This week I was featured on a CBS Channel 4 segment on the Denver Broncos opener. My story is that I have been to every Broncos home opener since 1967 except for one! I will also miss Monday night's home opener against the Titans (as well as all other fans) but I'll be cheering on the team from home. Pictured above is my ticket from the first home opener I attended at age 11 - at a $2 kids end zone price of $2!
This segment got me to thinking - what were the best Bronco home openers I have attended? Listed below is my top ten list. I have lots of great memories from these games!
NUMBER TEN:
1971 Broncos 10 Miami 10 - the famous "half a loaf" game where the broncos, tied with the Dolphins in the last two minutes, ran out the clock rather than go for the win. Coach Lou Saban said after the game "half a loaf is better than none" (meaning he'd take the tie) which alienated him with Bronco fans for the rest of his time in Denver. Actually in retrospect a tie was a good result for the Broncos as the Dolphins went on to a 10-3-1 record while the Broncos finished 4-9-1 with Saban leaving as head coach half way through the season. The only Bronco touchdown? from wide receiver Dwight Harrison, who was later traded to Buffalo for one of the best Bronco receivers ever (Haven Moses).
NUMBER NINE:
2001 Broncos 31 NY Giants 20 - a Monday night football opening of the new stadium. The fans go home happy but then find out Bronco legendary wide receiver Ed McCaffery had suffered a season ending injury and the 9/11 tragedy happened the next morning.
NUMBER EIGHT:
1977 Broncos 7 St Louis Cardinals 0 - Broncos famed Orange Crush defense was in fine form with this shutout of the Cardinals at the start of a magical 77 Bronco season leading to the team's first Super Bowl appearance. The Broncos offense was a mess under new qb Craig Morton in this game but came around as the season progressed (highlighted by scoring 34 points in the franchise's first playoff game against the Steelers)
NUMBER SEVEN:
2016 Broncos 21 Carolina 20 - In a rare Super Bowl rematch in the kickoff game of the 2016 season, the Panthers miss a field goal in the final seconds to give the win to the Broncos. Peyton Manning had retired, and going into the game the Broncos were underdogs with qb Trevor Siemian getting his first start. But Siemian had a surprisingly good game to lead the Broncos to the win.
NUMBER SIX:
1980 Broncos 41 Cowboys 20 -a promising home debut for new Bronco qb Matt Robinson, who had 2 rushing td's, as the broncos got revenge for the Super Bowl 12 loss to America's team two years earlier. Siemian and Robinson's first games as Broncos starting qbs would not to lead to long term success for either, but at least they can think back to their successful openers.
NUMBER FIVE:
1967 Broncos 26 Patriots 21 - My first ever home opener at age 11. It was Floyd Little's regular season debut, and fans were excited after the Broncos were the first AFL team to beat NFL teams in two preseason games (the Lions and the Vikings). This win gave us more hope. Hopes that were quickly dashed with a 51-0 loss to the Raiders the next week which led to a Broncos 9 game losing streak.
NUMBER FOUR:
1975 Broncos 37 Chiefs 33 - Charlie Johnson throws 3 td passes in a game that featured a spectacular debut for Broncos rookie Rick Upchurch. Rick had a 13 yard td run, 3 catches for 153 yards including a 90 yard td, 3 kickoff returns for 88 yards, and a 30 yard punt return. To this day the best opening game for a Bronco rookie I have ever seen.
NUMBER THREE:
2008 Broncos 39 Chargers 38 - Jay Cutler throws 4 td passes including the winning td and a successful 2 point conversion with 24 seconds to play.
NUMBER TWO:
1986 Broncos 38 Raiders 36 - John Elway throws for 2 tds and scores on a pass from Steve Sewell on another to give the Broncos a thrilling come from behind win over the Raiders.
NUMBER ONE:
2013 Broncos 47 Ravens 27 - Peyton Manning throws 7 tds as the Broncos avenge their playoff loss the previous season to the defending Super Bowl champ Ravens.
What was the one Bronco home opener I missed? 2012's win over the Steelers featuring Peyton Manning's Bronco regular season debut. I was on a once in a lifetime Alaska trip at the time, doing a flight seeing excursion over the great mountain (Denali) at kickoff. This 2012 game would have been in my top 10 somewhere had I been there!
With Von Miller likely out for the season the Broncos are underdogs for Monday night's opener vs the Titans. But I have learned over the years - never count out the Broncos, no matter how bad the team looks, in a home opener! The Broncos record for home openers I have attended? 44 wins 8 losses!
