Denver Broncos: 4 great individual seasons that are largely forgotten
Brandon Lloyd makes something out of nothing in 2010
If you consider the 2010 season the worst in Broncos history, it would be hard to say that you were wrong.
The Broncos went 4-12 that season. Josh McDaniels was fired during the year and Eric Studesville finished it out as the team’s interim head coach. The team had six double-digit losses that season.
But one of the few bright spots that year was wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.
With Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Eddie Royal on the roster, it was Lloyd, a career journeyman, who led the team in receptions.
Lloyd was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent time with the Niners, Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears before signing with Denver prior to the 2009 season.
In his first six seasons in the league, he never had more than 48 receptions in a season and even in 2009, he only caught eight passes with the Broncos.
But in 2010, he made 77 receptions and led the entire NFL with 1,448 receiving yards. What? He also did that with Kyle Orton (and some Tim Tebow sprinkled in) as his quarterbacks. He also caught 11 touchdown passes, making it perhaps the most unlikely season on record for a Broncos player.
In 2011, Lloyd only caught 19 passes before the Broncos traded him to the St. Louis Rams the next year. He followed McDaniels around and had another solid year with the New England Patriots in 2012 before ending his career with the 49ers in 2014.
Lloyd had a pretty average career by most standards and there is no doubt that his 2010 season, although on a terrible football team, was by far his best.
These seasons deserve remembrance
Few fans are going to recall any of the seasons these guys had with much fervor or excitement.
Lloyd’s 77-reception season could evoke feelings from an awful 4-12 season. The great statistics posted by Gary and Droughns may lead to some fans remembering those heated debates they got into where someone would say “that’s why Terrell Davis should not be in the Hall of Fame. Anyone could run in that offense.”
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And Miller, who played for the Broncos 25 years ago, is almost entirely forgotten in the team’s history as he just missed being on the Super Bowl squads of 1997 and 1998.
Despite negative results in each of these seasons and the fact that none of these guys was ever considered a superstar for the team, they should still be remembered for the great individual performances that they were.
Miller’s 14 touchdown receptions are still tied for the most in team history. Lloyd’s 1,448 receiving yards rank No. 3 on the team’s all-time list for a single season and Gary and Droughns put together two of the most unlikely rushing seasons in NFL history.