Game of the Decade

When profiling the 2005 Denver Broncos as the "Bronco Team of the Decade," I left the 2005 Divisional Playoff against New England out of the highlights section. I did that on purpose because I wanted to give it a platform of its own. The Broncos vs. the Patriots. 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff. The choice for "Bronco Game of the Decade."

The Broncos finished the 2005 season 13-3 and the two seed in the AFC behind Indianapolis. After New England, who finished 10-6 and winners of the AFC East, easily dispatched of Jacksonville on Wildcard Saturday Night, the Steelers and Bengals played on Sunday afternoon to decide who would be going where the next round of the AFC Playoffs. A Steeler win sent Pittsburgh to Indy, and the Pats would be headed to Denver. A Bengal victory meant that Cincy would be coming to Denver, and the Pats would be going to Indy. It was pretty easy for me on who I should be rooting for. As the final seconds ticked away on the Steelers 31-17 win over Cincy, I got a call my friend Mike(A disgruntled Jets fan). He simply stated, "Have fun with the Pats next week buddy." I was shitting in my pants thinking about the prospect of having to face Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the playoffs. The two-time defending Super Bowl Champions were going to Denver to take on the Broncos. To understand the importance of the game you have to remember the time period it took place. Invesco Field at Mile High had never hosted a playoff game in its' existence. The city of Denver had not hosted a playoff game since the 1998 AFC Championship. To say that Denver and the Bronco fans were eagerly anticipating this game was a huge understatement. Throw in this tidbit: Denver clinched the division and a first round bye on Christmas Eve. The fans already knew that they would be hosting the Divisional Playoff game on Saturday January, 14, 2006 from the moment the Broncos beat the Raiders on XMas Eve. That gave the Bronco fans 21 days to get themselves pumped up for this game and this moment.

(Personal Sidenote: I was a mouse click away from going to this game. I had the tickets, airfare, hotel, and rental car all lined up. It was going to cost a shit load of money, but I was poised to do it. I posed the question to my Dad on Christmas Day, and he was totally into going with me. It would have been an amazing trip, and a great Father-Son weekend. About a week after Christmas, he bailed on the trip because he figured that the weather in Denver in January would be too cold to enjoy the game, and he figured we would probably get some type of blizzard in Colorado that would wreak havoc on our trip. The weather in Denver for the game: 60 degrees. The weather in Long Island that day: 25 degrees and a severe ice storm. I knew I should have just booked the trip)

That whole week everyone was picking the Pats. A lot of people thought Denver would play well, but everyone agreed that Brady and company would find a way to win like they always do. Once the game started, the crowd really affected Brady and Pats offense. A few false starts and miscommunications gave the Bronco defense a real advantage early. After the Pats settled down, they converted a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Denver then got the first big break when the refs called a terrible pass interference call on Asante Samuel at the one yard line. Mike Anderson broke through from a yard out, and Denver lead 7-3. This whole sequence was preceded by a Kevin Faulk fumble in New England territory. Denver got another break when the Pats fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Denver's Jason Elam nailed a 50 yarder to give Denver the 10-3 lead going into halftime. In the second half, it seemed to be all Patriots. Brady started to get comfortable, and the Patriots offense started to click. The Pats got a field goal to make it 10-6 midway through the 3rd quarter. The Broncos offense would move the ball a little and then their drives would stall. Brady got the ball back and marched the Pats deep inside the Bronco 10 late in the 3rd quarter. On a 3rd and goal, the Broncos sent an all out blitz on Brady, which forced him out of the pocket to his right. On the run, Brady threw a pass in the end zone for Troy Brown. All of a sudden you see Champ Bailey jump up in front of it, pick it off, and race down the Bronco sideline. Bailey raced all the way down to the Patriot one yard line where he was caught by a hustling Ben Watson. It is one of the greatest Bronco plays of all time. Just a special play by a special player. It was the ultimate turning point, and Mike Anderson scooted into the end zone on the next play to give Denver a 17-6 lead. The Pats were not done though. Once again, they marched down the field, but this time Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal. The Broncos punted the ball back to New England midway through the fourth quarter, but Troy Brown fumbled the punt, and Denver recovered deep in Patriot territory. Jake Plummer hit Rod Smith on a 4 yard pass and the Broncos were in front 24-6 late in the fourth. Brady and the Patriots don't die easily. He led the Pats on a quick scoring drive with a 4 yard strike to David Givens to cut the lead to 24-13. Up by 11, the Broncos didn't sit on the lead. In typical Mike Shanahan fashion, they attacked. Shanny waited all game to call the naked bootleg pass that Plummer ran so well the last time these two teams played. Shanahan made his mark as a great play caller, and he dialed up the right play at the right time. Plummer hit Smith on a 42 yarder on a naked bootleg on first down, and it put the Broncos in business. Elam's 34 yard field goal effectively clinched it, and Denver won 27-13. Who would have thought that mistakes by Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri, and Troy Brown would do in the Patriots? It ended the Patriots run for third consecutive Super Bowl, and it was the first ever loss in the playoffs for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick together. It was Denver's first playoff win since Super Bowl XXXIII in January of 1999. It was the only playoff win for the Broncos in the decade. The next morning, Phil Simms was doing an interview with Mike Francesa on Francesca's "NFL Now" show. Simms called the Bronco-Patriot game with Jim Nantz for CBS. Simms simply stated that it was one of the most tense, exciting, and thrilling NFL atmospheres he has seen in his entire career involved with the NFL. I couldn't agree more. What a game and what a moment for Broncos fans. To beat Brady and Belichick in Denver was something special, and that's why the 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff is the "Broncos Game of the Decade."

Number 1 Bronco Team of the Decade

1) 2005 Denver Broncos-

Record 13-3

Points Scored: 395 (24.7)

Points Against: 258 (16.1)

Highlight: The Broncos clinched their first AFC West title and a first round bye with a win over the rival Raiders in Denver on Christmas Eve. It was the first division title for Denver since the 1998 season. The Broncos caught a break earlier in the day when the Bengals were upset at home by the Bills. By gametime, Denver had everything they needed on the table: a playoff berth, a division title, and a first round bye. The Broncos dispatched of the Raiders rather easily. Jake Plummer scored on a quarterback sneak to give Denver an early 10-0 lead. Mike Anderson punched home another touchdown and the Broncos lead 16-0 at the half. Denver cruised to a 22-3 win. The 2005 season also featured some other great highlights including: Victories over New England (28-20) and Philly (49-21) in a three week span to give them a 6-2 record. Denver also recorded a thrilling 24-21 win at Dallas on Thanksgiving. Ron Dayne's 55 yard run set up Jason Elam's game winning 24 yard field goal to push Denver's record to 9-2 at that point.

Lowlight: The AFC Championship loss to Pittsburgh at home. Anytime you are 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl and you are playing at home, you have to win that game. Plus, Denver was a five point favorite heading into the contest. Two plays stick out: Early in the game, Champ Bailey dropped a surefire interception and the ball bounced into Hines Ward's hands for a first down. The Steelers converted a field goal to make it 3-0. The Broncos also forced a fumble on the next Pitt drive, but the play was overturned. The Steelers converted big 3rd downs on that drive and scored a touchdown to take a 10-0 lead. By halftime, Denver trailed 24-3 and it was all over as the Broncos suffered a devastating 34-17 loss.

What If?: If Denver wins the AFC Championship over Pittsburgh, then the Broncos win the Super Bowl over Seattle that year. Denver's defense was really good at two things in '05: Stopping the run and forcing turnovers. The Broncos would have shut down Stephen Alexander and stifled Matt Hasselback and Seattle passing game. Also, the only reason Seattle was in the game against Pittsburgh was because Big Ben played so poorly for the Steelers. Mike Shanahan would have a great gameplan for the Super Bowl, and he would have limited Jake Plummer enough to make sure he didn't make any mistakes. Also, Denver would have pounded Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell all game long. The 2005 Broncos could have stolen another Super Bowl for Pat Bowlen and Mike Shanahan.

Teams of the Decade #2

2) 2000 Denver Broncos-

Record: 11-5

Points Scored: 485 points (30.3)

Points Against: 369 points (23.1)

Highlight: The Broncos clinched a playoff spot with a win over the 49ers at home in Week 17 38-9. It was the last ever game played at Mile High Stadium. The stadium was the standard for homefield advantage, and it was an emotional game for the Broncos and their fans. Many old Broncos came back for the game, including John Elway, and the Broncos didn't disappoint by routing the Niners. After the game, Mike Shanahan and the rest of the team went back out of the locker room and walked around Mile High one last time to thank the fans.

Lowlight: The Broncos were 4-3 and facing the 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals in Cincy. The Broncos jumped out to a 14-3 lead, but could not hold it. Cincy came storming back, and running back Corey Dillion rushed for a then NFL record 278 yards. He capped off the game with a clinching 41 yard run as the Bengals embarrassed the Broncos 31-21 to put Denver at a disappointing 4-4 at the halfway point.

What If?: The Broncos finished 11-5 and earned a wild card. People forget that they actually swept the Raiders that year, who won the division at 12-4. Denver was 10-4 heading into KC to face the 6-8 Chiefs. The Broncos stubbed their toe on the road and lost 20-7. The loss paved the way for the Raiders to win the AFC West and gain a first round bye. Instead of traveling to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the wild card round, Denver could have had a bye, and then hosted the Miami Dolphins in Mile High in the divisional round. There would have been a very good chance that they would have been in the 2000 AFC Championship if those events had transpired.

Teams of the Decade #4 and 3

4) 2004 Denver Broncos-

Record: 10-6

Points Scored: 381 (23.8)

Points Against: 304 (19.0)

Highlight: A 37-16 win over the Titans in Tennessee on Christmas night followed by a playoff clinching 33-14 win over Indianapolis at Invesco in Week 17. The Broncos were 8-6 and needed to win their final two games and hope that Jacksonville could lose one of their last two. The Broncos manhandled Tennessee easily, and Jacksonville was upset by Houston the next day. The Broncos got a break in Week 17 because Indy decided to rest Peyton Manning and their starters because there was no possible way the Colts could move up or down in playoff positioning. The Broncos feasted on the Colts backups and romped their way into the playoffs at 10-6.

Lowlight: The Broncos were 7-3 and tied for first in the AFC West with San Diego. The Broncos lost a terrible game at home to Oakland on Sunday Night Football 25-24. Jason Elam's last second field goal was blocked as Denver once again lost on SNF in a blizzard with their orange alternate jerseys. The following week, Denver lost a tough game at SD with the division on the line. The Chargers jumped out to a 20-7 lead and held off a valiant Broncos rally in the fourth to win 20-17. The Broncos looked like their playoff chances were really in trouble, when they got buried in Kansas City 45-17, and their record stood at 8-6.

What If?: If Denver beats SD in Week 13, then the Broncos would have won the AFC West with an 11-5 record and a tiebreaker over the Chargers. Denver would have hosted the Chargers in the first round of the AFC playoffs, and at that time Denver never lost to the Chargers in Denver. Instead, the Broncos finished 10-6 and had to go on the road to Indy and got murdered by Manning and the Colts 49-24.

3) 2003 Denver Broncos-

Record: 10-6

Points Scored: 381 (23.8)

Points Against: 301 (18.8)

Highlight: The Broncos defeated the favored Colts in Indy on SNF in Week 16 to clinch a playoff spot. The 9-5 Broncos needed to win one of that last two games, but that task would be very hard since they were on the road at 11-3 Indy and 9-6 Green Bay. The victory over the Colts was one of the best wins of the decade for the franchise. The Colts jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a Gary Brackett 31 yard interception return off of Jake Plummer. Plummer responded with a 60 yard completion to Ashley Lelie on the very next play from scrimmage. With Clinton Portis sidelined with an ankle injury, the Broncos used Quentin Griffin and Mike Anderson to gash the Colt defense. Anderson gained 56 yards and scored a touchdown, and Griffin added 136 yards as Denver took a 28-17 lead in the second quarter. Jason Elam's field goal made it 31-17 in the fourth quarter, and the Bronco defense shut down Peyton Manning all game. The Broncos sacked Manning twice, hurried him all night, and held the Colts offense to only 183 total yards.

Lowlight: The Broncos 41-10 loss in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs to Indianapolis was quite stunning. Many people had picked Denver to beat the Colts in the first round, and I remember one Denver sports reporter talking about how the Colts just didn't think they could matchup with Denver. Unfortunately, the Colts came out gunning, and Peyton Manning was superb. Manning threw four touchdowns in the first half, and the Colts jumped out to a stunning 31-3 lead at the half. Manning threw one more touchdown in the third quarter, and the Broncos got buried 41-10. It was a bitter ending for a team that deserved more then a first round knockout.

What If?: If the Colts had lost their last game of the season, then there was a good chance the Broncos would have advanced to the second round. The Colts defeated the Texans on a late field goal, and that gave the Colts the AFC South over the Titans. If the Colts lose that game, then Denver heads to Tennessee in round one, and they had a very good chance of beating that Tennessee team.

Teams of the Decade #6 and 5

6) 2006 Denver Broncos-

Record: 9-7

Points Scored: 319 (19.9)

Points Against: 305 (19.1)

Highlight: The Broncos got off to a 7-2 start to the season backed by a dominating and suffocating defense. From games two through six, Denver's defense allowed the following points each game: 6,7,3,3, and 7. They also defeated New England and Baltimore (Combined 2006 Record: 25-7), beat defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh on the road, and lost at home to eventual Super Bowl XLI Champ Indy by three. The Broncos had established themselves as AFC West contenders and a real threat to get to the Super Bowl.

Lowlight: Denver's loss to San Francisco in Week 17 knocked the Broncos from playoff contention. The 49ers were 6-9 heading into Denver, and all the Broncos had to do was win and they were in. Denver took a 13-0 first half lead with help from Champ Bailey's 70 yard interception return. The Niners stormed back to completely take control of the game in the second half. Trailing 23-16 late in the fourth quarter, Jay Cutler engineered an Elway-like drive and hit TE Tony Scheffler with a 9 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 23 and send it to overtime. In overtime, Denver had the ball twice, but they couldn't get the deciding points. San Francisco buried the Bronco playoff hopes with a Joe Nedney 36 yard field goal to win it. Denver was eliminated from playoff contention and archrival Kansas City gained entry to the playoffs with the Bronco defeat. To make matters worse, Darrent Williams was shot and killed late that night after an argument at a Denver nightclub. That day and ensuing evening could be considered the worst moment in recent Broncos history.

What If?: The 2006 Broncos bring about the ultimate "What If?" of the decade. At 7-4, Mike Shanahan decided to bench starting QB Jake Plummer (A fan favorite and unquestionable team leader) and go with rookie first-round pick Jay Cutler. Shanny felt that Cutler gave the team the best chance to improve their offensive performance. Many people, myself included, thought it was a good move because it would shake up a stagnant offense and it gave the Broncos a chance to give Cutler valuable experience because he was the future of the franchise. It was an interesting proposition: Do you sacrifice a possible playoff berth to give a rookie QB valuable playing experience or do you stick with your veteran leader and make the playoffs? Even if your Super Bowl chances are slim, do you still make that move? I must admit at the time I liked the move to Cutler. Years later it was a bad move by Shanahan. If Shanny sticks with Plummer, there is no way Denver loses to Seattle at home in Week 13. Denver's defense dominated the Seahawks all game long, but Cutler threw a pick six, and he struggled all night going 10-21 with 143 yards and two interceptions. Plummer would have won that game for Denver. If Denver wins just that game, then they will make the playoffs at 10-6. They would have opened up on the road at New England. Although they probably would have lost to the Pats, they did beat them earlier in the 17-7 in Foxboro. Plus, in the NFL playoffs it is a one game tournament. You never know what could have happened. The bottom line is that you never trade a playoff berth for developing the future of your team. Playoff berths are very hard and rare to come by, and Shanahan made a mistake by benching Plummer and going with Cutler.

5) 2002 Denver Broncos-

Record: 9-7

Points Scored: 392 (24.5)

Points Against: 344 (21.5)

Highlight: A 6-2 start and first place in the AFC West at the midway point of the season. The first half included big wins over both Super Bowl participants from the year before (23-16 over St.Louis and 24-16 over New England). Also, Denver won a rare game at Arrowhead over the Chiefs 37-34 in overtime. Denver rallied from 34-20 hole in the fourth quarter and won it in OT on Jason Elam field goal. It was and still is one of the most thrilling Bronco victories in the entire decade.

Lowlight: The Broncos playoff hopes ended in the Black Hole with a tough loss to the Raiders 28-16. It was a game that Brian Griese called the biggest of his career, but it turned out to be his last ever as a Bronco. At 8-6, if Denver won their final two games they would win the AFC West. All the Raiders had to do was beat Denver in Week 16, and they would clinch the AFC West. The Broncos fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter, and Griese was awful. He was 7-15 with two interceptions before being knocked out of the game by Bill Romanowski (Talk about revenge). Steve Beuerlein entered the game and actually rallied the Broncos. Beuerlein brought Denver back and Denver only trailed 21-18 midway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the Raiders were able to hold them off and put the game away on Zack Crockett 1 yard touchdown run late in the fourth. The Raiders clinched the AFC West, and Denver was dealt a huge blow to their playoff hopes. The Broncos would need a lot of help in Week 17, and they didn't get it (Cleveland won), and the Broncos missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

What If? No offense to the Colts or Browns that year, but the 2002 Denver Broncos were a playoff team that year. The Broncos lost so many brutal games that they deserve their own DVD titled, "Worse Regular Season Losses in One Season." Exhibit A: A stunning 24-22 loss at home to Miami in Week 6. The Broncos drove late and Jason Elam nailed a 55 yard field goal to give the Broncos a 22-21 lead. John Mobley drops a surefire interception on the ensuing drive, and Olindo Mare nails a 53 yarder at the buzzer to win it for the Fish. The loss drops Denver to 4-2. Exhibit B: A 23-20 overtime loss at home to Indy on Sunday Night Football. In a game played in a blizzard, Denver unveils their orange alternate jerseys for the first time. Up 20-17 in the fourth quarter, all Denver needs is a first down to ice the game. On 3rd and 3, Shanny calls for a pass, and Steve Buerlein's attempt to Ed McCaffrey is incomplete. With the ball and a chance, Peyton Manning drives the Colts enough to give Mike Vanderjagt a chance at a 54 yard field goal in the wind and snow. Of course, Vanderjagt drills it and sends the game to OT. In overtime, Vanderjagt nails a 51 yarder to beat the Broncos and drop them to 7-4. Exhibit C: A Week 13 loss at San Diego in overtime 30-27. The Broncos jump out to a 10-0 lead, but soon fall behind 21-1o in the second quarter. The Broncos tie the game at 24 in the third quarter, and Jason Elam hits a 24 yarder to tie the game at 27 late in the game. In overtime, Denver blocks a field goal by San Diego, but they can't get a first down, so they punt the ball back to the Chargers. San Diego drives down the field, with help from Drew Brees, and wins in it on a Steve Christie 27 yard field goal. The loss drops Denver to 7-5. Exhibit D: A 19-13 loss at the hands of the New York Jets in the Meadowlands. The loss drops Denver to 7-6. The Broncos are clinging to a 13-9 lead as they head into the fourth quarter. The Jets get 10 points to take a 19-13 lead. The Broncos get the ball back late, and Brian Griese begins the drive the Broncos down the field into Jet territory. The drive is highlighted by a huge Griese to Shannon Sharpe pass. Griese again hits Sharpe to put the Broncos inside the Jet 15, but a mysterious holding call wipes out the play. A few plays later, Griese terribly overthrows Rod Smith at the Jets 1o yard line and Jet safety Jon McGraw picks him off to seal the game.

Those four losses were absolutely brutal. If the Broncos win one of those games they are in the playoffs in '02. If Denver beats Indy in Week 12, then the Broncos are 10-6 and the 5th seed going to New York to play the Jets- a very winnable game. Even if Denver loses to Indy, but won any of the other three games, they are the 6 seed and headed to Pittsburgh to play Tommy Maddox and the Steelers-once again a very winnable game. Don't forget that Bronco team was paced by a rookie running back named Clinton Portis. The Broncos running attack with Portis would have given them a really good chance in any playoff game on the road that year. It is a shame that the 2002 Denver Broncos didn't make the playoffs. Just a shame.

Broncos Team of the Decade Continued...

8) 2008 Denver Broncos-

Record: 8-8

Points Scored: 370 (23.1)

Points Against: 448 (28)

Highlight: The Broncos raced to a 3-0 start with an explosive offense and some fun shootout victories. The Broncos opened the season with a 41-14 thrashing of the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football. They followed that with a thrilling 39-38 win over San Diego and a 34-32 win over New Orleans-both at Invesco Field. The San Diego game was the memorable moment of the early NFL season. A back and forth shootout saw Denver trailing 38-31 late in the fourth quarter. As Denver drove deep into Charger territory, Jay Cutler fumbled as he was attempting a pass on a rollout. Referee Ed Hochuli ruled the play an incomplete pass and not a fumble, which at that time was not reviewable. Denver got a second chance and Cutler hit Eddie Royal for a touchdown with seconds left. Mike Shanahan made the gutsy decision and decided to go for two and the win. Cutler hit Royal again and the Broncos won by a point. Denver's start earned them the reputation as one of the top offenses in the NFL, and many people considered them a serious Super Bowl contender.

Lowlight: Many people will point to Denver's season ending loss at San Diego as the lowpoint of the 2008 season, but for me the real low moment was the loss the week before at home to the 6-8 Buffalo Bills. The Broncos led the AFC West with an 8-5 record and they needed only one win in their final three games to win the division. San Diego was 5-8 and couldn't lose one game the rest of the way. SD won two in a row and was standing at 7-8 and putting the 8-6 Broncos on edge. Denver jumped out to a 13-0 lead on Buffalo in the first half, but ended up trailing 16-13 late in the third. A Cutler touchdown run gave Denver a 20-16 lead, but their defense failed them once again. Buffalo held a 30-23 lead late in the fourth, and Cutler's 4th down attempt to Brandon Stokely in the end zone was knocked away and Denver lost by seven. The Broncos blew a game that they should have won at home to a team that had nothing to play for. This was one of the most painful Bronco defeats I have ever witnessed.

What If?: If the Broncos could have won just one game out of their last three, then they would have finished 9-7 and won the AFC West. They would have opened at home against Peyton Manning and Indianapolis in the first round of the playoffs. Sure, they would have lost to the Colts, especially with their porous defense, but making the playoffs would have been a good accomplishment for the franchise at that point. Mike Shanahan would still be coaching the team today, and Jay Cutler would still be the QB. It would have been Cutler's first playoff appearance, and it would have given him a lot of experience going forward with his career in Denver. Shanahan would prove to fans that he was building a winner again, and he would have spent every dollar in free agency and every pick in the draft on rebuilding that defense. The Shanahan/Cutler combination would have been leading the Broncos into the new decade.

7) 2009 Denver Broncos-

Record: 8-8

Points For: 326 (20.4)

Points Against: 324 (20.2)

Highlight: The Broncos defeated Dallas, New England, and San Diego in a row to start out the season 6-0. Each game was exciting and the Broncos won each game in different fashion. A goal line stand help preserve the victory over the Cowboys 17-10. The Broncos rallied from a 17-7 hole in the second half to defeat the Patriots in overtime 20-17. The victory at San Diego will forever be known as "The Eddie Royal Game." Royal returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in route to a 34-23 Denver victory. At 6-0, the Broncos were the talk of the NFL at that point of the 2009 season.

Lowlight: For the second year in a row, the Broncos stood at 8-5. For the second year in a row, Denver lost a crucial game at home to a sub-.500 team. This time it was the rival Oakland Raiders who derailed the Broncos playoff dreams. Denver lost 20-19 to Oakland on a last second touchdown pass by Jamarcus Russell. The loss dropped Denver to 8-6, and with a game at Philly the next week, it pretty much knocked Denver out of any realistic playoff opportunity.

What If?: If Denver could have just beaten both Oakland and Kansas City in the last month of the season, then they would have made the playoffs at 10-6. The Broncos would have been the 5th seed and taken on the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincy. The way that the Bengals were playing down the stretch, I would have given Denver a fair shot to beat them in Cincy. It would have been a great accomplishment for Josh McDaniels to make the playoffs in his first year as Head Coach.

Broncos Team of the Decade

It is hard to believe that only last Sunday was the Super Bowl. The first Sunday without football was brutal, and it is a long offseason ahead of us. With the uncertainty of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the issues that will affect Free Agency, there isn't a lot of sense to spend too much time on what Denver will do in the offseason. We will talk about that in March. Also, the draft is a long way off, so we will spend time on the draft in April. With all this down time, it gives us a chance to look back at the decade that passed. I am a sucker for end-of-the-year retrospectives, and there is nothing better than an end-of-the-decade review. I will breakdown each team from the decade-starting from worst to first, and I will look back at the highs, lows, and what-ifs for each team and season. Let's start with Number 10:

10) 2007 Denver Broncos:

Record: 7-9

Points Scored: 320 (20.0)

Points Against: 409 (25.6)

Highlight: The Broncos started off 2-0 with down-the-wire victories over Buffalo and Oakland, and they beat a very good Pittsburgh team on Sunday Night Football to get to them to 3-3, but the high-water mark would have to be the Monday Night victory over Tennessee 31-20. The win put the Broncos at 5-5 and tied them for first place in the AFC West with San Diego.

Lowlight: The Broncos got smoked at home to San Diego 41-3 to put them at 2-3. They also got buried at Detroit later in the year 44-7, but the real low moment was when Denver lost at Chicago in Week 12 37-34 in overtime to put them at 5-6. Denver lead 34-20 in the fourth quarter, but they gave up a punt return and a kickoff return to Devin Hester, and they also let Rex Grossman drive the length of the field to send the game into overtime at 34. Once in overtime, Grossman again drove the Bears deep into Denver territory, and it set up Robbie Gould's game-winning field goal. Denver fell to 5-6 and never recovered, while San Diego won the rest of their games to finish 11-5.

What If?: For me the big question for Denver was if they had won that classic Monday Night game over Brett Favre and Green Bay. Denver dominated most of the first half but they only produced 10 points. Trailing 13-10 late in the fourth quarter, Jay Cutler put together a great drive, but he missed an open Brandon Marshall in the corner of the end zone, and Denver had to settle for a field goal. In OT, the Packers won the toss and on the first play, Brett Favre hit Greg Jennings with an 82 yard bomb and the Pack won 19-13. If Denver wins that game, then they are 4-3 coming off two quality wins over Pittsburgh and Green Bay. I think that win might have at least propelled them to a possible winning record.

9) 2001 Denver Broncos:

Record: 8-8

Points Scored: 340 (21.2)

Points Against: 339 (21.2)

Highlight: The Broncos opened 2-0 with two blowout wins over the New York Giants (Defending NFC Champions) 31-20 on Monday Night Football and Arizona 38-17 on Sunday Night Football. The win over the Giants was special because it was the first regular season game ever at Invesco Field. Those two national primetime victories put Denver on a lot of people's radar as a possible Super Bowl team in the AFC.

Lowlight: At 5-4, Denver had a chance to get a wild card run going in the AFC, and they looked like they would get their sixth win with an easy victory over a bad Washington Redskins team at Invesco. The Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, but gave up two fourth quarter touchdowns to Kent Graham and the Redskins beat the Broncos in Denver 17-10. The loss put Denver at 5-5, and they finished 8-8.

What If?: The biggest injury that year was to Ed McCaffrey. The Broncos lost the All-Pro the first game of the season against the Giants. After that injury, Denver's offense really get on track the way it was supposed to. Rod Smith basically carried the offense by himself, and losing McCaffrey really hurt Brian Griese. Terrell Davis was off and on all year long, and the Bronco offense never lived up to their potential. The result was a predictable and average offense and an up and down team with a mediocre record.