About the Denver Broncos
The Broncos provided football fans with one of the greatest moments in NFL history in Super Bowl XXXII. After years of postseason frustration, the Broncos emerged from the AFC playoffs and upset the Green Bay Packers. The win marked their first Super Bowl title ever and it gave quarterback John Elway his long-awaited championship.
It took the Broncos nearly four decades to win their first Super Bowl title. However, they had worked their way into the hearts of fans in Colorado almost from their inception and became one of the most popular teams in professional football.
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History
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The Broncos are one of the most popular and successful teams in pro football. However, it took them a long time before they started to win. They were perennial losers during their 10-year run in the American Football League and things didn't get much better for them when the two leagues merged and began to play together in 1970. They didn't have a winning season until 1973 and they didn't make it to the playoffs until 1977.
That turned out to be a huge year for the Broncos and their "Orange Crush" defense. Denver won the AFC West title with a 12-2 record and beat the Steelers and the Raiders in the playoffs to earn a spot is Super Bowl XII against the Dallas Cowboys. The upstart Broncos had plenty of spunk and spirit, but could not match the Cowboys in talent and dropped a 27-10 decision.
Despite the loss, the Broncos changed the direction of the franchise that year. No longer punching bags, the Broncos used a hard-hitting defense to impose their will on opponnets. When they added Elway in 1983, they became an upper-echelon team.
Elway may be the most gifted quarterback in the history of professional football. A remarkable athlete with shocking arm strength and a quick delivery, Elway showed a remarkable ability to pull out games in the fourth quarter. His greatest comeback may have come in the 1986 AFC championship game when he directed a 98-yard drive to tie the game late in the fourth quarter to send it to overtimes. The Broncos won the game but lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl
The Broncos were beaten soundly in subsequent Super Bowls by the Redskins and 49ers. Both of those defeats were by embarrassing margins and many Broncos fans wondered if their team would ever win the big game. However, when head coach Mike Shanahan brought his team to San Diego following the 1997 season, the Broncos were ready. Elway inspired his team with a diving third-down conversion that put his team on the verge of victory and running back Terrell Davis brought the title home with a touchdown run. Owner Pat Bowlen celebrated the team's long-awaited Super Bowl title by raising the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft and saying, "This one's for John."
Elway was visibly relieved to have finally won the "big one" and he repeated the success when he led Denver to another Super Bowl title the following year. Elway retired after that victory over the Atlanta Falcons and the Broncos have not been able to match the success they had with Elway behind center, although they have been a regular postseason performer.
Significance
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The 1977 Broncos brought satisfaction to long-sufferring fans who had never seen their team make the postseason, let alone win a playoff game in their history. Led by defensive players like Lyle Alzado, Ruben Carter, Tom Jackson and Steve Foley, the Broncos punished opponents and played with passion. Prior to that season, a game in Denver was viewed as an easy game for most opponents. After that game, playing at Mile High Stadium was one of the most difficult assignments in the league.
The two key moves in franchise history were the acquisition of Elway in 1983 and the hiring of Shanahan in 1995. Elway had been drafted in 1983 by the Baltimore Colts, but he refused to sign a contract with Baltimore and was traded to the Broncos. He went through some growing pains but he was clearly a top-level talent at the quarterback position.
Shanahan had been the offensive coordinator with the high-powered San Francisco 49ers before being hired by the Broncos. Elway had lobbied owner Pat Bowlen and tried to convince Shanahan to take the job and Shanahan brought the Broncos a new creativity that had been missing from the offense. -
Considerations
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Broncos fans are known as some of the loudest and most loyal fans in the business. The homefield advantage at Mile High Stadium and INVESCO Field at Mile High is one of the most significant in the league according to many NFL players. Opponents have a hard time playing at a high altitude and Broncos fans go out of their way to make their guests feel unwelcome.
Shanahan has given the Broncos a significant edge in the coaching department. His ability to breakdown films and find weaknesses to attack has allowed the Broncos to remain contenders. He also excels at finding talent at the running back spot. Running backs like Davis, Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary were overlooked by many teams but Shanahan saw their talent and turned them into stars.
Misconceptions
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The Broncos were destroyed by the Redksins 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. The Broncos actually got off to a 10-0 lead in that game, but the Redskins scored 35 points in the second quarter and rolled over Denver. They endured an even worse defeat in Super Bowl IV by the 49ers. San Francisco was its peak in that game as Joe Montana, Roger Craig, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott were all at the peak of their powers. The 49ers scored at will and ran the Broncos out of the New Orleans Superdome by a 55-10 margin.
The Broncos had a great defense when they won the AFC title in 1977 and during their Super Bowl years, but that has been their biggest failing in other seasons. There is a perception that the team is "soft" and that they lack the strength to stop the run and athleticism to stop great pass receivers.
Expert Insight
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The Broncos have gotten great leadership from Bowlen and Shanahan. Both men have worked well together at keeping the team in the upper echelon of the league. As long as they remain together, the Broncos seemingly have a strong chance of remaining contenders in the AFC West. The team's ability to count on a strong and loyal fan base also makes the team an excellent destination for free agents who want to play with a winning team in front of loyal and supportive fans.
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