Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In honor of former head coach Mike Shanahan's election to the Broncos' Ring of Fame, we're counting down the best moments of his 14-year head coaching career in Denver.
When someone wins as often as Shanahan did in Denver — 146 total wins, the highest total in franchise history — it can be difficult to narrow down a list of moments to just 10.
We've certainly left a few memorable games and moments off this list, but as we look back on Shanahan's illustrious career in Denver, these moments lead the way.
10. Week 7, 1995: First win over the Raiders
Before Shanahan's highly successful career in Denver, he spent 20 games as the Los Angeles Raiders' head coach. It was a tumultuous time, and Shanahan was let go by Al Davis just four games into his second season. In Week 7 of that season, the Broncos hosted the 5-1 Raiders on "Monday Night Football" and earned a 27-0 win. "To be honest with you, this is a little special considering my situation with the Raiders before," Shanahan said after the game. After the win, John Elway handed a game ball to Shanahan.
9. 1997 Divisional Round win over Kansas City
In what remains the only postseason matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs, Shanahan led Denver to a 14-10 win at Arrowhead Stadium in the Divisional Round of the 1997 playoffs. The Chiefs were the top seed in the AFC after they finished 13-3 to the Broncos' 12-4. Denver made the playoffs as a wild-card team, but Kansas City's home win in November essentially earned them the division title. In that game, the Chiefs made a 54-yard field goal as time expired to earn the win. That made the Broncos' playoff win even sweeter, as Terrell Davis scored a touchdown to push the Broncos ahead 14-10 in the fourth quarter. Elvis Grbac's fourth-down pass from the Broncos' 20-line fell incomplete with just seconds remaining, and Denver advanced to the AFC Championship.
8. Week 17, 1998: Sets single-season win mark in win over Seattle, Davis reaches 2,000 yards
In 1996, Shanahan and the Broncos matched the team's single-season wins record as they totaled 13 victories. The 1984 iteration of the Broncos also posted that many wins, but it had been 12 years since Denver had enjoyed that much regular-season success. In 1998, though, Shanahan and the Broncos did one better. Powered by their potent rushing offense, the Broncos earned their 14th win of the season in the regular season finale against the Seahawks. In the win, Davis crossed the 2,000-yard rushing mark. He became just the fourth player in NFL history to cross the barrier, and with 21 touchdowns that season, he was the clear NFL MVP.
7. Executes trade for CB Champ Bailey
In perhaps the biggest player-for-player trade in NFL history, Shanahan made waves in March of 2004 when he traded running back Clinton Portis to Washington for cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round pick. Portis, who had just finished his second season in Denver, already had a Pro Bowl selection to his name, rushed for more than 1,500 yards in each of his two seasons and rushed for a combined 29 touchdowns. Still, Shanahan unquestionably made the right choice. Bailey, who had already made four Pro Bowls at the time of the trade, earned first-team All-Pro nods in each of his first three seasons in Denver and made eight Pro Bowls with the Broncos. Bailey made a memorable play in the 2005 Divisional Round win over the Patriots (more on that in a moment), but his best season came in 2006 when he had 10 interceptions. Bailey was chosen in 2019 as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
6. Week 1, 1995: Earns first career win as Broncos head coach
The Broncos would have bigger wins during Shanahan's head coaching career, but that 22-7 win over the Bills to begin the 1995 season is memorable in retrospect. Who would've guessed then that Shanahan would go on to win 145 more total games, earn two Super Bowl titles and help the Broncos to seven postseason appearances and nine winning seasons? This was the start of unparalleled run of success in the franchise's history. And, after an uncertain start to his head-coaching career during his 20 games with the Raiders, this win was a good omen for what would come next.