskins) 42–10
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 AFC Championship (Browns) 37–21
Lost Super Bowl XXIV (vs. 49ers) 55–10
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 AFC Championship (at Bills) 10–7
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 (at Raiders) 42–24 Wade Phillips
1994 1994 NFL AFC West 4th 7 9 0
1995 1995 NFL AFC West 3rd 8 8 0 Mike Shanahan
1996 1996 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) 30–27 Terrell Davis (OPOY)
1997 1997 NFL AFC West 2nd 12 4 0 Won 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 NFL AFC West 1st 14 2 0 Won 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 NFL AFC West 5th 6 10 0
2000 2000 NFL AFC West 2nd 11 5 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Ravens) 21–3 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 (at Colts) 41–10
2004 2004 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Colts) 49–24
2005 2005 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 27–13
Lost AFC Championship (Steelers) 34–17
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 Josh McDaniels
2010 2010 NFL AFC West 4th 4 12 0 Josh McDaniels (3–9)
Eric Studesville (1–3)
2011 2011 NFL AFC West 1st 8 8 0 Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 29–23 (OT)
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Patriots) 45–10
Von Miller (DROY) John Fox
2012 2012 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Ravens) 38–35 (2 OT) Peyton Manning (CBPOY)
2013 2013 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 24–17
Won AFC Championship (Patriots) 26–16
Lost Super Bowl XLVIII (vs. Seahawks) 43–8
Peyton Manning (MVP, OPOY)
2014 2014 NFL AFC West 1st 12 4 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 24–13
2015 2015 NFL AFC West 1st 12 4 0 Won 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 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0
2017 2017 NFL AFC West 4th 5 11 0 Vance Joseph
2018 2018 NFL AFC West 3rd 6 10 0
2019 2019 NFL AFC West 2nd 7 9 0 Vic Fangio
2020 2020 NFL AFC West 4th 5 11 0
Total records (regular season/playoffs/combined) 488 434 10 (1960–2020, includes only regular season)
23 19 (1960–2020, includes only playoffs)
511 453 10 (1960–2020, 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.

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

  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. "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. "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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.