Milestone No. 12: The Broncos suffer one of the worst losses in franchise history
Mar 26, 2025, 7:05 PM
The Fan is turning 30! For three decades, the station has been covering Denver sports, serving as a media outlet of record for the biggest events over the past 30 years.
There have been a lot of them. From championships to MVPs, from historic seasons to improbable victories, The Fan has been there for all of them.
What were the best of the best? During a six week span, Denver Sports will chronicle the moments that stood out the most. It’s a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1, in a series called “Mile High Milestones.”
Enjoy the trip down memory lane!
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It was finally going to happen. The Broncos were going to get over the hump; they were going to win the Super Bowl.
That was the prevailing opinion in the Mile High City during the 1996 season. And for good reason.
Denver had rolled through the regular season. They were 5-1 at their bye, with their only loss being a 17-14 setback at Kansas City. The Broncos then rattled off seven straight wins following the break, moving to 12-1 by December 1.
At that point, they had already clinched the AFC West. They’d also wrapped up the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. With more than a month to go, Denver was the prohibitive favorite to reach Super Bowl XXXI.
They had gotten into that position thanks in large part to an explosive offense. In just his second season as head coach, Mike Shanahan had built a juggernaut.
John Elway was the star of the show. The future Hall of Fame quarterback had one of his best seasons, throwing for 3,328 yards and 26 touchdowns. His top weapon was also destined for Canton, as Shannon Sharpe hauled in 80 passes for 1,062 yards and 10 scores.
But it was the ground game that really made things click. The zone blocking scheme that would become the signature of Shanahan’s offenses during his tenure in Denver blossomed in ’96.
That was in large part due to Terrell Davis. The second-year running back had a breakout season, rushing for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Elway finished second in the NFL’s MVP voting. Davis was third.
The Broncos were stacked, creating a ton of excitement in Denver. The franchise had lost four Super Bowls, three with Elway at the helm, but this time felt different; the orange and blue weren’t a one-man show anymore.
Denver enjoyed a first-round bye and then hosted an upstart Jacksonville team in the Divisional Round. The Jaguars, just three years into their existence, had squeaked into the playoffs at 9-7. The Broncos were a 12.5-point favorite at Mile High Stadium.
Early in the game, it was clear why. Denver scored a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, but missed an extra point and two-point conversion, to take a 12-0 lead. They appeared destined for a blowout win and a spot in the AFC Championship Game.
Then, things took a turn for the worst. The Jaguars scored 13 unanswered points to take a 13-12 lead into halftime. After the break, the rattled off 10 more in a row to go up 23-12.
The tension in Mile High Stadium was palpable. But the Broncos weren’t done yet. Davis scored from two yards out to make it 23-20, setting the stage for what most people thought would be another patented Elway comeback. They’d seen it so many times in that building; this looked like another inevitable chapter in his storybook career.
Jacksonville faced a third-and-five at the Denver 16 yard line with just under four minutes to play in the game. If the Broncos could hold the Jaguars to a field goal, the stage would be set for more late-game heroics.
But it wasn’t meant to be. Mark Brunell hit Jimmy Smith in the corner of the end zone, a perfectly placed 16-yard strike that hushed the crowd in stunned silence. NFL Films captured Elway’s reaction on the sidelines, as the quarterback yanked off his helmet in shock; he knew a golden opportunity had most likely slipped through Denver’s hands.
The Broncos didn’t cave, however. Elway led an 80-yard touchdown drive that took just under two minutes, capping the march with a 15-yard scoring strike to Ed McCaffrey. Denver was down 30-27, with an onside kick standing between them and a miracle finish.
It wasn’t meant to be, however. Jason Elam’s bouncing kickoff was recovered by Jacksonville, ending the Broncos chances. Brunell took a knee on three-straight plays, ending Denver’s dream season.
The reaction afterward was pure shock. Elway was devastated, believing his best chance to finally win a Super Bowl had slipped through his fingers. Sharpe told the media that the loss would set the franchise back a decade. Fans were despondent, thinking the Broncos were forever going to come up short.
The opposite occurred, however. Motivated by the loss, Denver spent the next season looking to avenge the upset. And they did just that, getting back to the playoffs in 1997.
There, they started their run to Super Bowl XXXII with a victory over the Jaguars. It was a fitting start to “The Revenge Tour,” as the Broncos marched their way to their first-ever championship.
Would it have happened without the loss to Jacksonville? No one will ever know. But one of the most-devastating losses in franchise history wasn’t for naught. What seemed like the worst thing at the time ultimately turned into the catalyst for back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
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THE COUNTDOWN
30: Ubaldo Jimenez has a magical season
29: Todd Helton get enshrined in Cooperstown
28: Valeri Nichushkin goes missing in the postseason – twice!
27: The Avalanche win their second Stanley Cup
26: The Nuggets come back from two 3-1 deficits in the bubble
25: The seemingly never-ending Broncos ownership saga
24: Hurricane Josh hits the Mile High City
23: The Rockies trade Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals
22: The Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2009
21: John Elway gets enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
20: The Avalanche hoist third Stanley Cup in franchise history
19: The Avalanche acquire Patrick Roy from the Canadiens
18: The Broncos produce the greatest offensive season in NFL history
17: John Elway joins the Broncos front office to right the ship
16: The Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 1996
15: The Broncos nearly decade-long quarterback carousel
14: The Avs-Red Wings rivalry turns into a bloodbath
13: The Broncos win back-to-back titles during historic season
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Wanna hear more about this Mile High Milestone? Tune into “The Rundown” at noon or check out the show on YouTube to hear Richie Carni and a special guest take a walk down memory lane.
