Denver Bronco History All Fans Should Know

The Broncos are gearing up to get the white horse back on the right track in 2025. In 2024 the end of a losing streak too embarrassing to mention is huge. So is the goal of a first division title since the last year the Chiefs failed win it in 2015. These are positive things to celebrate heading into our 66th season pulling for the team in orange, blue and formerly dark brown and mustard. As a self-proclaimed NFL historian, having self-published NFL Since 1970 starting in 2010, I am counting on seeing not only another Super Bowl win soon, but our team Bucking its way to the top ranking in winning percentage of all the regular season games since the AFL/NFL merger. Denver is back in the top 6 in that stat and the days of 2016 when we sat at #2 are long ago now but we can get back to that level of respect. As I write this the NFL draft is going on and the selection of Jahdae Barron seems pretty amazing to this fan that mostly sees college highlights on draft night. I have confidence the entire organization in not only on the right track again but gaining the Pat Bowlen level greatness we once enjoyed.

The Denver Broncos organization since 1960 is 518-472-10...that's 46 games over .500 in its history. It's hard to believe for us older fans that remember the Raider dominance, but it was a couple years ago that Denver passed the Raiders in wins over these 65 completed seasons. The vagabond Raiders are 509-480-11, possess the same number of Super Bowl Trophies (3), have 3 less AFC Championships, and earned 3 less AFC West titles since the merger (12 to Denver's 15). It was Denver's recent dark ages of losing that really widened the head-to-head record in favor of the Silver & Black but I'll concede that fact.

In a willingness to talk Chiefs here for the younger fans that seem to think it's ok to dislike them more than the Raiders, I'll give them that based on the way Patrick Mahomes was handed the dynasty baton from Tom Brady after the 2020 Super Bowl. In all the games played since the owners of the KC organization founded the American Football League in 1960 the Chiefs are 547-441-12... an amazing 106 games over .500!

Now to compare the 3 teams in all games since the AFL/NFL merger we see the Broncos are the only team 100 over .500 at 104. The Chiefs weight in at 67 over .500 with the lion share of those wins coming in this current 9-year run as AFC West Champs. Patrick is going crazy in not letting up on the gas to pass #12 Brady as the G.O.A.T. In Raider news... Bronco fans have enjoyed the fact that since Tampa Bay acquired the Raider head coach (Jon Gruden) in 2002 we have only had to endure 2 seasons of Raider Nation posting a winning season.
Looking back to that 2002 season here are the number of games over .500 since 1970 at that point in history: Raiders- 110, Broncos- 82 & Chiefs - 1... As of today, we can take that last zero off the Raider's former greatness and if they finish 3-14 in 2025 the organization will have erased the 11 games over .500 it is today.
Thanks for being in tune with the overall history of the teams closest in our AFC West world and please reach out with comments or desired info on the missing Chargers or any other team you wonder about in the same way we dove into here.

Scott Perry had been speaking to groups about his NFL Since 1970 publication in 12 of the 15 years that it has been available as a reference. The fun facts he has discovered make a great interactive presentation. scott@nflsince1970.com