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Denver Broncos: Which Super Bowl loss was the worst?

By Travis Wakeman

SAN DIEGO, CA - JANUARY 1988: Quarterback Doug Williams #17 of the Washington Redskins passing against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII in Jack Murphy Satdium on January 31, l988 in San Diego, California. The redskins defeated the Broncos 42-10. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - JANUARY 1988: Quarterback Doug Williams #17 of the Washington Redskins passing against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII in Jack Murphy Satdium on January 31, l988 in San Diego, California. The redskins defeated the Broncos 42-10. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos, Super Bowl
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 26: John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos gets his pass off under pressure from George Martin #75 of the New York Giants during Super Bowl XXI on January 26, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants won the Super Bowl 39 -20. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

4. Broncos vs. New York Giants-  Super Bowl XXI, 1986

The loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XXI was a difficult one to take as the Broncos came into that game on the high of defeating the Cleveland Browns following “The Drive”. Unfortunately, the Giants were the league’s best team that year.

The Broncos and Giants met in Week 12 of the 1986 season at the Meadowlands, a game in which the Broncos kept things close and could have won the game. The Super Bowl was a much different story.

The Giants were a team that became quite good at winning close battles during that season en route to a 14-2 record. They became a superpower in the playoffs, winning their first two playoff games by a total score of 66-3.

The Broncos managed to put up 20 points against them in the Super Bowl, but that wasn’t nearly enough as Phil Simms had one of the most efficient days a quarterback has ever had in the Super Bowl, going 22-of-25 for 268 yards and three touchdowns.

In the end, the Giants won the game 39-20 following a second-half explosion. The Broncos actually took a 10-9 lead into the half.

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