The 10 most-iconic plays in the history of the Denver Broncos

Jun 28, 2021, 3:11 PM | Updated: 3:15 pm

Editor of Denver Sports

As a franchise, the Broncos have enjoyed a lot of great moments. One of the most successful teams in the history of the NFL, having gone to eight Super Bowls and won three, their history is littered with plays that indelibly seared into the minds of Denver fans.

With the retirement of Demaryius Thomas on Monday, a lot of those memories came flooding back. The wide receiver was a part of one of the most-famous plays in the history of the franchise, an highlight that is remembered by football fans across the country.

How does DT’s catch to cap the 2011 Wild Card Playoff against the Steelers stack up? Here’s a rundown of the 10 most-iconic plays in the history of the Broncos:

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10. Jim Turner’s Fake FG

Were the 1977 Broncos for real? That question was answered in Week 5 when Red Miller’s undefeated team went into Oakland and demolished the defending Super Bowl champs. The key play of the 30-7 victory was kicker Jim Turner hauling in a 32-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal. (Go to the 7:00 mark of the below video to see the play)

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9. Fourth-and-10

In the 1991 AFC Divisional Playoff, the Broncos were trailing the Oilers by a score of 24-23 in the waning moments. Pinned back at their own two-yard line, Denver needed a last-minute drive to win. John Elway delivered. He ran for a first down on fourth-and-six and then found Vance Johnson for a 42-yard completion that set up the game-winning field goal. (Go to the 3:30 mark of the below video to see the play)

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8. Tip Six

Trailing 7-6 with just :28 to play, the Broncos were facing a desperate situation. Their offense had struggled all day and they were pinned back at their own 13-yard line. Moving the ball into field goal range seemed like a Herculean task. But Denver did much better than that when Kyle Orton’s pass to Brandon Marshall was tipped into the air and hauled in by Brandon Stokley, who went 87 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

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7. Elway to Jackson

It was the final play of one of the most-iconic drives in the history of the NFL, the Broncos 98-yard march against the Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game to force overtime. With bones flying from the Dawg Pound, John Elway threw a five-yard strike to Mark Jackson with :38 on the clock tied the game at 20-20. Denver would win in OT to advance to Super Bowl XXI. (Go to the 6:30 mark of the below video to see the play)

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6. Von’s Strip Sack

The Panthers were heavy favorites in Super Bowl 50, as they boasted a 15-1 record and the league’s MVP in Cam Newton. But the Broncos took control of the game early, thanks in large part to Von Miller’s strip sack with 6:30 to play in the first quarter, a fumble that was recovered by Malik Jackson in the end zone to give Denver a 10-0 lead. Miller would go on to win MVP honors in the Broncos 24-10 victory.

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5. Champ’s Pick

In the 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff, the Broncos led the Patriots by a count of 10-6 late in the third quarter. But New England was knocking on the doorstep, facing a third-and-goal from the five-yard line. Tom Brady’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by Champ Bailey, who returned it 100 yards to set up a Denver score. The play was the game-changer in the Broncos 27-13 win.

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4. The Hit

Christian Okoye was one of the most-feared running backs in NFL history. During the 1990 season, “The Nigerian Nightmare” was a 250-pound battering ram that nobody wanted to tackle. His mystique disappeared on one player, however. In front of a “Monday Night Football” audience, rookie safety Steve Atwater knocked Okoye on his backside in one of the most-replayed moments in NFL history.

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3. The Fumble

The Broncos were clinging to a 38-31 lead with 1:12 to play in the 1987 AFC Championship Game. The Browns were knocking on the doorstep, when Earnest Byner appeared to be going in for the game-tying score. Jeremiah Castille stripped the running back of the football at the one-yard line, however, and then recovered the ball to seal the victory for Denver.

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2. Tebow to Demaryius

In a season that featured some of the most-unlikely victories in Broncos history, Denver’s win over Pittsburgh in the 2011 AFC Wild Card Game was the craziest. On the first play of overtime, Tim Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas across the middle and the wide receiver raced 80 yards for the game-winning, walk-off touchdown, a play that still give Broncos fans chills.

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1. The Helicopter

As a franchise, the Broncos were 0-4 in Super Bowls. As Denver’s quarterback, John Elway had lost three times in the big game. So at the age of 37, the future Hall of Fame signal caller was desperate to get a win in Super Bowl XXXII. No play symbolized his desire to get a victory than a run on third-and-six where he dove for the first down, was hit by Packers defenders and spun to the ground, setting up the go-ahead touchdown in Denver’s win.