Predominantly Orange
FanSided

Denver Broncos: Which devastating playoff loss was the worst?

By Travis Wakeman

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 12: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with Jacoby Jones #12 against the Denver Broncos during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 12, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 12: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with Jacoby Jones #12 against the Denver Broncos during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 12, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Natrone Means dives forward for additional yards during the Jaguars 30-27 victory over the Denver Broncos in the 1996 AFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 4, 1997, at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Natrone Means dives forward for additional yards during the Jaguars 30-27 victory over the Denver Broncos in the 1996 AFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 4, 1997, at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

January 4, 1997

The Jaguars were in just their second year of existence in 1996 and despite a 4-12 record in their inaugural year, they finished 9-7 and got into the playoffs as a Wild Card. After outlasting the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, they came to Mile High Stadium in the divisional round.

The Jaguars were 4-7 at one point that season before winning their last five games. In the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, Morten Andersen, one of the best kickers in NFL history, missed a 30-yard chip shot to win the game. The Jaguars would have finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

That’s how close this came to not happening.

The Broncos and their fans had no fear of this game. A team that was one year removed from being an expansion team coming to the Mile High City, where the Broncos were 8-0 that season? This had blowout written all over it.

Except it wasn’t.

The Broncos got out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring a touchdown on a fourth-down run by Vaughn Hebron early in the game. But when the extra point was blocked, the team decided to go for a two-point conversion after its second touchdown, one made by Shannon Sharpe, but that failed as well.

That seemed to wake Jacksonville up as the second quarter belonged to them.

Running back Natrone Means was instrumental in the Jaguars’ offensive attack and made some big plays, including an 8-yard touchdown run in the quarter. That, paired with two field goals, gave the Jags a 13-12 halftime lead.

The Broncos were definitely still going to win though, thought fans everywhere.

But in the second half, timely plays to move the chains by Mark Brunell resulted in big touchdown passes, one to Keenan McCardell and one to Jimmy Smith. With just under four minutes to play in the game, the Jaguars had an improbably 30-20 lead.

Elway led his team down the field and threw a 15-yard strike to McCaffrey to shave the lead to three points, but with no timeouts remaining, all hope rested on the foot of Jason Elam and an onside kick attempt.

Elam tried to dribble it right up the middle but it landed in the waiting arms of Jacksonville’s Le’Shai Maston. The Broncos came nowhere close to recovering the ball, and one of the greatest upsets in NFL history was complete.

Many Broncos fans to this day believe the team would have had a three-peat as Super Bowl champions if not for this game.

Home/Broncos News