1977 Denver Broncos season

1977 Denver Broncos season
Head coach Red Miller
General manager Fred Gehrke
Home field Mile High Stadium
Results
Record 12–2
Division place 1st AFC West
Playoff finish Lost Super Bowl XII

The 1977 Denver Broncos season was the team's 18th year in professional football and its eighth with the National Football League (NFL).

The team had by far its best season to date, finishing first in the AFC West and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Broncos won the first two playoff games in franchise history (over perennial AFC powerhouses Pittsburgh and Oakland) and won their first AFC Championship, earning a berth in Super Bowl XII, where they fell to the NFC champion Dallas Cowboys, 27–10.

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 was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Denver's 1977 season is chronicled in Terry Frei's 2008 book, '77: Denver, the Broncos and a Coming of Age.

Personnel

Staff

1977 Denver Broncos staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special Teams – Marv Braden

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Game site Record Attendance
1 September 18 St. Louis Cardinals W 7–0 Mile High Stadium 1–0
75,002
2 September 25 Buffalo Bills W 26–6 Mile High Stadium 2–0
74,897
3 October 2 at Seattle Seahawks W 24–13 Kingdome 3–0
53,108
4 October 9 Kansas City Chiefs W 23–7 Mile High Stadium 4–0
74,878
5 October 16 at Oakland Raiders W 30–7 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 5–0
53,616
6 October 23 at Cincinnati Bengals W 24 – 13 Riverfront Stadium 6–0
54,395
7 October 30 Oakland Raiders L 14–24 Mile High Stadium 6–1
75,007
8 November 6 Pittsburgh Steelers W 21–7 Mile High Stadium 7–1
74,967
9 November 13 at San Diego Chargers W 17–14 San Diego Stadium 8–1
45,211
10 November 20 at Kansas City Chiefs W 14–7 Arrowhead Stadium 9–1
54,050
11 November 27 Baltimore Colts W 27–13 Mile High Stadium 10–1
74,939
12 December 4 at Houston Oilers W 24–14 Astrodome 11–1
46,875
13 December 11 San Diego Chargers W 17–9 Mile High Stadium 12–1
74,905
14 December 18 at Dallas Cowboys L 6–14 Texas Stadium 12–2
63,752

Season summary

Week 1

1 234Total
Cardinals 0 000 0
Broncos 0 070 7

[1]

Week 2

1 234Total
Bills 0 600 6
Broncos 3 7133 26

[2]

Week 12

1 234Total
Broncos 0 1437 24
Oilers 0 770 14
  • Date: December 4
  • Location: Houston Astrodome
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 46,875
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)

[3]

Week 14

1 2 34Total
Broncos 0 0 336
Cowboys 7 0 7014

at Texas Stadium, Irving, TX

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

AFC Championship

1 234Total
Raiders 3 0014 17
Broncos 7 076 20
  • Date: January 1
  • Location: Mile High Stadium • Denver, Colorado
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m. MST
  • Game attendance: 74,982
  • Game weather: 13°F • Wind 6
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Len Dawson

[4]

Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10

Further information: Super Bowl XII
Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys (NFC) 10 3 7727
Broncos (AFC) 0 0 10010

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Standings

AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Denver Broncos(1) 12 2 0 .857 6–1 11–1 274 148 L1
Oakland Raiders(4) 11 3 0 .786 5–2 10–2 351 230 W2
San Diego Chargers 7 7 0 .500 3–4 6–6 222 205 L2
Seattle Seahawks 5 9 0 .357 1–3 4–9 282 373 W2
Kansas City Chiefs 2 12 0 .143 1–6 1–11 225 349 L6

Roster

Defense
CB
Louis Wright
CB
Steve Foley
Offense
WR
Jack Dolbin
LT LG C RG RT
Andy Maurer Tom Glassic Mike Montler Paul Howard Claudie Minor
TE
Riley Odoms
WR
Haven Moses
QB
Craig Morton
RB
Otis Armstrong
FB
Jon Keyworth
Lonnie Perrin
Special Teams
PK Jim Turner
P Bucky Dilts
KR Rick Upchurch
PR Rick Upchurch

References

External links

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