The 1996 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 27th season in the National Football League, the 37th overall and their 2nd under head coach Mike Shanahan. The Broncos improved on their 8–8 record from 1995 and finished the season with a 13–3 record. They also clinched the AFC West for the first time since 1991, and earning the top seed in the AFC Playoffs.
In the playoffs, the Broncos were upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round, 30–27. Prior to their defeat, they were the top-seeded team in the NFL and were heavily favored to go to and win the Super Bowl by many analysts, breaking the AFC losing streak from the 1980s. The loss rendered the 1996 Broncos team as a historic failure, as it was a major Super Bowl or bust year. After the season, Jumpy Geathers retired.
Offseason NFL draft
Personnel Staff
Roster
Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 1 New York Jets W 31–6 1–0 Mile High Stadium 70,595 Recap 2 September 8 at Seattle Seahawks W 30–20 2–0 Kingdome 43,671 Recap 3 September 15 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–23 3–0 Mile High Stadium 71,535 Recap 4 September 22 at Kansas City Chiefs L 14–17 3–1 Arrowhead Stadium 79,439 Recap 5 September 29 at Cincinnati Bengals W 14–10 4–1 Cinergy Field 51,798 Recap 6 October 6 San Diego Chargers W 28–175–1Mile High Stadium 75,058 Recap 7Bye 8 October 20 Baltimore Ravens W 45–34 6–1 Mile High Stadium 70,453 Recap 9 October 27 Kansas City Chiefs W 34–7 7–1 Mile High Stadium 75,652 Recap 10 at Oakland Raiders W 22–21 8–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 61,179 Recap 11 November 10 Chicago Bears W 17–12 9–1 Mile High Stadium 75,555 Recap 12 November 17 at New England Patriots W 34–8 10–1 Foxboro Stadium 59,457 Recap 13 November 24 at Minnesota Vikings W 21–17 11–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 59,142 Recap 14 December 1 Seattle Seahawks W 34–7 12–1 Mile High Stadium 74,982 Recap 15 December 8 at Green Bay Packers L 6–41 12–2 Lambeau Field 60,712 Recap 16 December 15 Oakland Raiders W 24–19 13–2 Mile High Stadium 75,466 Recap 17 December 22 at San Diego Chargers L 10–16 13–3 Jack Murphy Stadium 46,801 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Standings
Postseason
Schedule Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Wild Card First-round bye Divisional Jacksonville Jaguars (5) L 27–30 0–1 Mile High Stadium 75,678 Recap AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs (5) Jacksonville Jaguars
Awards and records
AP Offensive Player of the Year – Terrell Davis
UPI AFL-AFC Offensive MVP – Terrell Davis (1996 was the last year this award was given out)
Terrell Davis set franchise rushing record for most carries (345) in a season and most rushing touchdowns (13) in a season
Milestones Terrell Davis reached 1,000 yards faster than any Denver Bronco running back in franchise history
References
External links Denver Broncos – 1996 media guide Broncos on Pro Football Reference Broncos Schedule on jt-sw.com