As the Broncos get set to play in their 11th conference championship game, they have the opportunity to add another chapter to the franchise's storied history at this stage of the postseason. In the Broncos' 10 previous AFC Championship Games, they went 8-2 and created enduring memories that have helped shape football lore in Denver and across the country. Here is a look at just a handful of the most memorable of those games.

1977 AFC Championship: The Orange Crush's magical run

After nearly two decades of watching postseason football from home, the Broncos finally broke through in 1977 on the back of their legendary "Orange Crush" defense, which led the team to a division title and the franchise's first-ever postseason berth. After an opening-round win over the Steelers, the Broncos welcomed their division rivals and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Oakland Raiders, to town. The teams had split the regular-season series, with the road team winning each matchup. To make matters worse, Ring of Fame quarterback Craig Morton spent several days in the hospital during the week with a hip injury and didn't practice at all in the days leading up to the game.

The Broncos' defense held strong, forcing and recovering two fumbles and intercepting Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler once. On offense, the "M&M Connection" between Morton and wide receiver Haven Moses delivered in full, as Moses scored on receptions of 74 and 12 yards. In the fourth quarter, Stabler made it close with two touchdowns to Hall of Fame tight end Dave Casper, but Denver's offense secured the win in the closing minutes with two first downs to send the Broncos to the Super Bowl and the Mile High crowd into hysterics.

1986 AFC Championship: The Drive

Nearly a decade after the Broncos' first AFC Championship appearance, they made their second with a new No. 7 under center. That would be the now-legendary John Elway, who stepped onto a frosty and hostile field at Cleveland Stadium to take on the AFC's top seed. While the first three-and-a-half quarters were dramatic enough, it truly ramped up midway through the fourth quarter. Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar found receiver Brian Brennan for a 48-yard score to put Cleveland up a touchdown, and then a miscue on the ensuing kickoff return put the Broncos in the shadow of their own goalpost at their own 2-yard line.

But the Broncos weren't done yet. As the offense entered the huddle, guard Keith Bishop told the rest of the group, "We've got them right where we want them." With a rabid Browns crowd roaring, Elway proceeded to marshal the Broncos down the field, methodically picking up first downs and helping the team escape out of a third-and-18 situation. As the clock ticked down inside the last two minutes, Elway pushed the Broncos into the red zone. Then, from the 5-yard line with less than a minute left, the future Hall of Famer dropped back, planted his back foot and drove a pass down the seam to wide receiver Mark Jackson for the game-tying touchdown.

In overtime, the Denver defense forced a three-and-out, setting up Elway for the game-winning drive. He completed two passes for 50 yards, and kicker Rich Karlis knocked the 33-yarder through to give the Broncos their second AFC Championship victory.

1987 AFC Championship: The Fumble

A year later, the roles were reversed, with the Broncos as the top seed hosting a Cleveland team hoping to pull an upset on the road. And just like the Browns had done the year before, the Broncos held a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter and hoped to stave off an efficient game-tying drive.

Cleveland made quick work of moving down field with four first downs on their first five plays, getting the Browns into the red zone with little wasted effort. Now, just eight yards from the end zone, Cleveland put the ball in the capable hands of running back Earnest Byner, who had 182 scrimmage yards to that point. But on this fateful play, as he bulldozed his toward a touchdown, he was stripped at the 2-yard line by Jeremiah Castille, giving Denver the ball and clinching victory.

1997 AFC Championship: The 'Revenge Tour' continues

Still chasing the franchise's first world championship, the Broncos entered the 1997 postseason on the heels of a crushing playoff loss to the Jaguars to cap the 1996 season. But even though Denver would be a wild-card team in 1997, it would let vengeance guide them to glory. In a playoff rematch, they trounced the Jaguars before narrowly defeating the Chiefs on the road in a heated divisional matchup. And to cap the so-called "Revenge Tour" in the AFC, they then went back on the road to play a Steelers team that had beaten them in Pittsburgh just a month earlier.

The two teams would trade punches throughout the first half, but a surge just before halftime would prove crucial. Cornerback Ray Crockett intercepted quarterback Kordell Stewart on a deep pass to the end zone, and Elway quickly took the Broncos down the field and found fullback Howard Griffith for a touchdown. After an immediate Steelers three-and-out, the Broncos mounted another touchdown drive, swinging the game from a four-point deficit to a 10-point lead. Late in the fourth quarter, Stewart brought the Steelers back within a field goal, but Elway hit tight end Shannon Sharpe for a game-clinching third-down reception to allow Denver to run out the clock. Just a game later, the Broncos would finally hoist their first Lombardi Trophy.

2015 AFC Championship: The Sheriff's last ride

In pursuit of a third Lombardi Trophy, the Broncos played host to the Patriots in the AFC Championship for the second time in three years. It had all the drama a football fan could ask for: Peyton Manning once again going against Tom Brady, this time looking to cap a legendary career with a storybook ending. In tow, the Broncos also had a historic defense featuring a ravenous pass rush and the stingy "No-Fly Zone" secondary.

In the first half, the Broncos capitalized on two touchdowns from Manning to tight end Owen Daniels to help put Denver up 17-9 at halftime, with the Broncos receiving a little extra breathing room from a missed Patriots PAT field goal. As the Broncos' offense struggled more in the second half, the Patriots worked to drive down the field. But on a day when the defense racked up 17 quarterback hits, the Broncos stood at critical moments, including two fourth-down stops in the red zone in the fourth quarter. Even still, the Patriots had one last shot late in the game when Brady connected with tight end Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown. However, on the potential game-tying two-point conversion, cornerback Bradley Roby came up with the game-sealing interception. Two weeks later, the Broncos earned the franchise's third Super Bowl victory and gave Manning a well-deserved send-off bathed in confetti.