NFL Team History- the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos were one of the eight foundational teams of the American Football League that was formed prior to 1960. Frank Filchock was hired as the Denver Broncos first head coach.

On September 9, 1960, the Denver Broncos and Boston Patriots played in the first AFL game in Boston, Massachusetts. The Broncos would defeat the hosting team 13-10. But as the season progressed, the Broncos began to stumble as they ended the inaugural AFL season with a substandard record of 4-9-1.

Filchock was replaced by Jack Faulkner following a dreadful 3-11 record in 1961. Under Faulkner's supervision, the Broncos improved to 7-7 in 1962, hence, Faulkner was named as the AFL Coach of the Year. Unfortunately, the team failed to improve, and Faulkner was replaced by Lou Saban in 1967.

From 1960 to 1969, the Broncos failed to complete a season with a winning record. However, they are noted as the first AFL team to defeat an NFL team after a 13-7 preseason victory over the Detroit Lions.

In 1970, the AFL merged with the National Football League, and the Broncos were placed in the American Football Conference Western Division along with the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Diego Chargers.

In 1973, the Broncos finally clinched their first winning season as a franchise as they finished the season with a passable 7-5-2 record. They followed that up with a 7-6-1 record in 1974.

Additionally, the Broncos home field, Mile High Stadium, was expanded to seat approximately 75,000 fans.

Under the leadership of new head coach Red Miller, the Denver Broncos produced what was considered as their first superlative season, putting the franchise on the NFL map. After clinching a playoff berth, the Broncos would proceed to eliminate the AFC's most dominant team of that era, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the AFC Championship Game by a convincing score of 34-21. They were led by their defense, also known as 'The Orange Crush'. The nickname derived from the Broncos uniforms, which were predominantly orange. The Denver Broncos would face the NFC's ascendant team, the Dallas Cowboys, in their first Super Bowl emergence. The Broncos brilliant season came to a close following a 27-10 loss to the Cowboys.

Red Miller was replaced by Dan Reeves as head coach in 1980.

In 1983, the Broncos would acquire quarterback John Elway after he refuted the idea of playing for the Baltimore Colts, the team that originally drafted him in the 1983 NFL Draft. The rookie quarterback led the Broncos to a 9-7 record and into the post-season for the first time since 1979.

Oddly enough, they would face the Colts in the Wild Card Game, the very same franchise the Elway shunned. Elway continued to disconcert the city of Baltimore as he led the Broncos to a 21-19 triumph. However, a week later, they would lose to their divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, by a derisory score of 31-7.

In 1986, the Broncos would claim the AFC Western Division title with an 11-5 record, setting the stage for an unforgettable post-season run. In the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos, led by a late-game drive by Elway, would tie the Cleveland Browns 20-20 at the end of regulation. In overtime, placekicker Rich Karlis would kick the game-winning field goal, sending the Broncos back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 19 years. They would be challenged by the formidable New York Giants. The Broncos were no match for the Giants as they were vanquished by a score of 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI.

A year later, the Broncos would repeat their victory over the Browns in the AFC Championship Game. This year, the Broncos were favored over the Washington Redskins. The Broncos initially scored the game's first 10 points, only to watch the Washington Redskins score 42 unreciprocated points en route to a 42-10 route in Super Bowl XXII.

The Broncos maintained their stranglehold on the Cleveland Browns as they defeated them for a third time in four years, clinching the AFC title. The Broncos earned the right to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. Unfortunately, their Super Bowl failures persisted as they were overpowered by the 49ers by a humiliating score of 55-10. The Broncos were winless in four Super Bowl outings.

In 1994, former offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan was hired as the new head coach of the Broncos.

The Broncos returned to the Super Bowl in the 1997 season as they faced the Green Bay Packers led by quarterback Brett Favre. Once again, the Broncos were expected to undergo another shameful defeat, nevertheless, the Broncos ultimately won by a score of 31-24 over the defending Super Bowl champions. This particular Super Bowl victory by the Broncos was momentous for an assortment of reasons. Not only was it the first Super Bowl for the Broncos franchise, but it snapped a 14-year Super Bowl winning streak for NFC teams.

The following season, the Broncos would defend their Super Bowl championship by crushing the Atlanta Falcons 34-19. The Falcons were led by Dan Reeves, the same head coach that led the Broncos to AFC Championships in 1986, 1987, and 1989.

After winning Super Bowl XXXIII, Elway retired from the NFL.

The 2000 season marked the final game at storied Mile High Stadium. The Broncos moved to INVESCO Field in 2001. Fans and members of the media often refer to INVESCO Field as the 'new Mile High Stadium'.

Following Elway's retirement, the Broncos would face post-season struggles. It wasn't until 2005, when the Broncos claimed their first post-season win without their Hall of Fame quarterback. They defeated the 2-time defending Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots 27-13. The very next week, they were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC Championship.

In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected quarterback Jay Cutler out of Vanderbilt.