List of Denver Broncos seasons

Sports Authority Field at Mile High, where the Broncos have played their home games since 2001

This is a list of seasons completed by the Denver Broncos, an American football franchise based in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos are members of the West division of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The list documents their season-by-season records from 1960 to the present day, including post-season records, and league awards for individual players and head coaches. As of the end of the 2015 season, the team has completed 56 seasons (playing in nearly 900 combined regular season and playoff games), and concluded the 2015 season with a 24–10 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California.

The Broncos franchise was founded on August 14, 1959, by Bob Howsam and played their first season in 1960, in Denver, Colorado as part of the original American Football League (AFL). The team joined the NFL in 1970 as a result of the AFL–NFL merger.[1]

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 wins than losses), 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, through their current reign as Super Bowl Champions. The 5-year stretch has included 5 AFC West Titles, 2 AFC Championships, and in 2015, a 24 to10 ratio victory in Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. The Broncos have also experienced one notable period of deterioration. 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 ten years of existence (although the team finished with 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, most recently having won the division the last five consecutive seasons (2011 to present), 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 New England Patriots for the most AFC championships) and Super Bowl champions thrice.[3]

Seasons

Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any post-season play.

Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) Conference Champions Division Champions Wild Card berth
Official NFL records as of February 7, 2016
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Post-season results Awards Head coaches
Finish Wins Losses Ties
1960 1960 AFL West 4th 4 9 1 Frank Filchock
1961 1961 AFL West 3rd 3 11 0 Frank Filchock
1962 1962 AFL West 2nd 7 7 0 Jack Faulkner (COY) Jack Faulkner
1963 1963 AFL West 4th 2 11 1 Jack Faulkner
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 Lou Saban
1969 1969 AFL West 4th 5 8 1 Lou Saban
1970[lower-alpha 1] 1970 NFL AFC West 4th 5 8 1 Lou Saban
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 John Ralston
1974 1974 NFL AFC West 2nd 7 6 1 John Ralston
1975 1975 NFL AFC West 2nd 6 8 0 John Ralston
1976 1976 NFL AFC West 2nd 9 5 0 John Ralston
1977 1977 NFL AFC West 1st 12 2 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 34–21
Won Conference Championship (Raiders) 20–17
Lost Super Bowl XII (Cowboys) 10–27		 Craig Morton (CBPOY) Red Miller
1978 1978 NFL AFC West 1st 10 6 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 10–33 Randy Gradishar (DPOY) Red Miller
1979 1979 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Oilers) 7–13 Red Miller
1980 1980 NFL AFC West 4th 8 8 0 Red Miller
1981 1981 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Dan Reeves
1982[lower-alpha 2] 1982 NFL AFC 12th 2 7 0 Dan Reeves
1983 1983 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Seahawks) 7–31 Dan Reeves
1984 1984 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 17–24 Dan Reeves
1985 1985 NFL AFC West 2nd 11 5 0 Dan Reeves
1986 1986 NFL AFC West 1st 11 5 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 22–17
Won Conference Championship (Browns) 23–20 (OT)[lower-alpha 3]
Lost Super Bowl XXI (Giants) 20–39		 Dan Reeves
1987[lower-alpha 4] 1987 NFL AFC West 1st 10 4 1 Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 34–10
Won Conference Championship (Browns) 38–33[lower-alpha 5]
Lost Super Bowl XXII (Redskins) 10–42		 John Elway (MVP) Dan Reeves
1988 1988 NFL AFC West 2nd 8 8 0 Dan Reeves
1989 1989 NFL AFC West 1st 11 5 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 24–23
Won Conference Championship (Browns) 37–21
Lost Super Bowl XXIV (49ers) 10–55		 Dan Reeves
1990 1990 NFL AFC West 5th 5 11 0 Dan Reeves
1991 1991 NFL AFC West 1st 12 4 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 26–24
Lost Conference Championship (Bills) 7–10		 Mike Croel (DROY) Dan Reeves
1992 1992 NFL AFC West 3rd 8 8 0 Dan Reeves
1993 1993 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Raiders) 24–42 Wade Phillips
1994 1994 NFL AFC West 4th 7 9 0 Wade Phillips
1995 1995 NFL AFC West 3rd 8 8 0 Mike Shanahan
1996 1996 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Jaguars) 27–30 Terrell Davis (OPOY) Mike Shanahan
1997 1997 NFL AFC West 2nd 12 4 0 Won Wild Card Playoffs (Jaguars) 42–17
Won Divisional Playoffs (Chiefs) 14–10
Won Conference Championship (Steelers) 24–21
Won Super Bowl XXXII (1) (Packers) 31–24		 Terrell Davis (SB MVP) Mike Shanahan
1998 1998 NFL AFC West 1st 14 2 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 38–3
Won Conference Championship (Jets) 23–10
Won Super Bowl XXXIII (2) (Falcons) 34–19		 Terrell Davis (MVP, OPOY)
John Elway (SB MVP)		 Mike Shanahan
1999 1999 NFL AFC West 5th 6 10 0 Mike Shanahan
2000 2000 NFL AFC West 2nd 11 5 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 3–21 Mike Anderson (OROY) Mike Shanahan
2001 2001 NFL AFC West 3rd 8 8 0 Mike Shanahan
2002 2002 NFL AFC West 2nd 9 7 0 Clinton Portis (OROY) Mike Shanahan
2003 2003 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 10–41 Mike Shanahan
2004 2004 NFL AFC West 2nd 10 6 0 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 24–49 Mike Shanahan
2005 2005 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 27–13
Lost Conference Championship (Steelers) 17–34		 Mike Shanahan
2006 2006 NFL AFC West 3rd 9 7 0 Mike Shanahan
2007 2007 NFL AFC West 2nd 7 9 0 Mike Shanahan
2008 2008 NFL AFC West 2nd 8 8 0 Mike Shanahan
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 (Patriots) 10–45		 Von Miller (DROY) John Fox
2012 2012 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Ravens) 35–38 (2OT) Peyton Manning (CBPOY) John Fox
2013 2013 NFL AFC West 1st 13 3 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers) 24–17
Won Conference Championship (Patriots) 26–16
Lost Super Bowl XLVIII (Seahawks) 8–43		 Peyton Manning (MVP, OPOY) John Fox
2014 2014 NFL AFC West 1st 12 4 0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 13–24 John Fox
2015 2015 NFL AFC West 1st 12 4 0 Won Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 23–16
Won Conference Championship (Patriots) 20–18
Won Super Bowl 50 (3) (Panthers) 24–10		 Von Miller (SB MVP) Gary Kubiak
Total 456 386 10 (1960–2015, includes only regular season)
23 19 -- (1960–2015, includes only playoffs)
479 405 10 (1960–2015, regular season and 1960–2015, 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.[7]

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Denver Broncos". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  2. ↑ "John Elway". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Denver Broncos Franchise Encyclopedia". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  4. ↑ "The AFL: A Football Legacy". Sports Illustrated. 2001-01-22. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  5. 1 2 "HISTORY 1981–1990". NFL. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Pro Football Hall of Fame – The Drive". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  7. ↑ "1987 AFC Championship Game vs. Cleveland Browns". Denver Broncos. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
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