The Fan is turning 30! For three decades, the station has been covering Denver sports, serving as a media outlet of record for the biggest events over the past 30 years.
There have been a lot of them. From championships to MVPs, from historic seasons to improbable victories, The Fan has been there for all of them.
What were the best of the best? During a six week span, Denver Sports will chronicle the moments that stood out the most. It’s a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1, in a series called “Mile High Milestones.”
Enjoy the trip down memory lane!
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The 2012 season ended in painful fashion for the Broncos. After a slow start, Peyton Manning’s first season in Denver turned into a magical run. The orange and blue won their final 11 games of the season, rolling into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
They opened with a Divisional Round matchup against the Ravens and appeared poised to advance. Leading 35-28 with less than 40 seconds to play, victory was all but in hand. Then, disaster struck.
Joe Flacco hit Jacoby Jones on a 70-yard touchdown to tie the game, a play that only occurred because Broncos safety Rahim Moore badly misplayed the ball. Baltimore would go on to win in overtime, ending Denver’s dream season.
How would the Broncos respond to the loss? Would they be able to bounce back from such a devastating defeat?
The answer came quickly. Denver opened the season with a much-anticipated rematch against the Ravens, and they were ready for the challenge. The Broncos dominated the game, winning 49-27. But that wasn’t the main story.
In the game, Manning threw seven touchdown passes. He also carved up Baltimore’s defense for 462 passing yards. It was a sign of things to come.
Denver started the season 6-0. In those wins, they scored 49, 41, 37, 52, 51 and 35 points. They’d put up another 50 burger, their third of the season, in a Week 14 victory against Tennessee.
It was an onslaught seemingly every week. Even in their three losses, the Broncos offense was prolific, averaging 28 points in those games.
By the time the dust had settled, Denver had posted a season for the ages. It was the greatest offensive output in NFL history.
The Broncos scored 606 points across 16 games, a total that is still a league record. They had two wideouts exceed 1,200 yards receiving, with Demaryius Thomas leading the way at 1,430 and Eric Decker posting 1,288. Four different players caught 10-plus touchdowns (Thomas, Decker, Julius Thomas and Wes Welker). And Knowshon Moreno rushed for 1,038 yards and 10 scores.
Denver came at teams in waves. They were nearly unstoppable. And it all started with one player – Manning.
During his second season in the Mile High City, the Sheriff enjoyed the best season of his Hall of Fame career. He set NFL single-season records for passing yards (5,477) and touchdown passes (55). Both of those marks still stand, more than a decade later.
While the season would end on another sour note, with the Broncos losing 43-8 to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, the teams march through the regular season was a ride unlike anything the league has ever seen. And given that a lot of the records from that campaign are still atop NFL annals, pro football may never see a season like it again.
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THE COUNTDOWN
30: Ubaldo Jimenez has a magical season
29: Todd Helton get enshrined in Cooperstown
28: Valeri Nichushkin goes missing in the postseason – twice!
27: The Avalanche win their second Stanley Cup
26: The Nuggets come back from two 3-1 deficits in the bubble
25: The seemingly never-ending Broncos ownership saga
24: Hurricane Josh hits the Mile High City
23: The Rockies trade Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals
22: The Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2009
21: John Elway gets enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
20: The Avalanche hoist third Stanley Cup in franchise history
19: The Avalanche acquire Patrick Roy from the Canadiens
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Wanna hear more about this Mile High Milestone? Tune into “The Rundown” at noon or check out the show on YouTube to hear Richie Carni and a special guest take a walk down memory lane.