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Denver Broncos: 5 best bounce-back seasons in team history

By Travis Wakeman

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 11: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos looks to hand off the football during the 1997 season AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on January 11, 1998 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-21. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 11: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos looks to hand off the football during the 1997 season AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on January 11, 1998 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-21. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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TEMPE, AZ – DECEMBER 16: Bobby Humphrey #26 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball against the Phoenix Cardinals during an NFL football game on December 16, 1989, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Humphrey played for the Broncos from 1989-91. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

1989 season

The Broncos went to three out of four Super Bowls to close out the 1980s, defeating the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship Game in each of those seasons.

The outlier was the 1988 season.

After reaching back-to-back Super Bowls in 1986 and 1987, the Broncos dropped to 8-8 in 1988. They started that season 1-3 and were just never able to recover. With their record sitting at 7-6 heading into Week Week 14, back-to-back road losses to the Los Angeles Raiders and Seahawks would seal their fate.

The team roared back in 1989 behind Elway, a strong running game led by Bobby Humphrey and a solid defense.

The Broncos started that season 10-2 and eventually won the AFC West division by 4.5 games. They went into the playoffs and narrowly got past the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round before facing the Browns again in the AFC Championship.

The Browns had actually beaten the Broncos in Cleveland earlier that season but this time, the Broncos did not need “The Drive” or “The Fumble” as they handily beat the Browns by 16 points.

Unfortunately, the team then ran into the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl and were smashed 55-10. That Niners team can make a case for being the best in the history of the NFL, however.

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