1977 Denver Broncos season
The 1977 Denver Broncos season was the team's 18th year in professional football and its eighth with the National Football League.
The team had by far its best season to date at 12–2, first in the AFC West, and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Broncos earned home field advantage, and won its first two playoff games. With the AFC Championship win over the Raiders on New Year's Day, Denver earned a berth in Super Bowl XII, but fell 27–10 to the NFC champion Dallas Cowboys.
Still, 1977 was a major leap for the Broncos, who had never won more than nine games in a season. Coach Red Miller — in his first season as the Broncos' head coach — was named NFL Coach of the Year, and quarterback Craig Morton, age 34, was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. The Denver defense was known as the Orange Crush, which delighted the makers of the soft drink, based in Illinois.
Denver's 1977 season is chronicled in Terry Frei's 2008 book, '77: Denver, the Broncos and a Coming of Age.Offseason
NFL Draft
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Season summary
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Standings
Playoffs
Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Attendance |
Divisional Playoffs | December 24 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 34–21 | Mile High Stadium | 75,011 |
AFC Championship | January 1 | Oakland Raiders | W 20–17 | Mile High Stadium | 74,982 |
Super Bowl XII | January 15 | Dallas Cowboys | L 10–27 | Louisiana Superdome | 76,400 |
Divisional
Conference Championship
Super Bowl