Ranking the top 5 Denver Broncos offenses of the past 30 years

4. 2014

Coming off the embarrassing loss in the Super Bowl to the Seahawks, Manning and the offense responded with incredible production. They finished tied for the league lead in touchdowns with 58 while coming in second in total points and points-per-game while totaling the fourth most total yards with 6,466.

Year one of the Thunder and Lightning duo of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders did not disappoint. They both recorded career-best marks in yards, with 1,619 and 1,404, respectively, while adding 20 combined touchdowns. This season also marked the breakout for undrafted running back C.J. Anderson, who earned a Pro Bowl nod after running for 849 and 8. Manning also had a tremendous line in front of him, as the offense ranked first by a whopping 50 yards in sack yards against with only 118. 

To add some historical context to this season’s greatness, football fans witnessed Manning break the all-time touchdown record, tossing his 509th to DT during the Week 7 Sunday night matchup vs the San Fransisco 49ers. 

3. 1997

The 1997 Broncos offense was led by John Elway and his 3,635 yards and 27 touchdowns, while Terrell Davis added 1,750 and 15 on the ground. 

Broncos Ring-of-Famer Rod Smith posted his first of six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, while Hall-of-fame tight end Shannon Sharpe also eclipsed the benchmark. 

The unit led the NFL in touchdowns with 55, points with 472, and total yards with 5,872, on route to the first Super Bowl victory in franchise history. The Lombardi trophy was hoisted after arguably the single-greatest play for the Broncos, Elway’s helicopter spin.