1998 Broncos ranked 10th best Super Bowl champion of all-time

ESPN ranked all 57 Super Bowl champions on Wednesday, and it’s interesting to see where the three Denver Broncos teams that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy check in.

The Mile High City has had three parades for the Broncos, one following the 1997 season, another after the 1998 season and a final one in 2015.

Those teams, of course, were led by John Elway and Peyton Manning. The Hall of Fame quarterback both ended their careers going out on top, a very rare feat in any sport, let alone the NFL.

The highest-ranked team is the 1998 Broncos, the one that went back-to-back and finished Elway’s career by beating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. The final score that day was 34-19 in a game that wasn’t even that close.

But this isn’t about just one game, it’s the entire body of work. That 1998 Denver squad was ranked by ESPN as the 10th best champion of all-time.

“The Broncos started 13-0 before finally losing two games and ranked No. 1 in offensive DVOA even though Bubby Brister had to start four games for an injured John Elway,” ESPN’s Aaron Schatz wrote.

It’s high praise for arguably the best Broncos team to ever take the field. Only nine teams topped them, including the 1991 Washington squad that ranked No. 1 on ESPN’s list.

Elsewhere, the 1997 Broncos came in at No. 19 on the list, still comfortably in the top half of title winners. The 2015 Broncos were vastly underrated, earning the No. 47 spot. That might have been one of the best defenses of all-time, led by Von Miller and his ridiculous two strip-sack performance in Super Bowl 50. ‘

“A veteran Peyton Manning had seen his skills disintegrate through the second half of the previous season, and as a result, the 2015 Broncos have the worst offensive DVOA of any Super Bowl champion. But oh, that defense was so good — No. 1 in the league that season and 13th in DVOA history if we include the postseason,” ESPN wrote.

Sure, Manning wasn’t himself by that point, but it feels like this is underselling the “No Fly Zone” and the rest of an elite defense. Including the dynamic pass-rushing tandem of Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

If you want to see the full list, including where the teams rank that beat the Broncos in Super Bowls, click here.