2011 Denver Broncos season

2011 Denver Broncos season
Head coach	John Fox
General manager	Brian Xanders
Owner	Pat Bowlen
Home field	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	1st AFC West
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 29–23 (OT) Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 45–10
Pro Bowlers	CB Champ Bailey DE Elvis Dumervil RB Willis McGahee LB Von Miller
AP All-Pros	LB Von Miller (2nd team)

The 2011 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League and the 52nd overall. It also marked the first season under head coach John Fox, as well as the first with John Elway as the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

On July 25, the NFLPA and NFL owners agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified on August 4.^[1] The Broncos training camp began on July 28 at the team headquarters in Dove Valley, Colorado, and the preseason and regular season started on time.^[2]

The first five weeks of the season were dominated by a quarterback controversy involving Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, with fans voicing their displeasure with the play of Orton, which resulted in a 1–4 start, and the public outcry for Tebow to be moved to starter. On October 11, Tebow was named the starting quarterback beginning with the team's Week 7 game at the Miami Dolphins on October 23. Tebow compiled an 8–5 record (including the playoffs, with a six-game win streak from Weeks 9–14) since replacing Orton, including game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and/or overtime in six of those games, despite constant criticism of his unorthodox mechanics and abilities as a passer.^[3] Orton was later waived on November 22.^[4] Another notable roster change was the trade that sent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a conditional 2012 draft selection.^[5]

The Broncos doubled their win total from 2010, finishing in a three-way tie with the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers for the AFC West division title, with an 8–8 record. However, the Broncos won the AFC West based on tiebreakers,^[6] thus clinching their first playoff berth and division title since 2005.

The Broncos opened the playoffs with a 29–23 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, but were blown out by the New England Patriots in the Divisional round by a score of 45–10.

Coaching and front-office changes

• January 5: Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway was hired as the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Brian Xanders remained as general manager, but Elway had the final word in all football matters. Joe Ellis, who served as the team's chief operating officer for the past three years, was promoted to team president.^[7]
• January 13: The Broncos named former Carolina Panthers' head coach John Fox as the team's new head coach.^[8]
• January 17: The following changes were made to the Broncos' coaching staff: Clancy Barone was moved from offensive line coach to tight ends coach, replacing Bob Ligashesky. Dave Magazu was named the new offensive line coach. Tyke Tolbert was named the new wide receivers coach. Magazu and Tolbert both previously served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers. Brian Callahan was moved to the offensive quality control position, while Jay Rodgers was moved to the defensive quality control position. Eric Studesville, who served as the team's interim head coach for the final four games of the 2010 season, retained his position as the running backs coach.^[9]
• January 20: Adam Gase, who served as the Broncos' wide receivers coach during the previous two seasons, was named the team's new quarterbacks coach, replacing Ben McDaniels. That same day, Jeff Rodgers, who served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers during the previous two seasons, was named the team's new special teams coach.^[10]
• January 24: The Broncos hired former New Orleans Saints' secondary coach Dennis Allen as the team's new defensive coordinator, replacing Don Martindale.^[11]
• January 25: Ron Milus was hired as the new secondary coach, replacing Dennis Allen, while Richard Smith was hired as the new linebackers coach. Milus previously served as the Broncos' secondary coach in 2000, while Smith previously served as the Broncos' special teams coach and linebackers coach in the mid-1990s, and both previously served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers during the past two seasons.^[12]
• January 27: The coaching staff was finalized, when Keith Burns was brought back as the assistant special teams coach and Sam Garnes was hired as the teams' new assistant secondary coach. Garnes served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers last season.^[13]
• July 22: The Broncos hired Jerry Butler as the team's director of player development. Butler previously served in the same capacity with the Cleveland Browns from 2001–10, and was a wide receiver with the Buffalo Bills from 1979–86.^[14]

Pre-lockout roster changes

The Broncos made the following roster moves prior to the decertification of the NFLPA on March 11 and subsequent 2011 NFL Lockout:

• On January 7, five days after the end of the 2010 season, the team signed fullback Mike McLaughlin, guards Shawn Murphy and Manny Ramirez and offensive tackle Herb Taylor to future contracts.^[15] McLaughlin was waived on July 29,^[16] Murphy was waived on August 29^[17] and Taylor was waived on September 6.^[18]
• On February 22, unrestricted free agent cornerback Champ Bailey was re-signed.^[19]
• On March 2, tight end Daniel Graham was released.^[20]
• On March 3, unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was re-signed, while defensive tackles Justin Bannan and Jamal Williams were released.^[21]

Draft

Despite the 2011 NFL Lockout, the 2011 NFL draft was held from April 28–30. However, no undrafted free agents were signed until after the lockout ended on July 25.^[22]

2011 Denver Broncos Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes	Trades
1	2	Von Miller	LB	Texas A&M	signed July 28[23]
2	45	Rahim Moore	S	UCLA	signed July 28[24]	[dr 1] [dr 2]
	46	Orlando Franklin	OT	Miami	signed July 29[27]
3	67	Nate Irving	LB	NC State	signed July 29[27]
4	108	Quinton Carter	S	Oklahoma	signed July 29[27]	[dr 3] [dr 4]
	129	Julius Thomas	TE	Portland State	signed July 27[29]	[dr 5]
5	None					[dr 6] [dr 7]
6	189	Mike Mohamed	LB	California	signed July 27,[29] waived September 22,[33] promoted to the active roster on November 28[34]	[dr 8] [dr 9]
7	204	Virgil Green	TE	Nevada	signed July 27[29]	[dr 10]
	247 *	Jeremy Beal	DE	Oklahoma	signed July 27,[29] waived September 3[36]

*	Compensatory selection[37]

Draft trades

1. The Broncos traded their original second-round selection (No. 36 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 49ers' second- (No. 45 overall), fourth- (No. 108 overall) and fifth- (No. 141 overall; later traded to the Green Bay Packers) round selections.^[25]
2. The Broncos acquired this second-round selection as part of an April 2010 trade that sent wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins.^[26]
3. The Broncos traded their original fourth-round selection (No. 99 overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' sixth-round selection (No. 189 overall) and running back Laurence Maroney in September 2010.^[28]
4. See draft note 1.
5. The Broncos acquired this fourth-round selection and a seventh-round selection (No. 204 overall) in a trade that sent a fifth-round selection (No. 141 overall; see draft note 1) and a sixth-round selection (No. 186 overall; previously acquired along with TE Dan Gronkowski in a September 2010 trade that sent CB Alphonso Smith and the team's original seventh-round selection — No. 205 overall — to the Detroit Lions) to the Green Bay Packers.^[30][31]
6. See draft notes 1 & 5.
7. The Broncos traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 135 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for two 2010 seventh-round selections.^[32]
8. The Broncos traded their original sixth-round selection (No. 168 overall), a 2012 conditional draft selection and FB Peyton Hillis to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for QB Brady Quinn in March 2010.^[35]
9. See draft note 3.
10. See draft note 5.

Post-lockout roster changes

Free agents

The following free agents were left unsigned after the beginning of the 2011 NFL Lockout in March (cornerback Champ Bailey and defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson were re-signed before the lockout):

Position	Player	Tag	2011 Team	Notes
FB	Kyle Eckel	UFA	None
NT	Ronald Fields	UFA	Carolina Panthers	signed with the Panthers on September 13[38]
OT	Ryan Harris	UFA	Philadelphia Eagles	signed with the Eagles on August 2,[39] re-signed by the Broncos on January 2, 2012[40]
RB	Laurence Maroney	UFA	None
DE	Ryan McBean	ERFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender July 29[41]
PK	Matt Prater	RFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender July 29[41]
DT/NT	Marcus Thomas	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed July 31[42]
LB	Wesley Woodyard	RFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender July 29[41]

Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed on July 27, two days after the end of the 2011 NFL Lockout.^[43]

Position	Player	College	Notes
CB	Brandon Bing	Rutgers	waived September 3[36]
DT	Ronnell Brown	James Madison	waived September 3[36]
WR	Mark Dell	Michigan State	designated as waived/injured on August 13[44]
LB	Derek Domino	South Dakota State	designated as waived/injured on August 15,[45] released from the waived/injured list on December 13[46]
RB	Mario Fannin	Auburn	designated as waived/injured on August 6[47]
WR	D'Andre Goodwin	Washington	waived September 3,[36] assigned to practice squad September 4,[48] promoted to the active roster on January 10, 2012,[49] on final roster
OT	Adam Grant	Arizona	waived September 3,[36] assigned to practice squad on September 4[48]
CB	Chris Harris, Jr.	Kansas	on final roster
WR	Jamel Hamler	Fresno State	placed on injured reserve September 3,[36] waived September 12[50]
LB	A. J. Jones	Florida	waived August 16[51]
LB	Deron Mayo	Old Dominion	waived August 29[17]
OT	Curt Porter	Jacksonville State	waived August 29[17]
CB	James Rogers	Michigan	released August 1[52]
FB	Austin Sylvester	Washington	waived September 3,[36] assigned to practice squad September 4,[48] promoted to the active roster on December 27,[53] waived January 13, 2012[54]
QB	Adam Weber	Minnesota	waived September 3,[36] assigned to practice squad on September 4[48]
DT	Colby Whitlock	Texas Tech	released August 2[55]
WR	Marshall Williams	Wake Forest	released August 1[56]

Signings

Position	Player	2010 Team	Notes
WR	David Anderson	Houston Texans	signed July 30,[57] waived September 3[36]
LS	David Binn	San Diego Chargers	signed January 13, 2012,[54] on final roster
LB	Alvin Bowen	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed August 15,[45] waived September 3[36]
S	Rafael Bush	Atlanta Falcons	signed October 17,[58] on final roster
CB	Tony Carter	Practice squad player	promoted to the active roster on December 13,[46] on final roster
WR/RS	Quan Cosby	Cincinnati Bengals	signed September 20,[59] waived December 27[53]
TE	Daniel Fells	St. Louis Rams	signed August 1,[52] on final roster
RB	C. J. Gable	New Orleans Saints	signed August 6,[47] waived August 29[17]
DE	Derrick Harvey	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed August 1,[52] on final roster
OT	Tony Hills	Pittsburgh Steelers	signed September 6,[18] on final roster
LB	Brian Iwuh	Chicago Bears	signed January 3, 2012,[60] on final roster
RB	Jeremiah Johnson	Practice squad player	promoted to the active roster on September 16,[61] waived September 20,[59] promoted to the active roster on November 14,[62] on final roster
FB	Quinn Johnson	Tennessee Titans	signed October 10,[63] waived December 17[64]
S	Kyle McCarthy	Practice squad player	promoted to the active roster on November 28,[34] waived December 13,[46] promoted to the active roster on December 17,[64] waived January 3, 2012[60]
RB	Willis McGahee	Baltimore Ravens	signed July 31,[65] on final roster
WR	Greg Orton	Spokane Shock (AFL)	signed August 13,[44] waived September 3[36]
DT	DeMario Pressley	Houston Texans	signed August 17,[66] waived September 3[36]
TE	Dante Rosario	Carolina Panthers	signed August 1,[56] released September 3,[36] re-signed September 22,[33] on final roster
DT	Ty Warren	New England Patriots	signed August 2,[67] placed on injured reserve September 17[68]
CB	Jonathan Wilhite	New England Patriots	signed September 4,[48] on final roster

Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2010 season.

Departures

Position	Player	Notes
RB	Correll Buckhalter	released July 29[16]
G	Stanley Daniels	waived September 3[36]
TE	Daniel Coats	released July 29[16]
CB	Perrish Cox	waived September 3[36]
G	Stanley Daniels	waived September 3[36]
WR	Britt Davis	waived September 3[36]
LB	Dominic Douglas	waived July 31[69]
TE	Dan Gronkowski	waived September 3[36]
PK	Steven Hauschka	waived September 3[36]
S	Renaldo Hill	released July 30[70]
CB	Chevis Jackson	waived August 4[71]
CB	Nate Jones	released August 29[17]
LB	Braxton Kelley	waived August 29[17]
DT	Louis Leonard	released August 15[45]
S	Darcel McBath	released September 4[48]
G	Eric Olsen	waived September 3[36]
QB	Kyle Orton	waived November 22[4]
S	Nick Polk	released August 1[52]
TE	Richard Quinn	designated as waived/injured on August 22,[72] released from injured reserve on August 26[73]
LB	Lee Robinson	waived September 3[36]
DE	David Veikune	waived August 29[17]
RB	LenDale White	released August 16[51]

Trades

• July 27: Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney was traded to the Washington Redskins in exchange for defensive end Jeremy Jarmon.^[74] Jarmon was later waived on September 4.^[36]
• August 1: The Broncos acquired defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for an undisclosed 2013 draft selection.^[75]
• October 17: Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was traded to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a sixth-round selection in the 2012 NFL draft;^[5] the selection was later upgraded to a fifth-rounder after a condition was met in which Lloyd made a minimum of 30 receptions with the Rams.^[76]

Injuries

• July 27: Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was placed on the non-football injury list. Thomas suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon shortly after the end of the 2010 season, and had surgery back in February.^[77] Thomas later suffered a broken finger during practice on September 8, and missed the first six weeks of the regular season.^[78]
• August 15: Defensive tackles Marcus Thomas and Ty Warren each sustained separate injuries in practice. Thomas suffered a strained pectoral muscle, and missed the first four weeks of the regular season. Warren suffered torn triceps, and was initially expected to return in November, but was placed on the season-ending injured reserve on September 17.^[68][79]
• August 27: Linebacker D. J. Williams suffered a dislocated elbow during the team's third preseason game vs. the Seattle Seahawks, and missed the first three weeks of the regular season.^[80]
• September 2: Cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during the team's last preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals, and missed the entire 2011 season.^[81]
• October 10: Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was placed on injured reserve, after suffering an ankle injury during the team's Week 5 loss to the San Diego Chargers the previous day.^[63]
• November 14: Running back Knowshon Moreno was placed on injured reserve, after he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during the team's Week 10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs the previous day.^[62]
• November 28: Cornerback/return specialist Cassius Vaughn was placed on injured reserve, after suffering a broken bone in his leg during the team's Week 12 win over the San Diego Chargers the previous day.^[34]
• January 2, 2012: Guard Chris Kuper was placed on injured reserve, after suffering a broken leg during the team's regular season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs the previous day.^[40]
• January 10, 2012: Fullback Spencer Larsen was placed on injured reserve.^[49]

Staff

2011 Denver Broncos staff
	Front office Owner/Chairman/CEO – Pat Bowlen President – Joe Ellis Executive Vice President of Football Operations – John Elway General Manager – Brian Xanders Director of Football Administration – Mike Bluem Director of College Scouting – Matt Russell Director of Pro Personnel – Keith Kidd Assistant Director of College Scouting – Lenny McGill Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Anthony Kelly Director of Player Development – Jerry Butler Head coaches Head Coach – John Fox Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Mike McCoy Quarterbacks – Adam Gase Running Backs – Eric Studesville Wide Receivers – Tyke Tolbert Tight Ends – Clancy Barone Offensive Line – Dave Magazu Offensive Quality Control – Brian Callahan			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Dennis Allen Defensive Line – Wayne Nunnely Linebackers – Richard Smith Secondary – Ron Milus Assistant Secondary – Sam Garnes Defensive Quality Control – Jay Rodgers Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Jeff Rodgers Assistant Special Teams – Keith Burns Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Rich Tuten Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Justin Lovett Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Greg Saporta

Final roster

2011 Denver Broncos final roster
	Quarterbacks  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow Running backs 35 Lance Ball 37 Jeremiah Johnson 23 Willis McGahee Wide receivers 87 Eric Decker PR 16 D'Andre Goodwin 19 Eddie Royal 88 Demaryius Thomas 12 Matthew Willis Tight ends 86 Daniel Fells 85 Virgil Green 81 Dante Rosario 80 Julius Thomas		Offensive linemen 68 Zane Beadles G/T 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 74 Orlando Franklin T 72 Ryan Harris T 76 Tony Hills T 71 Russ Hochstein C/G 65 Manny Ramirez G 50 J. D. Walton C Defensive linemen 91 Robert Ayers DE 77 Brodrick Bunkley DT 92 Elvis Dumervil DE 95 Derrick Harvey DE 90 Jason Hunter DE 98 Ryan McBean DT 79 Marcus Thomas DT 96 Mitch Unrein DT		Linebackers 57 Mario Haggan MLB 56 Nate Irving MLB 59 Brian Iwuh OLB 51 Joe Mays MLB 58 Von Miller OLB 53 Mike Mohamed MLB 55 D. J. Williams OLB 52 Wesley Woodyard OLB Defensive backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 30 David Bruton FS 36 Rafael Bush SS 28 Quinton Carter SS 32 Tony Carter CB 20 Brian Dawkins SS 21 André Goodman CB 25 Chris Harris, Jr. CB 26 Rahim Moore FS 29 Jonathan Wilhite CB Special teams 54 David Binn LS  4 Britton Colquitt P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve lists 83 Mark Dell WR (IR) 42 Mario Fannin RB (IR) 73 Chris Kuper G (IR) 46 Spencer Larsen FB (IR) 27 Knowshon Moreno RB (IR) 22 Syd'Quan Thompson CB (IR) 41 Cassius Vaughn CB (IR) 99 Kevin Vickerson DT (IR) 94 Ty Warren DT (IR) Practice squad 97 Jeremy Beal DE 67 Adam Grant OT 84 Cornelius Ingram TE 33 Xavier Omon RB 14 Greg Orton WR 93 Sealver Siliga DT 82 Tim Toone WR  2 Adam Weber QB Rookies in italics 53 Active, 9 Inactive, 8 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 11	at Dallas Cowboys	L 23–24	0–1	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
2	August 20	Buffalo Bills	W 24–10	1–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
3	August 27	Seattle Seahawks	W 23–20	2–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
4	September 1	at Arizona Cardinals	L 7–26	2–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 12	Oakland Raiders	L 20–23	0–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
2	September 18	Cincinnati Bengals	W 24–22	1–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
3	September 25	at Tennessee Titans	L 14–17	1–2	LP Field	Recap
4	October 2	at Green Bay Packers	L 23–49	1–3	Lambeau Field	Recap
5	October 9	San Diego Chargers	L 24–29	1–4	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
6	Bye
7	October 23	at Miami Dolphins	W 18–15 (OT)	2–4	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	Detroit Lions	L 10–45	2–5	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
9	November 6	at Oakland Raiders	W 38–24	3–5	O.co Coliseum	Recap
10	November 13	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 17–10	4–5	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
11	November 17	New York Jets	W 17–13	5–5	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
12	November 27	at San Diego Chargers	W 16–13 (OT)	6–5	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
13	December 4	at Minnesota Vikings	W 35–32	7–5	Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Recap
14	December 11	Chicago Bears	W 13–10 (OT)	8–5	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
15	December 18	New England Patriots	L 23–41	8–6	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
16	December 24	at Buffalo Bills	L 14–40	8–7	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	Kansas City Chiefs	L 3–7	8–8	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Postseason

Playoff round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	January 8, 2012	Pittsburgh Steelers (5)	W 29–23 (OT)	1–0	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
Divisional	January 14, 2012	at New England Patriots (1)	L 10–45	1–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week One: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	16	0	7	23
Broncos	3	0	10	7	20

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 12
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 75,671
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (ESPN): Brad Nessler and Trent Dilfer
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 9:55 Matt Prater 28-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:55. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter OAK – 13:28 Marcel Reece 3-yard TD pass from Jason Campbell, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:34. (OAK 7–3) OAK – 11:14 Sebastian Janikowski 37-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:09. (OAK 10–3) OAK – 1:27 Sebastian Janikowski 21-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 2:45. (OAK 13–3) OAK – 0:00 Sebastian Janikowski 63-yard FG. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 0:24. (OAK 16–3) Third quarter DEN – 12:31 Eric Decker 90-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (OAK 16–10) DEN – 1:55 Matt Prater 30-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:56. (OAK 16–13) Fourth quarter OAK – 12:33 Jason Campbell 1-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:38. (OAK 23–13) DEN – 3:43 Lance Ball 9-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:56. (OAK 23–20) Top passers OAK – Jason Campbell: 13/22, 105 yards, 1 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 24/26, 304 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden: 22 rushes, 150 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 8 rushes, 22 yards Top receivers OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey: 4 receptions, 44 yards DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 6 receptions, 89 yards Top tacklers OAK – Tyvon Branch, Chris Johnson and Quentin Groves: 5 tackles each (1 assist by Branch) DEN – Brian Dawkins: 7 tackles, 2 assists

The Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and kicked off their 2011 season at home against their AFC West rival Oakland Raiders, the Broncos' first Week 1 home opener since 2004. The Broncos took an early lead in the first quarter, with a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. The Raiders reeled off 16 unanswered points in the second quarter, with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Campbell to fullback Marcel Reece, followed by three field goals of 37, 21 and 63 yards by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, the latter of which tied the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. The Broncos responded in the third quarter, with kick returner Eric Decker returning a punt 90 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 30-yard field goal by Prater. The Raiders increased their lead in the fourth quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown run by Campbell. The Broncos tried to rally, with quarterback Kyle Orton throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Lance Ball. However, Oakland would run out the clock.^[82]

Week 2: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Two: Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	0	3	12	7	22
Broncos	7	3	7	7	24

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 73,281
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 6:30 Willis McGahee 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:30. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter CIN – 6:33 Mike Nugent 45-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 3:02. (DEN 7–3) DEN – 0:12 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 64 yards, 6:21. (DEN 10–3) Third quarter DEN – 10:57 Eric Decker 25-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:12. (DEN 17–3) CIN – 8:54 Mike Nugent 37-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:03. (DEN 17–6) CIN – 3:36 Andre Caldwell 10-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton, two-point pass failed. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:14. (DEN 17–12) CIN – 1:05 Mike Nugent 23-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:13. (DEN 17–15) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:30 Eric Decker 52-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:35. (DEN 24–15) CIN – 11:17 A. J. Green 5-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:13. (DEN 24–22) Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton: 27/41, 332 yards, 2 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 15/25, 195 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CIN – Cedric Benson: 16 rushes, 59 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 28 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers CIN – Jerome Simpson: 4 receptions, 136 yards DEN – Eric Decker: 5 receptions, 113 yards Top tacklers CIN – Thomas Howard and Michael Johnson: 7 tackles each (1 assist by Howard) DEN – Wesley Woodyard: 10 tackles, 3 assists

Following their Monday Night loss to the Raiders, the Broncos remained on home turf to face the Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos took the lead in the first quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee. The Bengals got on the board in the second quarter, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker Mike Nugent. The Broncos responded, with a 34-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater just before halftime. In the third quarter, the Broncos extended their lead, with a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Orton to wide receiver Eric Decker. The Bengals reeled off 12 unanswered points, with a 37-yard field goal by Nugent, a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton to wide receiver Andre Caldwell (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), followed by a 23-yard field goal by Nugent, narrowing the Broncos' lead to 17–15. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos once again increased their lead, with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Orton to Decker, but the Bengals responded, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to wide receiver A. J. Green. The Broncos' defense prevented any more scoring.^[83]

Week 3: at Tennessee Titans

Week Three: Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	7	0	14
Titans	0	10	0	7	17

at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/11:00 a.m. MDT
• Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 69,143
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 3:45 Matthew Willis 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:51. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter TEN – 11:37 Nate Washington 14-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Rob Bironas kick. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 4:05. (tied 7–7) TEN – 1:11 Rob Bironas 46-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:39. (TEN 10–7) Third quarter DEN – 1:17 Willis McGahee 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 8:09. (DEN 14–10) Fourth quarter TEN – 4:24 Daniel Graham 4-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Rob Bironas kick. Drive: 7 plays, 95 yards, 3:30. (TEN 17–14) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 24/29, 173 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT TEN – Matt Hasselbeck: 27/36, 311 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 22 rushes, 52 yards TEN – Chris Johnson: 13 rushes, 21 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 7 receptions, 48 yards TEN – Nate Washington: 8 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Jonathan Wilhite and Wesley Woodyard: 6 tackles each, 3 assists by Woodyard, 1 sack by Wilhite TEN – Jordan Babineaux: 6 tackles, 2 assists

Following their close win over the Bengals, the Broncos traveled to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. The Broncos took the lead in the first quarter, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Orton to wide receiver Matthew Willis. The Titans responded in the second quarter, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to wide receiver Nate Washington, followed by a 46-yard field goal by placekicker Rob Bironas. The Broncos re-claimed the lead in the third quarter, when Orton connecting with running back Willis McGahee on a 5-yard touchdown pass. However, after recovering a Hasselbeck fumble in Titans' territory late in the third quarter, the Broncos failed to capitalize on the turnover, as Tennessee's defense denied the Broncos from extending their lead with a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. The Titans later claimed the lead, when Hasselbeck, playing on his 36th birthday, threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Graham, who played with the Broncos from 2007–2010. Tennessee's defense thwarted the Broncos' final drive.^[84]

Week 4: at Green Bay Packers

Week Four: Denver Broncos at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	14	0	6	23
Packers	14	14	14	7	49

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT/2:15 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 70,529
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 5:22 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:28. (DEN 3–0) GB – 2:08 Jordy Nelson 50-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 3:14. (GB 7–3) GB – 0:50 Charles Woodson 30-yard interception return for a TD, Mason Crosby kick. (GB 14–3) Second quarter GB – 12:18 Aaron Rodgers 11-yard TD run, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:32. (GB 21–3) DEN – 10:27 Eric Decker 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:51. (GB 21–10) DEN – 3:21 Eric Decker 33-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:58. (GB 21–17) GB – 0:24 Greg Jennings 17-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:57. (GB 28–17) Third quarter GB – 8:26 Aaron Rodgers 8-yard TD run, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:34. (GB 35–17) GB – 1:12 James Jones 16-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 4:09. (GB 42–17) Fourth quarter GB – 7:46 Donald Driver 8-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:09. (GB 49–17) DEN – 3:02 Daniel Fells 7-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, two-point run failed. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 4:44. (GB 49–23) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 22/32, 273 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT GB – Aaron Rodgers: 29/38, 408 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 15 rushes, 103 yards GB – James Starks: 13 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 8 receptions, 136 yards GB – Greg Jennings: 7 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 7 tackles, 1 assist GB – Desmond Bishop: 9 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Hoping to avenge their loss at Tennessee, the Broncos traveled to Lambeau Field to face the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. The Broncos took the early lead, with a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Packers responded, with a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson, followed by cornerback Charles Woodson returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Kyle Orton 30 yards for a touchdown. After recovering an onside kick, the Packers added to their lead early in the second quarter, with Rodgers scrambling 11 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos responded, with Orton throwing two touchdown passes to wide receiver Eric Decker: a 5-yarder, followed by a 33-yarder. The Packers responded just before halftime, when Rodgers connected on a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings. The Packers increased their lead on the opening possession of the third quarter, with Rodgers scrambling for an 8-yard touchdown run, followed by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver James Jones. The Packers continued their onslaught in the fourth quarter, with Rodgers hooking up with wide receiver Donald Driver on an 8-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos scored a late touchdown, when Orton connected with tight end Daniel Fells on a 7-yard touchdown pass (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), but the outcome of the game had already been decided in Green Bay's favor.^[85]

Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	6	17	0	6	29
Broncos	7	3	0	14	24

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 9
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 74,895
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SD – 8:37 Nick Novak 24-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:54. (SD 3–0) DEN – 5:58 Cassius Vaughn 55-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 7–3) SD – 0:45 Nick Novak 32-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:13. (DEN 7–6) Second quarter DEN – 11:10 Matt Prater 35-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:35. (DEN 10–6) SD – 7:19 Philip Rivers 2-yard TD run, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:51. (SD 13–10) SD – 1:47 Nick Novak 28-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:42. (SD 16–10) SD – 0:13 Malcom Floyd 42-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 0:49. (SD 23–10) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter SD – 13:35 Nick Novak 51-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:13. (SD 26–10) DEN – 6:35 Tim Tebow 12-yard TD run, Willis McGahee run for a two-point conversion. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 2:19. (SD 26–18) DEN – 3:19 Knowshon Moreno 28-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, two-point pass failed. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 1:19. (SD 26–24) SD – 0:24 Nick Novak 35-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:55. (SD 29–24) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 18/29, 250 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 4/10, 79 yards, 1 TD Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews: 24 rushes, 125 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 16 yards, 125 yards Top receivers SD – Malcom Floyd: 3 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD DEN – Daniel Fells: 3 receptions, 47 yards Top tacklers SD – Donald Butler, Antoine Cason and Takeo Spikes: 4 tackles each (1 assist by Spikes) DEN – Joe Mays: 8 tackles, 1 assist

Hoping to rebound from their blowout loss at Green Bay, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers took the early lead in the first quarter, with a 24-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Novak. The Broncos grabbed the lead, when cornerback Cassius Vaughn returned an interception off Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers 55 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers responded, with a 32-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos extended their lead in the second quarter, with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Chargers would re-claim the lead, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Rivers, a 28-yard field goal by Novak, followed by a 42-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to wide receiver Malcom Floyd, giving San Diego a 23–10 halftime lead. The Broncos benched quarterback Kyle Orton in favor of Tim Tebow. After a scoreless third quarter, the Chargers added to their lead, with a 51-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos responded, when Tebow scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown (with a two-point conversion run by running back Willis McGahee), then threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to running back Knowshon Moreno (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), to pull the Broncos to within 26–24 with just over three minutes left in the game. The Chargers responded, with a 35-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos tried to rally with 24 seconds remaining in regulation, but Tebow's last-second desperation pass into the end zone was unsuccessful, sealing the win for San Diego.^[86]

Injuries

Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson suffering an ankle injury early in the game. Though he later returned, he was placed on injured reserve one day later (October 10).^[63]

Week 7: at Miami Dolphins

Week Seven: Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Broncos	0	0	0	15	3	18
Dolphins	0	6	0	9	0	15

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. MDT
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 63,800
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter MIA – 14:18 Dan Carpenter 38-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 2:26. (MIA 3–0) MIA – 2:46 Dan Carpenter 36-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 3:13. (MIA 6–0) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter MIA – 15:00 Anthony Fasano 16-yard TD pass from Matt Moore, two-point pass failed. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:31. (MIA 12–0) MIA – 7:34 Dan Carpenter 43-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:05. (MIA 15–0) DEN – 2:44 Demaryius Thomas 5-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:39. (MIA 15–7) DEN – 0:17 Daniel Fells 3-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Tim Tebow run for a two-point conversion. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 2:27. (tied 15–15) Overtime DEN – 7:24 Matt Prater 52-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:06. (DEN 18–15) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 13/27, 161 yards, 2 TD MIA – Matt Moore: 22/33, 197 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 18 rushes, 76 yards MIA – Daniel Thomas: 19 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers DEN – Matthew Willis: 1 reception, 42 yards MIA – Brandon Marshall: 6 receptions, 61 yards Top tacklers DEN – Jonathan Wilhite: 10 tackles, 1 assist MIA – Karlos Dansby: 8 tackles, 5 assists

Hoping to snap their three-game losing streak, and coming off their bye week, the Broncos traveled to Sun Life Stadium to face the Miami Dolphins, where the Broncos had never won in their franchise history. After a scoreless first quarter, the Dolphins grabbed the lead in the second quarter, with field goals of 38 and 36 yards by kicker Dan Carpenter. After a scoreless third quarter, the Dolphins extended their lead in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Matt Moore throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), followed by a 43-yard field goal by Carpenter, giving Miami a 15–0 lead. However, after each team traded punts, the Broncos staged a rally with just over five minutes remaining, with quarterback Tim Tebow throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to pull to within 15–7 with 2:44 remaining. After the Broncos recovered an onside kick, they subsequently marched down the field, with Tebow connecting on a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells, followed by Tebow scrambling for the two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. On the Dolphins' second possession in overtime, Broncos' linebacker D. J. Williams forced a fumble off Moore, giving the Broncos possession at the Dolphins' 36-yard line. Four plays later, kicker Matt Prater, who had missed two field goals in the first half, nailed the game-winning 52-yard field goal.

Notes

With the win, the Broncos earned their 400th win in franchise history, their first-ever win at Miami in eight tries, and became the first team in NFL history since the AFL–NFL merger to win a game after trailing by 15 or more points with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.^[87][88]

Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	17	14	7	45
Broncos	3	0	0	7	10

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 74,977
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jaime Maggio
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 11:20 Matt Prater 39-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:40. (DEN 3–0) DET – 8:40 Titus Young 41-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:40. (DET 7–3) Second quarter DET – 14:44 Jason Hanson 50-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:34. (DET 10–3) DET – 4:11 Tony Scheffler 1-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:39. (DET 17–3) DET – 0:29 Maurice Morris 1-yard TD run, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 1:36. (DET 24–3) Third quarter DET – 13:26 Cliff Avril 24-yard fumble return, Jason Hanson kick. (DET 31–3) DET – 6:18 Calvin Johnson 56-yard TD from Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:48. (DET 38–3) Fourth quarter DET – 12:04 Chris Houston 100-yard interception return for a TD, Jason Hanson kick. (DET 45–3) DEN – 8:19 Eric Decker 14-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:45. (DET 45–10) Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford: 21/30, 267 yards, 3 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 18/39, 172 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DET – Maurice Morris: 13 rushes, 58 yards, 1 TD DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 14 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson: 6 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD DEN – Eric Decker: 6 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DET – Amari Spievey and Stephen Tulloch: 6 tackles each (2 assists and 1 sack by Tulloch) DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 6 tackles, 3 assists

Hoping to build on the momentum of their comeback win at Miami, the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an interconference duel with the Detroit Lions. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with a 39-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Lions would dominate the remainder of the game, beginning with a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Titus Young, followed in the second quarter by a 50-yard field goal by placekicker Jason Hanson, a 1-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Tony Scheffler and a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Maurice Morris, giving Detroit a 24–3 halftime lead. The Lions continued their domination in the third quarter, with a 24-yard fumble return for a touchdown by defensive end Cliff Avril, a 56-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to wide receiver Calvin Johnson, followed in the fourth quarter by cornerback Chris Houston returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow 100 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos finally got into the end zone, with Tebow throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker, but the outcome of the game had already been decided in Detroit's favor.^[89]

Week 9: at Oakland Raiders

Week Nine: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	17	14	38
Raiders	3	14	7	0	24

at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: November 6
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST/1:05 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 58,125
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter OAK – 7:35 Sebastian Janikowski 48-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 4:08. (OAK 3–0) DEN – 1:11 Eric Decker 27-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:06. (DEN 7–3) Second quarter OAK – 10:42 Michael Bush 11-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:38. (OAK 10–7) OAK – 1:30 Marcel Reece 40-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:16. (OAK 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 10:48 Eddie Royal 26-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:12. (OAK 17–14) OAK – 6:41 Jacoby Ford 18-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:07. (OAK 24–14) DEN – 2:52 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:49. (OAK 24–17) DEN – 0:00 Willis McGahee 60-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:07. (tied 24–24) Fourth quarter DEN – 5:53 Eddie Royal 85-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 31–24) DEN – 1:53 Willis McGahee 24-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:02. (DEN 38–24) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 10/21, 124 yards, 2 TD OAK – Carson Palmer: 19/35, 332 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 20 rushes, 163 yards, 2 TD OAK – Michael Bush: 19 rushes, 96 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 3 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD OAK – Jacoby Ford: 5 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 9 tackles, 2 assists OAK – Lamarr Houston and Kamerion Wimbley: 6 tackles each (1 assist by Houston)

Hoping to rebound from their disastrous home loss to the Lions, the Broncos traveled to the O.co Coliseum for an AFC West rematch with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, the Raiders grabbed the early lead, with a 48-yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski. The Broncos responded, with quarterback Tim Tebow hooking up with wide receiver Eric Decker on a 27-yard touchdown pass. The Raiders re-claimed the lead in the second quarter, with quarterback Carson Palmer throwing two touchdown passes: an 11-yarder to running back Michael Bush, followed by a 40-yarder to fullback Marcel Reece. In the third quarter, the Broncos cut into the Raiders' lead, with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to wide receiver Eddie Royal. The Raiders responded, with Palmer throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacoby Ford, giving Oakland a 24–14 lead. However, the Broncos would dominate the remainder of the game, beginning with a 43-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, followed by running back Willis McGahee rushing for a 60-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter. The Broncos grabbed the lead with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, when Royal returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, then pulled away with a 24-yard touchdown run by McGahee.^[90]

Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Ten: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	3	0	7	17
Chiefs	0	0	7	3	10

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 72,908
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 7:38 Tim Tebow 7-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:11. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 7:51 Matt Prater 38-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:32. (DEN 10–0) Third quarter KC – 8:15 Le'Ron McClain 1-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:29. (DEN 10–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 6:52 Eric Decker 56-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:21. (DEN 17–7) KC – 0:07 Ryan Succop 32-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 1:48. (DEN 17–10) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 2/8, 69 yards, 1 TD KC – Matt Cassel: 13/28, 93 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Lance Ball: 30 rushes, 96 yards KC – Jackie Battle: 9 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 1 reception, 56 yards, 1 TD KC – Dexter McCluster: 6 receptions, 48 yards Top tacklers DEN – Joe Mays and Chris Harris, Jr.: 8 tackles each KC – Jovan Belcher: 8 tackles, 2 assists

Coming off their win at Oakland, the Broncos traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West duel with the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter, the Broncos grabbed the early lead, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 7-yard touchdown, followed in the second quarter by a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. The Chiefs got on the board in the third quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Cassel to fullback Le'Ron McClain. The Broncos responded in the fourth quarter, with Tebow throwing a 56-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker. The Chiefs tried to rally, with placekicker Ryan Succop nailing a late 32-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, but the ensuing onside kickoff was unsuccessful, sealing the win for the Broncos.^[91]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos matched their win total from 2010.

Injuries

Running back Knowshon Moreno suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during the first quarter, and was placed on injured reserve.^[62]

Week 11: vs. New York Jets

Week Eleven: New York Jets at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	3	7	3	13
Broncos	3	0	7	7	17

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 17
• Game time: 6:20 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 74,746
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 5:08 Matt Prater 37-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:55. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter NYJ – 12:04 Nick Folk 21-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:20. (tied 3–3) Third quarter NYJ – 10:57 Matt Slauson 1-yard fumble recovery for a TD, Nick Folk kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:03. (NYJ 10–3) DEN – 4:25 André Goodman 26-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (tied 10–10) Fourth quarter NYJ – 9:14 Nick Folk 45-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:34. (NYJ 13–10) DEN – 0:58 Tim Tebow 20-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 4:56. (DEN 17–13) Top passers NYJ – Mark Sanchez: 24/40, 252 yards, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 9/20, 104 yards Top rushers NYJ – Joe McKnight: 16 rushes, 59 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 8 rushes, 68 yards, 1 TD Top receivers NYJ – Plaxico Burress: 4 receptions, 64 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 2 receptions, 37 yards Top tacklers NYJ – Sione Pouha: 6 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Von Miller: 9 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks

Coming off their win at Kansas City, the Broncos returned home for an AFC duel against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. The Broncos grabbed the lead in the first quarter, with a 37-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. The Jets tied the game in the second quarter, with a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Folk, then grabbed the lead in the third quarter, when guard Matt Slauson returned a fumble off Jets' running back Bilal Powell into the end zone for a touchdown. The Broncos tied the game, when cornerback André Goodman returned an interception off Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez 26 yards for a touchdown. The Jets re-claimed the lead in the fourth quarter, with a 45-yard field goal by Folk. After each team traded punts, the Broncos got the ball with 5:54 remaining, when quarterback Tim Tebow led the Broncos on a 12-play, 95-yard drive, culminating with Tebow scrambling 20 yards for a touchdown with 58 seconds remaining. The Broncos' defense thwarted Sanchez' last-second desperation pass toward the end zone.^[92]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos exceeded their win total from 2010.

Week 12: at San Diego Chargers

Week Twelve: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Broncos	0	7	3	3	3	16
Chargers	3	7	3	0	0	13

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST/1:15 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 64,436
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SD – 11:34 Nick Novak 53-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:26. (SD 3–0) Second quarter SD – 7:58 Antonio Gates 6-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 8:47. (SD 10–0) DEN – 0:55 Eric Decker 18-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:32. SD 10–7) Third quarter SD – 9:30 Nick Novak 25-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:48. (SD 13–7) DEN – 0:33 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:08. (SD 13–10) Fourth quarter DEN – 1:34 Matt Prater 24-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:53. (tied 13–13) Overtime DEN – 0:29 Matt Prater 37-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:02. (DEN 16–13) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 9/18, 143 yards, 1 TD SD – Philip Rivers: 19/36, 188 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 23 rushes, 117 yards SD – Ryan Mathews: 22 rushes, 137 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 3 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD SD – Vincent Brown: 3 receptions, 50 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 10 tackles, 2 assists SD – Takeo Spikes: 8 tackles, 6 assists

Coming off their win over the Jets, the Broncos traveled to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West rematch with the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers jumped out to a 10–0 lead, with a 53-yard field goal by kicker Nick Novak in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates. The Broncos responded just before halftime, with an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to wide receiver Eric Decker. The Chargers added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 25-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos countered just before the end of the third quarter, with a 41-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater. Novak missed a 48-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Trailing 13–10 with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos marched down the field and tied the game with a 24-yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos' defense subdued San Diego's final drive of the fourth quarter, sending the game to overtime. On the Chargers' second possession in overtime, Novak's potential game-winning 53-yard field goal was blocked. However, head coach John Fox had called a timeout prior to the kick. Novak missed the second attempt wide right. The Broncos' third possession in overtime began with 2:31 remaining, and Prater nailed the game-winning 37-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in overtime.^[93]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos swept their AFC West division rivals on the road for the second time in three seasons.

Injuries

Cornerback Cassius Vaughn suffered a broken bone in his leg, and was placed on injured reserve the following day.^[34]

Week 13: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	14	14	35
Vikings	5	10	7	10	32

at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,939
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter MIN – 12:44 Jared Allen tackled Willis McGahee in the end zone for a safety. (MIN 2–0) DEN – 5:50 Mario Haggan 16-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 7–2) MIN – 1:29 Ryan Longwell 40-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 7 yards, 1:58. (DEN 7–5) Second quarter MIN – 3:40 Kyle Rudolph 19-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder, Ryan Longwell kick. Drive: 12 plays, 96 yards, 5:57. (MIN 12–7) MIN – 0:03 Ryan Longwell 25-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 0:39. (MIN 15–7) Third quarter DEN – 11:24 Demaryius Thomas 21-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:42. (MIN 15–14) MIN – 3:22 Percy Harvin 52-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder, Ryan Longwell kick. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:23. (MIN 22–14) DEN – 3:03 Demaryius Thomas 41-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 41 yards, 0:24. (MIN 22–21) Fourth quarter MIN – 9:41 Percy Harvin 48-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder, Ryan Longwell kick. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:36. (MIN 29–21) DEN – 8:52 Willis McGahee 24-yard TD run, Tim Tebow run for a two-point conversion. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:49. (tied 29–29) MIN – 3:06 Ryan Longwell 39-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:46. (MIN 32–29) DEN – 1:33 Matt Prater 46-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:33. (tied 32–32) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 23-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 1:25. (DEN 35–32) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 10/15, 202 yards, 2 TD MIN – Christian Ponder: 29/47, 381 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 20 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD MIN – Toby Gerhart: 21 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD MIN – Percy Harvin: 8 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mario Haggan: 7 tackles, 5 assists MIN – Benny Sapp: 6 tackles

Coming off their overtime win at San Diego, the Broncos traveled to the Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for an interconference duel with the Minnesota Vikings. The game's first points came from the Vikings, when defensive end Jared Allen tackled running back Willis McGahee in the end zone for a safety. The Broncos grabbed the lead when linebacker Mario Haggan returned an interception off Vikings' quarterback Christian Ponder 16 yards for a touchdown. Vikings' kicker Ryan Longwell made a 40-yard field goal, then the Vikings reclaimed the lead in the second quarter, on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ponder to tight end Kyle Rudolph, followed by another field goal by Longwell, this time from 25 yards, just before halftime. The Broncos narrowed Minnesota's lead in the third quarter, with a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, but the Vikings countered with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Ponder to wide receiver Percy Harvin. The Broncos responded with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to Thomas. Ponder then threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Harvin to give Minnesota a 29–21 lead. On the Broncos' next possession, McGahee rushed 24 yards for a touchdown and Tebow scrambled for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 29. The Vikings subsequently reclaimed the lead on Longwell's 39-yard field goal with 3:06 left in the game. The Broncos answered with kicker Matt Prater's 46-yard field goal with 1:33 left to tie the game at 32. On the Vikings' ensuing possession, Broncos' cornerback André Goodman returned an interception off Ponder to the Vikings' 15-yard line. Six plays later, Prater nailed the game-winning 23-yard field goal as time expired to give the Broncos their fifth consecutive win.^[94]

Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Fourteen: Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bears	0	0	7	3	0	10
Broncos	0	0	0	10	3	13

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 11
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 76,487
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter No scoring Third quarter CHI – 5:19 Marion Barber 9-yard TD run, Robbie Gould kick. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:15. (CHI 7–0) Fourth quarter CHI – 14:55 Robbie Gould 57-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:53. (CHI 10–0) DEN – 2:08 Demaryius Thomas 10-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:26. (CHI 10–7) DEN – 0:03 Matt Prater 59-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 0:53. (tied 10–10) Overtime DEN – 8:34 Matt Prater 51-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:13. (DEN 13–10) Top passers CHI – Caleb Hanie: 12/19, 115 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 21/40, 236 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Marion Barber: 27 rushes, 108 yards, 1 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 12 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers CHI – Johnny Knox: 3 receptions, 37 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers CHI – Brian Urlacher: 10 tackles, 1 assist DEN – D. J. Williams: 9 tackles

Coming off their last-second win at Minnesota, the Broncos returned home for an interconference duel with the Chicago Bears. After a scoreless first half, which included Bears' defensive end Julius Peppers blocking a 28-yard field goal attempt by kicker Matt Prater in the second quarter, the Bears grabbed the lead in the third quarter, with running back Marion Barber rushing for a 9-yard touchdown. The Bears extended their lead to 10–0 early in the fourth quarter, with a 57-yard field goal by kicker Robbie Gould. With 4:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos put together a 7-play, 63-yard drive, and finally got on the scoreboard with 2:08 remaining, when quarterback Tim Tebow threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. With no timeouts remaining, the Broncos tried an onside kick, but Chicago recovered prior to the two-minute warning. After one running play, the two-minute warning stopped the clock. On the next play, Broncos' linebacker D. J. Williams was able to push Barber out of bounds, saving 40 seconds of time. The Bears eventually punted to the Broncos' 20-yard line with 56 seconds remaining. Tebow subsequently led the Broncos on an 8-play, 39-yard drive, with Prater nailing a game-tying 59-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. This was the first game in NFL history that had two field goals of 57 yards or more. Chicago won the overtime coin toss, however, they deferred, and the Broncos went three-and-out on their first possession. The Bears drove into field goal range on their first overtime possesstion, but Broncos' linebacker Wesley Woodyard forced a fumble off Barber, with defensive end Elvis Dumervil recovering the fumble. Nine plays later, Prater nailed the game-winning 51-yard field goal.^[95]

Notes

In the fourth quarter and overtime, Tim Tebow was 18 of 24 with 191 yards passing and one touchdown.^[96] In his first 11 starts, Tebow has six game winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. This is more than any other quarterback since the AFL–NFL merger, and breaks the previous record of five, last accomplished by Jake Delhomme in 1999.^[95]

Week 15: vs. New England Patriots

Week Fifteen: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	20	7	7	41
Broncos	13	3	0	7	23

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 18
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 76,556
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 9:49 Tim Tebow 9-yard TD run, extra-point snap botched, two-point run failed. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:11. (DEN 6–0) NE – 7:24 Chad Ochocinco 33-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:25. (NE 7–6) DEN – 5:01 Lance Ball 32-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 82 yards, 2:23. (DEN 13–7) Second quarter DEN – 13:47 Matt Prater 26-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:24. (DEN 16–7) NE – 8:43 Aaron Hernandez 1-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:04. (DEN 16–14) NE – 5:49 Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:42. (NE 17–16) NE – 1:12 Tom Brady 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 3:20. (NE 24–16) NE – 0:00 Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard FG. Drive: 1 play, 0:03. (NE 27–16) Third quarter NE – 0:39 Danny Woodhead 10-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:28. (NE 34–16) Fourth quarter DEN – 8:41 Tim Tebow 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 2:38. (NE 34–23) NE – 4:10 BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:31. (NE 41–23) Top passers NE – Tom Brady: 23/34, 320 yards, 2 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 11/22, 194 yards Top rushers NE – Stevan Ridley: 11 rushes, 65 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 12 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NE – Aaron Hernandez: 11 receptions, 129 yards, 1 TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 116 yards Top tacklers NE – Jerod Mayo: 7 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 9 tackles

Coming off their overtime win over the Bears, the Broncos remained on home ground for an AFC duel with the New England Patriots. The Broncos grabbed the early lead, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 9-yard touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion attempt after a botched extra-point snap). The Patriots responded, with quarterback Tom Brady throwing a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. The Broncos countered, with a 32-yard touchdown run by running back Lance Ball, followed in the second quarter by a 26-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater. However, New England reeled off 27 unanswered points, 17 of which came off three Broncos' turnovers in the second quarter. Brady connected with tight end Aaron Hernandez on a 1-yard touchdown pass, placekicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 21-yard field goal, Brady ran a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and Gostkowski nailed a 34-yard field goal at the end of the first half. The Patriots added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown run by running back Danny Woodhead. The Broncos tried to cut into New England's lead in the fourth quarter, with Tebow scrambling for a 2-yard touchdown, but a 1-yard touchdown run by Patriots' running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis and a sack of Tebow for a loss of 28 yards put the game out of reach.^[97]

Week 16: at Buffalo Bills

Week Sixteen: Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	0	7	0	14
Bills	0	17	6	17	40

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 45,112
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 7:13 Tim Tebow 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:40. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter BUF – 6:06 Dave Rayner 28-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:51. (DEN 7–3) BUF – 4:05 Leodis McKelvin 80-yard punt return for a TD, Dave Rayner kick. (BUF 10–7) BUF – 0:19 C. J. Spiller 4-yard TD run, Dave Rayner kick. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:33. (BUF 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 11:42 Daniel Fells 17-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:18. (BUF 17–14) BUF – 6:19 Dave Rayner 25-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:23. (BUF 20–14) BUF – 2:32 Dave Rayner 25-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:45. (BUF 23–14) Fourth quarter BUF – 13:26 Dave Rayner 29-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 1:57. (BUF 26–14) BUF – 8:03 Jairus Byrd 37-yard interception return for a TD, Dave Rayner kick. (BUF 33–14) BUF – 7:45 Spencer Johnson 17-yard fumble return for a TD, Dave Rayner kick. (BUF 40–14) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 13/30, 185 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT BUF – Ryan Fitzpatrick: 15/27, 196 yards Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 15 rushes, 64 yards BUF – C. J. Spiller: 16 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 76 yards BUF – Steve Johnson: 4 receptions, 92 yards Top tacklers DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 7 tackles, 1 assist BUF – Chris Kelsay: 6 tackles, 3 assists

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Patriots, the Broncos traveled to Ralph Wilson Stadium for an AFC duel with the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 1-yard touchdown. The Bills stormed back, reeling off 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, with a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Dave Rayner, an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown by Leodis McKelvin and a 4-yard touchdown run by running back C. J. Spiller. The Broncos cut into Buffalo's lead early in the third quarter, with Tebow throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells. However, the Broncos were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Bills added to their lead, with three field goals by Rayner—a pair of 25-yarders in the third quarter, followed by a 29-yarder early in the fourth quarter. The Bills pulled further away, converting two turnovers off Tebow into touchdowns—a 37-yard interception return by safety Jairus Byrd, followed by a 17-yard fumble return by linebacker Spencer Johnson.^[98]

Week 17: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Seventeen: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	0	0	0	7
Broncos	0	0	3	0	3

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: January 1
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 76,005
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter KC – 0:11 Dexter McCluster 21-yard TD run, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 13 play, 90 yards, 6:22. (KC 7–0) Second quarter No scoring Third quarter DEN – 8:11 Matt Prater 38-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 1:30. (KC 7–3) Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers KC – Kyle Orton: 15/29, 180 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 6/22, 60 yards, 1 INT Top rushers KC – Dexter McCluster: 12 rushes, 61 yards, 1 TD DEN – Willis McGahee: 28 rushes, 145 yards Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe: 6 rushes, 93 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 3 receptions, 34 yards Top tacklers KC – Justin Houston: 6 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks DEN – Elvis Dumervil: 6 tackles, 2 assists

Hoping to rebound from their tough loss at Buffalo and keep their playoff hopes alive, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs, in the team's regular season finale. This was Chiefs' quarterback Kyle Orton's first visit to Denver since he was waived by the Broncos on November 22. The Chiefs grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with a 21-yard touchdown run by running back Dexter McCluster. After a scoreless second quarter, which included a fumble by Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow deep in Chiefs' territory, the Broncos got on the scoreboard in the third quarter, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, both teams were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Kansas City's defense thwarted the Broncos' last drive.^[99]

Notes

With the loss, the Broncos finished the regular season with an 8–8 record, and were swept at home by their division rivals for the second time in three seasons. The Broncos finished tied with the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers for the AFC West division title. However, the Broncos won the tiebreakers over both teams based on record against common opponents (5–5 to the Raiders' and Chargers' 4–6), thus clinching their first playoff berth and division title since 2005.^[6]

Injuries

Guard Chris Kuper suffered a broken leg during the first quarter, and was placed on injured reserve the following day (January 2).^[40]

Postseason

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (#5) Pittsburgh Steelers at (#4) Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Steelers	6	0	7	10	0	23
Broncos	0	20	0	3	6	29

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: January 8, 2012
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 75,970
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter PIT – 11:14 Shaun Suisham 45-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:46. (PIT 3–0) PIT – 0:23 Shaun Suisham 38-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 5:50. (PIT 6–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:24 Eddie Royal 30-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:59. (DEN 7–6) DEN – 10:36 Tim Tebow 8-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:18. (DEN 14–6) DEN – 7:30 Matt Prater 20-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:44. (DEN 17–6) DEN – 1:05 Matt Prater 28-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:04. (DEN 20–6) Third quarter PIT – 4:29 Mike Wallace 1-yard TD run, Shaun Suisham kick. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:56. (DEN 20–13) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:10 Matt Prater 35-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:19. (DEN 23–13) PIT – 9:59 Shaun Suisham 37-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:11. (DEN 23–16) PIT – 3:48 Jerricho Cotchery 31-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:47. (tied 23–23) Overtime DEN – 14:49 Demaryius Thomas 80-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:11. (DEN 29–23) Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger: 22/40, 289 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 10/21, 316 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PIT – Isaac Redman: 17 carries, 121 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 19 carries, 61 yards Top receivers PIT – Emmanuel Sanders: 6 receptions, 81 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 204 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers PIT – Ike Taylor: 6 tackles, 1 assist DEN – David Bruton: 8 tackles

The Broncos opened the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs at home with a Wild Card matchup against the #5 seed Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos' first playoff game since 2005. The only points of the first quarter came from the Steelers, with field goals of 45 and 38 yards by placekicker Shaun Suisham. The Broncos reeled off 20 unanswered points in the second quarter, with quarterback Tim Tebow throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal, then scrambling for an 8-yard touchdown run, followed by field goals of 20 and 28 yards by placekicker Matt Prater. A 1-yard touchdown run by Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace on an end-around was the only scoring play of the third quarter. The Broncos added to their lead early in the fourth quarter, with a 35-yard field goal by Prater. The Steelers countered with a 37-yard field goal by Suisham. On the Broncos' following possession, running back Willis McGahee fumbled, and the Steelers subsequently tied the game with a 7-play, 55-yard drive, culminating with a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Each team traded punts on subsequent possessions, sending the game to overtime. The Broncos won the overtime coin toss, and on their first play, Tebow fired the game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.^[100] It was not only the longest scoring play in NFL overtime playoff history, but Thomas also set a new Broncos' franchise record for receiving yards in a playoff game, with 204 yards.^[101]

With the win, the Broncos advanced to face the New England Patriots in the Divisional round.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at #1 New England Patriots

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (#4) Denver Broncos at (#1) New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	3	0	10
Patriots	14	21	7	3	45

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: January 14, 2012
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 24 °F (−4 °C), partly cloudy and cold
• Game attendance: 68,756
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NE – 13:14 Wes Welker 7-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:51. (NE 7–0) NE – 7:17 Rob Gronkowski 10-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:25. (NE 14–0) Second quarter DEN – 15:00 Willis McGahee 5-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:06. (NE 14–7) NE – 7:49 Rob Gronkowski 12-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:35. (NE 21–7) NE – 2:06 Deion Branch 61-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:30. (NE 28–7) NE – 0:10 Rob Gronkowski 19-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:04. (NE 35–7) Third quarter NE – 11:53 Aaron Hernandez 17-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:40. (NE 42–7) DEN – 2:19 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:16. (NE 42–10) Fourth quarter NE – 12:44 Stephen Gostkowski 20-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:35. (NE 45–10) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 9/26, 136 yards NE – Tom Brady: 26/34, 363 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 17 rushes, 76 yards, 1 TD NE – Aaron Hernandez: 5 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 6 receptions, 93 yards NE – Rob Gronkowski: 10 receptions, 145 yards, 3 TD Top tacklers DEN – Ryan McBean and Joe Mays: 4 tackles each (5 assists by Mays, 1 assist by McBean) NE – Kyle Arrington: 6 tackles, 4 assists

Following their overtime win over the Steelers in the Wild Card round of the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs, the Broncos traveled to Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the #1 seed New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, in the Divisional round. the Patriots jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Tom Brady throwing a pair of touchdown passes—a 7-yarder to wide receiver Wes Welker and a 10-yarder to tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Broncos responded at the beginning of the second quarter, with running back Willis McGahee rushing for a 5-yard touchdown, but the Patriots subsequently added to lead, with Brady throwing three more touchdown passes—a 12-yarder to Gronkowski, a 61-yarder to wide receiver Deion Branch followed by a 19-yarder to Gronkowski just before halftime. The Patriots continued their onslaught in the third quarter, with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez. A 41-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater made the score 42–10. The Patriots added to their lead early in the fourth quarter, with a 20-yard field goal by placekicker Stephen Gostkowski, which would be the last scoring play of the game by either team, sealing the win for New England.^[102]

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(4) Denver Broncos	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	309	390	L3
San Diego Chargers	8	8	0	.500	3–3	7–5	406	377	W1
Oakland Raiders	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	333	395	L1
Kansas City Chiefs	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	212	338	W1

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Tim Tebow	1,729
Passing touchdowns	Tim Tebow	12
Rushing yards	Willis McGahee	1199
Rushing touchdowns	Tim Tebow	6
Receptions	Eric Decker	44
Receiving yards	Eric Decker	612
Receiving touchdowns	Eric Decker	8
Points	Matt Prater	87
Kickoff return yards	Quan Cosby	457
Punt return yards	Quan Cosby	269
Tackles	Wesley Woodyard	97
Sacks	Von Miller	11.5
Forced fumbles	D. J. Williams Wesley Woodyard	3
Interceptions	André Goodman Champ Bailey	2

Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.^[103]

League rankings

Offense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 316.6 YPG 23rd Yards per play 5 25th Rushing yards 164.5 YPG 1st Yards per rush 4.8 6th Passing yards 152.1 YPG 31st Yards per pass 6.3 28th Scoring 19.3 PPG 25th Pass completions 217/429 (.506) 32nd Third downs 66/214 (.308) 30th Possession average 29:43 21st Fewest sacks allowed 42 T−23rd Turnover differential −12 26th

Defense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 357.8 YPG 20th Yards per play 5.4 16th Rushing yards 126.3 YPG 22nd Yards per rush 4.1 12th Passing yards 231.5 YPG 15th Yards per pass 7.5 20th Scoring 24.4 PPG 24th Pass completions 333/534 (.624) 23rd Third downs 73/218 (.335) 27th Sacks 41 T−10th Forced fumbles 11 T−26th Fumble recoveries 9 T–18th Interceptions 9 T−28th

Special Teams Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Kickoff returns 24.5 YPR 11th Punt returns 12.7 YPR 3rd Gross punting 47.4 YPP 7th Net punting 41.6 YPP 6th Kickoff coverage 24.6 YPR 20th Punt coverage 11.5 YPR 13th

Source for this section: NFL.com.^[104]

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award(s)
Champ Bailey	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[105]
Ryan Clady	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[105]
Brian Dawkins	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[105]
Eric Decker	Named to the USA Football All Fundamentals Team[106]
Elvis Dumervil	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[105]
Orlando Franklin	Named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team[107]
Chris Harris, Jr.	Named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team[107] Named to the Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team[108]
Willis McGahee	Week 9: FedEx Ground Player of the Week[109] Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[105]
Von Miller	First half of the season: Sports Illustrated Defensive Rookie of the Year.[110] Week 10: AFC Defensive Player of the Week[111] November: Defensive Rookie of the Month[112] Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[105] Named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team[107] Voted to The Associated Press 2011 NFL All-Pro Team[113] Named to the Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team[108] 2011 season: Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year[114]
Matt Prater	Week 14: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week[115] December: AFC Special Teams Player of the Month[116]
Eddie Royal	Week 9: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week[117]
Tim Tebow	Week 14: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Year (come-from-behind/overtime win)[114]
Demaryius Thomas	Best Moment at 2012 ESPY Awards (80-yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow in the Wild Card playoffs)[118]
Wesley Woodyard	Named as the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year[119]
Team	Week 7: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind/overtime win)[120] Week 10: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to Eric Decker)[121] Week 11: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind win),[122] Week 12: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind/overtime win)[123] Week 14: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind/overtime win)[124]

Other news and notes

• On August 16, Sports Authority, a sporting goods retailer based in Englewood, Colorado, took over the naming rights of INVESCO Field at Mile High. Invesco held the original naming rights to the Denver Broncos' stadium since it opened in 2001, and Invesco's naming rights agreement was set to expire in 2021. INVESCO Field at Mile High officially became known as Sports Authority Field at Mile High, in time for the Broncos' first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 20.^[125]
• This season was the last in which the Broncos wore their navy blue jerseys as their primary home jersey. The team used the alternate orange jerseys for games in Weeks 1 (vs. the Oakland Raiders) and 8 (vs. the Detroit Lions).^[82][89] Beginning with the 2012 season, the Broncos announced that the orange jerseys — the team's alternate colored jersey since 2002 — will become the primary home jersey, while the navy blue jerseys, which had been the team's primary home jersey since their introduction in 1997, will switch to alternate designation. The change was made due to overwhelming popularity with fans, who clamored for the team to return to wearing orange at home, which was the team's predominant home jersey color from 1962–1996.^[126][127]

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External links

• Official website
• The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage
• 2011 Season page on Pro Football Reference
• 2011 Denver Broncos at ESPN