2011 Denver Broncos season

2011 Denver Broncos season
Head coach	John Fox
General manager	Brian Xanders
Owner	Pat Bowlen
Home field	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Local radio	850 KOA (AM)
Results
Record	8–8
Division Place	1st AFC West
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 29–23 (OT) Lost Divisional Playoffs (Patriots) 45–10
Pro Bowlers	CB Champ Bailey DE Elvis Dumervil LB Von Miller
AP All-Pros	LB Von Miller (2nd team)
Timeline
Previous season      Next season < 2010      2012

The 2011 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League and the 52nd overall. It also marked the first season under head coach John Fox, as well as the first with John Elway as the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations. The Broncos doubled their win total from 2010, and despite their 8–8 record, the team clinched their first playoff berth and division title since 2005. The Broncos opened the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs with a 29–23 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, but were defeated by the New England Patriots in the Divisional round by a score of 45–10.

On July 25, the NFLPA and NFL owners agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified on August 4.^[1] The Broncos training camp began on July 28 at the team headquarters in Dove Valley, Colorado, and the preseason and regular season started on time.^[2]

The first five weeks of the season were dominated by a quarterback controversy involving Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, with fans voicing their displeasure with the play of Orton, which resulted in a 1–4 start, and the public outcry for Tebow to be moved to starter. On October 11, Tebow was named the starting quarterback beginning with the team's Week 7 game at the Miami Dolphins on October 23. Tebow compiled an 8–5 record (including the playoffs, with a six-game win streak from Weeks 9–14) since replacing Orton, including game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and/or overtime in six of those games, despite constant criticism of his abilities as a passer.^[3] Orton was later waived on November 22.^[4] Another notable roster change was the trade that sent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a conditional 2012 draft selection.^[5]

Offseason

Personnel changes

• On January 5, Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway was hired as the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Brian Xanders remained as general manager, but Elway had the final word in all football matters. Joe Ellis, who served as the team's chief operating officer for the past three years, was promoted to team president.^[6]

• On January 13, the Broncos named former Carolina Panthers' head coach John Fox as the team's new head coach.^[7]

• On January 17, the following changes were made to the Broncos' coaching staff: Clancy Barone was moved from offensive line coach to tight ends coach, replacing Bob Ligashesky. Dave Magazu was named the new offensive line coach. Tyke Tolbert was named the new wide receivers coach. Magazu and Tolbert both previously served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers. Brian Callahan was moved to the offensive quality control position, while Jay Rodgers was moved to the defensive quality control position. Eric Studesville, who served as the team's interim head coach for the final four games of the 2010 season, retained his position as the running backs coach.^[8]

• On January 20, Adam Gase, who served as the Broncos' wide receivers coach during the previous two seasons, was named the team's new quarterbacks coach, replacing Ben McDaniels. That same day, Jeff Rodgers, who served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers during the previous two seasons, was named the team's new special teams coach.^[9]

• On January 24, the Broncos hired former New Orleans Saints' secondary coach Dennis Allen as the team's new defensive coordinator, replacing Don Martindale.^[10] The following day (January 25), the team hired Ron Milus as the new secondary coach and Richard Smith as the new linebackers coach. Milus previously served as the Broncos' secondary coach in 2000, while Smith previously served as the Broncos' special teams coach and linebackers coach in the mid-1990s, and both previously served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers during the past two seasons.^[11]

• On January 27, the coaching staff was finalized, when Keith Burns was brought back as the assistant special teams coach and Sam Garnes was hired as the teams' new assistant secondary coach. Garnes served on John Fox's staff with the Panthers last season.^[12]

Pre-lockout roster changes

The Broncos made the following roster moves prior to the decertification of the NFLPA on March 11 and subsequent 2011 NFL Lockout:

• On January 7, five days after the end of the 2010 season, the team signed fullback Mike McLaughlin, guards Shawn Murphy and Manny Ramirez and tackle Herb Taylor to future contracts.^[13]

• On February 22, unrestricted free agent cornerback Champ Bailey was re-signed.^[14]

• On March 2, tight end Daniel Graham was released.^[15]

• On March 3, unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was re-signed, while defensive tackles Justin Bannan and Jamal Williams were released.^[16]

2011 draft class

Despite the 2011 NFL Lockout, the 2011 NFL Draft was held from April 28–30. However, no undrafted free agents were signed until after the lockout ended on July 25.^[17]

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Signed	Cut	Notes
1	2	Von Miller	LB	Texas A&M	July 28[18]	–
2	45	Rahim Moore	S	UCLA	July 28[19]	–	[dr 1]
	46	Orlando Franklin	T	Miami	July 29[21]	–	[dr 2]
3	67	Nate Irving	LB	NC State	July 29[21]	–
4	108	Quinton Carter	S	Oklahoma	July 29[21]	–	[dr 3] [dr 4]
	129	Julius Thomas	TE	Portland State	July 27[24]	–	[dr 5]
5	None						[dr 6] [dr 7]
6	189	Mike Mohamed	LB	California	July 27[24]	September 22[28]	[dr 8] [dr 9]
7	204	Virgil Green	TE	Nevada	July 27[24]	–	[dr 10]
	247	Jeremy Beal	DE	Oklahoma	July 27[24]	September 3[30]	[dr 11]

Draft notes

Preseason

Schedule

The Broncos' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011,^[32] with kickoff times finalized on July 26, one day after the end of the 2011 NFL Lockout.^[33]

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	August 11	6:30 p.m. MDT	at Dallas Cowboys	L 23–24	0–1	Cowboys Stadium	KUSA	Recap
2	August 20	6:30 p.m. MDT	Buffalo Bills	W 24–10	1–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	KUSA	Recap
3	August 27	7:00 p.m. MDT	Seattle Seahawks	W 23–20	2–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	KUSA	Recap
4	September 1	8:00 p.m. MDT	at Arizona Cardinals	L 7–26	2–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	KUSA	Recap

Opening training camp roster

Denver Broncos 2011 opening training camp roster
Quarterbacks  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow 2 Adam Weber UR Running Backs 35 Lance Ball 28 Correll Buckhalter 42 Mario Fannin UR 37 Jeremiah Johnson 46 Spencer Larsen FB 39 Mike McLaughlin FB 36 Brandon Minor 27 Knowshon Moreno 40 Austin Sylvester FB UR 25 LenDale White Wide Receivers 17 Britt Davis 87 Eric Decker 83 Mark Dell UR 16 D'Andre Goodwin UR 11 Jamel Hamler UR 84 Brandon Lloyd 13 Eron Riley 19 Eddie Royal 14 Marshall Williams UR 12 Matthew Willis Tight Ends 85 Daniel Coats 89 Virgil Green R 82 Dan Gronkowski 81 Richard Quinn 80 Julius Thomas R		Offensive Linemen 68 Zane Beadles G/T 63 Jeff Byers G 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 64 Stanley Daniels G 74 Orlando Franklin T R 67 Adam Grant T UR 71 Russ Hochstein C/G 73 Chris Kuper G 60 Shawn Murphy G 69 Eric Olsen G 70 Curt Porter G/T UR 65 Manny Ramirez G 72 Herb Taylor T 50 J. D. Walton C Defensive Linemen 91 Robert Ayers DE 97 Jeremy Beal DE R 62 Ronnell Brown DT UR 92 Elvis Dumervil DE 52 Jason Hunter DE 93 Jeremy Jarmon DE 94 Louis Leonard DT 96 Mitch Unrein DE 90 David Veikune DE 99 Kevin Vickerson DT 61 Colby Whitlock DT UR		Linebackers 47 Derek Domino OLB UR -- Dominic Douglas MLB 57 Mario Haggan OLB 56 Nate Irving MLB R 49 A. J. Jones OLB UR 48 Braxton Kelley OLB 42 Deron Mayo OLB/DE UR 51 Joe Mays MLB 58 Von Miller OLB R 53 Mike Mohamed MLB R 54 Lee Robinson OLB 55 D.J. Williams OLB Defensive Backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 45 Brandon Bing CB UR 30 David Bruton SS 28 Quinton Carter FS R 32 Perrish Cox CB 20 Brian Dawkins FS 21 André Goodman CB 36 Chris Harris CB UR 23 Renaldo Hill SS 29 Chevis Jackson CB 33 Nathan Jones CB 31 Darcel McBath FS 34 Kyle McCarthy SS 26 Rahim Moore FS R 43 James Rogers CB 38 Nick Polk FS 22 Syd'Quan Thompson CB 41 Cassius Vaughn CB		Special Teams  4 Britton Colquitt P  3 Steven Hauschka K 66 Lonie Paxton LS Reserve Lists 88 Demaryius Thomas WR (Active/NF-Inj.) Unrestricted FAs 39 Kyle Eckel FB 91 Ronald Fields DT 74 Ryan Harris OT 26 Laurence Maroney RB 79 Marcus Thomas DT Restricted FAs  5 Matt Prater K 59 Wesley Woodyard OLB Exclusive-Rights FAs 98 Ryan McBean DT Notations R: 2011 Rookie UR: 2011 Undrafted Rookie

Post-lockout roster changes

Free agents

The following free agents were left unsigned after the beginning of the 2011 NFL Lockout in March (CB Champ Bailey and DT Kevin Vickerson were re-signed before the lockout):

Position	Player	Tag	2011 Team	Notes and references
FB	Kyle Eckel	UFA	None
NT	Ronald Fields	UFA	Miami Dolphins
T	Ryan Harris	UFA	Philadelphia Eagles	re-signed January 2, prior to the Broncos' Wild Card playoff game[34]
RB	Laurence Maroney	UFA	None
DE	Ryan McBean	ERFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender July 29[35]
K	Matt Prater	RFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender July 29[35]
DT/NT	Marcus Thomas	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed July 31[36]
LB	Wesley Woodyard	RFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender July 29[35]

Player re-signed by the Broncos

Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed on July 27.^[37]

Position	Player	College	Notes and references
CB	Brandon Bing	Rutgers	waived September 3[30]
DT	Ronnell Brown	James Madison	waived September 3[30]
WR	Mark Dell	Michigan State	designated as waived/injured on August 13[38]
LB	Derek Domino	South Dakota State	designated as waived/injured on August 15[39]
RB	Mario Fannin	Auburn	designated as waived/injured on August 6[40]
WR	D'Andre Goodwin	Washington	waived September 3,[30] assigned to practice squad September 4,[41] promoted to the active roster January 10, 2012,[42] on final roster
T	Adam Grant	Arizona	waived September 3,[30] assigned to practice squad September 4[41]
CB	Chris Harris	Kansas	on final roster
WR	Jamel Hamler	Fresno State	placed on Injured reserve September 3,[30] waived September 12[43]
LB	A.J. Jones	Florida	waived August 16[44]
LB	Deron Mayo	Old Dominion	waived August 29[45]
T	Curt Porter	Jacksonville State	waived August 29[45]
CB	James Rogers	Michigan	released August 1[46]
FB	Austin Sylvester	Washington	waived September 3,[30] assigned to practice squad September 4, [41] promoted to active roster December 27,[47] waived January 13, 2012[48]
QB	Adam Weber	Minnesota	waived September 3,[30] assigned to practice squad September 4[41]
DT	Colby Whitlock	Texas Tech	released August 2[49]
WR	Marshall Williams	Wake Forest	released August 1[50]

Signings

Position	Player	Tag	2010 Team	Notes and references
WR	David Anderson	REL	Houston Texans	signed July 30,[51] waived September 3[30]
LB	Alvin Bowen	WVR	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed August 15,[39] waived September 3[30]
TE	Daniel Fells	UFA	St. Louis Rams	signed August 1,[46] on final roster
RB	C. J. Gable	WVR	New Orleans Saints	signed August 6,[40] waived August 29[45]
DE	Derrick Harvey	WVR	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed August 1,[46] on final roster
RB	Willis McGahee	REL	Baltimore Ravens	signed July 31,[52] on final roster
WR	Greg Orton	UFA	Spokane Shock (AFL)	signed August 13,[38] waived September 3[30]
DT	DeMario Pressley	WVR	Houston Texans	signed August 17,[53] waived September 3[30]
TE	Dante Rosario	UFA	Carolina Panthers	signed August 1,[50] released September 3,[30] re-signed September 22,[28] on final roster
DT	Ty Warren	REL	New England Patriots	signed August 2,[54] placed on Injured reserve September 17[55]

Departures

Position	Player	Notes and references
RB	Correll Buckhalter	released July 29[56]
TE	Daniel Coats	released July 29,[56] signed with the New York Giants on August 7
LB	Dominic Douglas	waived July 31[57]
S	Renaldo Hill	released July 30[58]
CB	Chevis Jackson	waived August 4,[59] claimed by the Carolina Panthers on August 6
DT	Louis Leonard	released August 15[39]
FB	Mike McLaughlin	waived July 29[56]
S	Nick Polk	released August 1[46]
TE	Richard Quinn	designated as waived/injured on August 22,[60] released from Injured reserve on August 26[61]
RB	LenDale White	released August 16[44]

Trades

• On July 27, wide receiver Jabar Gaffney was traded to the Washington Redskins in exchange for defensive end Jeremy Jarmon.^[62]
• On August 1, the Broncos acquired defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for an undisclosed 2013 draft selection.^[63]

Notable injuries

• On July 27, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was placed on the non-football injury list. Thomas suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon shortly after the end of the 2010 season, and had surgery back in February.^[64] Thomas later suffered a broken finger during practice on September 8, and missed the first six weeks of the regular season.^[65]

• On August 15, defensive tackles Marcus Thomas and Ty Warren each sustained separate injuries in practice. Thomas suffered a strained pectoral muscle, and missed the first four weeks of the regular season. Warren suffered torn triceps, and was initially expected to return in November, but was placed on the season-ending Injured reserve on September 17.^[66][55]

• On August 27, linebacker D. J. Williams suffered a dislocated elbow during the team's third preseason game vs. the Seattle Seahawks, and missed the first three weeks of the regular season.^[67]

• On September 2, during the Broncos' last preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals, cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and missed the entire 2011 season.^[68]

Roster cuts

On August 29, the Broncos began trimming their roster to 80 players. Cornerback Nate Jones was released, while the following players were waived: Running back C. J. Gable, linebackers Braxton Kelley and Deron Mayo, guard Shawn Murphy, tackle Curt Porter and defensive end David Veikune.^[45]

Four days later, on September 3, the Broncos trimmed their roster to a regular season-maximum 53 players. Undrafted wide receiver Jamel Hamler, running back Brandon Minor and cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson were each placed on Injured reserve, while the following 24 players were waived, unless indicated otherwise:^[30]

WR David Anderson (released) DE Jeremy Beal CB Brandon Bing LB Alvin Bowen DT Ronnell Brown G Jeff Byers CB Perrish Cox G Stanley Daniels

WR Britt Davis WR D'Andre Goodwin T Adam Grant TE Dan Gronkowski K Steven Hauschka DT Jeremy Jarmon RB Jeremiah Johnson S Kyle McCarthy

G Eric Olsen WR Greg Orton DT DeMario Pressley WR Eron Riley LB Lee Robinson TE Dante Rosario (released) FB Austin Sylvester QB Adam Weber

On September 4, the Broncos signed former New England Patriots' cornerback Jonathan Wilhite and waived safety Darcel McBath. Additionally, the aforementioned players listed in italics were assigned to the practice squad.^[41]

On September 6, the Broncos signed former Pittsburgh Steelers' tackle Tony Hills and waived tackle Herb Taylor.^[69]

Sports Authority naming rights takeover

On August 16, 2011, Sports Authority, a sporting goods retailer based in Englewood, Colorado, took over the naming rights of INVESCO Field at Mile High. Invesco held the original naming rights to the Denver Broncos' stadium since it opened in 2001, and Invesco's naming rights agreement was set to expire in 2021. INVESCO Field at Mile High officially became known as Sports Authority Field at Mile High, in time for the Broncos' first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on August 20.^[70]

Regular season

Schedule

The Broncos' regular season schedule was announced on April 19, 2011.^[71]

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	September 12	8:15 p.m. MDT	Oakland Raiders	L 20–23	0–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	ESPN[a]	Recap
2	September 18	2:15 p.m. MDT	Cincinnati Bengals	W 24–22	1–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
3	September 25	11:00 a.m. MDT	at Tennessee Titans	L 14–17	1–2	LP Field	CBS	Recap
4	October 2	2:15 p.m. MDT	at Green Bay Packers	L 23–49	1–3	Lambeau Field	CBS	Recap
5	October 9	2:15 p.m. MDT	San Diego Chargers	L 24–29	1–4	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
6	Bye
7	October 23	11:00 a.m. MDT	at Miami Dolphins	W 18–15 (OT)	2–4	Sun Life Stadium	CBS	Recap
8	October 30	2:05 p.m. MDT	Detroit Lions	L 10–45	2–5	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Fox	Recap
9	November 6	2:05 p.m. MST	at Oakland Raiders	W 38–24	3–5	O.co Coliseum	CBS	Recap
10	November 13	11:00 a.m. MST	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 17–10	4–5	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS	Recap
11	November 17	6:20 p.m. MST	New York Jets	W 17–13	5–5	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	NFLN[b]	Recap
12	November 27	2:15 p.m. MST	at San Diego Chargers	W 16–13 (OT)	6–5	Qualcomm Stadium	CBS	Recap
13	December 4	11:00 a.m. MST[72]	at Minnesota Vikings	W 35–32	7–5	Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Fox[72]	Recap
14	December 11	2:05 p.m. MST	Chicago Bears	W 13–10 (OT)	8–5	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Fox	Recap
15	December 18	2:15 p.m. MST	New England Patriots	L 23–41	8–6	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
16	December 24	11:00 a.m. MST	at Buffalo Bills	L 14–40	8–7	Ralph Wilson Stadium	CBS	Recap
17	January 1, 2012	2:15 p.m. MST	Kansas City Chiefs	L 3–7	8–8	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap

LEGEND:

Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

^{^[a]} The game was simulcast locally on KTVD.

^{^[b]} The game was simulcast locally on KWGN.

 #  The Broncos wore their alternate orange jerseys.

 #  The Broncos wore their navy blue jerseys as the visiting team.

Week 1 roster

Denver Broncos 2011 Week 1 roster
Quarterbacks  8 Kyle Orton  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow Running Backs 35 Lance Ball 46 Spencer Larsen FB 23 Willis McGahee 27 Knowshon Moreno Wide Receivers 87 Eric Decker 84 Brandon Lloyd 19 Eddie Royal 88 Demaryius Thomas 12 Matthew Willis Tight Ends 86 Daniel Fells 89 Virgil Green R 80 Julius Thomas R		Offensive Linemen 68 Zane Beadles G/T 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 74 Orlando Franklin T R 76 Tony Hills T 71 Russ Hochstein C/G 73 Chris Kuper G 65 Manny Ramirez G 50 J. D. Walton C Defensive Linemen 91 Robert Ayers DE 77 Brodrick Bunkley DT 92 Elvis Dumervil DE 95 Derrick Harvey DE 52 Jason Hunter DE 98 Ryan McBean DT 79 Marcus Thomas DT 96 Mitch Unrein DE 99 Kevin Vickerson DT 94 Ty Warren DT		Linebackers 57 Mario Haggan OLB 56 Nate Irving MLB R 51 Joe Mays MLB 58 Von Miller OLB R 53 Mike Mohamed MLB R 55 D.J. Williams OLB 59 Wesley Woodyard OLB Defensive Backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 30 David Bruton SS 28 Quinton Carter FS R 20 Brian Dawkins FS 21 André Goodman CB 36 Chris Harris CB UR 26 Rahim Moore FS R 41 Cassius Vaughn CB 29 Jonathan Wilhite CB		Special Teams  4 Britton Colquitt P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  5 Matt Prater K Reserve Lists 83 Mark Dell WR UR (IR) -- Derek Domino LB UR (IR) -- Mario Fannin RB UR (IR) 36 Brandon Minor RB (IR) 22 Syd'Quan Thompson CB (IR) Practice Squad 97 Jeremy Beal DE R 16 D'Andre Goodwin UR 67 Adam Grant T UR 37 Jeremiah Johnson 34 Kyle McCarthy SS 13 Eron Riley 40 Austin Sylvester FB UR 2 Adam Weber UR Notations R: 2011 Rookie UR: 2011 Undrafted Rookie

Roster changes

• On September 16, running back Jeremiah Johnson was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.^[73] One day later (September 17), defensive tackle Ty Warren was placed on Injured reserve in order to make room on the 53-man roster for Johnson.^[55]

• On September 20, the Broncos signed former Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Quan Cosby and waived running back Jeremiah Johnson, who had been promoted from the practice squad four days earlier.^[74]

• On September 22, the Broncos re-signed tight end Dante Rosario, who was released at the end of the preseason. That same day, the team waived rookie linebacker Mike Mohamed, who was the team's sixth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.^[28]

• On October 10, the Broncos placed defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson on Injured reserve, and claimed fullback Quinn Johnson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.^[75]

• On October 17, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was traded to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a conditional sixth-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft that was later upgraded to a fifth-rounder after Lloyd made a minimum of 30 receptions with the Rams.^[5][76] To fill Lloyd's vacant roster spot, the Broncos signed safety Rafael Bush away from the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad.^[77]

• On November 14, running back Knowshon Moreno was placed on Injured reserve, after he suffered a torn ACL in the team's Week 10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs the previous day. His roster spot was filled, when running back Jeremiah Johnson, who was previously waived on September 20, was promoted from the practice squad.^[78]

• On November 28, cornerback/return specialist Cassius Vaughn was placed on Injured reserve, after suffering a broken bone in his leg during the team's Week 12 win over the San Diego Chargers the previous day. To fill his roster spot, in addition to the spot vacated after quarterback Kyle Orton was waived six days earlier (November 22), the team promoted safety Kyle McCarthy and linebacker Mike Mohamed from the practice squad.^[79]

• On December 13, the Broncos promoted cornerback Tony Carter from the practice squad and waived safety Kyle McCarthy, the latter of whom had been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster two weeks earlier (November 28). Additionally, linebacker Derek Domino was designated as waived/injured.^[80]

• On December 17, fullback Quinn Johnson was waived, while safety Kyle McCarthy was once again promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.^[81]

• On December 27, the Broncos waived wide receiver/return specialist Quan Cosby and signed fullback Austin Sylvester away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad. Sylvester was previously signed by the Broncos during the preseason as an undrafted free agent.^[47]

Quarterback controversy

On October 11, Tim Tebow was named the Broncos' starting quarterback for the team's October 23 game at the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 (the Broncos had their bye in Week 6).^[3] Tebow started the last three games of the 2010 season, and the team was considering trading incumbent Kyle Orton to the Dolphins before the start of training camp,^[82] however, Orton was eventually named the starting quarterback in training camp by head coach John Fox and John Elway, the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations.^[83] After a 1–3 start and public outcry from fans, an ineffective Orton was benched for the second half of the team's 29–24 loss in Week 5 to the San Diego Chargers, and replaced by Tebow, who nearly engineered a fourth-quarter comeback.^[84] On November 22, Orton was waived, ending a two and a half year run as the team's starting quarterback.^[4]

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week One: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Raiders 0 16 0 7 23 Broncos 3 0 10 7 20 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: September 12 Game time: 8:15 p.m. MDT Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 75,671 Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (ESPN[a]): Brad Nessler (play-by-play) and Trent Dilfer (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 9:55 Matt Prater 28-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:55. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter OAK – 13:28 Marcel Reece 3-yard TD pass from Jason Campbell, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:34. (OAK 7–3) OAK – 11:14 Sebastian Janikowski 37-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:09. (OAK 10–3) OAK – 1:27 Sebastian Janikowski 21-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 2:45. (OAK 13–3) OAK – 0:00 Sebastian Janikowski 63-yard FG. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 0:24. (OAK 16–3) Third quarter DEN – 12:31 Eric Decker 90-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (OAK 16–10) DEN – 1:55 Matt Prater 30-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:56. (OAK 16–13) Fourth quarter OAK – 12:33 Jason Campbell 1-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:38. (OAK 23–13) DEN – 3:43 Lance Ball 9-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:56. (OAK 23–20) Top passers OAK – Jason Campbell: 13/22, 105 yards, 1 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 24/26, 304 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden: 22 rushes, 150 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 8 rushes, 22 yards Top receivers OAK – Darius Heyward-Bey: 4 receptions, 44 yards DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 6 receptions, 89 yards Top tacklers OAK – Tyvon Branch, Chris Johnson and Quentin Groves: 5 tackles each (1 assist by Branch) DEN – Brian Dawkins: 7 tackles, 2 assists

The Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and kicked off their 2011 season at home against their AFC West rival Oakland Raiders, the Broncos' first Week 1 home opener since 2004. The Broncos took an early lead in the first quarter, with a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. Oakland reeled off 16 unanswered points in the second quarter, with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Campbell to fullback Marcel Reece, followed by three field goals of 37, 21 and 63 yards by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, the latter of which tied the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. The Broncos responded in the third quarter, with kick returner Eric Decker returning a punt 90 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 30-yard field goal by Prater. Oakland increased their lead in the fourth quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown run by Campbell. The Broncos tried to rally, with quarterback Kyle Orton throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Lance Ball. However, Oakland would run out the clock.^[85]

With the loss, the Broncos began the season at 0–1.

Week 2: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Two: Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Bengals 0 3 12 7 22 Broncos 7 3 7 7 24 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: September 18 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), sunny Game attendance: 73,281 Referee: Ed Hochuli TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes (play-by-play) and Steve Beuerlein (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 6:30 Willis McGahee 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:30. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter CIN – 6:33 Mike Nugent 45-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 3:02. (DEN 7–3) DEN – 0:12 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 64 yards, 6:21. (DEN 10–3) Third quarter DEN – 10:57 Eric Decker 25-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:12. (DEN 17–3) CIN – 8:54 Mike Nugent 37-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:03. (DEN 17–6) CIN – 3:36 Andre Caldwell 10-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton, two-point pass failed. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:14. (DEN 17–12) CIN – 1:05 Mike Nugent 23-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:13. (DEN 17–15) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:30 Eric Decker 52-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:35. (DEN 24–15) CIN – 11:17 A.J. Green 5-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:13. (DEN 24–22) Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton: 27/41, 332 yards, 2 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 15/25, 195 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CIN – Cedric Benson: 16 rushes, 59 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 28 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers CIN – Jerome Simpson: 4 receptions, 136 yards DEN – Eric Decker: 5 receptions, 113 yards Top tacklers CIN – Thomas Howard and Michael Johnson: 7 tackles each (1 assist by Howard) DEN – Wesley Woodyard: 10 tackles, 3 assists

Following their Monday night loss to the Raiders, the Broncos remained on home turf to face the Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos took the lead in the first quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee. Cincinnati got on the board in the second quarter, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker Mike Nugent. The Broncos responded, with a 34-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater just before halftime. In the third quarter, the Broncos extended their lead, with a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Orton to wide receiver Eric Decker. Cincinnati reeled off 12 unanswered points, with a 37-yard field field goal by Nugent, a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton to wide receiver Andre Caldwell (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), followed by a 23-yard field goal by Nugent, narrowing the Broncos' lead to 17–15. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos once again increased their lead, with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Orton to Decker, but Cincinnati responded, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to running back A. J. Green. The Broncos' defense prevented any more scoring.^[86]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 1–1.

Week 3: at Tennessee Titans

Week Three: Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 0 7 0 14 Titans 0 10 0 7 17 at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee Date: September 25 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/11:00 a.m. MDT Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), sunny Game attendance: 69,143 Referee: John Parry TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee (play-by-play) and Steve Tasker (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 3:45 Matthew Willis 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:51. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter TEN – 11:37 Nate Washington 14-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Rob Bironas kick. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 4:05. (tied 7–7) TEN – 1:11 Rob Bironas 46-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:39. (TEN 10–7) Third quarter DEN – 1:17 Willis McGahee 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 8:09. (DEN 14–10) Fourth quarter TEN – 4:24 Daniel Graham 4-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Rob Bironas kick. Drive: 7 plays, 95 yards, 3:30. (TEN 17–14) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 24/29, 173 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT TEN – Matt Hasselbeck: 27/36, 311 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 22 rushes, 52 yards TEN – Chris Johnson: 13 rushes, 21 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 7 receptions, 48 yards TEN – Nate Washington: 8 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Jonathan Wilhite and Wesley Woodyard: 6 tackles each, 3 assists by Woodyard, 1 sack by Wilhite TEN – Jordan Babineaux: 6 tackles, 2 assists

Following their close win over the Bengals, the Broncos traveled to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans. The Broncos took the lead in the first quarter, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Orton to wide receiver Matthew Willis. Tennessee responded in the second quarter, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to wide receiver Nate Washington, followed by a 46-yard field goal by placekicker Rob Bironas. The Broncos re-claimed the lead in the third quarter, when Orton connecting with running back Willis McGahee on a 5-yard touchdown pass. However, after recovering a Hasselbeck fumble in Titans' territory late in the third quarter, the Broncos failed to capitalize on the turnover, as Tennessee's defense denied the Broncos from extending their lead with a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. Tennessee later claimed the lead, when Hasselbeck, playing on his 36th birthday, threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Graham, who played with the Broncos from 2007–2010. Tennessee's defense thwarted the Broncos' final drive.^[87]

With the loss, the Broncos fell to 1–2.

Week 4: at Green Bay Packers

Week Four: Denver Broncos at Green Bay Packers – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 3 14 0 6 23 Packers 14 14 14 7 49 at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin Date: October 2 Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT/2:15 p.m. MDT Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny Game attendance: 70,529 Referee: Scott Green TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 5:22 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:28. (DEN 3–0) GB – 2:08 Jordy Nelson 50-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 3:14. (GB 7–3) GB – 0:50 Charles Woodson 30-yard interception return for a TD, Mason Crosby kick. (GB 14–3) Second quarter GB – 12:18 Aaron Rodgers 11-yard TD run, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:32. (GB 21–3) DEN – 10:27 Eric Decker 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:51. (GB 21–10) DEN – 3:21 Eric Decker 33-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:58. (GB 21–17) GB – 0:24 Greg Jennings 17-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:57. (GB 28–17) Third quarter GB – 8:26 Aaron Rodgers 8-yard TD run, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:34. (GB 35–17) GB – 1:12 James Jones 16-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 4:09. (GB 42–17) Fourth quarter GB – 7:46 Donald Driver 8-yard TD pass from Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby kick. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:09. (GB 49–17) DEN – 3:02 Daniel Fells 7-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, two-point run failed. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 4:44. (GB 49–23) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 22/32, 273 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT GB – Aaron Rodgers: 29/38, 408 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 15 rushes, 103 yards GB – James Starks: 13 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 8 receptions, 136 yards GB – Greg Jennings: 7 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 7 tackles, 1 assist GB – Desmond Bishop: 9 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Hoping to avenge their loss at Tennessee, the Broncos flew to Lambeau Field to face the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. The Broncos took the early lead, with a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, Green Bay responded, with a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Jordy Nelson, followed by cornerback Charles Woodson returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Kyle Orton 30 yards for a touchdown. After recovering a onside kick, Green Bay added to their lead early in the second quarter, with Rodgers scrambling 11 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos responded, with Orton throwing two touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker: a 5-yarder, followed by a 33-yarder. Green Bay responded just before halftime, when Rodgers connected on a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings. Green Bay increased their lead on the opening possession of the third quarter, with Rodgers scrambling for an 8-yard touchdown run, followed by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to wide receiver James Jones. Green Bay continued their onslaught in the fourth quarter, with Rodgers hooking up with wide receiver Donald Driver on an 8-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos scored a late touchdown, when Orton connected with tight end Daniel Fells on a 7-yard touchdown pass (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), but the outcome of the game had already been decided in Green Bay's favor.^[88]

With the loss, the Broncos fell to 1–3.

Week 5: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Five: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Chargers 6 17 0 6 29 Broncos 7 3 0 14 24 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: October 9 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), mostly sunny Game attendance: 74,895 Referee: Gene Steratore TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter SD – 8:37 Nick Novak 24-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:54. (SD 3–0) DEN – 5:58 Cassius Vaughn 55-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 7–3) SD – 0:45 Nick Novak 32-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:13. (DEN 7–6) Second quarter DEN – 11:10 Matt Prater 35-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:35. (DEN 10–6) SD – 7:19 Philip Rivers 2-yard TD run, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:51. (SD 13–10) SD – 1:47 Nick Novak 28-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:42. (SD 16–10) SD – 0:13 Malcom Floyd 42-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 0:49. (SD 23–10) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter SD – 13:35 Nick Novak 51-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:13. (SD 26–10) DEN – 6:35 Tim Tebow 12-yard TD run, Willis McGahee run for a two-point conversion. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 2:19. (SD 26–18) DEN – 3:19 Knowshon Moreno 28-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, two-point pass failed. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 1:19. (SD 26–24) SD – 0:24 Nick Novak 35-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:55. (SD 29–24) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 18/29, 250 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 4/10, 79 yards, 1 TD Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews: 24 rushes, 125 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 16 yards, 125 yards Top receivers SD – Malcom Floyd: 3 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD DEN – Daniel Fells: 3 receptions, 47 yards Top tacklers SD – Donald Butler, Antoine Cason and Takeo Spikes: 4 tackles each (1 assist by Spikes) DEN – Joe Mays: 8 tackles, 1 assist

Hoping to rebound from their blowout loss at Green Bay, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers. San Diego took the early lead in the first quarter, with a 24-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Novak. The Broncos grabbed the lead, when cornerback Cassius Vaughn returned a interception off Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers 55 yards for a touchdown. San Diego responded, with a 32-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos extended their lead in the second quarter, with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, San Diego would re-claim the lead, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Rivers, a 28-yard field goal by Novak, followed by a 42-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to wide receiver Malcom Floyd, giving the Chargers a 23–10 halftime lead. The Broncos benched quarterback Kyle Orton in favor of Tim Tebow. After a scoreless third quarter, San Diego added to their lead, with a 51-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos responded, when Tebow scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown (with a two-point conversion run by running back Willis McGahee), then threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to running back Knowshon Moreno (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), to pull the Broncos to within 26–24 with just over three minutes left in the game. San Diego responded, with a 35-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos tried to rally with 24 seconds remaining in regulation, but Tebow's last-second desperation pass into the end zone was unsuccessful, sealing the win for San Diego.^[89]

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 1–4, entering their bye week.

Week 7: at Miami Dolphins

Week Seven: Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins – Game summary 1 2 3 4 OT Total Broncos 0 0 0 15 3 18 Dolphins 0 6 0 9 0 15 at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida Date: October 23 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. MDT Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), sunny Game attendance: 63,800 Referee: Clete Blakeman TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Solomon Wilcots (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter No scoring Second quarter MIA – 14:18 Dan Carpenter 38-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 2:26. (MIA 3–0) MIA – 2:46 Dan Carpenter 36-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 3:13. (MIA 6–0) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter MIA – 15:00 Anthony Fasano 16-yard TD pass from Matt Moore, two-point pass failed. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:31. (MIA 12–0) MIA – 7:34 Dan Carpenter 43-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:05. (MIA 15–0) DEN – 2:44 Demaryius Thomas 5-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:39. (MIA 15–7) DEN – 0:17 Daniel Fells 3-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Tim Tebow run for a two-point conversion. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 2:27. (tied 15–15) Overtime DEN – 7:24 Matt Prater 52-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:06. (DEN 18–15) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 13/27, 161 yards, 2 TD MIA – Matt Moore: 22/33, 197 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 18 rushes, 76 yards MIA – Daniel Thomas: 19 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers DEN – Matthew Willis: 1 reception, 42 yards MIA – Brandon Marshall: 6 receptions, 61 yards Top tacklers DEN – Jonathan Wilhite: 10 tackles, 1 assist MIA – Karlos Dansby: 8 tackles, 5 assists

Hoping to snap their three-game losing streak, and coming off their bye week, the Broncos flew to Sun Life Stadium to face the Miami Dolphins, where the Broncos had never won in their franchise history. After a scoreless first quarter, Miami grabbed the lead in the second quarter, with field goals of 38 and 36 yards by kicker Dan Carpenter. After a scoreless third quarter, Miami extended their lead in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Matt Moore throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), followed by a 43-yard field goal by Carpenter, giving Miami a 15–0 lead. However, after each team traded punts, the Broncos staged a rally with just over five minutes remaining, with quarterback Tim Tebow throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to pull to within 15–7 with 2:44 remaining. After the Broncos recovered an onside kick, they subsequently marched down the field, with Tebow connecting on a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells, followed by Tebow scrambling for the two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. On Miami's second possession in overtime, Broncos' linebacker D. J. Williams forced a fumble off Moore, giving the Broncos possession at the Dolphins' 36-yard line. Four plays later, kicker Matt Prater, who had missed two field goals in the first half, nailed the game-winning 52-yard field goal.

With the win, the Broncos not only improved to 2–4, but also earned their 400th win in franchise history, their first-ever win at Miami in eight tries, and became the first team in NFL history since the AFL–NFL merger to win a game after trailing by 15 or more points with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.^[90][91]

Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Lions 7 17 14 7 45 Broncos 3 0 0 7 10 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: October 30 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), sunny Game attendance: 74,977 Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton (play-by-play), John Lynch (color commentator) and Jaime Maggio (sideline reporter) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 11:20 Matt Prater 39-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:40. (DEN 3–0) DET – 8:40 Titus Young 41-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:40. (DET 7–3) Second quarter DET – 14:44 Jason Hanson 50-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:34. (DET 10–3) DET – 4:11 Tony Scheffler 1-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:39. (DET 17–3) DET – 0:29 Maurice Morris 1-yard TD run, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 1:36. (DET 24–3) Third quarter DET – 13:26 Cliff Avril 24-yard fumble return, Jason Hanson kick. (DET 31–3) DET – 6:18 Calvin Johnson 56-yard TD from Matthew Stafford, Jason Hanson kick. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:48. (DET 38–3) Fourth quarter DET – 12:04 Chris Houston 100-yard interception return for a TD, Jason Hanson kick. (DET 45–3) DEN – 8:19 Eric Decker 14-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:45. (DET 45–10) Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford: 21/30, 267 yards, 3 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 18/39, 172 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DET – Maurice Morris: 13 rushes, 58 yards, 1 TD DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 14 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson: 6 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD DEN – Eric Decker: 6 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DET – Amari Spievey and Stephen Tulloch: 6 tackles each (2 assists and 1 sack by Tulloch) DEN – Chris Harris: 6 tackles, 3 assists

Hoping to build on the momentum of their comeback win at Miami, the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an interconference duel with the Detroit Lions. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with a 39-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, Detroit would dominate the remainder of the game, beginning with a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Titus Young, followed in the second quarter by a 50-yard field goal by placekicker Jason Hanson, a 1-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Tony Scheffler and a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Maurice Morris, giving Detroit a 24–3 halftime lead. Detroit continued their domination in the third quarter, with a 24-yard fumble return for a touchdown by defensive end Cliff Avril, a 56-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to wide receiver Calvin Johnson, followed in the fourth quarter by cornerback Chris Houston returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow 100 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos finally got into the end zone, with Tebow throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker, but the outcome of the game had already been decided in Detroit's favor.^[92]

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 2–5.

Week 9: at Oakland Raiders

Week Nine: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 0 17 14 38 Raiders 3 14 7 0 24 at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California Date: November 6 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST/1:05 p.m. PST Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 58,125 Referee: John Parry TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter OAK – 7:35 Sebastian Janikowski 48-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 4:08. (OAK 3–0) DEN – 1:11 Eric Decker 27-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:06. (DEN 7–3) Second quarter OAK – 10:42 Michael Bush 11-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:38. (OAK 10–7) OAK – 1:30 Marcel Reece 40-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:16. (OAK 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 10:48 Eddie Royal 26-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:12. (OAK 17–14) OAK – 6:41 Jacoby Ford 18-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:07. (OAK 24–14) DEN – 2:52 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:49. (OAK 24–17) DEN – 0:00 Willis McGahee 60-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:07. (tied 24–24) Fourth quarter DEN – 5:53 Eddie Royal 85-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 31–24) DEN – 1:53 Willis McGahee 24-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:02. (DEN 38–24) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 10/21, 124 yards, 2 TD OAK – Carson Palmer: 19/35, 332 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 20 rushes, 163 yards, 2 TD OAK – Michael Bush: 19 rushes, 96 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 3 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD OAK – Jacoby Ford: 5 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Chris Harris: 9 tackles, 2 assists OAK – Lamarr Houston and Kamerion Wimbley: 6 tackles each (1 assist by Houston)

Hoping to rebound from their disastrous home loss to the Lions, the Broncos flew to O.co Coliseum for an AFC West rematch with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Oakland grabbed the early lead, with a 48-yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski. The Broncos responded, with quarterback Tim Tebow hooking up with wide receiver Eric Decker on a 27-yard touchdown pass. Oakland re-claimed the lead in the second quarter, with quarterback Carson Palmer throwing two touchdown passes: an 11-yarder to running back Michael Bush, followed by a 40-yarder to fullback Marcel Reece. In the third quarter, the Broncos cut into the Raiders' lead, with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to wide receiver Eddie Royal. Oakland responded, with Palmer throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacoby Ford, giving the Raiders a 24–14 lead. However, the Broncos would dominate the remainder of the game, with a 43-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, followed by a 60-yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee at the end of the third quarter. The Broncos grabbed the lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, when Royal returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, then pulled away with a 24-yard touchdown run by McGahee.^[93]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 3–5.

Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Ten: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 3 0 7 17 Chiefs 0 0 7 3 10 at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Date: November 13 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny Game attendance: 72,908 Referee: Ron Winter TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee (play-by-play) and Steve Tasker (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 7:38 Tim Tebow 7-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:11. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 7:51 Matt Prater 38-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:32. (DEN 10–0) Third quarter KC – 8:15 Le'Ron McClain 1-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:29. (DEN 10–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 6:52 Eric Decker 56-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 5:21. (DEN 17–7) KC – 0:07 Ryan Succop 32-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 1:48. (DEN 17–10) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 2/8, 69 yards, 1 TD KC – Matt Cassel: 13/28, 93 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Lance Ball: 30 rushes, 96 yards KC – Jackie Battle: 9 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 1 reception, 56 yards, 1 TD KC – Dexter McCluster: 6 receptions, 48 yards Top tacklers DEN – Joe Mays and Chris Harris: 8 tackles each KC – Jovan Belcher: 8 tackles, 2 assists

Coming off their win at Oakland, the Broncos flew to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West duel with the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter, the Broncos grabbed the early lead, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 7-yard touchdown, followed in the second quarter by a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. Kansas City got on the board in the third quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Cassel to fullback Le'Ron McClain. The Broncos responded in the fourth quarter, with Tebow throwing a 56-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker. Kansas City tried to rally, with placekicker Ryan Succop nailing a late 32-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, but the ensuing onside kickoff was unsuccessful, sealing the win for the Broncos.^[94]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 4–5, matching their win total from 2010.

Week 11: vs. New York Jets

Week Eleven: New York Jets at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Jets 0 3 7 3 13 Broncos 3 0 7 7 17 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: November 17 Game time: 6:20 p.m. MST Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 74,746 Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (NFLN[b]): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (color commentator) and Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 5:08 Matt Prater 37-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:55. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter NYJ – 12:04 Nick Folk 21-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:20. (tied 3–3) Third quarter NYJ – 10:57 Matt Slauson 1-yard fumble recovery for a TD, Nick Folk kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:03. (NYJ 10–3) DEN – 4:25 André Goodman 26-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (tied 10–10) Fourth quarter NYJ – 9:14 Nick Folk 45-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:34. (NYJ 13–10) DEN – 0:58 Tim Tebow 20-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 4:56. (DEN 17–13) Top passers NYJ – Mark Sanchez: 24/40, 252 yards, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 9/20, 104 yards Top rushers NYJ – Joe McKnight: 16 rushes, 59 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 8 rushes, 68 yards, 1 TD Top receivers NYJ – Plaxico Burress: 4 receptions, 64 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 2 receptions, 37 yards Top tacklers NYJ – Sione Pouha: 6 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Von Miller: 9 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks

Coming off their win at Kansas City, the Broncos returned home for an AFC duel against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. The Broncos grabbed the lead in the first quarter, with a 37-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. The Jets tied the game in the second quarter, with a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Folk, then grabbed the lead in the third quarter, when guard Matt Slauson returned a fumble off Jets' running back Bilal Powell into the end zone for a touchdown. The Broncos tied the game, when cornerback André Goodman returned an interception off Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez 26 yards for a touchdown. The Jets re-claimed the lead in the fourth quarter, with a 45-yard field goal by Folk. After each team traded punts, the Broncos got the ball with 5:54 remaining, when quarterback Tim Tebow led the Broncos on a 12-play, 95-yard drive, culminating with Tebow scrambling 20 yards for a touchdown with 58 seconds remaining. The Broncos' defense thwarted Sanchez' last-second desperation pass toward the end zone.^[95]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 5–5, exceeding their win total from 2010.

Week 12: at San Diego Chargers

Week Twelve: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary 1 2 3 4 OT Total Broncos 0 7 3 3 3 16 Chargers 3 7 3 0 0 13 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California Date: November 27 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST/1:15 p.m. PST Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), sunny Game attendance: 64,436 Referee: Jeff Triplette TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter SD – 11:34 Nick Novak 53-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:26. (SD 3–0) Second quarter SD – 7:58 Antonio Gates 6-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 8:47. (SD 10–0) DEN – 0:55 Eric Decker 18-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:32. SD 10–7) Third quarter SD – 9:30 Nick Novak 25-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:48. (SD 13–7) DEN – 0:33 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:08. (SD 13–10) Fourth quarter DEN – 1:34 Matt Prater 24-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:53. (tied 13–13) Overtime DEN – 0:29 M.Prater 37-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:02. (DEN 16–13) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 9/18, 143 yards, 1 TD SD – Philip Rivers: 19/36, 188 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 23 rushes, 117 yards SD – Ryan Mathews: 22 rushes, 137 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 3 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD SD – Vincent Brown: 3 receptions, 50 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 10 tackles, 2 assists SD – Takeo Spikes: 8 tackles, 6 assists

Coming off their win over the Jets, the Broncos flew to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West rematch with the San Diego Chargers. San Diego jumped out to a 10–0 lead, with a 53-yard field goal by kicker Nick Novak in the first quarter, followed in the second quarter by a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates. The Broncos responded just before halftime, with an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to wide receiver Eric Decker. San Diego added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 25-yard field goal by Novak. The Broncos countered just before the end of the third quarter, with a 41-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater. Novak missed a 48-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Trailing 13–10 with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos marched down the field and tied the game with a 24-yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos' defense subdued San Diego's final drive of the fourth quarter, sending the game to overtime. On San Diego's second possession in overtime, Novak's potential game-winning 53-yard field goal was blocked. However, head coach John Fox had called a timeout prior to the kick. Novak missed the second attempt wide right. The Broncos' third possession in overtime began with 2:31 remaining, and Prater nailed the game-winning 37-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in overtime.^[96]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 6–5, winning their fourth straight game.

Week 13: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 0 14 14 35 Vikings 5 10 7 10 32 at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota Date: December 4 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST[72] Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium) Game attendance: 62,939 Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (Fox[72]): Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Brian Billick (color commentator) and Laura Okmin (sideline reporter) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter MIN – 12:44 Jared Allen tackled Willis McGahee in the end zone for a safety. (MIN 2–0) DEN – 5:50 Mario Haggan 16-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 7–2) MIN – 1:29 Ryan Longwell 40-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 7 yards, 1:58. (DEN 7–5) Second quarter MIN – 3:40 Kyle Rudolph 19-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder, Ryan Longwell kick. Drive: 12 plays, 96 yards, 5:57. (MIN 12–7) MIN – 0:03 Ryan Longwell 25-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 0:39. (MIN 15–7) Third quarter DEN – 11:24 Demaryius Thomas 21-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:42. (MIN 15–14) MIN – 3:22 Percy Harvin 52-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder, Ryan Longwell kick. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:23. (MIN 22–14) DEN – 3:03 Demaryius Thomas 41-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 41 yards, 0:24. (MIN 22–21) Fourth quarter MIN – 9:41 Percy Harvin 48-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder, Ryan Longwell kick. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:36. (MIN 29–21) DEN – 8:52 Willis McGahee 24-yard TD run, Tim Tebow run for a two-point conversion. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:49. (tied 29–29) MIN – 3:06 Ryan Longwell 39-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:46. (MIN 32–29) DEN – 1:33 Matt Prater 46-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:33. (tied 32–32) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 23-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 10 yards, 1:25. (DEN 35–32) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 10/15, 202 yards, 2 TD MIN – Christian Ponder: 29/47, 381 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 20 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD MIN – Toby Gerhart: 21 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD MIN – Percy Harvin: 8 receptions, 156 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mario Haggan: 7 tackles, 5 assists MIN – Benny Sapp: 6 tackles

Coming off their overtime win at San Diego, the Broncos flew to the Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for an interconference duel with the Minnesota Vikings. The game's first points came from Minnesota, when defensive end Jared Allen tackled running back Willis McGahee in the end zone for a safety. The Broncos grabbed the lead when linebacker Mario Haggan returned an interception off Christian Ponder 16 yards for a touchdown. Vikings' kicker Ryan Longwell made a 40-yard field goal, then the Vikings reclaimed the lead in the second quarter, on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ponder to tight end Kyle Rudolph, followed by another field goal by Longwell, this time from 25 yards, just before halftime. The Broncos narrowed Minnesota's lead in the third quarter, with a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, but Minnesota countered with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Ponder to wide receiver Percy Harvin. The Broncos responded with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to Thomas. Ponder then threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Harvin to give Minnesota a 29–21 lead. On the Broncos' next possession, McGahee rushed 24 yards for a touchdown and Tebow scrambled for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 29. Minnesota subsequently reclaimed the lead on Longwell's 39-yard field goal with 3:06 left in the game. The Broncos answered with kicker Matt Prater's 46-yard field goal with 1:33 left to tie the game at 32. On Minnesota's ensuing possession, Broncos' cornerback André Goodman returned an interception off Ponder to the Vikings' 15-yard line. Six plays later, Prater nailed the game-winning 23-yard field goal as time expired to give the Broncos their fifth consecutive win.^[97]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 7–5, winning their fifth consecutive game.

Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Fourteen: Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 OT Total Bears 0 0 7 3 0 10 Broncos 0 0 0 10 3 13 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: December 11 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), sunny Game attendance: 76,487 Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (color commentator) and Tony Siragusa (sideline reporter) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter No scoring Second quarter No scoring Third quarter CHI – 5:19 Marion Barber 9-yard TD run, Robbie Gould kick. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:15. (CHI 7–0) Fourth quarter CHI – 14:55 Robbie Gould 57-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:53. (CHI 10–0) DEN – 2:08 Demaryius Thomas 10-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:26. (CHI 10–7) DEN – 0:03 Matt Prater 59-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 0:53. (tied 10–10) Overtime DEN – 8:34 Matt Prater 51-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:13. (DEN 13–10) Top passers CHI – Caleb Hanie: 12/19, 115 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 21/40, 236 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Marion Barber: 27 rushes, 108 yards, 1 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 12 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers CHI – Johnny Knox: 3 receptions, 37 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers CHI – Brian Urlacher: 10 tackles, 1 assist DEN – D. J. Williams: 9 tackles

Coming off their last-second win at Minnesota, the Broncos returned home for an interconference duel with the Chicago Bears. After a scoreless first half, which included Bears' defensive end Julius Peppers blocking a 28-yard field goal attempt by kicker Matt Prater in the second quarter, Chicago grabbed the lead in the third quarter, with running back Marion Barber rushing for a 9-yard touchdown. Chicago extended their lead to 10–0 early in the fourth quarter, with a 57-yard field goal by kicker Robbie Gould. With 4:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos put together a 7-play, 63-yard drive, and finally got on the scoreboard with 2:08 remaining, when quarterback Tim Tebow threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. With no timeouts remaining, the Broncos tried an onside kick, but Chicago recovered prior to the two-minute warning. After one running play, the two-minute warning stopped the clock. On the next play, Broncos' linebacker D. J. Williams was able to push Barber out of bounds, saving 40 seconds of time. Chicago eventually punted to the Broncos' 20-yard line with 56 seconds remaining. Tebow subsequently led the Broncos on an 8-play, 39-yard drive, with Prater nailing a game-tying 59-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. This was the first game in NFL history that had two field goals of 57 yards or more. Chicago won the overtime coin toss, however, they deferred, and the Broncos went three-and-out on their first possession. Chicago drove into field goal range on their first overtime possesstion, but Broncos' linebacker Wesley Woodyard forced a fumble off Barber, with defensive end Elvis Dumervil recovering the fumble. Nine plays later, Prater nailed the game-winning 51-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Tebow was 18 of 24 with 191 yards passing and one touchdown.^[98] In his first 11 starts, Tebow has six game winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. This is more than any other quarterback since the AFL–NFL merger, and breaks the previous record of five, last accomplished by Jake Delhomme in 1999.^[99]

With the win, the Broncos improved to 8–5, winning their sixth consecutive game.

Week 15: vs. New England Patriots

Week Fifteen: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 7 20 7 7 41 Broncos 13 3 0 7 23 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: December 18 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), mostly sunny Game attendance: 76,556 Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DEN – 9:49 Tim Tebow 9-yard TD run, extra-point snap botched, two-point run failed. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:11. (DEN 6–0) NE – 7:24 Chad Ochocinco 33-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:25. (NE 7–6) DEN – 5:01 Lance Ball 32-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 82 yards, 2:23. (DEN 13–7) Second quarter DEN – 13:47 Matt Prater 26-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:24. (DEN 16–7) NE – 8:43 Aaron Hernandez 1-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:04. (DEN 16–14) NE – 5:49 Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:42. (NE 17–16) NE – 1:12 Tom Brady 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 3:20. (NE 24–16) NE – 0:00 Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard FG. Drive: 1 play, 0:03. (NE 27–16) Third quarter NE – 0:39 Danny Woodhead 10-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:28. (NE 34–16) Fourth quarter DEN – 8:41 Tim Tebow 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards, 2:38. (NE 34–23) NE – 4:10 BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:31. (NE 41–23) Top passers NE – Tom Brady: 23/34, 320 yards, 2 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 11/22, 194 yards Top rushers NE – Stevan Ridley: 11 rushes, 65 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 12 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NE – Aaron Hernandez: 11 receptions, 129 yards, 1 TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 116 yards Top tacklers NE – Jerod Mayo: 7 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Chris Harris: 9 tackles

Coming off their overtime win over the Bears, the Broncos remained on home ground for an AFC duel with the New England Patriots. The Broncos grabbed the early lead, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 9-yard touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion attempt after a botched extra-point snap). New England responded, with quarterback Tom Brady throwing a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. The Broncos countered, with a 32-yard touchdown run by running back Lance Ball, followed in the second quarter by a 26-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater. However, New England reeled off 27 unanswered points, 17 of which came off three Broncos' turnovers in the second quarter. Brady connected with tight end Aaron Hernandez on a 1-yard touchdown pass, placekicker Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 21-yard field goal, Brady ran a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and Gostkowski nailed a 34-yard field goal at the end of the first half. New England added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown run by running back Danny Woodhead. The Broncos tried to cut into New England's lead in the fourth quarter, with Tebow scrambling for a 2-yard touchdown, but a 1-yard touchdown run by Patriots' running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis put the game out of reach.^[100]

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 8–6, snapping their 6-game winning streak.

Week 16: at Buffalo Bills

Week Sixteen: Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 0 7 0 14 Bills 0 17 6 17 40 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Date: December 24 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C), sunny Game attendance: 45,112 Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DEN – 7:13 Tim Tebow 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:40. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter BUF – 6:06 Dave Rayner 28-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:51. (DEN 7–3) BUF – 4:05 Leodis McKelvin 80-yard punt return for a TD, Dave Rayner kick. (BUF 10–7) BUF – 0:19 C. J. Spiller 4-yard TD run, Dave Rayner kick. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:33. (BUF 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 11:42 Daniel Fells 17-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:18. (BUF 17–14) BUF – 6:19 Dave Rayner 25-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:23. (BUF 20–14) BUF – 2:32 Dave Rayner 25-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:45. (BUF 23–14) Fourth quarter BUF – 13:26 Dave Rayner 29-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 1:57. (BUF 26–14) BUF – 8:03 Jairus Byrd 37-yard interception return for a TD, Dave Rayner kick. (BUF 33–14) BUF – 7:45 Spencer Johnson 17-yard fumble return for a TD, Dave Rayner kick. (BUF 40–14) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 13/30, 185 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT BUF – Ryan Fitzpatrick: 15/27, 196 yards Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 15 rushes, 64 yards BUF – C. J. Spiller: 16 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 76 yards BUF – Steve Johnson: 4 receptions, 92 yards Top tacklers DEN – Chris Harris: 7 tackles, 1 assist BUF – Chris Kelsay: 6 tackles, 3 assists

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Patriots, the Broncos flew to Ralph Wilson Stadium for an AFC duel with the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 1-yard touchdown. Buffalo stormed back, reeling off 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, with a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Dave Rayner, an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown by Leodis McKelvin and a 4-yard touchdown run by running back C. J. Spiller. The Broncos cut into Buffalo's lead early in the third quarter, with Tebow throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Fells. However, the Broncos were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Buffalo added to their lead, with three field goals by Rayner—a pair of 25-yarders in the third quarter followed by a 29-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Buffalo pulled further away, converting two turnovers off Tebow into touchdowns—a 37-yard interception return by safety Jairus Byrd, followed by a 17-yard fumble return by linebacker Spencer Johnson.^[101]

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 8–7.

Week 17: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Seventeen: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 7 0 0 0 7 Broncos 0 0 3 0 3 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: January 1 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), sunny Game attendance: 76,005 Referee: Pete Morelli TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter KC – 0:11 Dexter McCluster 21-yard TD run, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 13 play, 90 yards, 6:22. (KC 7–0) Second quarter No scoring Third quarter DEN – 8:11 Matt Prater 38-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 1:30. (KC 7–3) Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers KC – Kyle Orton: 15/29, 180 yards DEN – Tim Tebow: 6/22, 60 yards, 1 INT Top rushers KC – Dexter McCluster: 12 rushes, 61 yards, 1 TD DEN – Willis McGahee: 28 rushes, 145 yards Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe: 6 rushes, 93 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 3 receptions, 34 yards Top tacklers KC – Justin Houston: 6 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks DEN – Elvis Dumervil: 6 tackles, 2 assists

Hoping to rebound from their tough loss at Buffalo and keep their playoff hopes alive, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs, in the team's regular season finale. This was Chiefs' quarterback Kyle Orton's first visit to Denver since he was waived by the Broncos on November 22. Kansas City grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with a 21-yard touchdown run by running back Dexter McCluster. After a scoreless second quarter, which included a fumble by Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow deep in Chiefs' territory, the Broncos got on the scoreboard in the third quarter, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, both teams were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Kansas City's defense thwarted the Broncos' last drive.^[102]

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 8–8, finishing tied with the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers for the AFC West division title. However, the Broncos won the tiebreakers over both teams based on record against common opponents (5–5 to the Raiders' and Chargers' 4–6), thus clinching their first playoff berth and division title since 2005.^[102]

Final standings

AFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
y (4) Denver Broncos	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	309	390	L3
San Diego Chargers†	8	8	0	.500	3–3	7–5	406	377	W1
Oakland Raiders†	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	333	395	L1
Kansas City Chiefs†	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	212	338	W1

Postseason

Schedule

Playoff round	Date	Kickoff	Opponent (seed)	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
Wild Card	January 8, 2012	2:30 p.m. MST	Pittsburgh Steelers (5)	W 29–23 (OT)	1–0	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
Divisional	January 14, 2012	6:00 p.m. MST	at New England Patriots (1)	L 10–45	1–1	Gillette Stadium	CBS	Recap

Roster changes

• On January 2, 2012, guard Chris Kuper was placed on Injured reserve, after suffering a broken leg in the team's regular season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs the previous day. To fill Kuper's roster spot, the Broncos re-signed tackle Ryan Harris prior to the team's first playoff game in the Wild Card round. Harris was an unrestricted free agent prior to the start of the season before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp.^[34]

• On January 3, 2012, the Broncos signed former University of Colorado linebacker Brian Iwuh and waived safety Kyle McCarthy.^[103]

• On January 10, 2012, fullback Spencer Larsen was placed on Injured reserve. His roster spot was filled, when wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.^[42]

• On January 13, 2012, one day before the team's divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots, the Broncos signed long snapper David Binn as a replacement for incumbent long snapper Lonie Paxton, who was excused from the team due to personal matters. To make room on the 53-man roster, the team waived fullback Austin Sylvester.^[48]

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. #5 Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 OT Total Steelers 6 0 7 10 0 23 Broncos 0 20 0 3 6 29 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: January 8, 2012 Game time: 2:30 p.m. MST Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), sunny Referee: Ron Winter TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter PIT – 11:14 Shaun Suisham 45-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:46. (PIT 3–0) PIT – 0:23 Shaun Suisham 38-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 5:50. (PIT 6–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:24 Eddie Royal 30-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:59. (DEN 7–6) DEN – 10:36 Tim Tebow 8-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:18. (DEN 14–6) DEN – 7:30 Matt Prater 20-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:44. (DEN 17–6) DEN – 1:05 Matt Prater 28-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:04. (DEN 20–6) Third quarter PIT – 4:29 Mike Wallace 1-yard TD run, Shaun Suisham kick. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:56. (DEN 20–13) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:10 Matt Prater 35-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:19. (DEN 23–13) PIT – 9:59 Shaun Suisham 37-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:11. (DEN 23–16) PIT – 3:48 Jerricho Cotchery 31-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:47. (tied 23–23) Overtime DEN – 14:49 Demaryius Thomas 80-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:11. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger: 22/40, 289 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 10/21, 316 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PIT – Isaac Redman: 17 carries, 121 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 19 carries, 61 yards Top receivers PIT – Emmanuel Sanders: 6 receptions, 81 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 204 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers PIT – Ike Taylor: 6 tackles, 1 assist DEN – David Bruton: 8 tackles

The Broncos opened the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs at home with a Wild Card matchup against the #5 seed Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos' first playoff game since 2005. The only points of the first quarter came from Pittsburgh, with field goals of 45 and 38 yards by placekicker Shaun Suisham. The Broncos reeled off 20 unanswered points in the second quarter, with quarterback Tim Tebow throwing a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal, then scrambling for an 8-yard touchdown run, followed by field goals of 20 and 28 yards by placekicker Matt Prater. A 1-yard touchdown run by Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace on an end-around was the only scoring play of the third quarter. The Broncos added to their lead early in the fourth quarter, with a 35-yard field goal by Prater. Pittsburgh countered with a 37-yard field goal by Suisham. On the Broncos' following possession, running back Willis McGahee fumbled, and Pittsburgh subsequently tied the game with a 7-play, 55-yard drive, culminating with a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Each team traded punts on subsequent possessions, sending the game to overtime. The Broncos won the overtime coin toss, and on their first play, Tebow fired the game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.^[104] It was not only the longest scoring play in NFL overtime playoff history, but Thomas also set a new Broncos' franchise record for receiving yards in a playoff game, with 204 yards.^[105]

With the win, the Broncos advanced to face the New England Patriots in the Divisional round.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at #1 New England Patriots

AFC Divisional Playoffs: Denver Broncos at New England Patriots – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 7 3 0 10 Patriots 14 21 7 3 45 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Date: January 14, 2012 Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. MST Game weather: 24 °F (−4 °C), partly cloudy and cold Game attendance: 68,756 Referee: Gene Steratore TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NE – 13:14 Wes Welker 7-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:51. (NE 7–0) NE – 7:17 Rob Gronkowski 10-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:25. (NE 14–0) Second quarter DEN – 15:00 Willis McGahee 5-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:06. (NE 14–7) NE – 7:49 Rob Gronkowski 12-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:35. (NE 21–7) NE – 2:06 Deion Branch 61-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:30. (NE 28–7) NE – 0:10 Rob Gronkowski 19-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:04. (NE 35–7) Third quarter NE – 11:53 Aaron Hernandez 17-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:40. (NE 42–7) DEN – 2:19 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:16. (NE 42–10) Fourth quarter NE – 12:44 Stephen Gostkowski 20-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:35. (NE 45–10) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 9/26, 136 yards NE – Tom Brady: 26/34, 363 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 17 rushes, 76 yards, 1 TD NE – Aaron Hernandez: 5 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 6 receptions, 93 yards NE – Rob Gronkowski: 10 receptions, 145 yards, 3 TD Top tacklers DEN – Ryan McBean and Joe Mays: 4 tackles each (5 assists by Mays, 1 assist by McBean) NE – Kyle Arrington: 6 tackles, 4 assists

Following their overtime win over the Steelers in the Wild Card round of the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs, the Broncos flew to Gillette Stadium to face the #1 seed New England Patriots in the Divisional round. New England jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Tom Brady throwing a pair of touchdown passes—a 7-yarder to wide receiver Wes Welker and a 10-yarder to tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Broncos responded at the beginning of the second quarter, with running back Willis McGahee rushing for a 5-yard touchdown, but New England subsequently added to lead, with Brady throwing three more touchdown passes—a 12-yarder to Gronkowski, a 61-yarder to wide receiver Deion Branch followed by a 19-yarder to Gronkowski just before halftime. New England continued their onslaught in the third quarter, with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez. A 41-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater made the score 42–10. New England added to their lead early in the fourth quarter, with a 20-yard field goal by placekicker Stephen Gostkowski, which would be the last scoring play of the game by either team, sealing the win for New England.^[106]

With the loss, the Broncos' 2011 season ended with an overall record of 9–9.

Statistics

Team leaders

Statistic	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Tim Tebow	1,729
Passing touchdowns	Tim Tebow	12
Rushing yards	Willis McGahee	1199
Rushing touchdowns	Tim Tebow	6
Receiving yards	Eric Decker	612
Receiving touchdowns	Eric Decker	8
Points	Matt Prater	87
Kickoff return yards	Quan Cosby	457
Punt return yards	Quan Cosby	269
Tackles	Wesley Woodyard	97
Sacks	Von Miller	11.5
Forced fumbles	D. J. Williams Wesley Woodyard	3
Interceptions	André Goodman Champ Bailey	2

Source: ESPN.com.^[107]

Conference and league rankings

Statistic	Value	Final rankings
		AFC	NFL
Total offense	316.6 YPG	11th	23rd
Passing offense	152.1 YPG	15th	31st
Rushing offense	164.5 YPG	1st	1st
Scoring offense	19.3 PPG	12th	25th
Total defense	357.8 YPG	12th	20th
Passing defense	231.5 YPG	12th	18th
Rushing defense	126.3 YPG	10th	22nd
Scoring defense	24.4 PPG	13th	24th
Turnover differential	-12	T-14th	T-26th

Source: ESPN.com.^[107]

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award(s)
Champ Bailey	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[108]
Ryan Clady	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[108]
Brian Dawkins	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[108]
Eric Decker	Named to the USA Football All Fundamentals Team[109]
Elvis Dumervil	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[108]
Orlando Franklin	Named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team[110]
Chris Harris	Named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team[110] Named to the Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team[111]
Willis McGahee	Week 9: FedEx Ground Player of the Week[112] Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[108]
Von Miller	First half of the season: Sports Illustrated Defensive Rookie of the Year.[113] Week 10: AFC Defensive Player of the Week[114] November: Defensive Rookie of the Month[115] Named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster[108] Named to the Football Outsiders All-Rookie Team[110] Voted to The Associated Press 2011 NFL All-Pro Team[116] Named to the Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team[111] 2011 season: Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year[117]
Matt Prater	Week 14: Special Teams Player of the Week[118] December: Special Teams Player of the Month[119]
Eddie Royal	Week 9: Special Teams Player of the Week[120]
Tim Tebow	Week 14: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Year (come-from-behind/overtime win)[117]
Team	Week 7: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind/overtime win)[121] Week 10: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to Eric Decker)[122] Week 11: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind win),[123] Week 12: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind/overtime win)[124] Week 14: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind/overtime win)[125]

Staff

Denver Broncos 2011 staff
	Front Office Owner/Chairman/CEO – Pat Bowlen President – Joe Ellis Executive Vice President of Football Operations – John Elway General Manager – Brian Xanders Director of Football Administration – Mike Bluem Director of College Scouting – Matt Russell Director of Pro Personnel – Keith Kidd Assistant Director of College Scouting – Lenny McGill Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Anthony Kelly Head Coaches Head Coach – John Fox Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Mike McCoy Quarterbacks – Adam Gase Running Backs – Eric Studesville Wide Receivers – Tyke Tolbert Tight Ends – Clancy Barone Offensive Line – Dave Magazu Offensive Quality Control – Brian Callahan			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Dennis Allen Defensive Line – Wayne Nunnely Linebackers – Richard Smith Secondary – Ron Milus Assistant Secondary – Sam Garnes Defensive Quality Control – Jay Rodgers Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Jeff Rodgers Assistant Special Teams – Keith Burns Strength and Conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Rich Tuten Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Justin Lovett Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Greg Saporta

Final roster

2011 Denver Broncos roster
	Quarterbacks  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow Running Backs 35 Lance Ball 37 Jeremiah Johnson 23 Willis McGahee Wide Receivers 87 Eric Decker PR 16 D'Andre Goodwin 19 Eddie Royal 88 Demaryius Thomas 12 Matthew Willis Tight Ends 86 Daniel Fells 85 Virgil Green 81 Dante Rosario 80 Julius Thomas		Offensive Linemen 68 Zane Beadles G/T 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 74 Orlando Franklin T 72 Ryan Harris T 76 Tony Hills T 71 Russ Hochstein C/G 65 Manny Ramirez G 50 J. D. Walton C Defensive Linemen 91 Robert Ayers DE 77 Brodrick Bunkley DT 92 Elvis Dumervil DE 95 Derrick Harvey DE 90 Jason Hunter DE 98 Ryan McBean DT 79 Marcus Thomas DT 96 Mitch Unrein DT		Linebackers 57 Mario Haggan MLB 56 Nate Irving MLB 59 Brian Iwuh OLB 51 Joe Mays MLB 58 Von Miller OLB 53 Mike Mohamed MLB 55 D. J. Williams OLB 52 Wesley Woodyard OLB Defensive Backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 30 David Bruton FS 36 Rafael Bush SS 28 Quinton Carter SS 32 Tony Carter CB 20 Brian Dawkins SS 21 André Goodman CB 25 Chris Harris CB 26 Rahim Moore FS 29 Jonathan Wilhite CB Special Teams 54 David Binn LS  4 Britton Colquitt P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve Lists 83 Mark Dell WR (IR) 42 Mario Fannin RB (IR) 73 Chris Kuper G (IR) 46 Spencer Larsen FB (IR) 27 Knowshon Moreno RB (IR) 22 Syd'Quan Thompson CB (IR) 41 Cassius Vaughn CB (IR) 99 Kevin Vickerson DT (IR) 94 Ty Warren DT (IR) Practice Squad 97 Jeremy Beal DE 67 Adam Grant OT 84 Cornelius Ingram TE 33 Xavier Omon RB 14 Greg Orton WR 93 Sealver Siliga DT 82 Tim Toone WR  2 Adam Weber QB Rookies in italics 53 Active, 9 Inactive, 8 Practice Squad

Notes and references

External links

• Official website
• The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage
• Season page on Pro Football Reference

v t e Denver Broncos Founded in 1960 • Based in Denver, Colorado The Franchise American Football League • National Football League • History • Players • Starting Quarterbacks • Coaches • Seasons • First-round draft picks Stadiums Mile High Stadium • Sports Authority Field at Mile High Culture Pat Bowlen • John Elway • Miles • Orange Crush Defense • The Barrel Man • Zone blocking • Cheerleaders Lore The Drive • The Fumble • The Drive II • The 3:16 Game Head Coaches Filchock • Faulkner • Speedie • Malavasi • Saban • Smith • Ralston • Miller • Reeves • Phillips • Shanahan • McDaniels • Fox Retired Numbers 7 • 18 • 44 Super Bowl titles XXXII • XXXIII Conference titles AFC: 1977 • 1986 • 1987 • 1989 • 1997 • 1998 Other titles AFC West: 1977 • 1978 • 1984 • 1986 • 1987 • 1989 • 1991 • 1996 • 1998 • 2005 • 2011 • Wild Card: 1979 • 1983 • 1993 • 1997 • 2000 • 2003 • 2004   Seasons (53) 1960s 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 1970s 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 1980s 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 1990s 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 2000s 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 2010s 2010 • 2011 • 2012

v t e Denver Broncos seasons 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 Bold indicates Super Bowl victory

2011 NFL season v t e
AFC	East	North	South	West	East	North	South	West	NFC
	Buffalo	Baltimore	Houston	Denver	Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta	Arizona
	Miami	Cincinnati	Indianapolis	Kansas City	NY Giants	Detroit	Carolina	St. Louis
	New England	Cleveland	Jacksonville	Oakland	Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans	San Francisco
	NY Jets	Pittsburgh	Tennessee	San Diego	Washington	Minnesota	Tampa Bay	Seattle
2011 NFL lockout • 2011 NFL Draft • 2011 NFL Honors • NFL playoffs • Pro Bowl • Super Bowl XLVI