Photos: 15 moments that define the Denver Broncos

The Broncos joined the American Football League as a charter member, playing their first season in 1960 in Denver’s Bears Stadium (named for the minor league baseball team). The stadium was expanded and renamed Denver Mile High Stadium in 1969; the AFL merged with the National Football League in 1970. Steve Larson/The Denver Post/Getty Images

The Broncos played their first “Monday Night Football” game (hosted by the legendary broadcast team of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith) on Oct. 22, 1973, a 23–23 tie with the archrival Oakland Raiders. But 1973 was a good year, marking the Broncos’ first winning season at 7–5–2. ABC-TV/AP

The Orange Crush Defense led the team to its first Super Bowl after a 12–2 regular season in 1977 and playoff wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders. But the Broncos lost Super Bowl XII to the Dallas Cowboys, 27–10 (pictured). NFL Photos/AP

The Baltimore Colts selected Stanford University quarterback John Elway with the first pick of the 1983 draft, but Elway refused to play in Baltimore, saying he’d play baseball unless he was traded to one of the teams on his list. Denver was the winner of the Elway sweepstakes, and after they'd fielded 24 different starting quarterbacks in 23 seasons, stability was finally in the Broncos’ future. Allsport/Getty Images

Despite a hot young quarterback and sellout crowds, the Broncos appeared to be on the brink of bankruptcy in 1984 until they were purchased by Pat Bowlen (pictured) and his siblings. Bowlen, an oilman and real estate developer, took over as chief executive officer and a year later became majority owner. In 2013, Bowlen became the first NFL owner to win at least 300 games in his first 30 years, with 305 wins over those years. Tim DeFrisco/Allsport/Getty Images

Also in 1984, cornerback Willie Brown (left), who played from 1963 to 1966, became the first Broncos player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was later joined by Elway (1983–98) in 2004; offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman (1993–97) in 2008; running back Floyd Little (1967–75) in 2010; and tight end Shannon Sharpe (1990–99, 2002–03) in 2011. The Denver Post/Getty Images

Elway led the Broncos to the promised land of Super Bowl XXI after an 11–5 regular season in 1986. After a playoff win against New England, the legendary quarterback led the Broncos on “The Drive,” a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive in the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos ultimately beat the Cleveland Browns in that game (pictured), but suffered a 39–20 loss to the New York Giants — the first in a string of Super Bowl disappointments to come. Gene Pushkar/AP

Elway got the Broncos back to the Super Bowl the following season, but they again felt the sting of defeat, falling 41–10 to Washington, which came back from a 10–0 deficit in the first quarter. Rick Stewart/Getty Images

A third Super Bowl for Elway’s Broncos was not a charm, when the San Francisco 49ers clobbered Denver 55–10. The 45-point blowout remains the most lopsided result in Super Bowl history. Head coach Dan Reeves was fired three seasons later. George Rose/Getty Images

In 1997, Elway, coach Mike Shanahan (who took the reins in 1995) and a star-studded cast of Broncos turned a 12–4 regular season into Denver’s first Super Bowl victory, 31–24 over the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. Running back Terrell Davis (right, with Shanahan) was named Most Valuable Player. The Broncos’ win was the first by an AFC team in 14 years. Robert Sullivan/AFP/Getty Images

The following season Elway & Co. racked up a 14–2 regular season record and playoff wins against Miami and the New York Jets. Super Bowl XXXIII set up an intriguing storyline as Reeves, who had taken the Broncos to the big game three times, stood across the field (pictured) as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Denver won, 34–19, and this time the veteran Elway was named MVP. Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Elway announced his retirement on May 2, 1999, in an emotional speech. The Broncos retired his No. 7 that fall and inducted him into the Broncos Ring of Fame, waiving the typical five-year wait for that honor. Mark Leffingwell/AFP/Getty Images

Elway’s retirement led to a decade of discontent for Bronco fans as Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Kyle Orton (left to right) failed to make the grade as successors. Shanahan, once known as “The Mastermind” for drafting players such as Terrell Davis, was fired in 2008 after the team didn’t make the playoffs for the third consecutive year. But the Broncos’ wave of late ’90s success led to the opening of a new stadium in 2001, now named Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Left to right: Brian Bahr/Getty Images (2); Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

In 2011, Bowlen sought to bring some of that Elway magic back by hiring the Hall of Famer as executive vice president of football operations. The Broncos made the playoffs that year after winning the AFC West with an 8–8 record behind quarterback Tim Tebow (pictured) and his wild comebacks. But in the off season of 2012, Elway traded Tebow and took a chance on longtime Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who sat out the 2011 season with a serious neck injury. Garrett W. Ellwood/Getty Images

In 2013, his second year as a Bronco, Manning broke or tied a host of single-season NFL records — passing yards, passing touchdowns, touchdowns in a game — en route to a 13–3 regular season. The Broncos avenged two of their regular season losses with playoff wins against the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. The Broncos now bring the league’s top-ranked offense to meet up against its top-ranked defense in the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Super Bowl XLVIII. Jamie Squire/Getty Images