subject: The Denver Broncos Tickets : The Broncos Suffered A Devastating Blow To Their Defense [print this page] The Denver Broncos are a professional football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) Western Division in the National Football League (NFL).
The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL/NFL merger. The team has won two Super Bowls and six AFC Championships. They play at INVESCO Field at Mile High, and have three players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: John Elway, Floyd Little and Gary Zimmerman.
Notable offseason roster moves included the trades of fullback Peyton Hillis (to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Brady Quinn), wide receiver Brandon Marshall (to the Miami Dolphins for draft picks) and tight end Tony Scheffler (three-team trade with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles), as well as the draft selections of Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and All-American Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.Tebow was a heavily-hyped draft pick, partly because Denver traded three draft picks to select him.
On August 4, shortly after the start of training camp, the Broncos suffered a devastating blow to their defense, when outside linebacker/defensive end Elvis Dumervil suffered a torn pectoral muscle in practice. Though there was speculation that Dumervil would be able to return as early as November, he was placed on Injured Reserve on September 3, and will miss the entire 2010 season.
Also on August 4, the Broncos added free-agent running back and Denver native LenDale White to their roster. However, on September 2, during the team's last preseason game (at the Minnesota Vikings), White suffered a torn Achilles tendon, and will miss the entire 2010 season.[26]. On September 4, wide receiver Brandon Stokley was placed on injured reserve, and later released.
The Broncos opened the 2010 season with a 24/17 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which the teams alternated scores, but the Broncos never led in the game. On September 14, two days after the loss to the Jaguars, the Broncos acquired running back Laurence Maroney in a trade from the New England Patriots (for a 2011 fourth-round selection).
In Week 2, the Broncos cruised to a relatively easy 31/14 win against the Seattle Seahawks, in the team's home opener. On September 20, just a day after the win over the Seahawks, tragedy struck the Broncos organization, when wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead in his Centennial, Colorado home of an apparent suicide, at the age of 23.
In Week 3, the Broncos lost 27/13 at home to the Indianapolis Colts. Kyle Orton threw for a career-high 476 yards, but the Broncos were plagued by red-zone miscues. In Week 4, the Broncos rallied for a 26/20 win at the Tennessee Titans. In Week 5, the Broncos lost 31/17 to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, a venue that has been none too kind to the Broncos.
For most of their history they played in Mile High Stadium. The AFL Broncos played at the University of Denver's Hilltop Stadium from time to time, including the first-ever victory of an AFL team over an NFL team: The Broncos beat the Detroit Lions on August 5, 1967, in a preseason game.
The team has sold out every home game (including post-season games) since the NFL merger in 1970, with the exception of two replacement games during the 1987 strike (but both were sold out before the strike). During home games, the attendance is announced to the crowd, along with the number of no-shows (the fans subsequently boo the no-shows). The fans are also known to chant "IN-COM-PLETE" every time the visiting team throws an incomplete pass.
The stadium's legendary home-field advantage is regarded as one of the best in the NFL, especially during the post-season. The Broncos have had the best home record in pro football over the past 32 years (1974/2006, 191/65/1). Mile High Stadium was one of the NFL's loudest stadiums, with steel flooring instead of concrete, which may have given the Broncos an advantage over opponents.
Since 2001, they have played at INVESCO Field at Mile High, built next to the former site of the since demolished old Mile High Stadium. Sportswriter Woody Paige, along with many of Denver's fans, however, often refuse to call the new stadium by its full name, preferring to use Mile High Stadium because of its storied history and sentimental import. Additionally the Denver Post had an official policy of referring to the stadium as simply "Mile High Stadium" in protest, but dropped this policy in 2004.
The Colorado altitude has also been attributed as part of the team's home success. The stadium displays multiple references to the stadium's location of 5,280 feet (1.00 mi) above sea level, including a prominent mural just outside the visiting team's locker room.
