1996 Denver Broncos: Disappointment Was The Prelude To A Dynasty

The Broncos had been on a .500 treadmill since reaching the AFC Championship Game in 1991. An 8-8 campaign in 1992 spelled the end of the Dan Reeves era. Over 1993 and 1994, Denver made one playoff trip, but their overall two-year record under Wade Phillips was 16-16. Mike Shanahan was hired in 1995, but the record remained 8-8. The 1996 Denver Broncos broke off the treadmill, returned to the NFL elite and began a dramatic three-year run to cap off the career of the great John Elway.

Elway was 36-years-old in ’96 and he had a Pro Bowl season, ranking fifth in the league for completion percentage (62%) and 10^th in yards-per-attempt (7.1). While his 14 interceptions and 3.0 interception rate were only 21^st, Elway also threw 26 touchdown passes.

Shannon Sharpe was the NFL’s best tight end the future Hall of Famer was Elway’s prime target, catching 80 passes for over 1,000 yards. Anthony Miller caught 56 passes at one wide receiver spot and Ed McCaffrey (father of future NFL star Christian McCaffrey) caught 48 more.

But the running game was what Shanahan’s teams were renowned for, and an all-time great in Terrell Davis was in his second year. Davis was an All-Pro, rushing for over 1,500 yards and mixing in 39 catches. Fullback Aaron Carver was an asset in the passing game, catching 36 balls.

Denver’s offensive line was anchored by yet another Hall of Fame player, 35-year-old left tackle Gary Zimmerman. They could beat you in multiple ways and finished fourth in the NFL for points scored.

The defense was strong at all three levels. Alfred Williams was an All-Pro defensive end and finished with 13 sacks. Michael Dean Perry anchored the middle and made the Pro Bowl. So did linebacker Bill Romanowski.

Steve Atwater, another talent headed for Canton, patrolled the secondary at free safety and was a Pro Bowler. Strong safety Tyrone Braxton led the league with nine interceptions and made the Pro Bowl himself. It all added up to a defense that ranked seventh for points allowed.

The season started at home against a terrible New York Jets team. The defense unleashed, with eight different players combining for eight sacks. Elway threw a 13-yard TD pass to Sharpe, then a 39-yard strike to McCaffrey. It was 31-0 by halftime and ended 31-6.

Elway continued to be sharp in Seattle, going 18/28 for 209 yards with no mistakes, even though he was sacked five times. The Broncos outrushed the Seahawks 180-39, won turnovers 3-1 and left the old Kingdome with a 30-20 win.

Braxton struck early in a home game against a bad Tampa Bay team, with a 69-yard Pick-6 to start the scoring. The Buccaneers recovered and it was a good back-and-forth game. But Davis ran for 137 yards and his fourth-quarter TD was the last word in a 27-23 win.

That set up a road trip to Kansas City. The Chiefs, under head coach Marty Schottenheimer, were the defending AFC West champs and the division’s most consistent team. Trailing 10-7, Davis tore off a 65-yard touchdown run. Sharpe caught nine balls for 131 yards. But when Elway couldn’t find Sharpe, he struggled—14/30 for 156 yards and two interceptions. The early afternoon game ended in a 17-14 loss.

Elway bounced back at mediocre Cincinnati. He threw an 11-yard TD pass to Sharpe early and then found Miller on a 23-yard scoring pass. Miller caught five balls for 131 yards on the day, while Elway finished 23/37 for 335 yards. The result was a 14-10 win.

San Diego had reached the Super Bowl in 1994 and returned to the postseason in ’95. Denver’s visit to Jack Murphy Stadium started poorly and they found themselves in a 17-0 hole. In short order, Elway hit Sharpe on a 20-yard touchdown pass before halftime and another 20-yard scoring strike right after. A three-yard TD pass to Sharpe gave the Broncos the lead, and a scoring toss to McCaffrey sealed the 28-17 comeback win.

The Broncos were rolling into their bye week at 5-1. And they kept rolling on the far side, hosting the lowly Baltimore Ravens. Davis raced for a 71-yard touchdown run to key a 21-3 lead. The Ravens rallied and closed to 28-26. But Elway would finish 25/39 for 326 yards. Sharpe caught nine passes for 161 yards. Davis racked up 194 yards rushing. Denver pulled back away to win 45-34.

Kansas City made their return trip to Denver on the final weekend of October. The Broncos used the rematch to make a major statement. They outrushed the Chiefs 213-24. Elway threw touchdowns to Sharpe from 46 yards and 25 yards, building a 24-7 lead at the half. Denver closed out a 34-7 rout.

The Raiders were mediocre, but they gave Denver a battle when the Broncos came to Oakland on Monday Night. It was back-and-forth all the way before Elway’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith finally produced the winning margin in a 22-21 escape. Denver then played a rather pedestrian game at home against subpar Chicago, needing a 3-0 turnover edge to overcome the lack of a running game. The Broncos beat the Bears 17-12.

It was time for another big showdown game, this one in the early afternoon in Foxboro. The New England Patriots were in contention and ended up as the 2-seed in the AFC when all was said and done. Davis turned this game into his personal showcase. He caught a touchdown pass to get the party started. He ran in two more times. He finished with 154 yards on the day. The Denver defense completely dominated in a 34-8 thumping.

The Broncos went up to Minnesota, where the Vikings would ultimately make the playoffs. Elway went 27/36 for 334 yards, and his five-yard TD pass to McCaffrey in the fourth quarter pulled out a 21-17 win.

Denver was soaring at 11-1. They had a comfortable three-game lead on Kansas City in the AFC West and were two games clear of everyone else in the race for the #1 seed.

The Seahawks, a division rival prior to the realignment of 2002, came to Denver to begin the December stretch drive. The Broncos enjoyed a 205-105 edge in rush yardage, keyed by 106 from Davis. The 34-7 win wrapped up the AFC West title. Events elsewhere fell into place and with three weeks to go, it was ensured that Denver would be at home throughout the playoffs.

A showdown with Green Bay had all the markings of a Super Bowl preview, with the Packers headed for the 1-seed in the NFC. But with everything clinched, Shanahan opted to sit Elway. The game ended in a 41-6 rout.

Elway returned to action at home against Oakland, going 19/31 for 206 yards and leading a 24-19 win. The quarterback played only briefly in the Sunday Night finale at San Diego, getting the Broncos a 10-0 lead before they eventually lost 16-10.

Had Denver lost momentum over those last three weeks? When you add in the bye week they earned, their playoff game with the Jacksonville Jaguars would be the first really competitive game the Broncos had played in a month.

That’s one possible explanation for what happened in the late Saturday afternoon Divisional Round Weekend. While Denver jumped out to a 12-0 lead, the defense fell apart and gave up the next 23 points. Elway finished 25/38 for 226 yards and Davis ran for 91 yards. But the 23-12 deficit meant Davis only carried 14 times. The Broncos lost 30-27 in a game they had been a 12 ½ point favorite.

It was a devastating end to a magnificent season. Given Elway’s age, it seemed in the moment that he might have missed his last shot at winning a Super Bowl. Those fears proved unfounded. Denver came back for more. In 1997, they reached the Super Bowl and got that showdown with Green Bay that had been missed this year. The Broncos won it all. In 1998, they came back and won a repeat title. Elway rode off into the sunset a two-time champion, the culmination of a run that began in 1996.