2012 Denver Broncos season

2012 Denver Broncos season
Head coach	John Fox
General manager	John Elway
Owner	Pat Bowlen
Home field	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st AFC West
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoffs (Ravens) 38–35 (2OT)
Pro Bowlers	7 (see Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections)
AP All-Pros	4 (see Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections)
Uniform

The 2012 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League, the 53rd overall and the second under head coach John Fox. The offseason was dominated by the signing of former Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning on March 20, leading to the team trading incumbent quarterback Tim Tebow and a seventh-round selection to the New York Jets in exchange for two draft selections. While the Broncos did not have a first-round selection in the 2012 NFL draft, the team selected Derek Wolfe as the team's first pick in the second round of the draft.

Throughout the season, Peyton Manning set numerous individual, franchise and league records, including 300-yard passing games and game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. Another team record that was set during the season was linebacker Von Miller's 18.5 quarterback sacks.

After a 2–3 start to the season, the Broncos finished the regular season on an eleven-game winning streak, and with a record of 13–3, the team exceeded their win total from the previous two seasons combined. The Broncos won their second consecutive AFC West division title, as well as earning a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, but were narrowly defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional round by a double-overtime score of 38–35.

Coaching and front-office changes

• January 17: Matt Russell, who served as the team's director of college scouting during the past three seasons, was promoted to director of player personnel.^[1] That same day, the Broncos announced that Rich Tuten, the team's strength and conditioning coach since 1995, will not return for the 2012 season.^[2]

• January 24: Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was hired as the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.^[3]

• January 27: The Broncos hired former Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach Jack Del Rio as the team's new defensive coordinator, replacing Dennis Allen. Del Rio previously worked in the same capacity on John Fox's staff with the Carolina Panthers in 2002. Also on January 27, the Broncos hired Luke Richesson as the team's new strength and conditioning coach, replacing Rich Tuten.^[4]

• February 3: The Broncos hired Mike Sullivan as the team's new director of football administration, replacing Mike Bluem.^[5]

• May 7: The Broncos parted ways with general manager Brian Xanders after four seasons. The team never did announce a replacement.^[6]

• May 14: Wayne Nunnely, who served as the team's defensive line coach during the past three seasons, retired. His position was filled by Jay Rodgers, who served as a coaching assistant during the past three seasons.^[7]

• May 29: Cory Undlin was hired as the new defensive quality control coach — a position previously held by Jay Rodgers. Undlin previously worked on Jack Del Rio's staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the previous three seasons.^[8]

Roster changes

Free agents

Position	Player	Tag	2012 Team	Notes
RB	Lance Ball	ERFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 13,[9] re-signed March 20[10]
LS	David Binn	UFA	None
DT	Brodrick Bunkley	UFA	New Orleans Saints	signed with the Saints on March 21[11]
OT	Chris Clark	ERFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 13,[9] re-signed April 6[10]
P	Britton Colquitt	ERFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 13,[9] re-signed April 4[12]
S	Brian Dawkins	UFA	None	retired on April 23[13]
TE	Daniel Fells	UFA	None
LB	Mario Haggan	UFA	St. Louis Rams	signed with the Rams on May 15[14]
DE	Derrick Harvey	UFA	None
C/G	Russ Hochstein	UFA	Kansas City Chiefs	signed with the Chiefs on September 26[15]
DE	Jason Hunter	UFA	None	re-signed March 29,[16] placed on injured reserve August 27[17]
FB	Spencer Larsen	UFA	None
DT	Ryan McBean	RFA	Baltimore Ravens	assigned tender on March 13,[9] tender rescinded April 16,[18] signed with the Ravens on May 7[19]
LB	Joe Mays	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed March 18,[20] placed on injured reserve October 30[21]
PK	Matt Prater	FT	Denver Broncos	assigned franchise tag on March 5,[22] signed 4-year contract on July 2[23]
QB	Brady Quinn	UFA	Kansas City Chiefs	signed with the Chiefs on March 18[24]
G	Manny Ramirez	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed March 22[25]
TE	Dante Rosario	UFA	San Diego Chargers	signed with the Chargers on March 21[26]
WR	Eddie Royal	UFA	San Diego Chargers	signed with the Chargers on March 15[27]
DT	Marcus Thomas	UFA	None
CB	Jonathan Wilhite	UFA	None
WR	Matthew Willis	RFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 13,[9] re-signed April 16[28]
LB	Wesley Woodyard	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed March 22[25]

Signings

Position	Player	2011 team	Notes
S	Mike Adams	Cleveland Browns	signed March 15,[29] on final roster
DT	Justin Bannan	St. Louis Rams	signed April 11,[30] on final roster
LB	Keith Brooking	Dallas Cowboys	signed August 6,[31] on final roster
WR	Andre Caldwell	Cincinnati Bengals	signed March 22,[25] on final roster
G	C. J. Davis	Carolina Panthers	signed February 15,[32] waived September 11,[33] assigned to the practice squad on September 13[34] promoted to active roster September 18,[35] on final roster
TE	Joel Dreessen	Houston Texans	signed March 23,[36] on final roster
CB	Drayton Florence	Buffalo Bills	signed May 10,[37] released August 31[38]
QB	Caleb Hanie	Chicago Bears	signed March 24,[39] released September 8,[40] re-signed September 11,[33] on final roster
RB	Jacob Hester	San Diego Chargers	signed November 26,[41] on final roster
WR	Jason Hill	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed February 15,[32] released August 31[38]
WR/RS	Trindon Holliday	Houston Texans	claimed off waivers from the Texans on October 11,[42] on final roster
WR	Cameron Kenney	Seattle Seahawks	signed August 1,[43] waived August 27[44]
C	Dan Koppen	New England Patriots	signed September 11,[33] on final roster
S	Jim Leonhard	New York Jets	signed August 4,[45] on final roster
QB	Peyton Manning	Indianapolis Colts	signed to a five-year contract on March 20,[46] on final roster
LB	Mike Mohamed	Practice squad player	promoted to the active roster on September 29,[47] waived October 1[48]
CB	Tracy Porter	New Orleans Saints	signed March 22,[49] on final roster
DT	Sealver Siliga	Practice squad player	promoted to the active roster on September 8,[40] on final roster
WR	Brandon Stokley	New York Giants	signed April 16,[50] on final roster
TE	Jacob Tamme	Indianapolis Colts	signed March 23,[51] on final roster

Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2011 season.

Signing of Peyton Manning

On March 20, 2012, the Broncos reached an agreement with former Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning on a five-year, $96 million contract. Manning missed the entire 2011 season following multiple neck surgeries, and was released by the Colts two weeks earlier on March 7, one day before the Colts were due to pay him a $28 million roster bonus.^[52] The Seattle Seahawks,^[53] Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans were also in pursuit of the former Colts' quarterback; however, Manning informed Broncos' personnel to begin contract negotiations with the team on March 19,^[54] and he was introduced as the Broncos' new quarterback in a press conference at the team's headquarters in Dove Valley the following day.^[55]

The language of the contract contained the following conditions: Manning did not suffer a setback in his recovery from neck surgery prior to the end of the 2012 season; therefore, the Broncos owed Manning $18 million for the 2012 season. Manning passed a physical exam at the beginning of the 2013 league year,^[56] and the Broncos owed Manning $40 million through the 2014 season. The fourth (and eventual final) year of the contract — $19 million for 2015 — was dependent on Manning passing a physical exam.^[57] Manning retired on March 7, 2016, one month after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.^[58]

Departures

Position	Player	Notes
CB	André Goodman	released April 13[59]
LB	Brian Iwuh	retired April 17[60]
LS	Lonie Paxton	released August 27[44]

Trades

• On March 21, one day after the signing of Peyton Manning, the Broncos were involved in a trade that sent quarterback Tim Tebow to the New York Jets — see draft section below.^[61]

• On May 23, cornerback Cassius Vaughn was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for fullback Chris Gronkowski.^[62]

Draft

2012 Denver Broncos Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes	Trades
1	None					[dr 1]
2	36	Derek Wolfe	DT	Cincinnati	signed May 21[64]
	57	Brock Osweiler	QB	Arizona State	signed July 24[65]
3	67	Ronnie Hillman	RB	San Diego State	signed July 24[65]	[dr 2] [dr 3] [dr 4]
4	101	Omar Bolden	CB	Arizona State	signed May 17[67]
	108	Philip Blake	C	Baylor	signed June 1,[68] placed on injured reserve September 18[35]
5	137	Malik Jackson	DE	Tennessee	signed May 18[69]	[dr 5] [dr 6]
6	188	Danny Trevathan	LB	Kentucky	signed May 22[73]	[dr 7] [dr 8]
7	None

Draft trades

1. The Broncos traded their original first-round selection (No. 25 overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' first- and fourth-round selections — Nos. 31 and 126 overall. The Broncos later traded both selections to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the Buccaneers' second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 36 and 101 overall).^[63]
2. The Broncos traded their original third- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 87 and 120 overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' third-round selection (No. 67 overall).^[66]
3. See draft note 1.
4. The Broncos traded quarterback Tim Tebow and their seventh-round selection (No. 232 overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for the Jets' fourth- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 108 and 188 overall).^[61]
5. The Broncos traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 160 overall) and a 2011 sixth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for quarterback Brady Quinn.^[70]
6. The Broncos acquired this fifth-round selection (No. 137 overall) in a trade that sent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to the St. Louis Rams.^[71] The Rams originally sent a sixth-round selection to the Broncos in October 2011, however, the selection was later upgraded to a fifth-rounder after a condition was met in which Lloyd made a minimum of 30 receptions with the Rams during the 2011 season.^[72]
7. The Broncos traded their original sixth-round selection (No. 194 overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for linebacker Joe Mays.^[74] The Broncos originally traded running back J. J. Arrington to the Eagles in July 2010, with the condition that if Arrington did not make the Eagles' 53-man roster at the start of the 2010 season, the Broncos would instead send a 2012 sixth-round selection to the Eagles (Arrington was indeed released by the Eagles shortly before the 2010 season).^[75]
8. See draft note 4.

Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed just after the 2012 NFL draft concluded on April 28,^[76] unless noted otherwise.

Position	Player	College	Notes
DE	Jamie Blatnick	Oklahoma State	waived August 31,[38] assigned to practice squad September 11,[77] released from practice squad October 13[78]
LS	Aaron Brewer	San Diego State	on final roster
LB	Elliot Coffey	Baylor	waived August 27[44]
LB	Jerry Franklin	Arkansas	waived August 31[38]
S	Duke Ihenacho	San Jose State	waived August 31,[38] assigned to practice squad September 1,[79] promoted to active roster September 29,[47] waived October 11,[42] assigned to practice squad October 13,[78] promoted to active roster October 30,[21] waived November 13[80]
LB	Steven Johnson	Kansas	on final roster
CB	Coryell Judie	Texas A&M	waived July 25[81]
TE	Anthony Miller	California	waived August 27[44]
WR	Eric Page	Toledo	waived July 25[81]
OT	Mike Remmers	Oregon State	waived August 27[44]
S	Anthony Perkins	Colorado	signed July 28,[82] waived August 27[44]
WR	Gerell Robinson	Arizona State	waived August 31[38]
G	Wayne Tribue	Temple	waived August 31,[38] assigned to practice squad September 1,[79] released from practice squad September 11[33]
G	Austin Wuebbels	Missouri	waived August 27[44]

Suspensions

• March 9: Linebacker D. J. Williams, defensive tackle Ryan McBean and tight end Virgil Green were each suspended by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Williams and McBean were each suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season, while Green was given a four-game suspension. Williams and McBean each challenged the suspensions and took legal action against the NFL.^[83] McBean later signed with the Baltimore Ravens on May 7, three weeks after his restricted free agent tender was rescinded by the Broncos.^[19] On August 27, a federal appeals court upheld Williams' suspension,^[84] and on October 5, Williams was suspended for an additional three games by the NFL following his August conviction for a driving under the influence arrest in November 2010.^[85] Green was reinstated to the active roster on October 1,^[48] while Williams was reinstated to the active roster on November 17, the latter in time for the team's Week 11 game vs. the San Diego Chargers.^[86]

• September 25: Linebacker Joe Mays was suspended one game and fined $50,000 by the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Houston Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub, during the Broncos' 31–25 loss to the Texans two days earlier (September 23). Schaub had his helmet knocked off, and suffered a laceration on his earlobe as a result of the hit. Mays missed the Broncos' Week 4 game against the Oakland Raiders, and had been considered a repeat offender, following a $7,875 fine for a hit on Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Matt Ryan in Week 2.^[87]

Injuries

• August 4: Running back Mario Fannin suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during training camp, and was placed on injured reserve. Fannin missed the entire 2011 season following a knee injury during the preseason last year.^[88]

• August 14: Guard Chris Kuper suffered a broken forearm during practice. He not only missed the remainder of the preseason, but also missed the first five games of the regular season.^[89][90] Also on August 14, defensive end Jason Hunter suffered torn triceps, and was initially expected to miss at least two months,^[91] but was placed on injured reserve on August 27.^[17]

• September 11: Defensive tackle Ty Warren was placed on injured reserve, after suffering torn triceps for a second consecutive season.^[33]

• September 18: Rookie guard/center Philip Blake was placed on injured reserve.^[35]

• September 29: Safety Quinton Carter was placed on injured reserve due to knee surgery.^[47]

• October 1: Center J. D. Walton was placed on injured reserve, after suffering a dislocated ankle during the team's Week 4 win over the Oakland Raiders the previous day.^[92]

• October 30: Linebacker Joe Mays was placed on injured reserve, after he suffered a fractured fibula during the team's Week 8 win over the New Orleans Saints two days earlier.^[21]

• November 21: Running back Willis McGahee was placed on the injured reserve/designated for return list, two days after suffering a ruptured MCL and compression fracture in his right knee, during the team's Week 11 win over the San Diego Chargers. Under NFL rules, McGahee became eligible to return to practice on January 2, 2013 — three days after the regular season finale, and would have been eligible to return for the AFC championship game on January 20, had the Broncos made it that far into the postseason.^[93]

• Cornerback Tracy Porter missed more than half of the season, after experiencing aftereffects from a seizure that he suffered during the preseason. Porter began experiencing symptoms prior to the team's Week 6 game against the San Diego Chargers, and returned to practice on a limited basis over the next several weeks.^[94] Porter returned to game action against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, only to suffer a concussion and miss the Week 17 regular season finale and the playoffs.^[95]

Staff

2012 Denver Broncos staff
	Front office Owner/Chairman/CEO – Pat Bowlen President – Joe Ellis Executive Vice President of Football Operations – John Elway Director of Football Administration – Mike Sullivan Director of Player Personnel – Matt Russell Director of Pro Personnel – Keith Kidd Assistant Director of College Scouting – Lenny McGill Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Anthony Kelly Director of Player Development – Jerry Butler Head coaches Head Coach – John Fox Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Mike McCoy Quarterbacks – Adam Gase Running Backs – Eric Studesville Wide Receivers – Tyke Tolbert Tight Ends – Clancy Barone Offensive Line – Dave Magazu Offensive Quality Control – Brian Callahan			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Jack Del Rio Defensive Line – Jay Rodgers Linebackers – Richard Smith Secondary – Ron Milus Assistant Secondary – Sam Garnes Defensive Quality Control – Cory Undlin Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Jeff Rodgers Assistant Special Teams – Keith Burns Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Luke Richesson Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Mike Eubanks Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Jason George Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Anthony Lomando

Final roster

2012 Denver Broncos final roster
	Quarterbacks 16 Caleb Hanie 18 Peyton Manning  6 Brock Osweiler Running backs 35 Lance Ball 49 Chris Gronkowski FB/TE 40 Jacob Hester FB 21 Ronnie Hillman 27 Knowshon Moreno Wide receivers 17 Andre Caldwell 87 Eric Decker 11 Trindon Holliday 14 Brandon Stokley 88 Demaryius Thomas 12 Matthew Willis Tight ends 81 Joel Dreessen 85 Virgil Green 84 Jacob Tamme 80 Julius Thomas		Offensive linemen 68 Zane Beadles G/T 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 54 C. J. Davis G 74 Orlando Franklin T 67 Dan Koppen C 73 Chris Kuper G 65 Manny Ramirez G Defensive linemen 91 Robert Ayers DE 97 Justin Bannan DT 92 Elvis Dumervil DE 70 Malik Jackson DE 98 Sealver Siliga DT 96 Mitch Unrein DT 99 Kevin Vickerson DT 95 Derek Wolfe DT		Linebackers 57 Keith Brooking MLB 56 Nate Irving OLB 53 Steven Johnson MLB 58 Von Miller OLB 59 Danny Trevathan OLB 55 D. J. Williams OLB 52 Wesley Woodyard OLB Defensive backs 20 Mike Adams FS 24 Champ Bailey CB 31 Omar Bolden CB 30 David Bruton SS 32 Tony Carter CB 25 Chris Harris, Jr. CB 36 Jim Leonhard SS 26 Rahim Moore FS 22 Tracy Porter CB Special teams 46 Aaron Brewer LS  4 Britton Colquitt P  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve lists 93 Jeremy Beal DE (IR) 64 Philip Blake G/C (IR) 28 Quinton Carter SS (IR) 42 Mario Fannin RB (IR) 90 Jason Hunter DE (IR) 23 Willis McGahee RB (IR-DFR) 51 Joe Mays MLB (IR) 50 J. D. Walton C (IR) 94 Ty Warren DT (IR) Practice squad 29 Mario Butler CB 71 Paul Cornick OT 79 Lonnie Edwards G 63 Ben Garland DT 34 Blake Gideon SS 33 Duke Ihenacho SS 37 Jeremiah Johnson RB 89 Greg Orton WR 60 Quentin Saulsberry C (Susp.) Rookies in italics 53 Active, 9 Inactive, 9 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 9	at Chicago Bears	W 31–3	1–0	Soldier Field	Recap
2	August 18	Seattle Seahawks	L 10–30	1–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
3	August 26	San Francisco 49ers	L 24–29	1–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
4	August 30	at Arizona Cardinals	W 16–13	2–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 9	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 31–19	1–0	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
2	September 17	at Atlanta Falcons	L 21–27	1–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
3	September 23	Houston Texans	L 25–31	1–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
4	September 30	Oakland Raiders	W 37–6	2–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
5	October 7	at New England Patriots	L 21–31	2–3	Gillette Stadium	Recap
6	October 15	at San Diego Chargers	W 35–24	3–3	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
7	Bye
8	October 28	New Orleans Saints	W 34–14	4–3	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
9	November 4	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 31–23	5–3	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
10	November 11	at Carolina Panthers	W 36–14	6–3	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
11	November 18	San Diego Chargers	W 30–23	7–3	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
12	November 25	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 17–9	8–3	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
13	December 2	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 31–23	9–3	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
14	December 6	at Oakland Raiders	W 26–13	10–3	O.co Coliseum	Recap
15	December 16	at Baltimore Ravens	W 34–17	11–3	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
16	December 23	Cleveland Browns	W 34–12	12–3	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
17	December 30	Kansas City Chiefs	W 38–3	13–3	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Postseason

Playoff round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 12, 2013	Baltimore Ravens (4)	L 35–38 (2OT)	0–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	10	3	6	19
Broncos	0	7	7	17	31

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 9
• Game time: 6:20 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 76,823
• Referee: Gerald Wright^{[note 1]}
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentator) and Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter PIT – 10:10 Shaun Suisham 21-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:50. (PIT 3–0) DEN – 5:16 Knowshon Moreno 7-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:54. (DEN 7–3) PIT – 0:28 Heath Miller 4-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 4:48. (PIT 10–7) Third quarter PIT – 6:05 Shaun Suisham 35-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 64 yards, 8:55. (PIT 13–7) DEN – 5:29 Demaryius Thomas 71-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:36. (DEN 14–13) Fourth quarter PIT – 14:11 Mike Wallace 3-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, two-point pass failed. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:18. (PIT 19–14) DEN – 9:23 Jacob Tamme 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Willis McGahee received pass from Peyton Manning for a two-point conversion. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:48. (DEN 22–19) DEN – 3:00 Matt Prater 26-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:18. (DEN 25–19) DEN – 1:58 Tracy Porter 43-yard interception return for a TD, two-point run failed. (DEN 31–19) Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger: 22/20, 245 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 19/26, 253 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PIT – Jonathan Dwyer: 9 rushes, 43 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 16 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers PIT – Antonio Brown: 4 receptions, 74 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 5 receptions, 110 yards Top tacklers PIT – Larry Foote: 8 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack DEN – Wesley Woodyard: 12 tackles, 1 sack

The Broncos kicked off their 2012 season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, in a rematch of their 2011 Wild Card playoff game. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers grabbed the lead, with a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Shaun Suisham. The Broncos responded, with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 7-yard touchdown, but the Steelers countered, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to tight end Heath Miller just before halftime. In the third quarter, the Steelers added to their lead, with a 35-yard field goal by Suisham. The Broncos grabbed the lead, when quarterback Peyton Manning threw his 400th career touchdown pass—a 71-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, but the Steelers responded early in the fourth quarter, when Roethlisberger threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace (with a failed two-point conversion attempt). With 9:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos claimed the lead for good, when Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme (coupled with running back Willis McGahee receiving a pass from Manning for a two-point conversion), then added to their lead with a 26-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, followed by cornerback Tracy Porter returning an interception off Roethlisberger 43 yards for a touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion attempt).^[96]

Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Two: Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	0	14	21
Falcons	10	10	7	0	27

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,427
• Referee: Ken Roan^{[note 1]}
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Jon Gruden (color commentator) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – 13:20 Michael Turner 1-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:53. (ATL 7–0) ATL – 9:46 Matt Bryant 37-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 2:04. (ATL 10–0) Second quarter ATL – 10:05 Matt Bryant 42-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:57. (ATL 13–0) ATL – 4:39 Tony Gonzalez 1-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 4:04. (ATL 20–0) DEN – 0:06 Demaryius Thomas 17-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:33. (ATL 20–7) Third quarter ATL – 7:08 Roddy White 4-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:17. (ATL 27–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 11:48 Willis McGahee 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:02. (ATL 27–14) DEN – 3:25 Willis McGahee 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:48. (ATL 27–21) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 24/37, 241 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT ATL – Matt Ryan: 24/36, 219 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 22 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD ATL – Michael Turner: 17 rushes, 42 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD ATL – Roddy White: 8 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mike Adams: 4 tackles, 4 assists ATL – Sean Weatherspoon: 5 tackles, 5 assists

Following their season-opening win over the Steelers, the Broncos traveled to the Georgia Dome to face the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. The Falcons converted three Broncos' turnovers into a 20–0 lead, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Michael Turner, followed by field goals of 37 and 42 yards by placekicker Matt Bryant—the latter in the second quarter—and a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Ryan to tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Broncos got on the scoreboard just before halftime, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Falcons responded in the third quarter, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to wide receiver Roddy White. The Broncos tried to rally in the fourth quarter, with running back Willis McGahee rushing for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns. However, the Falcons would run out the clock.^[97]

Week 3: vs. Houston Texans

Week Three: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	7	14	10	0	31
Broncos	5	6	0	14	25

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 2:25 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), partly sunny
• Game attendance: 76,566
• Referee: Jerry Frump^{[note 1]}
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 13:20 Elvis Dumervil sacked Matt Schaub in the end zone for a safety. (DEN 2–0) DEN – 8:41 Matt Prater 32-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:39. (DEN 5–0) HOU – 6:28 Andre Johnson 60-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 2:13. (HOU 7–5) Second quarter HOU – 10:47 Arian Foster 3-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 14 plays, 97 yards, 7:11. (HOU 14–5) HOU – 8:54 Kevin Walter 52-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:46. (HOU 21–5) DEN – 5:44 Matt Prater 23-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:10. (HOU 21–8) DEN – 0:01 Matt Prater 53-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 0:33. (HOU 21–11) Third quarter HOU – 9:11 Shayne Graham 41-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:45. (HOU 24–11) HOU – 1:33 Owen Daniels 14-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:19. (HOU 31–11) Fourth quarter DEN – 9:49 Brandon Stokley 38-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:31. (HOU 31–18) DEN – 3:00 Joel Dreessen 6-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 16 plays, 74 yards, 5:08. (HOU 31–25) Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub: 17/30, 290 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 26/52, 330 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster: 25 rushes, 105 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 12 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers HOU – Kevin Walter: 3 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD DEN – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 136 yards Top tacklers HOU – Kareem Jackson: 7 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Rahim Moore: 9 tackles

Hoping to rebound from their Monday Night loss in Atlanta, the Broncos returned home for an AFC duel with the Houston Texans. The Broncos jumped out to a 5–0 lead in the first quarter, with defensive end Elvis Dumervil sacking Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub in the end zone for a safety, followed by a 32-yard field goal placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Texans would reel off 21 unanswered points, with Schaub throwing three touchdown passes—a 60-yarder to wide receiver Andre Johnson, followed in the second quarter by a 3-yarder to running back Arian Foster and a 52-yarder to wide receiver Kevin Walter. The Broncos narrowed the Texans' lead to 21–11 at halftime, with a pair of field goals by Prater—from 23 and 53 yards. The Texans increased their lead in the third quarter, with a 41-yard field goal by placekicker Shayne Graham, followed by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Schaub to tight end Owen Daniels. Trailing 31–11 with 10:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos tried to rally, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a pair of touchdown passes—a 38-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Stokley and a 6-yarder to tight end Joel Dreessen to narrow Houston's lead to 31–25 with three minutes remaining. After forcing a Texans' punt, the Broncos got the football back with 20 seconds remaining, but the Texans' defense stood their ground.^[98]

Notes

Former wide receiver Rod Smith, who played with the Broncos from 1994–2007, was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame during halftime. Smith is the Broncos' franchise leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.^[99]

Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Four: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	3	3	0	0	6
Broncos	10	0	21	6	37

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 76,787
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 10:32 Joel Dreessen 22-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:28. (DEN 7–0) OAK – 6:47 Sebastian Janikowski 38-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:45. (DEN 7–3) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 21-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:47. (DEN 10–3) Second quarter OAK – 0:22 Sebastian Janikowski 24-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:52. (DEN 10–6) Third quarter DEN – 10:08 Eric Decker 17-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 3:51. (DEN 17–6) DEN – 7:30 Willis McGahee 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:47. (DEN 24–6) DEN – 3:46 Lance Ball 14-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 1:36. (DEN 31–6) Fourth quarter DEN – 12:56 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:49. (DEN 34–6) DEN – 3:43 Matt Prater 53-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 7:17. (DEN 37–6) Top passers OAK – Carson Palmer: 19/34, 202 yards DEN – Peyton Manning: 30/38, 338 yards, 3 TD Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden: 13 rushes, 34 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 19 rushes, 112 yards, 1 TD Top receivers OAK – Denarius Moore: 4 receptions, 71 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 5 receptions, 103 yards Top tacklers OAK – Tyvon Branch, Matt Giordano: 8 tackles each (1 assist by Branch) DEN – Champ Bailey, Rahim Moore: 5 tackles each (1 assist by Moore)

Hoping to snap a two-game losing streak, the Broncos remained on home ground for an AFC West duel against the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos grabbed the early lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen. The Raiders responded, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, but the Broncos countered, with a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater at the end of the first quarter. A 24-yard field goal by Janikowski just before halftime was the only scoring play of the second quarter. The Broncos' offense exploded in the third quarter, with Manning connecting on a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker, followed by a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee and a 14-yard touchdown pass from Manning to running back Lance Ball. Prater added field goals of 43 and 53 yards in the fourth quarter.^[100]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos snapped a four-game home losing streak against the Raiders.

Injuries

Center J. D. Walton suffered a dislocated ankle late in the second quarter, and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve the following day (October 1).^[92]

Week 5: at New England Patriots

Week Five: Denver Broncos at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	7	7	21
Patriots	7	10	14	0	31

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: October 7
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/2:25 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), showers
• Game attendance: 68,756
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NE – 3:08 Wes Welker 8-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 4:44. (NE 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 14:05 Joel Dreessen 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:03. (tied 7–7) NE – 7:57 Shane Vereen 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:08. (NE 14–7) NE – 0:02 Stephen Gostkowski 23-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 93 yards, 5:01. (NE 17–7) Third quarter NE – 5:00 Tom Brady 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 6:24. (NE 24–7) NE – 4:42 Stevan Ridley 8-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 1 play, 14 yards, 0:09. (NE 31–7) DEN – 1:08 Eric Decker 2-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 3:34. (NE 31–14) Fourth quarter DEN – 6:43 Brandon Stokley 5-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 1:25. (NE 31–21) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 31/44, 345 yards, 3 TD NE – Tom Brady: 23/31, 223 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 14 rushes, 51 yards NE – Stevan Ridley: 28 rushes, 151 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 9 receptions, 188 yards NE – Wes Welker: 13 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mike Adams and Rahim Moore: 6 tackles each (6 assists each) NE – Jerod Mayo and Tavon Wilson: 5 tackles each (8 assists by Mayo, 5 assists by Wilson)

Coming off their dominating win over the Raiders, the Broncos traveled to Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. This was the 13th meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady since 2001. The Patriots grabbed the early lead, with Brady connecting on an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. The Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with Manning tossing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen. However, the Patriots reeled off 24 unanswered points, with running back Shane Vereen rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Stephen Gostkowski just before halftime, followed in the third quarter by Brady scoring a 1-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak and running back Stevan Ridley rushing for an 8-yard touchdown. The latter touchdown occurred after a Manning fumble deep in Broncos' territory. The Broncos responded, with Manning throwing a pair of touchdown passes — a 2-yarder to wide receiver Eric Decker, followed in the fourth quarter by a 5-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Stokley to close the gap to 31–21 with 6:43 remaining. Following a Patriots' fumble, the Broncos were attempting to rally, however, running back Willis McGahee fumbled the football at the Patriots' 14-yard line with 3:48 remaining, halting the Broncos' rally attempt. The Patriots subsequently ran out the clock.^[101]

Week 6: at San Diego Chargers

Week Six: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	0	14	21	35
Chargers	10	14	0	0	24

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. MDT/5:30 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 68,604
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Jon Gruden (color commentator) and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SD – 8:59 Nick Novak 32-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:56. (SD 3–0) SD – 8:16 Antonio Gates 15-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 2 plays, 19 yards, 0:40. (SD 10–0) Second quarter SD – 6:00 Quentin Jammer 80-yard interception return for a TD, Nick Novak kick. (SD 17–0) SD – 0:24 Antonio Gates 11-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:56. (SD 24–0) Third quarter DEN – 10:56 Demaryius Thomas 29-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:04. (SD 24–7) DEN – 4:41 Tony Carter 65-yard fumble return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (SD 24–14) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:33 Eric Decker 7-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:14. (SD 24–21) DEN – 9:03 Brandon Stokley 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:08. (DEN 28–24) DEN – 2:05 Chris Harris, Jr. 46-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 35–24) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 24/30, 309 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT SD – Philip Rivers: 25/41, 242 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 17 rushes, 56 yards SD – Ryan Mathews: 22 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 6 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD SD – Antonio Gates: 6 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mike Adams: 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery SD – Antoine Cason, Eric Weddle and Atari Bigby: 5 tackles each (2 assists by Cason, 1 assist by Weddle and Bigby)

Hoping to rebound from their loss at New England, the Broncos traveled to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. The Chargers jumped out to a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Novak, followed by a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates. Both scores came off Broncos' miscues on special teams—the former occurred after Trindon Holliday muffed a punt return, while the latter occurred after Omar Bolden coughed up the football on a kickoff return. The Broncos were attempting to narrow the Chargers' lead midway through the second quarter, but wide receiver Eric Decker stumbled near the Chargers' 30-yard line when it appeared that he was headed to the end zone for an easy touchdown, after receiving a 55-yard pass from quarterback Peyton Manning. Three plays later, Manning threw an interception that was returned by Chargers' cornerback Quentin Jammer 80 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers increased their lead to 24–0 just before halftime, with Rivers connecting on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Gates.^[102]

The Broncos then staged one of the most memorable comebacks in Monday Night Football history. On the opening drive of the second half, Manning led the Broncos on an 8-play, 85-yard drive, culminating with a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On the Chargers' next possession, Broncos' defensive end Elvis Dumervil forced a fumble off Rivers, and cornerback Tony Carter scooped up the football and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. After the Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out, Manning hooked up with Decker on a 7-yard touchdown pass to pull the Broncos within 24–21 early in the fourth quarter. On the Chargers' next possession, Carter picked off Rivers, and four plays later, Manning tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley to give the Broncos a 28–24 lead with 9:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Chargers were attempting to rally, but Rivers was intercepted by cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. with 6:54 remaining. However, the Broncos were forced to punt seven plays later, giving the Chargers' offense the football with four minutes remaining. The Chargers once again tried to rally, but six plays later, Harris stepped in front of another Rivers' pass, returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown, sealing the win for the Broncos.^[102]

Week 8: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Eight: New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	7	0	7	14
Broncos	7	10	7	10	34

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 6:20 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,832
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color commentator) and Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 4:39 Willis McGahee 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 98 yards, 4:39. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter NO – 14:53 Darren Sproles 29-yard TD pass from Drew Brees, Garrett Hartley kick. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:53. (tied 7–7) DEN – 6:43 Eric Decker 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:17. (DEN 14–7) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 33-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:24. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 9:30 Demaryius Thomas 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 5:30. (DEN 24–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:54 Eric Decker 2-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:57. (DEN 31–7) DEN – 5:27 Matt Prater 33-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:29. (DEN 34–7) NO – 2:03 Jimmy Graham 18-yard TD pass from Drew Brees, Garrett Hartley kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:24. (DEN 34–14) Top passers NO – Drew Brees: 22/42, 213 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 22/30, 305 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas: 8 rushes, 43 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 23 rushes, 122 yards, 1 TD Top receivers NO – Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham: 5 receptions and 63 yards each (1 TD for Graham) DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 137 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers NO – Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins: 8 tackles and 1 assist each DEN – Wesley Woodyard: 9 tackles, 4 assists, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Coming off their miraculous comeback in San Diego and subsequent bye week, the Broncos returned home for an interconference duel against the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos grabbed the lead in the first quarter, with running back Willis McGahee rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. On the Broncos' next possession, McGahee committed a fumble, and the Saints responded early in the second quarter, with quarterback Drew Brees throwing his 300th career touchdown pass—a 29-yarder to running back Darren Sproles. On the Saints' next possession, Brees was intercepted by linebacker Wesley Woodyard, and the Broncos dominated the remainder of the game. Quarterback Peyton Manning tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker and placekicker Matt Prater nailed a 33-yard field goal to close out the first half. The Broncos increased their lead in the third quarter, with Manning connecting on a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, then pulled away in the fourth quarter, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Decker and another 33-yard field goal by Prater. The Saints scored a late touchdown, with Brees connecting on an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Jimmy Graham, but the game had already been decided in the Broncos' favor.^[103]

Notes

Linebacker Joe Mays suffered a fractured fibula on a kickoff return during the fourth quarter, and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve the following day (October 29).^[21] Drew Brees surpassed John Elway for sixth on the NFL's all-time list for touchdown passes. However, Brees' personal record dropped to 0–7 in games played at Denver.^[103]

Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Nine: Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	7	7	14	31
Bengals	0	3	10	10	23

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 63,623
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 7:55 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:26. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter CIN – 14:12 Mike Nugent 28-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:23. (tied 3–3) DEN – 10:15 Eric Decker 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:57. (DEN 10–3) Third quarter DEN – 14:49 Trindon Holliday 105-yard kickoff return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 0:11. (DEN 17–3) CIN – 11:33 A. J. Green 10-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:16. (DEN 17–10) CIN – 1:17 Mike Nugent 49-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:13. (DEN 17–13) Fourth quarter CIN – 14:10 BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2-yard TD run, Mike Nugent kick. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 0:51. (CIN 20–17) DEN – 11:47 Joel Dreessen 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:23. (DEN 24–20) DEN – 3:36 Eric Decker 4-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 5:02. (DEN 31–20) CIN – 0:52 Mike Nugent 41-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 2:44. (DEN 31–23) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 27/35, 291 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT CIN – Andy Dalton: 26/42, 299 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 23 yards, 66 yards CIN – BenJarvus Green-Ellis: 17 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD CIN – Jermaine Gresham: 6 receptions, 108 yards Top tacklers DEN – Champ Bailey: 5 tackles, 1 assist CIN – Chris Crocker: 5 tackles, 2 assists

Coming off their dominating win over the Saints, the Broncos traveled to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC duel with the Cincinnati Bengals. A 43-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater gave the Broncos an early lead, but the Bengals countered in the second quarter, with a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Mike Nugent. The Broncos responded, with a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker. The Broncos added to their lead, when return specialist Trindon Holliday took the opening kickoff of the second half 105 yards for a touchdown. However, the Bengals would reel off 17 unanswered points, consisting of a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton to wide receiver A. J. Green, a 49-field goal by Nugent followed in the fourth quarter by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushing for a 2-yard touchdown, with the latter two scores coming off Manning interceptions. This gave Cincinnati a 20–17 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos re-claimed the lead on their next possession, with Manning connecting on a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen. Ten plays into the Bengals' next possession, Dalton was intercepted by cornerback Champ Bailey at the Bengals' 46-yard line, and the Broncos subsequently added to their lead eight plays later, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Decker. Trailing 31–20 with 3:36 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bengals tried to rally, with Nugent nailing a 41-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining, but the Broncos recovered the onside kick in the game's final minute and subsequently ran out the clock.^[104]

Notes

Peyton Manning improved his personal record to 8–0 all-time in games against the Bengals.^[104]

Week 10: at Carolina Panthers

Week Ten: Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	10	7	12	36
Panthers	7	0	0	7	14

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 73,939
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – 6:46 Greg Olsen 4-yard TD pass from Cam Newton, Justin Medlock kick. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:04. (CAR 7–0) DEN – 1:32 Brandon Stokley 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:16. (tied 7–7) Second quarter DEN – 14:40 Trindon Holliday 76-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 14–7) DEN – 10:12 Matt Prater 53-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:26. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 9:59 Tony Carter 40-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 24–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:17 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:25. (DEN 27–7) DEN – 10:32 Cam Newton sacked by Mike Adams in end zone for a safety (DEN 29–7) CAR – 5:09 Greg Olsen 5-yard TD pass from Cam Newton, Justin Medlock kick. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:22. (DEN 29–14) DEN – 3:23 Ronnie Hillman 5-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:46. (DEN 36–14) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 27/38, 301 yards, 1 TD CAR – Cam Newton: 21/36, 241 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 14 rushes, 56 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart: 8 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 9 receptions, 135 yards CAR – Greg Olsen: 9 receptions, 102 yards Top tacklers DEN – Chris Harris, Jr. and Von Miller: 6 tackles each, (1 assist, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble by Miller) CAR – Luke Kuechly: 6 tackles, 4 assists

The Broncos on offense against the Carolina Panthers in week 10

Hoping to add to a three-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for an interconference match-up with the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. In the first quarter, the Panthers struck first, with quarterback Cam Newton connecting on a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen. However, the Broncos would reel off 29 unanswered points and dominate the remainder of the game. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley. The Broncos grabbed the lead in the second quarter, with return specialist Trindon Holliday returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 53-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, then in the third quarter, cornerback Tony Carter returned an interception off Newton 40 yards for a touchdown. Prater added a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, followed by safety Mike Adams sacking Newton in the end zone for a safety. The Panthers responded in the fourth quarter, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Newton to Olsen, but the Broncos put the game out of reach, with running back Ronnie Hillman rushing for a 5-yard touchdown.^[105]

Notes

The Broncos' defense harassed Cam Newton throughout the game, sacking Newton seven times. This was Broncos' head coach John Fox's first visit to Carolina, where he served as head coach of the Panthers from 2002–2010.^[105]

Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Eleven: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	0	9	7	23
Broncos	0	17	7	6	30

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 18
• Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 76,769
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Solomon Wilcots (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SD – 6:52 Eric Weddle 23-yard interception return for a TD, Nick Novak kick. (SD 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:00 Demaryius Thomas 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:20. (tied 7–7) DEN – 11:33 Matt Prater 19-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:14. (DEN 10–7) DEN – 1:44 Brandon Stokley 31-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:07. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter SD – 12:48 Peyton Manning sacked by Shaun Phillips in the end zone for a safety (DEN 17–9) DEN – 7:23 Eric Decker 20-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:18. (DEN 24–9) SD – 0:58 Danario Alexander 8-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:25. (DEN 24–16) Fourth quarter DEN – 10:43 Matt Prater 30-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:15. (DEN 27–16) DEN – 4:14 Matt Prater 32-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:56. (DEN 30–16) SD – 1:24 Danario Alexander 21-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Mike Scifres kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:50. (DEN 30–23) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 24/40, 258 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 25/42, 270 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews: 15 rushes, 47 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 7 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers SD – Danario Alexander: 7 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD DEN – Brandon Stokley: 4 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers SD – Donald Butler: 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble DEN – Champ Bailey: 8 tackles

Hoping to add to a four-game winning streak, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West rematch with the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers grabbed the lead in the first quarter, with safety Eric Weddle returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning 23 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with Manning connecting on a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On the Chargers' next possession, quarterback Philip Rivers was intercepted by Broncos' safety Jim Leonhard deep in Chargers' territory. However, the Broncos had to settle for a 19-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Broncos' linebacker Nate Irving blocked Mike Scifres' punt, and on the next play, Manning threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley, giving the Broncos a 17–7 lead. The first points of the third quarter came from the Chargers, with linebacker Shaun Phillips sacking Manning in the end zone for a safety. After linebacker Wesley Woodyard recovered a Rivers' fumble deep in Chargers' territory, the Broncos increased their lead, with Manning throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker. However, the Chargers responded late in the third quarter, with Rivers connecting on an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Danario Alexander. A pair of field goals by Prater in the fourth quarter—from 30 and 32 yards—gave the Broncos a 30–16 lead with 4:14 remaining in the game. The Chargers tried to rally, with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Alexander with 1:24 remaining. However, the Broncos' recovered the onside kick, and subsequently ran out the clock.^[106]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos earned their first season sweep of the Chargers since 2005, and snapped the Chargers' three-game winning streak in Denver. Nate Irving's block of a Mike Scifres' punt marked the first time since 2007 that the Broncos' special teams blocked a punt.^[107] This was the only game during the 2012 season in which the Broncos wore their alternate navy blue jerseys.^[106]

Injuries

Running back Willis McGahee suffered a ruptured MCL and compression fracture in his right knee during the second quarter, when his knee was hit by the helmet of Chargers' cornerback Quentin Jammer.^[108] On November 21, McGahee was placed on the injured reserve/designated for return list.^[93]

Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Twelve: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	7	3	17
Chiefs	6	0	3	0	9

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 25
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 74,244
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter KC – 9:20 Ryan Succop 34-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:40. (KC 3–0) KC – 4:31 Ryan Succop 22-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:25. (KC 6–0) Second quarter DEN – 0:18 Jacob Tamme 7-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 4:57. (DEN 7–6) Third quarter KC – 7:35 Ryan Succop 49-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:22. (KC 9–7) DEN – 4:41 Demaryius Thomas 30-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:54. (DEN 14–9) Fourth quarter DEN – 0:14 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:10. (DEN 17–9) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 22/37, 285 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT KC – Brady Quinn: 13/25, 126 yards, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 20 rushes, 85 yards KC – Jamaal Charles: 23 rushes, 107 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD KC – Dwayne Bowe: 4 receptions, 41 yards Top tacklers DEN – Wesley Woodyard and Mike Adams: 8 tackles each (1 assist and 1 sack by Woodyard) KC – Javier Arenas, Jalil Brown, Abram Elam and Kendrick Lewis: 5 tackles each

Hoping to add to a five-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West duel with the Kansas City Chiefs. Two field goals by Chiefs' placekicker Ryan Succop—from 34 and 22 yards—game Kansas City a 6–0 lead in the first quarter. The Broncos grabbed the lead just before halftime, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme. The Chiefs re-claimed the lead in the third quarter, with a 49-yard field goal by Succop, however, the Broncos responded, with Manning connecting on a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. For the last 4:41 of the third quarter and the first 8:36 of the fourth quarter, each team proceeded to trade punts, until the Broncos' offense got the football with 6:24 remaining in the game. The Broncos drove 68 yards in 12 plays, eating up 6:10 off the clock, culminating with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 34-yard field goal with only 14 seconds remaining to give the Broncos some breathing room. The Broncos' defense thwarted the Chiefs' last desperation drive.^[109]

Notes

With the hard-fought win, the Broncos matched their win total from 2011.

Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Thirteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	10	0	0	13	23
Broncos	7	0	21	3	31

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 2
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,432
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton (play-by-play), John Lynch (color commentator) and Jennifer Hale (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 8:47 Mitch Unrein 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:00. (DEN 7–0) TB – 4:41 Connor Barth 31-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:06. (DEN 7–3) TB – 0:14 Dallas Clark 11-yard TD pass from Josh Freeman, Connor Barth kick. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:31. (TB 10–7) Second quarter No scoring Third quarter DEN – 9:21 Demaryius Thomas 8-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:22. (DEN 14–10) DEN – 4:39 Demaryius Thomas 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:23. (DEN 21–10) DEN – 3:56 Von Miller 26-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 28–10) Fourth quarter TB – 14:55 Connor Barth 50-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:11. (DEN 28–13) DEN – 7:36 Matt Prater 31-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 7:19. (DEN 31–13) TB – 3:23 Connor Barth 55-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:14. (DEN 31–16) TB – 2:33 Mike Williams 5-yard TD pass from Josh Freeman, Connor Barth kick. Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 0:24. (DEN 31–23) Top passers TB – Josh Freeman: 18/29, 242 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 27/38, 242, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers TB – Doug Martin: 18 rushes, 56 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 20 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers TB – Mike Williams: 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David: 7 tackles, 3 assists DEN – Chris Harris, Jr. and Von Miller: 5 tackles and 1 assist each (1 sack, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble by Miller)

Hoping to add to a six-game winning streak, the Broncos returned home for an interconference duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Broncos grabbed the early lead, when defensive tackle Mitch Unrein, lining up as a fullback, caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning. The Buccaneers responded, with a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Connor Barth, then grabbed the lead at the end of the first quarter, with quarterback Josh Freeman connecting on an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark. After a scoreless second quarter, the Broncos re-claimed the lead for good with 21 unanswered points, consisting of two Manning touchdown passes to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas—from 8 and 10 yards, followed by linebacker Von Miller returning an interception off Freeman 26 yards for a touchdown. After a Manning interception late in the third quarter, a 50-yard field goal by Barth to begin the fourth quarter narrowed the gap to 28–13, but the Broncos countered with a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. With 4:37 remaining in the game, the Buccaneers tried to rally, with a 55-yard field goal by Barth, followed by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Freeman to wide receiver Mike Williams with 2:39 remaining. However, the Buccaneers' onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, and the Broncos subsequently ran out the clock.^[110]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos exceeded their win total from 2011, and also clinched their second consecutive AFC West division title. This was the 12th division title in the Broncos' franchise history, tying the Oakland Raiders for the all-time lead in AFC West championships since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger.^[111] The Broncos also clinched consecutive division titles for the first time since 1986–87.^[112]

Week 14: at Oakland Raiders

Week Fourteen: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	10	3	13	0	26
Raiders	0	7	0	6	13

at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 6:20 p.m. MST/5:20 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), cloudy skies
• Game attendance: 53,807
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (color commentator) and Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 10:30 Joel Dreessen 6-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:30. (DEN 7–0) DEN – 5:09 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:42. (DEN 10–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:39 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:14. (DEN 13–0) OAK – 1:59 Darren McFadden 6-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:33. (DEN 13–7) Third quarter DEN – 7:30 Matt Prater 20-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:03. (DEN 16–7) DEN – 5:07 Knowshon Moreno 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:38. (DEN 23–7) DEN – 0:19 Matt Prater 33-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:18. (DEN 26–7) Fourth quarter OAK – 5:36 Darrius Heyward-Bey 56-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, two-point pass failed. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 1:50. (DEN 26–13) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 26/36, 310 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT OAK – Carson Palmer: 19/30, 273 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 32 rushes, 119 yards, 1 TD OAK – Darren McFadden: 11 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 8 rushes, 88 yards OAK – Rod Streater: 4 receptions, 100 yards Top tacklers DEN – Tony Carter and D. J. Williams: 4 tackles each (2 assists by Carter, 1 assist by Williams) OAK – Joselio Hanson: 8 tackles, 1 assist

Hoping to add to a seven-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to the O.co Coliseum for an AFC West rematch with the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos jumped out to a 13–0 lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen, followed by field goals of 43 and 34 from placekicker Matt Prater, with the latter field goal occurring early in the second quarter. The Raiders got on the scoreboard late in the first half, with quarterback Carson Palmer throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Darren McFadden. The Broncos added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 20-yard field goal by Prater, a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Knowshon Moreno and a 33-yard field goal by Prater. A 56-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (with a failed two-point conversion attempt) was the only scoring play of the fourth quarter, and the Broncos ran out the final 5:36 of the game.^[113]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos earned their first season sweep of the Raiders since 2006, and also swept their division rivals on the road for the third time in four seasons.

Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Fifteen: Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	14	14	3	34
Ravens	0	0	3	14	17

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 71,317
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 7:13 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:56. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter DEN – 11:51 Jacob Hester 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:12. (DEN 10–0) DEN – 0:15 Chris Harris, Jr. 98-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 17–0) Third quarter BAL – 12:18 Justin Tucker 45-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:42. (DEN 17–3) DEN – 9:53 Eric Decker 51-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:25. (DEN 24–3) DEN – 7:40 Knowshon Moreno 6-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:16. (DEN 31–3) Fourth quarter BAL – 14:31 Dennis Pitta 31-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 4–36, 1:17. (DEN 31–10) DEN – 4:32 Matt Prater 36-yard FG. Drive: 15 plays, 62, yards, 9:59. (DEN 34–10) BAL – 4:08 Dennis Pitta 61-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 1 play, 61 yards, 0:24. (DEN 34–17) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 17/28, 204 yards, 1 TD BAL – Joe Flacco: 20/40, 254 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 22 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD BAL – Ray Rice: 12 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 133 yards, 1 TD BAL – Dennis Pitta: 7 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers DEN – Champ Bailey: 6 tackles BAL – Josh Bynes: 11 tackles, 2 assists

Hoping to add to an eight-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to M&T Bank Stadium for an AFC duel with the Baltimore Ravens, where the Broncos had never won in four previous regular-season meetings. A 27-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater was the only scoring play of the first quarter. The Broncos increased their lead in the second quarter, with fullback Jacob Hester rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Ravens were threatening to narrow the Broncos' lead just before halftime; however, Broncos' cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. stepped in front of a pass from Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco, returning an interception 98 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker Justin Tucker. However, the Broncos added to their lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 51-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker, followed by a 6-yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno to give the Broncos a commanding 31–3 lead. The Ravens finally got into the end zone early in the fourth quarter, with Flacco connecting on a 31-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dennis Pitta, but the Broncos responded with a 36-yard field goal from Prater. The Ravens added one more score, with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Pitta, but the Broncos' lead was too much for the Ravens to overcome.^[114]

Notes

This was the Broncos' first-ever regular-season win in Baltimore in five tries.^[115]

Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	3	6	12
Broncos	7	7	7	13	34

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 23
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,351
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 12:10 Demaryius Thomas 22-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:50. (DEN 7–0) CLE – 4:35 Phil Dawson 27-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:35. (DEN 7–3) Second quarter DEN – 12:40 Eric Decker 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 6:55. (DEN 14–3) Third quarter CLE – 11:09 Phil Dawson 53-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:51. (DEN 14–6) DEN – 4:33 Eric Decker 8-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:36. (DEN 21–6) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:53 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 3:22. (DEN 24–6) DEN – 12:11 Jacob Hester 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 19 yards, 0:15. (DEN 31–6) CLE – 7:56 Greg Little 6-yard TD pass from Colt McCoy, two-point run failed. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:15. (DEN 31–12) DEN – 1:55 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:02. (DEN 34–12) Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden: 12/19, 104 yards DEN – Peyton Manning: 30/43, 339 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson: 9 rushes, 53 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 22 rushes, 78 yards Top receivers CLE – Greg Little: 6 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 9 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers CLE – Craig Robertson: 12 tackles, 2 assists DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 8 tackles

Hoping to add to a nine-game winning streak, the Broncos returned home for an AFC match-up with the Cleveland Browns. On the game's opening drive, quarterback Peyton Manning threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Browns got on the scoreboard, with a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Phil Dawson. A 10-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker was the only scoring play of the second quarter. The Browns narrowed the Broncos' lead early in the third quarter, with a 53-yard field goal by Dawson, but the Broncos would add 17 unanswered points to their lead, with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Decker, followed in the fourth quarter by a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater and a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Jacob Hester. The Browns finally scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, with quarterback Colt McCoy connecting on a 6-yard pass to wide receiver Greg Little, but the Broncos' lead was too much for the Browns to overcome. Prater added a 41-yard field goal to close out the scoring.^[116]

Notes

The Broncos matched their win total from the two previous seasons combined, and also swept the AFC North division. The Broncos won their 10th consecutive game against the Browns, dating back to the 1991 season, and improved their all-time series record against the Browns to 22–5 (including the playoffs).^[117]

Week 17: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Seventeen: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	3	0	0	3
Broncos	7	14	14	3	38

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 30
• Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,502
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (color commentator)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 9:56 Knowshon Moreno 3-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:06. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter KC – 14:53 Ryan Succop 23-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:16. (DEN 7–3) DEN – 5:32 Eric Decker 11-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:00. (DEN 14–3) DEN – 0:10 Eric Decker 16-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 1:27. (DEN 21–3) Third quarter DEN – 9:10 Demaryius Thomas 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:50. (DEN 28–3) DEN – 1:04 Lance Ball 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 5:36. (DEN 35–3) Fourth quarter DEN – 8:09 Matt Prater 42-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 6:10. (DEN 38–3) Top passers KC – Brady Quinn: 7/16, 49 yards DEN – Peyton Manning: 23/29, 304 yards, 3 TD Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles: 14 rushes, 53 yards DEN – Lance Ball: 15 rushes, 66 yards, 1 TD Top receivers KC – Tony Moeaki: 2 receptions, 21 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers KC – Justin Houston: 8 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Rahim Moore: 8 tackles, 1 sack

Hoping to add to a ten-game winning streak and gain momentum into the playoffs, the Broncos remained at home for an AFC West divisional rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, in the 2012 regular season finale. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 3-yard touchdown. The Chiefs got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, with a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop, in what would be the Chiefs' only scoring play of the game. The Broncos later added to their lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing three touchdown passes—two to wide receiver Eric Decker—from 11 and 16 yards, followed in the third quarter by a 13-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Broncos added another touchdown late in the third quarter, with running back Lance Ball rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. A 42-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater in the fourth quarter was the last scoring play of the game.^[118]

Notes

With the win, the Broncos exceeded their win total from the two previous seasons combined, swept their AFC West division rivals for only the second time in franchise history, and earned their first season sweep of the Chiefs since 2007.^[118] The 35-point margin was the Broncos' largest margin of victory over the Chiefs in the 53-year history of this rivalry.^[119] The win was also the 100th in John Fox's coaching career (including postseason games).^[120] By virtue of the Houston Texans' 28–16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the day, the Broncos clinched a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.^[121]

Postseason

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. #4 Baltimore Ravens

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (#4) Baltimore Ravens at (#1) Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Ravens	14	7	7	7	0	3	38
Broncos	14	7	7	7	0	0	35

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: January 12, 2013
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 13 °F (−11 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,732
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) and Solomon Wilcots (sideline reporter)
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 12:14 Trindon Holliday 90-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 7–0) BAL – 10:31 Torrey Smith 59-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 4 plays, 94 yards, 1:43. (tied 7–7) BAL – 9:49 Corey Graham 39-yard interception return for a TD, Justin Tucker kick. (BAL 14–7) DEN – 4:02 Brandon Stokley 15-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:47. (tied 14–14) Second quarter DEN – 7:26 Knowshon Moreno 14-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:35. (DEN 21–14) BAL – 0:36 Torrey Smith 32-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:40. (tied 21–21) Third quarter DEN – 14:47 Trindon Holliday 104-yard kickoff return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 0:13. (DEN 28–21) BAL – 0:20 Ray Rice 1-yard TD run, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:27. (tied 28–28) Fourth quarter DEN – 7:11 Demaryius Thomas 17-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:58. (DEN 35–28) BAL – Jacoby Jones 70-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 0:38. (tied 35–35) First overtime No scoring Second overtime BAL – 13:18 Justin Tucker 47-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:33. (BAL 38–35) Top passers BAL – Joe Flacco: 18/34, 331 yards, 3 TD DEN – Peyton Manning: 28/43, 290 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Ray Rice: 30 rushes, 131 yards, 1 TD DEN – Ronnie Hillman: 22 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers BAL – Torrey Smith: 3 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD DEN – Eric Decker: 6 receptions, 84 yards Top tacklers BAL – Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs: 10 tackles each (7 assists by Lewis, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble by Suggs) DEN – Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard: 7 tackles each (2 assists by Miller)

Following a first-round bye, the Broncos kicked off the divisional round of the 2012–13 NFL playoffs at home by welcoming the Baltimore Ravens, whom the Broncos defeated in Baltimore four weeks earlier. A 90-yard punt return for a touchdown by return specialist Trindon Holliday gave the Broncos the early lead. However, the Ravens quickly responded, with quarterback Joe Flacco connecting on a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith, followed by cornerback Corey Graham returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning 39 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos tied the game, with Manning throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley, then re-claimed the lead midway through the second quarter, with Manning connecting on a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos had an opportunity to add to their lead just after the two-minute warning, but placekicker Matt Prater missed a 52-yard field goal, giving the Ravens excellent field goal position with 1:16 remaining until halftime. Three plays later, Flacco connected on another touchdown pass to Smith — this one from 32 yards.^[122]

Holliday took the opening kickoff of the second half 104 yards for a touchdown, but after a Manning fumble, the Ravens tied the game late in the third quarter, with running back Ray Rice rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. After each team's offense subsequently went three-and-out, the Broncos marched down the field on a 10-play, 88-yard drive, culminating with Manning throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas midway through the fourth quarter. The Ravens, on their next possession, marched 44 yards in eight plays, but turned the ball over on downs with 3:12 remaining in regulation. The Broncos achieved one first-down with 2:23 remaining, which forced the Ravens to start using the last two of their three remaining timeouts on defense. After the two-minute warning, the Ravens had exhausted all of their team timeouts, however, the Broncos failed to convert a critical third-down run, and were forced to punt, giving the Ravens the football with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Three plays later, and with no timeouts, Flacco launched a 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacoby Jones to tie the game at 35 with 31 seconds remaining to force overtime.^[122]

The Ravens won the overtime coin toss. Both teams were forced to punt on their first possessions. The Ravens once again were forced to punt on their next possession, and the Broncos' offense got the football with 3:37 remaining in the first overtime. However, seven plays into the Broncos' second overtime possession, Manning was intercepted again by Graham in Broncos' territory, giving the Ravens the football at the Broncos' 45-yard line with 1:01 remaining in the first overtime. Six plays later, Ravens' placekicker Justin Tucker nailed a game-winning 47-yard field early in the second overtime.^[122]

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(1) Denver Broncos	13	3	0	.813	6–0	10–2	481	289	W11
San Diego Chargers	7	9	0	.438	4–2	7–5	350	350	W2
Oakland Raiders	4	12	0	.250	2–4	4–8	290	443	L2
Kansas City Chiefs	2	14	0	.125	0–6	0–12	211	425	L4

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Peyton Manning	4,659
Passing touchdowns	Peyton Manning	37
Rushing yards	Willis McGahee	731
Rushing touchdowns	Willis McGahee Knowshon Moreno	4
Receiving yards	Demaryius Thomas	1,434
Receiving touchdowns	Eric Decker	13
Points	Matt Prater	133
Kickoff return yards	Trindon Holliday	358
Punt return yards	Trindon Holliday	334
Tackles	Wesley Woodyard	117
Sacks	Von Miller	18.5 *
Forced fumbles	Elvis Dumervil Von Miller	6
Interceptions	Chris Harris, Jr. Wesley Woodyard	3

*	Indicates a new single-season franchise record.[123]

Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.^[124]

League rankings

Offense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 397.9 YPG 4th Yards per play 5.8 6th Rushing yards 114.5 YPG 16th Yards per rush 3.8 23rd Passing yards 283.3 YPG 5th Yards per pass 7.9 5th Scoring 30.1 PPG 2nd Pass completions 402/588 (.684) 2nd Third downs 96/213 (.451) 3rd Possession average 31:16 8th Fewest sacks allowed 21 2nd Turnover differential −1 T−17th

Defense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 290.8 YPG 2nd Yards per play 4.6 1st Rushing yards 91.1 YPG 3rd Yards per rush 3.6 2nd Passing yards 199.6 YPG 3rd Yards per pass 6.4 5th Scoring 18.1 PPG 4th Pass completions 321/559 (.574) 7th Third downs 66/216 (.306) 1st Sacks 52 T−1st Forced fumbles 19 4th Fumble recoveries 8 T–22nd Interceptions 16 13th

Special teams Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Kickoff returns 23.1 YPR 18th Punt returns 9.3 YPR 18th Gross punting 46.3 YPP 17th Net punting 43.3 YPP 5th Kickoff coverage 22.1 YPR 7th Punt coverage 6.2 YPR 2nd

Source for this section: NFL.com.^[125]

Records and milestones

Numerous individual, franchise and league records and milestones were either tied, reached or broken during the season:

Team

• Week 6: The Broncos' rally from a 24–0 halftime deficit during the team's Week 6 win over the San Diego Chargers tied the largest comeback in Monday Night Football history. The 35 points scored after halftime tied the highest amount of points that the Broncos scored in the second half,^[102] and also marked the first time in NFL history that a team won a game by double-digits after trailing by at least 24 points at halftime.^[126]

• Season: The Broncos set a franchise record for scoring 30 or more points in 11 games,^[127] which was surpassed during the 2013 season.

Peyton Manning

• Week 1: Became the third quarterback in NFL history to achieve 400 career touchdown passes (joining Dan Marino and Brett Favre), as well as the fastest quarterback to achieve that feat.^[128]
• Week 3: Became the NFL's all-time leader in 300-yard passing games.^[98]
• Week 8: Set a new personal record for consecutive 300-yard passing games.^[103]
• Week 9: Surpassed Dan Marino for the NFL's all-time lead in game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.^[104]
• Week 11: Surpassed Dan Marino for second-place on the NFL's all-time list for touchdown passes.^[107]
• Week 12: Surpassed John Elway for second-place on the NFL's all-time list for regular-season wins by a quarterback.^[109]
• Week 13: Surpassed Dan Marino for second-place on the NFL's all-time pass completions list and set a franchise record for touchdown passes in a single season,^[111] which Manning surpassed in 2013.
• Week 14: Became the second quarterback in NFL history to achieve 5,000 career pass completions (joining Brett Favre), as well as the fastest quarterback to achieve that feat. He also achieved his NFL-record 12th season with at least 10 wins during a regular season.^[129]
• Week 17: Set a new single-season franchise record for pass completions;^[130] surpassed Brett Favre on the NFL's all-time list for games with three or more touchdown passes^[131] and set a new NFL record with a .707 pass completion percentage in games played during the month of December.^[132]
• Overall, Manning set new Broncos' single-season franchise records in pass completion percentage (.686), pass completions (400), passer rating (105.9), passing yardage (4,659) and touchdown passes (37),^[130] the latter four of which Manning surpassed in 2013.^[133] He was also named to the AFC Pro Bowl for the 12th time in his career, the most by a quarterback in NFL history.^[123]

Other players

• Britton Colquitt: Set a new single-season franchise record for net punting, with an average of 42.1 net yards per punt. Colquitt surpassed his own record that he previously set during the 2011 season.^[134]

• Chris Harris, Jr.: During the team's Week 15 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Harris set a new franchise record for the longest interception return in Broncos' regular-season history, with a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown.^[114]

• Trindon Holliday:
  • Week 9: 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown set a new record for the longest play in Broncos' franchise history,^[104] which Holliday tied in 2013.^[135]
  • Divisional playoffs: 90-yard punt return for a touchdown set a new record for the longest punt return in NFL playoff history, which was also the first punt return for a touchdown in Broncos' postseason history; became the first player in NFL history to return both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff game.^[136]

• Von Miller: Set a new Broncos' franchise record for quarterback sacks in a single season, during the team's Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns.^[116] Miller finished the season with 18.5 sacks.^[123]

• Mitch Unrein: Became the first defensive lineman in Broncos' franchise history to catch a touchdown pass, during the team's Week 13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[111]

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award(s)
Champ Bailey	Named to the USA Football All Fundamentals Team[137]
Zane Beadles	Named as the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year[138]
Ryan Clady	Named to the USA Football All Fundamentals Team[137]
Trindon Holliday	Week 9: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week[139]
Peyton Manning	Week 6: AFC Offensive Player of the Week[140] October: AFC Offensive Player of the Month[141] Week 17: AFC Offensive Player of the Week[142] December: AFC Offensive Player of the Month[132] Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the year[143] 2012 season: AFC Offensive Player of the Year[144] 2012 season: FedEx Air Player of the Year[145] 2012 season: Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year[145]
Von Miller	Week 11: AFC Defensive Player of the Week[146] November: AFC Defensive Player of the Month[147] Voted to NFL.com's All-Under-25 Team[148]
Knowshon Moreno	Week 15: AFC Offensive Player of the Week,[149] FedEx Ground Player of the Week[150]
Tracy Porter	Week 1: AFC Defensive Player of the Week[151]
Matt Prater	Week 4: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week[152]
Brandon Stokley	2012 season: DISH Unbeatable Value Player of the Year[153]
Wesley Woodyard	Week 8: AFC Defensive Player of the Week[154] Voted to USA Today's All-Joe Team[148]
Team	Week 6: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind win)[155]

Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections

Seven Broncos were elected to the 2013 Pro Bowl. Cornerback Champ Bailey, quarterback Peyton Manning and linebacker Von Miller were named as starters, while offensive tackle Ryan Clady and defensive end Elvis Dumervil were named as reserves.^[156] Guard Zane Beadles and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas were later added to the game as injury replacements.^[157] Clady and Miller, however, each withdrew from the game due to injuries.^[158][159]

Clady, Manning and Miller were also voted to the 2012 All-Pro First Team, while Bailey was named to the Second Team.^[160]

Other news and notes

• The Broncos switched their primary home jersey color from navy blue to orange. The orange jerseys that served as the team's alternate colored jersey from 2002–2011 became the primary home jersey, while the navy blue jerseys that served as the team's primary home jersey from 1997–2011 switched to alternate designation. The change was made due to overwhelming popularity with fans, who clamored for the team to return to wearing orange at home, which was the team's predominant home jersey color from 1962–1996.^[161]

• On April 3, the Broncos, along with each of the other 31 NFL teams, unveiled the team's new uniforms for the 2012 season, with Nike replacing Reebok as the NFL's merchandising dealer. With the exceptions of a few tweaks (including the neckline), the team's uniform designs remained the same as the previous seasons.^[162]

• On July 31, former Broncos' wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, who played with the Broncos from 1995–2003, was announced as the team's new color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Dave Logan on the team's radio network, 850 KOA (AM). McCaffrey replaced Brian Griese, the station's color commentator for the previous two seasons, who took on expanded duties with ESPN's college football coverage.^[163]

• The Broncos set a new single-season franchise record for home attendance with 613,062 fans, surpassing the previous record of 612,893 that was set in 2007.^[164]

Notes

1. Replacement officials were used from Weeks 1–3 due to the 2012 referee labor dispute.

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148. Zaas, Stuart (February 14, 2013). "Pair of Broncos Linebackers Nab Postseason Honors". Denver Broncos. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
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External links

• Official website
• The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage
• 2012 Season page on Pro Football Reference
• 2012 Denver Broncos at ESPN