History

The Denver Broncos merged with 8 other team to form the American Football League. Their team did not get off to a good start as they finished with losing records (sub- 0.500) for nearly 13 years. The team then merged into a new division called the AFC west, which they are still currently in. It was not until head coach John Ralston took over that the Broncos began their winning ways, but it took him his second year before the Broncos had a winning record, which resulted in a first place finish with a 6.3.2 record (win-loss-tie).

Coach Ralston developed the Broncos into a winning football team as he produced several other winning seasons for the organization. After coach Ralston’s resignation in 1976, coach Red Miller was hired and in his first year, he finished with an astounding 12-2 record. The Broncos began to produce winning records over the years and a two month strike in 1982, which gave the team its first losing season in seven years. During that year, the Broncos drafted John Elway with their number 1 pick and Elway was immediately named the starting quarterback for the next season.

John Elway had trouble maintaining his starting job for the first several seasons, but solidify his starting role towards the end of the 1983 season. From that day on, John Elway has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. His career peaked during the 1997 and 1998 season when Denver won back-to-back Super Bowls under John Elway. Upon winning his second Super Bowl, Elway announced his retirement.

Since his retirement, the Broncos had constantly changed quarterbacks and running backs. Although the quarterbacks were the same, the running backs each ran for at least 1000-yards from 1999 to 2004. Now with coach Mike Shanahan fired, coach Josh McDaniels will try to bring back the winning traditions of the Broncos organization.

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