As the Broncos near their Divisional Round matchup vs. the Bills, they'll look to add another chapter to the franchise's playoff history. Dating back to the Broncos' first playoff berth in 1977, Denver has notched 10 wins in the Divisional Round. Ahead of Saturday's game, we're taking a look back at some of the top moments from Denver's previous Divisional Round showdowns.
AN IMPORTANT FIRST
In the Broncos' first postseason appearance in franchise history, they did more than just show up. Instead, Denver kick-started a run that pushed the team all the way to a Super Bowl XII appearance. In the 1977 Divisional Round, Denver earned a 34-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and their vaunted Steel Curtain defense. With the game tied at 21 in the fourth quarter, Denver scored the final 13 points of the matchup to earn a victory. Ring of Famer Tom Jackson recorded three takeaways in the game, while the Broncos as a team intercepted Terry Bradshaw three times. Denver's "Orange Crush" defense limited Bradshaw to just 177 yards as the Broncos eliminated the team that won two of the three previous Super Bowls.
THE DRIVE II
Five years after The Drive, John Elway did it again. In the 1991 AFC Divisional Round, the Broncos faced a 24-23 deficit against the Houston Oilers with 2:07 to play in the game. Again starting in the shadow of his own goal line, Elway marched his team from Denver's own 2-yard line into field-goal range. By converting a pair of fourth downs on the drive, Elway set up David Treadwell's game-winning 28-yard field goal that sent Denver to its fourth AFC Championship Game appearance of the Elway era.
A REVENGE TOUR STOP
The Broncos traveled a difficult path to their first Lombardi Trophy, as they had to win a pair of road games to advance to Super Bowl XXXII. The first came at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Broncos earned their first road playoff win in more than a decade — and just their second ever — with a 14-10 victory over the Chiefs. In the 1997 Divisional Round win, Terell Davis scored a pair of touchdowns and the Broncos came up with a late defensive stand. With 19 seconds to play, Chiefs quarterback Elvis Grbac looked to the end zone on fourth-and-2 with a chance to take the lead. Broncos cornerback Darrien Gordon knocked down the pass to push Denver through to the next round.
A HALL OF FAME-WORTHY PLAY
In Champ Bailey's prolific career, there were a slew of impressive takeaways and big plays. But none is as synonymous with Bailey's Pro Football Hall of Fame legacy as his 100-yard interception return against the New England Patriots in the 2005 Divisional Round. With the Broncos leading 10-6 against the Patriots late in the third quarter, Bailey picked off three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady in the end zone and returned the ball 100 yards in the other direction. One snap later, Mike Anderson scored to give Denver a 17-6 lead. Bailey's interception was one of five takeaways for the Broncos, who earned their first playoff win since Super Bowl XXXIII and handed Brady the first playoff loss of his career. The Denver win snapped the Patriots' NFL-record 10-game postseason winning streak.
A TIMELY TURNOVER
The Broncos' most recent Divisional Round matchup came in the 2015 postseason, as Denver battled back from a halftime and fourth-quarter deficit to earn a 23-16 win over the Steelers. The first playoff game on the Broncos' march to a Super Bowl 50 win, this Divisional Round game was within one score for nearly the entire contest — and it took a critical fumble recovery by the Broncos to help snag a victory. With the Broncos trailing by a point with 10 minutes to play and the Steelers driving inside Denver territory, Bradley Roby punched the ball away from running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, and DeMarcus Ware recovered. The fumble recovery — which was the only turnover of the game — set up a go-ahead drive from the Broncos, and they would not relinquish the lead.
