You’ve probably heard the jokes about the Denver Broncos being the "Super Bowl bridesmaids." For a long time, that was basically the truth. Before they started hoisting trophies, the franchise was famous for showing up to the biggest game on earth and getting absolutely demolished.
Honestly, the scars from those early losses like the 55-10 blowout against the 49ers in 1990 ran deep. But then things changed.
The story of the denver super bowl championships isn't just a list of scores. It’s a narrative about a legendary quarterback finally getting his ring, a running back playing through literal blindness, and a defense so terrifying they nicknamed it the "No Fly Zone."
The "This One's for John" Breakthrough (Super Bowl XXXII)
By 1998, the narrative surrounding John Elway was starting to get a little mean. He was 37. He had been to three Super Bowls and lost them all by massive margins. People were saying he couldn't win the big one.
Then came the Green Bay Packers. They were the defending champs, led by Brett Favre, and Denver was a massive 11-point underdog. Nobody expected the Broncos to keep it close, let alone win.
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But Terrell Davis had other plans.
What most people forget—or maybe they just don't realize how insane it was—is that Davis played a huge chunk of that game while suffering from a massive migraine. He actually lost his vision in the second quarter. Imagine trying to navigate an NFL backfield when you can't see the guys trying to take your head off.
The Helicopter Dive
We have to talk about the play. Third-and-6. The game is tied 17-17 in the third quarter. Elway, who was definitely too old to be doing this, scrambled toward the first-down marker. Instead of sliding, he launched himself into the air.
He got hit by two Packers defenders, spun around like a propeller, and landed past the sticks. It’s the defining image of Denver’s championship history. It showed everyone that the Broncos weren't going to be bullied anymore.
Denver won 31-24. Pat Bowlen stood on that podium, held the Lombardi Trophy high, and shouted, "This one's for John!"
It still gives fans goosebumps.
Going Out on Top (Super Bowl XXXIII)
If the first win was about relief, the second one was about dominance. The 1998 Broncos (who won the Super Bowl in early '99) were an absolute wagon. They started the season 13-0 and finished 14-2.
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Facing the Atlanta Falcons in Miami felt like a foregone conclusion to some, but there was drama behind the scenes. The Falcons were coached by Dan Reeves, the man who had coached Elway to those three earlier Super Bowl losses. The relationship between the two was... well, it was frosty.
Elway didn't just play well; he was clinical.
- He threw for 336 yards.
- He hit Rod Smith for an 80-yard touchdown that essentially broke the Falcons' spirit.
- He ran for a touchdown himself.
He was named Super Bowl MVP at 38 years old. It was his final game. Most athletes talk about "riding off into the sunset," but Elway actually did it. He retired as a back-to-back champion, a feat that felt impossible just two years prior.
The No Fly Zone and the 2015 Redemption (Super Bowl 50)
Fast forward to 2015. The script had flipped. Now, the Broncos had Peyton Manning, a guy who had broken every passing record in the book in 2013, only to lose the Super Bowl 43-8 to Seattle.
By the time Super Bowl 50 rolled around, Manning wasn't the same player. His arm was shot. He was dealing with a foot injury. The offense was, quite frankly, a struggle to watch at times.
But the defense? The defense was legendary.
Led by Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, that unit didn't just play football; they hunted. They went up against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, who had the #1 scoring offense in the league. Everyone was talking about "Dab" celebrations and how Newton was going to run all over Denver.
Von Miller’s Masterclass
Von Miller turned that game into a personal highlight reel. He had 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. The first strip-sack of Newton resulted in a touchdown for Malik Jackson. The second one basically iced the game in the fourth quarter.
Manning only threw for 141 yards and zero touchdowns. In any other era, that's a losing stat line. But because that defense was so stifling, Denver cruised to a 24-10 victory.
Just like Pat Bowlen did for him, John Elway (then an executive) stood on the stage and said, "This one's for Pat."
Why These Titles Still Matter
Denver’s three championships are interesting because they represent three totally different ways to win.
- The Underdog Story: Beating the Packers when nobody gave them a chance.
- The Dynasty Flex: Dominating the Falcons to prove the first win wasn't a fluke.
- The Defensive Masterpiece: Winning with a backup-level offense because the defense was that good.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking to dive deeper into the legacy of the denver super bowl championships, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the Super Bowl 50 Film: Specifically, focus on the "No Fly Zone" secondary (Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and Darian Stewart). Their communication and switching were years ahead of the rest of the league.
- Read about the Zone Blocking Scheme: Mike Shanahan and Alex Gibbs revolutionized the running game with smaller, more athletic offensive linemen. It’s why Terrell Davis was able to be so productive and why that system is still used by teams like the 49ers and Rams today.
- Compare the Eras: Look at the 1997 roster versus 2015. The only real link is the culture of winning that Elway helped establish as a player and then as a GM.
The Broncos may have a losing record in Super Bowls overall (3-5), but their wins are some of the most iconic moments in NFL history. They didn't just win; they ended narratives.
They proved that an aging legend could find a second wind. They proved that a great defense really can carry a struggling offense to the mountaintop. And most importantly for those in Colorado, they turned a "bridesmaid" franchise into a blue-blood heavyweight.
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To truly understand the Broncos' legacy, you have to look past the stats and see the grit. Whether it was Elway spinning in the air or Von Miller ripping the ball out of a quarterback's hands, Denver's titles were built on moments where players simply refused to lose. That’s the Mile High way.
Next Steps for Research:
Check out the Pro Football Hall of Fame records for Terrell Davis’s 1998 season—his 2,000-yard campaign is arguably the greatest individual season for a running back in the history of the sport, and it was capped off by that second Super Bowl ring. Look for the "Mic'd Up" segments from Super Bowl XXXII to hear the raw emotion on the sideline during Elway's "helicopter" run.