The Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are an American football team playing in the AFC West in the National Football League. Their home games are played at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Invesco Field was built in 2001 replacing Mile High Stadium. Its name comes from the fact that Denver is exactly one mile above sea level. The Broncos joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. The team began play in 1960 as charter members of the AFL.

Bob Howsam, who owned a minor league baseball team, was awarded an AFL charter franchise and the Denver Broncos were named on August 14, 1959. The Broncos have the distinction of winning the first AFL game against the Boston Patriots with a score of 13-10, on September 9, 1960. Seven years later they became the first AFL team to defeat an NFL team when they beat the Detroit Lions in a preseason game, 13-7.

They were the only original AFL team that had never played in a title game during the first 10 years of the league’s existence. A local group took over ownership of the team when it looked like Denver might lose the franchise in 1965. They began to infuse the team with new blood. It took the Broncos thirteen long, angst filled years before they had their first winning season in 1973. In 1977 the Broncos made the playoffs and that resulted in their first Super Bowl game where the Dallas Cowboys defeated them 27-10. Their first Super Bowl victory was a 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII in 1997, followed by another win in Super Bowl XXXIII in 1998. The Broncos have played in six Super Bowls. Their season finishes since then were 1999, 6-10; 2000, 11-5; 2001, 8-8; 2002, 9-7; 2003, 10-6; 2004, 10-6; 2005, 13-3; 2006, 9-7; 2007, 7-9; 2008, 8-8.

The 2009 Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels along with players Kyle Orton, Chris Simms, Darius Walker, Peyton Hillis, Eddie Royal, Kenny McKinley and D.J. Williams hope to be able to lead their team to another winning year and possibly another Super Bowl win.