Denver Broncos Seasons

Denver Broncos Seasons

The Denver Broncos are an American football franchise. They are members of the American Football Conference West Division (AFC West) of the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The list documents their season-by-season records from 1960 to the present day, including post-season records, and league awards for individual players and head coaches. As of the end of the 2011 season, the team has completed 52 seasons and will be entering their 53rd at the start of the 2012 season. The Broncos franchise was founded on August 14, 1959 by Bob Howsam and played their first season in 1960, in Denver, Colorado as part of the original American Football League (AFL). The Broncos are 6-4. They became part of the NFL in 1970 after the AFL-NFL merger.

The franchise has experienced two major periods of success. The first was from 1976 to 1981, when the Broncos did not have a losing season (a season when the team has more losses than wins), and won two AFC West division titles, and one AFC championship. The second began in 1983 and ended in 1998. During this period, the Broncos had just two losing seasons, were AFC champions five times and Super Bowl champions for two consecutive years. This second period of success is best remembered for John Elway being the team's quarterback. The Denver Broncos have also experienced one notable period of deterioration. From their inaugural season in 1960 until 1975, they did not make the playoffs and had just two winning seasons. The Broncos were the only charter AFL franchise to never have a winning season during the AFL's 10 years of existence, with their first winning season not occurring until 1973, their fourth year as a member of the NFL's American Conference. They also experienced their two seasons with the most losses ever, winning just two of fourteen games in both 1963 and 1964.

The Broncos have been AFC West champions eleven times, and have also earned wild card berths into the playoffs seven times. They have been conference champions six times and Super Bowl champions twice. However, the Broncos did not make the AFL playoffs prior to the merger in 1970. As of the end of the 2011 season, the Broncos have played over 800 regular and post-season games in 52 seasons, and have appeared in the post-season eighteen times.