DENVER — All week, starting about 2 p.m. MDT last Sunday, it was the same question.
Was that the 70-20 annihiliation in Miami the worst Denver Broncos’ loss you’ve ever seen?
Only in point differential.
The number 70 automatically puts it up there among the worst regular-season losses. The 50-point defeat was the greatest point differential in franchise history.
But there were other losses that were far more emotionally painful to endure. The Denver D didn’t belong on the same field as the speedy Dolphins last Sunday. Still, becoming the only member of the dubious 70 and 700 club – the Broncos also gave up an NFL record 726 yards in total offense – puts the game in Miami on the list.
But it’s the losses where the Broncos could have won that hurt more. Here are some of the worst losses in Broncos history:
Worst first loss ever
Week 3, 1960, New York Titans 28, Broncos 24
After a 2-0 start, the AFL startup Broncos were met at the Polo Grounds by a new receiver named Lionel Taylor, who caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Frank Tripucka for a 24-21 fourth quarter lead with 2:55 left. The Denver defense intercepted Titans’ QB Al Dorrow on the next series to seemingly clinched the win.
But the Titans blocked a George Herring punt, who had to deal with a low snap, and a guy named Roger Donnahoo returned it 12 yards for a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining.
Most unexpected loss
The Jacksonville playoff loss, 1996 season
The Broncos had clinched the No. 1 AFC playoff seed after posting a 12-1 record through 13 games. Head coach Mike Shanahan mostly rested his starters the final three games and the team wasn’t sharp in its second-round playoff game against the second-year expansion Jaguars, losing 30-27 despite taking a 12-0 lead.
“I just want to cry,’’ said tight end Shannon Sharpe after the game. “I want to go home, sit on that couch and cry. … This one won’t take a couple days to get over. This one might take years.”
As it turned out, Sharpe was being slightly dramatic. (A trait that's served him well in a second career). The Broncos did get over it. They won the next two Super Bowls in 1997-98. It should have been a Threepeat.
Most gut-wrenching loss
The Flacco Fling, playoff loss to Baltimore Ravens, 2012 season
The Broncos had won 13 in a row entering the postseason to capture the AFC’s No. 1 seed and they were up 35-28 with 40 seconds remaining in regulation thanks to two touchdown (90-yard punt; 104-yard kickoff) returns by Trindon Holliday. Baltimore had a long way to go from its own 30. Denver fell back into a prevent defense, but safety Rahim Moore misjudged a sky-high, 70-yard fling by Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco. The pass landed in the arms of Jacoby Jones, who sauntered in for the game-tying touchdown, as Moore stumbled backwards.
With the temperature down to 9 degrees – dangerously cold for the nerve-damaged right arm of quarterback Peyton Manning -- Broncos’ head coach John Fox controversially took a knee at his own 20-yard line to run out regulation.
Late in the first overtime, Peyton Manning was intercepted throwing across his body to Brandon Stokely at the Denver 45-yard line. Four Ray Rice runs later, Baltimore rookie kicker Jason Tucker made a 47-yard field goal to stun the heavily favored Broncos. The Ravens went on to win Super Bowl 47.
Most humiliating loss
Super Bowl XLVIII, 43-8, Seattle, 2013 season
Think of all the great offenses – the Van Brocklin/Waterfield 1950 Rams, the Montana-Rice 49ers, Marino and the Marks Brothers in 1984, The 1999 Greatest Show on Turf, Manning, Harrison, Wayne, Edgerrin and Stokley in 2004, Brady and Moss in 2007, the Mahomes-Kelce Chiefs.
Peyton Manning and the 2013 Broncos were better than all of them.
Manning threw 55 touchdown passes in 2013, a record that still stands 10 years later. He threw for 5,477 yards, a record that still stands. The Broncos scored 606 points, a record that still stands.
And on the first play of the Super Bowl, Broncos center Manny Ramirez fired the snap past an audibling Manning and into the end zone for a safety. The Super Bowl was played in New York. It was 22-0 before the Queso could be served at halftime.
On the opening kickoff of the second half, Seattle’s Percy Harvin returned it 87 yards for a touchdown. All those Super Bowl partyers started heading for the front-door exits. It became 36-0 before Manning threw a touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on the final play of the third quarter.
The greatest offensive season in NFL was no more.
Second-most humiliating loss
Super Bowl XXIV, 49ers 55, Broncos 10
Another game where the Broncos didn’t belong on the same field with Montana and Rice. Montana was 22 of 29 for 297 yards and 5 touchdowns. Rice had 147 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Broncos’ quarterback John Elway was 10 of 26 for 108 yards and two interceptions for a 19.4 passer rating that was the worst since his rookie year. He was sacked four times. It was 27-3 at halftime and the final score of 55-10 was reached a minute into the fourth quarter. Plus, this was the third Super Bowl blowout loss in four years for the Broncos. The nation was sick of them. Unfortunately, for the nation, the Buffalo Bills were up next.
Third-most humiliating loss
Super Bowl XII, Cowboys 27, Broncos 10
All that frenetic Broncomania. The Orange Crush. Paint the town orange. Beat the mighty Steelers in the playoffs before a roaring, soldout crowd at old Mile High Stadium. Beat the mighty Raiders in the playoffs before a foot-stomping, beam-rattling soldout crowd at old Mile High Stadium.
And then, a dud. Against the dominant Dallas defense, Broncos quarterback Craig Morton was under siege and completed just 4 of 15 for 39 yards with four interceptions. It wasn’t until Rick Upchurch returned a kickoff 67 yards to the Dallas 26 midway through the third quarter that the Broncos were able to score a touchdown.
Fourth-most humiliating loss
Super Bowl XXII, Washington 42, Broncos 10
Almost out of humiliating Super Bowl losses (I won’t include the XXI loss to the Giants. That was a disappinting loss but not humiliating.)
A bomb from Elway to Third Amigo Ricky Nattiel put the Broncos up 7-0 less than 2 minutes into the game. Then it was 10-0 Broncos.
And then 35 unanswered points in the second quarter by Washington quarterback Doug Williams and some running back named Timmy Smith.
Most franchise momentum-changing loss
Chiefs 30, Broncos 27, OT, Game 11, Nov. 27, 2016
The Broncos had won five consecutive AFC West Division titles entering this season and were 7-3 coming off a bye week. The Chiefs were also 7-3 so the winner of this game would be in the driver’s seat to win the division.
Trevor Siemian, the first heir apparent to Peyton Manning, threw a 78-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler with exactly 3 minutes remaining to put the Broncos up 24-16. Broncos veteran cornerback Aqib Talib lifted Siemian into the air in celebration.
But Chiefs’ quarterback Alex Smith led a 75-yard drive that came down to fourth-and-10 at the Broncos’ 14 yard line with 19 seconds remaining. Remember, the Chiefs needed not only a touchdown but a 2-point conversion.
Smith hit rookie receiver Tyreek Hill – who earlier returned a free kick 86 yards for a touchdown – for an 11-yard completion in front of defensive back Bradley Roby, who was playing a good 10 yards off the line. First and goal at the 3.
Smith then connected with Hill for a 3-yard touchdown – initially Hill was ruled down short of the end zone but replay reversed the call. Smith hit Demetrius Harris for the 2-point conversion.
In overtime, Broncos’ kicker Brandon McManus made a 44-yard field goal on the first drive, but the Chiefs answered on the next drive with their own field goal to tie it, 27-27.
With 1:08 remaining in overtime, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, not wanting to settle for a tie, had McManus try a 62-yard field goal. McManus kicked the dirt before the ball and missed. The Chiefs got the ball at the Broncos’ 48 and Smith hit Hill again for 11 yards and Travis Kelce for 16 yards. Chiefs’ kicker Cairo Santos was sent out with 5 seconds remaining for a 34-yard field goal attempt.
Good. That was the second of 15 consecutive wins by the Chiefs and they went on to win their first of seven consecutive AFC West titles entering the 2023 season. The Broncos, who were the defending Super Bowl 50 champs, went through a four-loss-in-five-game skid and have never made the playoffs since.
Currently at 0-3, the Broncos will have to improve in a hurry to avoid their seventh consecutive losing season.
This from a franchise that had more Super Bowl appearances (8) than losing seasons (7) in the 44-season stretch from 1973-2016.
After the 2016 season, the Chiefs traded up from No. 27 overall to No. 10 to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes II. The fortunes of each franchise, the Chiefs and the Broncos, can point to Nov. 27, 2016 as when it all changed.
Most lopsided loss
Dolphins 70, Broncos 20, Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium
It was actually a not-so-embarrassing 42-13 game with less than a minute left in the third quarter. But the Dolphins scored 28 points in 7 ½-minute span to tie for the second-most points in NFL regular-season history – just 2 points shy of Washington’s 72-point output in 1966 against the New York Giants.
The Dolphins also accumulated an NFL record 726 yards in total offense.
The 50-point margin was the largest defeat in the Broncos’ 64-season history.
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