2012 Denver Broncos season

American football team season December 2013 February 2026 Denver Broncos 2012 13–3 1st AFC West John Fox Mike McCoy Jack Del Rio Pat Bowlen John Elway Joe Ellis Sports Authority Field at Mile High Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Ravens) 35–38 (2OT Double overtime) 7 QB Peyton Manning LB Von Miller CB Champ Bailey OT Ryan Clady DE Elvis Dumervil OG Zane Beadles WR Demaryius Thomas 4 QB Peyton Manning LB Von Miller OT Ryan Clady CB Champ Bailey 250px Broncos seasons The 2012 season was the Denver Broncos' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 53rd overall and their second under head coach John Fox. The offseason was marked by the signing of former Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning on March 20, leading to the team trading incumbent quarterback Tim Tebow to the New York Jets. The Broncos did not have a first-round selection in the 2012 NFL draft, and selected defensive end Derek Wolfe as the team's first pick in the second round of the draft. After a 2–3 start to the season, the Broncos finished the regular season on an eleven-game winning streak, and with a record of 13–3, the team exceeded their win total from the previous two seasons combined. The Broncos won their second consecutive AFC West division title, sweeping their division, as well as earning a first-round bye for the first time since 2005 and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 1998, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional round by a double-overtime score of 38–35. During the season, Manning set numerous individual, franchise and league records, including 300-yard passing games and game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. Second-year linebacker Von Miller also set a franchise record for sacks at 18.5. 3 Coaching and front-office changes January 17: Matt Russell, who served as the team's director of college scouting during the past three seasons, was promoted to director of player personnel.Jones, Lindsay Matt Russell gets promotion in Broncos personnel department http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/01/17/russell-gets-promotion-in-personnel-department/11957/ The Denver Post January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 That same day, the Broncos announced that Rich Tuten, the team's strength and conditioning coach since 1995, will not return for the 2012 season.Klis, Mike Broncos strength coach Rich Tuten not returning in 2012 http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19759484 The Denver Post January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 January 24: Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was hired as the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.Legwold, Jeff Raiders hire away Dennis Allen from Broncos for head coach job http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19807184 The Denver Post January 24, 2012 January 24, 2012 January 27: The Broncos hired former Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach Jack Del Rio as the team's new defensive coordinator, replacing Dennis Allen. Del Rio previously worked in the same capacity on John Fox's staff with the Carolina Panthers in 2002. Also on January 27, the Broncos hired Luke Richesson as the team's new strength and conditioning coach, replacing Rich Tuten.Jones, Lindsay Broncos hire Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_19838894 The Denver Post January 27, 2012 January 27, 2012 February 3: The Broncos hired Mike Sullivan as the team's new director of football administration, replacing Mike Bluem.Klis, Mike Broncos' John Elway hires new salary cap guru Mike Sullivan http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19887005 The Denver Post February 3, 2012 February 3, 2012 May 7: The Broncos parted ways with general manager Brian Xanders after four seasons. The team never did announce a replacement.Klis, Mike Broncos, GM Brian Xanders agree to part ways after four years in Denver http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20568607/broncos-brian-xanders-agree-part-ways-after-four-years The Denver Post May 7, 2012 May 7, 2012 May 14: Wayne Nunnely, who served as the team's defensive line coach during the past three seasons, retired. His position was filled by Jay Rodgers, who served as a coaching assistant during the past three seasons.Klis, Mike Broncos' Wayne Nunnely, longtime assistant coach, retires from NFL http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20621635/broncos-wayne-nunnely-longtime-assistant-coach-retires-from The Denver Post May 14, 2012 May 14, 2012 May 29: Cory Undlin was hired as the new defensive quality control coach – a position previously held by Jay Rodgers. Undlin previously worked on Jack Del Rio's staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the previous three seasons.Klis, Mike Broncos hire new defensive coaching assistant http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/05/29/broncos-hire-defensive-coaching-assistant/13753/ The Denver Post May 29, 2012 May 29, 2012 Roster changes Free agents Position Player Tag Free Agent Tag: UFA – Unrestricted Free Agent; RFA – Restricted Free Agent; ERFA – Exclusive-Rights Free Agent 2012 Team Notes RB Lance Ball ERFA Denver Broncos assigned tender on March 13,Klis, Mike Broncos tender restricted free agents McBean, Willis, Ball, Colquitt, Clark http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/03/12/broncos-tender-restricts-free-agents-mcbean-willis-ball-colquitt-clark/12503/ The Denver Post March 13, 2012 March 13, 2012 re-signed March 20Denver Broncos Transactions, Signings, Cuts - Pro Football - SI.com http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/teams/denver-broncos/transactions.html https://archive.today/20130119104407/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/teams/denver-broncos/transactions.html dead January 19, 2013 Sports Illustrated March 20, 2012 March 20, 2012 LS David Binn UFA None DT Brodrick Bunkley UFA New Orleans Saints signed with the Saints on March 21Bena, John Saints Sign Brodrick Bunkley To 5-Year Contract http://www.milehighreport.com/2012/3/21/2890510/saints-sign-brodrick-bunkley-to-5-year-contract Mile High Report March 21, 2012 March 21, 2012 OT Chris Clark ERFA Denver Broncos assigned tender on March 13, re-signed April 6 P Britton Colquitt ERFA Denver Broncos assigned tender on March 13, re-signed April 4Colquitt Signs a 1-year deal to stay a Bronco http://www.milehighreport.com/2012/4/4/2924958/colquitt-signs-a-1-year-deal-to-stay-a-bronco Mile High Report April 4, 2012 April 4, 2012 S Brian Dawkins UFA None retired on April 23Jones, Lindsay Broncos safety Brian Dawkins retires after 16 years http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/04/23/brian-dawkins-retires/13101/ The Denver Post April 23, 2012 April 23, 2012 TE Daniel Fells UFA None LB Mario Haggan UFA St. Louis Rams signed with the Rams on May 15Silva, Evan Rams sign Barry Richardson, Mario Haggan http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/15/rams-sign-barry-richardson-mario-haggan/ ProFootballTalk.com May 15, 2012 May 15, 2012 DE Derrick Harvey UFA None C Russ Hochstein UFA Kansas City Chiefs signed with the Chiefs on September 26Gantt, Darin Chiefs sign veteran guard Russ Hochstein http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/26/chiefs-sign-veteran-guard-russ-hochstein/ Profootballtalk.com September 26, 2012 September 26, 2012 DE Jason Hunter UFA None re-signed March 29,Jones, Lindsay Broncos re-sign defensive end Jason Hunter http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/03/29/broncos-resign-de-hunter/12838/ The Denver Post March 29, 2012 March 29, 2012 placed on injured reserve August 27Hunter to Injured Reserve http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/hunter-to-injured-reserve/ Denver Broncos August 27, 2012 August 27, 2012 FB Spencer Larsen UFA None DT Ryan McBean RFA Baltimore Ravens assigned tender on March 13, tender rescinded April 16,Klis, Mike Broncos part ways with DT Ryan McBean http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20406808/broncos-release-dt-ryan-mcbean The Denver Post April 16, 2012 April 16, 2012signed with the Ravens on May 7Klis, Mike Ryan McBean signs with Ravens http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/05/07/ryan-mcbean-signs-ravens/13297/ The Denver Post May 7, 2012 May 7, 2012 LB Joe Mays UFA Denver Broncos re-signed March 18,Legwold, Jeff Broncos re-sign linebacker Joe Mays to three-year contract http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_20203837/broncos-re-sign-linebacker-joe-mays-three-year The Denver Post March 18, 2012 March 18, 2012 placed on injured reserve October 30Broncos place linebacker Joe Mays on injured reserve http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21888112/broncos-place-linebacker-joe-mays-injured-reserve?_requestid=154103 The Denver Post October 30, 2012 October 30, 2012 PK Matt Prater FT Franchise Tag Denver Broncos assigned franchise tag on March 5,Klis, Mike Broncos put franchise tag on kicker Matt Prater http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20104765 The Denver Post March 5, 2012 March 5, 2012 signed 4-year contract on July 2Legwold, Jeff Broncos sign kicker Matt Prater to four-year contract http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20990647/broncos-sign-matt-prater-four-year-contract The Denver Post July 2, 2012 July 2, 2012 QB Brady Quinn UFA Kansas City Chiefs signed with the Chiefs on March 18Klis, Mike Brady Quinn, deciding not to wait on Broncos' pursuit of Peyton Manning, signs with Chiefs http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20199532/brady-quinn-deciding-not-wait-broncos-pursuit-peyton The Denver Post March 18, 2012 March 18, 2012 G Manny Ramirez UFA Denver Broncos re-signed March 22Caldwell, Gray Caldwell, Woodyard & Ramirez On Board http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/caldwell-woodyard-ramirez-on-board/ Denver Broncos March 22, 2012 March 22, 2012 TE Dante Rosario UFA San Diego Chargers signed with the Chargers on March 21Associated Press Chargers agree to 1-year contract with TE Dante Rosario https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/chargers-agree-to-1-year-contract-with-te-dante-rosario/2012/03/19/gIQAdXc5NS_story.html The Washington Post March 19, 2012 March 19, 2012June 2021 medicmedic WR Eddie Royal UFA San Diego Chargers signed with the Chargers on March 15Wilson, Bernie Eddie Royal leaves Broncos to sign with rival Chargers http://www.denverpost.com/dnc/ci_20184982/royals-leaves-broncos-rival-chargers The Denver Post March 15, 2012 March 15, 2012 DT Marcus Thomas UFA None CB Jonathan Wilhite UFA None WR Matthew Willis RFA Denver Broncos assigned tender on March 13, re-signed April 16Bedinger, Sayre Denver Broncos Re-Sign Wide Receiver Matthew Willis http://www.milehighreport.com/2012/4/16/2953345/denver-broncos-re-sign-wide-receiver-matthew-willis Mile High Report April 16, 2012 April 16, 2012 LB Wesley Woodyard UFA Denver Broncos re-signed March 22 Signings Position Player 2011 team Notes S Mike Adams Cleveland Browns signed March 15,Klis, Mike Legwold, Jeff Broncos sign safety Mike Adams from Cleveland Browns http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20182723/broncos-sign-safety-mike-adams-from-cleveland-browns The Denver Post March 15, 2012 March 15, 2012 on final roster DT Justin Bannan St. Louis Rams signed April 11,Zaas, Stuart Bannan Back with Broncos http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/bannan-back-with-broncos/ Denver Broncos April 11, 2012 April 11, 2012 on final roster LB Keith Brooking Dallas Cowboys signed August 6,Broncos sign five-time Pro Bowl veteran LB Keith Brooking http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21248127/broncos-sign-five-time-pro-bowl-veteran-lb The Denver Post August 6, 2012 August 6, 2012 on final roster WR Andre Caldwell Cincinnati Bengals signed March 22, on final roster G C. J. Davis Carolina Panthers signed February 15,Jones, Lindsay Broncos sign former Jacksonville WR Jason Hill http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/02/15/broncos-sign-former-jacksonville-wr-jason-hill/12179/ The Denver Post February 15, 2012 February 15, 2012 waived September 11,Caldwell, Gray Multiple Tuesday Transactions http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/multiple-tuesday-transactions/ Denver Broncos September 11, 2012 September 11, 2012assigned to the practice squad on September 13Broncos Add C.J. Davis to Practice Squad http://www.milehighreport.com/2012/9/12/3323112/broncos-add-c-j-davis-to-practice-squad Denver Broncos September 13, 2012 September 13, 2012promoted to active roster September 18,Klis, Mike Broncos' Brock Osweiler was ready to replace Peyton Manning http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21573841/broncos-brock-osweiler-replace-peyton-manning The Denver Post September 18, 2012 September 18, 2012 on final roster TE Joel Dreessen Houston Texans signed March 23,Legwold, Jeff Broncos agree to terms with tight end Joel Dreessen http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_20239955/broncos-agree-terms-tight-end-joel-dreessen The Denver Post March 23, 2012 March 23, 2012 on final roster CB Drayton Florence Buffalo Bills signed May 10,Jones, Lindsay Broncos add former Buffalo Bills cornerback Drayton Florence http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20594949/broncos-add-former-buffalo-bills-cornerback-drayton-florence The Denver Post May 10, 2012 May 10, 2012 released August 31Broncos Set 53-Man Roster http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/broncos-set-53-man-roster/ Denver Broncos August 31, 2012 August 31, 2012 September 3, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120903223305/http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/broncos-set-53-man-roster/ dead QB Caleb Hanie Chicago Bears signed March 24,Klis, Mike Broncos sign Caleb Hanie to be Manning's backup http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_20249251/broncos-sign-caleb-hanie-be-mannings-backup The Denver Post March 24, 2012 March 24, 2012 released September 8,Klis, Mike Hanie released; Siliga promoted to 53-man roster http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/09/08/hanie-released-siliga-promoted-53man-roster/15518/ The Denver Post September 8, 2012 September 8, 2012re-signed September 11, on final roster RB Jacob Hester San Diego Chargers signed November 26,Legwold, Jeff Broncos sign Jacob Hester to add bulk at running back vs. Buccaneers http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_22067652/broncos-sign-rb-jacob-hester The Denver Post November 26, 2012 November 26, 2012 on final roster WR Jason Hill Jacksonville Jaguars signed February 15, released August 31 WR/RS Trindon Holliday Houston Texans claimed off waivers from the Texans on October 11,Zaas, Stuart Broncos Add Holliday http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/broncos-add-holliday/ Denver Broncos October 11, 2012 October 11, 2012 on final roster WR Cameron Kenney Seattle Seahawks signed August 1,Mason, Andrew Broncos claim ex-Seahawks WR Cameron Kenney http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/nfl-rapidreports/19704597/broncos-claim-exseahawks-wr-cameron-kenney Max Denver August 1, 2012 August 1, 2012 waived August 27 C Dan Koppen New England Patriots signed September 11, on final roster S Jim Leonhard New York Jets signed August 4,Broncos sign veteran safety Jim Leonhard http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/08/04/broncos-sign-veteran-safety-jim-leonhard/14616/ The Denver Post August 4, 2012 August 4, 2012 on final roster QB Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts claimed off waivers and signed to a five-year contract on March 20,Klis, Mike Legwold, Jeff Peyton Manning's deal with Broncos: 5 years, $96 million http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20213659/peyton-mannings-deal-broncos-5-years-96-million The Denver Post March 20, 2012 March 20, 2012 on final rosterLB Mike Mohamed Practice squad player promoted to the active roster on September 29, waived October 1Bianchi, Chris Broncos waive linebacker Mike Mohamed http://milehighsports.com/2012/10/01/broncos-waive-linebacker-mike-mohamed-on-monday/ Mile High Sports October 1, 2012 October 1, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121202084024/http://milehighsports.com/2012/10/01/broncos-waive-linebacker-mike-mohamed-on-monday/ December 2, 2012 dead mdy-all CB Tracy Porter New Orleans Saints signed March 22,Jones, Lindsay Broncos sign CB Porter http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/03/22/broncos-sign-cb-porter/12784/ The Denver Post March 22, 2012 March 22, 2012 on final roster DT Sealver Siliga Practice squad player promoted to the active roster on September 8, on final roster WR Brandon Stokley New York Giants signed April 16,Zaas, Stuart Stokley Signed http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/stokley-signed/ Denver Broncos April 16, 2012 April 16, 2012 on final roster TE Jacob Tamme Indianapolis Colts signed March 23,Legwold, Jeff Broncos add second tight end with Jacob Tamme deal http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_20241308/broncos-add-second-tight-end-jacob-tamme-deal The Denver Post March 23, 2012 March 23, 2012 on final roster Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2011 season. Signing of Peyton Manning On March 20, 2012, the Broncos reached an agreement with former Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning on a five-year, $96 million contract. Manning missed the entire 2011 season following multiple neck surgeries, and was released by the Colts two weeks earlier on March 7, one day before the Colts were due to pay him a $28 million roster bonus.Farrar, Doug Peyton Manning, Broncos make it official: Five years, $96 million https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/peyton-manning-broncos-official-five-years-96-million-155408265.html Yahoo! Sports March 20, 2012 March 20, 2012 The Seattle Seahawks,Renck, Troy Seattle Seahawks were among the contenders to sign Peyton Manning http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_24990198/seattle-seahawks-were-among-contenders-sign-peyton-manning The Denver Post January 25, 2014 January 25, 2014 Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans were also mentioned as possible destinations for the former long-time Colts quarterback; however, Manning informed Broncos' personnel to begin contract negotiations with the team on March 19,Chenoy, Ron With Manning on board, can Broncos win now? https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/broncos/story/2012-03-20/peyton-manning-can-denver-win-now/53674436/1 USA Today March 20, 2012 March 20, 2012 and he was introduced as the Broncos' new quarterback in a press conference at the team's headquarters in Dove Valley the following day.Peyton Manning introduced as next Broncos QB in Denver http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20214166/peyton-manning-arrives-at-broncos-headquarters The Denver Post March 20, 2012 March 20, 2012 The language of the contract contained the following conditions: Manning did not suffer a setback in his recovery from neck surgery prior to the end of the 2012 season; therefore, the Broncos owed Manning $18 million for the 2012 season. Manning passed a physical exam at the beginning of the 2013 league year,Klis, Mike Broncos' Peyton Manning cements spot on roster to draw $40M guarantee http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22773978/broncos-peyton-manning-passes-physical-draw-40-million The Denver Post March 12, 2013 March 12, 2013 and the Broncos owed Manning $40 million through the 2014 season. The fourth (and eventual final) year of the contract – $19 million for 2015 – was dependent on Manning passing a physical exam.Inside the Peyton Manning contract http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/22/inside-the-peyton-manning-contract/ ProFootballTalk.com March 20, 2012 March 20, 2012 Manning retired on March 7, 2016, one month after the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.Renck, Troy Peyton Manning retires from football: "I love the game...I will miss it." http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_29606293/peyton-manning-retires-from-football-i-fought-good-fight The Denver Post March 7, 2016 March 7, 2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160309045655/http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_29606293/peyton-manning-retires-from-football-i-fought-good-fight March 9, 2016 Departures Position Player Notes CB André Goodman released April 13Caldwell, Gray Goodman Released http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/goodman-released/ Denver Broncos April 13, 2012 April 13, 2012 LB Brian Iwuh retired April 17Klis, Mike Broncos and former University of Colorado linebacker Brian Iwuh retires http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/04/17/broncos-university-colorado-linebacker-brian-iwuh-retires/13040/ The Denver Post April 17, 2012 April 17, 2012 LS Lonie Paxton released August 27 Trades On March 21, one day after the signing of Peyton Manning, the Broncos were involved in a trade that sent quarterback Tim Tebow to the New York Jets – see draft section below.Klis, Mike Tim Tebow traded: New York Jets get Broncos QB, give up two picks http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20216515/tim-tebow-traded-jets The Denver Post March 21, 2012 March 21, 2012 On May 23, cornerback Cassius Vaughn was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for fullback Chris Gronkowski.Klis, Mike Broncos trade Cassius Vaughn to Colts for FB Chris Gronkowski http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_20690527/broncos-trade-cassius-vaughn-colts-fb-chris-gronkowski The Denver Post May 23, 2012 May 23, 2012 Draft 2012 NFL draft 2012 Denver Broncos Draft Round Selection Player Position College Notes Trades 1 None PatriotsBuccaneersThe Broncos traded their original first-round selection (No. 25) to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' first- and fourth-round selections – Nos. 31 and 126. The Broncos later traded both selections to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the Buccaneers' second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 36 and 101).Kensler, Tom NFL draft live: Broncos trade down twice, out of first round http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20488615/broncos-trade-down-twice-out-first-round denverpost.com April 26, 2012 April 26, 2012 dr 2 36 Derek Wolfe DT Cincinnati signed May 21Klis, Mike Broncos agree to $5.2 million deal with top pick Derek Wolfe http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_20673554/broncos-agree-5-2-million-deal-top-pick The Denver Post May 21, 2012 May 21, 2012 57 Brock Osweiler QB Arizona State signed July 24Klis, Mike Broncos sign Brock Osweiler, Ronnie Hillman to complete rookie roster http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_21147721/broncos-sign-brock-osweiler-ronnie-hillman-complete-rookie Denver Broncos July 24, 2012 July 24, 2012 3 67 Ronnie Hillman RB San Diego State signed July 24 The Broncos traded their original third- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 87 and 120) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' third-round selection (No. 67).Caldwell, Gray Hillman Brings 'Instant Offense' to Broncos http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Hillman-Brings-Instant-Offense-to-Broncos/f2494911-f114-4643-8cb9-7d360f5f634e denverpost.com April 27, 2012 April 27, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120501064449/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Hillman-Brings-Instant-Offense-to-Broncos/f2494911-f114-4643-8cb9-7d360f5f634e May 1, 2012 dead dr PatriotsBuccaneersSee draft note 1. dr TebowThe Broncos traded quarterback Tim Tebow and their seventh-round selection (No. 232) to the New York Jets in exchange for the Jets' fourth- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 108 and 188). dr 4 101 Omar Bolden CB Arizona State signed May 17Caldwell, Gray Bolden First Draft Pick to Sign http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/bolden-first-draft-pick-to-sign/ Denver Broncos May 17, 2012 May 17, 2012 108 Philip Blake C Baylor signed June 1,Caldwell, Gray Blake Fifth Draft Pick to Sign http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/blake-fifth-draft-pick-to-sign/ Denver Broncos June 1, 2012 June 1, 2012placed on injured reserve September 18 5 137 Malik Jackson DE Tennessee signed May 18Alper, Josh Broncos sign fifth-rounder Malik Jackson http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/18/broncos-sign-fifth-rounder-malik-jackson/ ProFootballTalk.com May 18, 2012 May 18, 2012 The Broncos traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 160) and a 2011 sixth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for quarterback Brady Quinn.Florjancic, Matt March 26, 2012 Browns awarded four compensatory picks ClevelandBrowns.com http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-awarded-four-compensatory-picks/77bf5680-cbc5-4f76-adc7-2eb146c137ff March 27, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120329032433/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-awarded-four-compensatory-picks/77bf5680-cbc5-4f76-adc7-2eb146c137ff March 29, 2012 dead dr The Broncos acquired this fifth-round selection (No. 137) in a trade that sent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to the St. Louis Rams.Klis, Mike Denver Broncos trade Brandon Lloyd to St. Louis Rams http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19131036 denverpost.com October 17, 2011 October 17, 2011 The Rams originally sent a sixth-round selection to the Broncos in October 2011, however, the selection was later upgraded to a fifth-rounder after a condition was met in which Lloyd made a minimum of 30 receptions with the Rams during the 2011 season.Jones, Lindsay Lloyd's 30th catch upgrades Broncos draft pick http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2011/11/27/lloyds-30th-catch-upgrades-broncos-draft-pick/10896/ denverpost.com November 27, 2011 November 27, 2011 dr 6 188 Danny Trevathan LB Kentucky signed May 22Alper, Josh Broncos sign another draft pick http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/22/broncos-sign-another-draft-pick/ ProFootballTalk.com May 22, 2012 May 22, 2012 The Broncos traded their original sixth-round selection (No. 194) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for linebacker Joe Mays.Broncos trade Arrington to Eagles for Mays http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/07/31/broncos-trade-arrington-to-eagles-for-mays profootballweekly.com July 31, 2010 July 31, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100804051037/http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/07/31/broncos-trade-arrington-to-eagles-for-mays August 4, 2010 dead mdy-all The Broncos originally traded running back J. J. Arrington to the Eagles in July 2010, with the condition that if Arrington did not make the Eagles' 53-man roster at the start of the 2010 season, the Broncos would instead send a 2012 sixth-round selection to the Eagles (Arrington was indeed released by the Eagles shortly before the 2010 season).J.J. Arrington among ten Eagles cuts http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/03/jj-arrington-among-ten-eagles-cuts/ profootballtalk.nbcsports.com September 3, 2010 September 3, 2010 dr TebowSee draft note 4. dr 7 None Draft trades 2 "dr" Undrafted free agents All undrafted free agents were signed just after the 2012 NFL draft concluded on April 28,Zaas, Stuart Broncos Pick Up 12 CFAs http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/broncos-pick-up-12-cfas/ Denver Broncos April 28, 2012 April 28, 2012 unless noted otherwise. 2012 Denver Broncos undrafted free agents Player Position College Notes DE Jamie Blatnick Oklahoma State waived August 31,assigned to practice squad September 11,Payne, Scott Report: Broncos make multiple transactions today http://www.milehighreport.com/2012/9/11/3317144/broncos-make-multiple-transactions-today Mile High Report September 11, 2012 September 11, 2012released from practice squad October 13Oates, Russ Denver Broncos practice squad: Duke Ihenacho signed, Jamie Blatnick released http://denver.sbnation.com/broncos/2012/10/13/3499982/denver-broncos-practice-squad-duke-ihenacho-jamie-blatnick Denver SB Nation October 13, 2012 October 13, 2012 LS Aaron Brewer San Diego State on final roster LB Elliot Coffey Baylor waived August 27Paxton Released; Roster Trimmed to 75 http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Paxton-Released-Roster-Trimmed-to-75/2fbcdee7-a47c-4a81-b844-8475956c8505 Denver Broncos August 27, 2012 August 27, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120829000350/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Paxton-Released-Roster-Trimmed-to-75/2fbcdee7-a47c-4a81-b844-8475956c8505 August 29, 2012 dead LB Jerry Franklin Arkansas waived August 31 S Duke Ihenacho San Jose State waived August 31,assigned to practice squad September 1,Klis, Mike Ben Garland heads practice squad http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/09/01/ben-garland-heads-practice-squad/15313/ The Denver Post September 1, 2012 September 1, 2012promoted to active roster September 29,Klis, Mike Quinton Carter to have season-ending knee surgery http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/09/29/quinton-carter-season/16056/ The Denver Post September 29, 2012 September 29, 2012waived October 11,assigned to practice squad October 13,promoted to active roster October 30,waived November 13Legwold, Jeff Broncos waive Duke Ihenacho; roster spot opens for D.J. Williams http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21989286/broncos-waive-duke-ihenacho-roster-spot-opens-d The Denver Post November 13, 2012 November 13, 2012 LB Steven Johnson Kansas on final roster CB Coryell Judie Texas A&M waived July 25Klis, Mike Broncos cut rookies Page, Judie http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/07/25/broncos-cut-rookies-page-judie/14430/ The Denver Post July 25, 2012 July 25, 2012 TE Anthony Miller California waived August 27 WR Eric Page Toledo waived July 25 OT Mike Remmers Oregon State waived August 27 S Anthony Perkins Colorado signed July 28,Mason, Andrew Broncos Add Ex-CU Safety Perkins http://www.maxdenver.com/news/2012/07/28/broncos-add-ex-cu-safety-perkins/ Max Denver July 28, 2012 July 28, 2012 waived August 27 WR Gerell Robinson Arizona State waived August 31 G Wayne Tribue Temple waived August 31,assigned to practice squad September 1,released from practice squad September 11 G Austin Wuebbels Missouri waived August 27 Suspensions March 9: Linebacker D. J. Williams, defensive tackle Ryan McBean and tight end Virgil Green were each suspended by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Williams and McBean were each suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season, while Green was given a four-game suspension. Williams and McBean each challenged the suspensions and took legal action against the NFL.Three Broncos suspended for performance enhancing substances http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8277ef5a/article/three-broncos-suspended-for-performance-enhancing-substances?module=HP11_headline_stack https://web.archive.org/web/20120312213633/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8277ef5a/article/three-broncos-suspended-for-performance-enhancing-substances?module=HP11_headline_stack dead March 12, 2012 NFL.com March 9, 2012 March 9, 2012 McBean later signed with the Baltimore Ravens on May 7, three weeks after his restricted free agent tender was rescinded by the Broncos. On August 27, a federal appeals court upheld Williams' suspension,Appeals court upholds Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams' suspension http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21412779/appeals-court-upholds-broncos-linebacker-d-j-williams The Denver Post August 27, 2012 August 27, 2012 and on October 5, Williams was suspended for an additional three games by the NFL following his August conviction for a driving under the influence arrest in November 2010.Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams' suspension increased by NFL https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-linebacker-d-j-williams-suspension-increased-by-nfl-0ap1000000077536 NFL.com October 5, 2012 October 5, 2012 Green was reinstated to the active roster on October 1, while Williams was reinstated to the active roster on November 17, the latter in time for the team's Week 11 game vs. the San Diego Chargers.Klis, Mike D.J. Williams to get his first $1 million of 2012 http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/11/17/dj-williams-1-million-2012/16867/ The Denver Post November 17, 2012 November 17, 2012 September 25: Linebacker Joe Mays was suspended one game and fined $50,000 by the NFL for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Houston Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub, during the Broncos' 31–25 loss to the Texans two days earlier (September 23). Schaub had his helmet knocked off, and suffered a laceration on his earlobe as a result of the hit. Mays missed the Broncos' Week 4 game against the Oakland Raiders, and had been considered a repeat offender, following a $7,875 fine for a hit on Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Matt Ryan in Week 2.Jones, Lindsay Broncos linebacker Joe Mays suspended for Matt Schaub hit http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21627513/broncos-linbacker-joe-mays-suspended-matt-schaub-hit denverpost.com September 25, 2012 September 25, 2012 Injuries August 4: Running back Mario Fannin suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during training camp, and was placed on injured reserve. Fannin missed the entire 2011 season following a knee injury during the preseason last year.Broncos RB Mario Fannin out with torn Achilles tendon http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21242179/broncos-rb-mario-fannin-out-torn-achilles-tendon The Denver Post August 5, 2012 August 5, 2012 August 14: Guard Chris Kuper suffered a broken forearm during practice. He not only missed the remainder of the preseason, but also missed the first five games of the regular season.Broncos' Chris Kuper to miss six weeks with broken forearm http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21309491/ty-warren-misses-another-broncos-practice The Denver Post August 14, 2012 August 14, 2012Klis, Mike Chris Kuper starting at right guard; Keith Brooking at middle linebacker http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/10/15/chris-kuper-starting-guard-keith-brooking-middle-linebacker/16233/ The Denver Post October 15, 2012 October 15, 2012 Also on August 14, defensive end Jason Hunter suffered torn triceps, and was initially expected to miss at least two months,Broncos' Jason Hunter out at least two months with triceps tear http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21317581/broncos-jason-hunter-out-at-least-two-months The Denver Post August 15, 2012 August 15, 2012 but was placed on injured reserve on August 27. September 11: Defensive tackle Ty Warren was placed on injured reserve, after suffering torn triceps for a second consecutive season. September 18: Rookie guard/center Philip Blake was placed on injured reserve. September 29: Safety Quinton Carter was placed on injured reserve due to knee surgery. October 1: Center J. D. Walton was placed on injured reserve, after suffering a dislocated ankle during the team's Week 4 win over the Oakland Raiders the previous day.Klis, Mike Broncos' J.D. Walton to IR; Joe Mays back on active roster http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_21673348/broncos-j-d-walton-ir-joe-mays-back The Denver Post October 1, 2012 October 1, 2012 October 30: Linebacker Joe Mays was placed on injured reserve, after he suffered a fractured fibula during the team's Week 8 win over the New Orleans Saints two days earlier. November 21: Running back Willis McGahee was placed on the injured reserve/designated for return list, two days after suffering a ruptured MCL and compression fracture in his right knee, during the team's Week 11 win over the San Diego Chargers. Under NFL rules, McGahee became eligible to return to practice on January 2, 2013 – three days after the regular season finale, and would have been eligible to return for the AFC championship game on January 20, had the Broncos made it that far into the postseason.Caldwell, Gray Zaas, Stuart McGahee Placed IR, Designated for Return http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/McGahee-Placed-IR-Designated-for-Return/7575e3a7-88f4-4c5d-9f31-acdaa3a42530 Denver Broncos November 21, 2012 November 21, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121127202918/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/McGahee-Placed-IR-Designated-for-Return/7575e3a7-88f4-4c5d-9f31-acdaa3a42530 November 27, 2012 dead Cornerback Tracy Porter missed more than half of the season, after experiencing aftereffects from a seizure that he suffered during the preseason. Porter began experiencing symptoms prior to the team's Week 6 game against the San Diego Chargers, and returned to practice on a limited basis over the next several weeks.Caldwell, Gray Porter Dealing with August Seizure http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Porter-Dealing-with-August-Seizure/e00c17c5-c1bf-4a40-a599-019caff6428f Denver Broncos October 25, 2012 October 25, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121027092902/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Porter-Dealing-with-August-Seizure/e00c17c5-c1bf-4a40-a599-019caff6428f October 27, 2012 dead mdy-all Porter returned to game action against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, only to suffer a concussion and miss the Week 17 regular season finale and the playoffs.Davis, Sam Injury Update http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/injury-update-13/ Denver Broncos December 23, 2012 December 23, 2012 Staff 2012 Denver Broncos Owner/chairman/CEO – Pat Bowlen President – Joe Ellis Executive vice president of football operations – John Elway Director of football administration – Mike Sullivan Director of player personnel – Matt Russell Director of pro personnel – Keith Kidd Assistant director of college scouting – Lenny McGill Assistant director of pro personnel – Champ Kelly Director of player development – Jerry Butler Head coach – John Fox Offensive coordinator – Mike McCoy Quarterbacks – Adam Gase Running backs – Eric Studesville Wide receivers – Tyke Tolbert Tight ends – Clancy Barone Offensive line – Dave Magazu Offensive quality control – Brian Callahan Defensive coordinator – Jack Del Rio Defensive line – Jay Rodgers Linebackers – Richard Smith Secondary – Ron Milus Assistant secondary – Sam Garnes Defensive quality control – Cory Undlin Special teams coordinator – Jeff Rodgers Assistant special teams – Keith Burns Strength and conditioning – Luke Richesson Assistant strength and conditioning – Mike Eubanks Assistant strength and conditioning – Jason George Assistant strength and conditioning – Anthony Lomando Final roster 2012 Denver Broncos 53 10 8 16 Caleb Hanie 18 Peyton Manning  6 Brock Osweiler y 35 Lance Ball 49 Chris Gronkowski FB 40 Jacob Hester FB 21 Ronnie Hillman y 27 Knowshon Moreno 17 Andre Caldwell 87 Eric Decker 11 Trindon Holliday RS 14 Brandon Stokley 88 Demaryius Thomas 12 Matt Willis American football 81 Joel Dreessen 85 Virgil Green 84 Jacob Tamme 80 Julius Thomas 68 Zane Beadles G 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark American football T 54 C. J. Davis C 74 Orlando Franklin T 67 Dan Koppen C 73 Chris Kuper G 65 Manny Ramirez American football G 91 Robert Ayers DE 97 Justin Bannan NT 92 Elvis Dumervil DE 70 Malik Jackson defensive lineman y DE 98 Sealver Siliga NT 96 Mitch Unrein NT 99 Kevin Vickerson NT 95 Derek Wolfe y DE 57 Keith Brooking ILB 56 Nate Irving OLB 53 Steven Johnson American football y ILB 58 Von Miller OLB 59 Danny Trevathan y OLB 55 D. J. Williams linebacker ILB 52 Wesley Woodyard OLB 20 Mike Adams safety SS 24 Champ Bailey CB 31 Omar Bolden y CB 30 David Bruton American football SS 32 Tony Carter cornerback CB 25 Chris Harris Jr. CB 36 Jim Leonhard FS 26 Rahim Moore FS 22 Tracy Porter CB 46 Aaron Brewer long snapper y LS  4 Britton Colquitt P  5 Matt Prater K 93 Jeremy Beal DE IR 64 Philip Blake y C IR 28 Quinton Carter S IR 42 Mario Fannin RB IR 90 Jason Hunter American football DE IR 23 Willis McGahee RB IR 51 Joe Mays American football ILB IR 50 J. D. Walton C IR 94 Ty Warren DT IR 29 Mario Butler American football CB 71 Paul Cornick y T 79 Lonnie Edwards y G 63 Ben Garland G 34 Blake Gideon y S 33 Duke Ihenacho y S 37 Jeremiah Johnson gridiron football RB 89 Greg Orton wide receiver WR 60 Quentin Saulsberry y C Susp. Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 9, 2012 at Chicago Bears W 31–3 1–0 Soldier Field Recap 2 August 18, 2012 Seattle Seahawks L 10–30 1–1 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 3 August 26, 2012 San Francisco 49ers L 24–29 1–2 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 4 August 30, 2012 at Arizona Cardinals W 16–13 2–2 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 9 Pittsburgh Steelers W 31–19 1–0 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 2 September 17, 2012 at Atlanta Falcons L 21–27 1–1 Georgia Dome Recap 3 September 23 Houston Texans L 25–31 1–2 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 4 September 30 Oakland Raiders W 37–6 2–2 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 5 October 7 at New England Patriots L 21–31 2–3 Gillette Stadium Recap 6 October 15, 2012 at San Diego Chargers W 35–24 3–3 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 7Bye 8 October 28 New Orleans Saints W 34–14 4–3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 9 November 4 at Cincinnati Bengals W 31–23 5–3 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 10 November 11 at Carolina Panthers W 36–14 6–3 Bank of America Stadium Recap 11 November 18 San Diego Chargers W 30–23 7–3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 12 November 25 at Kansas City Chiefs W 17–9 8–3 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 13 December 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 31–23 9–3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 14 December 6, 2012 at Oakland Raiders W 26–13 10–3 O.co Coliseum Recap 15 December 16 at Baltimore Ravens W 34–17 11–3 M&T Bank Stadium Recap 16 December 23 Cleveland Browns W 34–12 12–3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap 17 December 30 Kansas City Chiefs W 38–3 13–3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos – Game summary September 9 6:20 p.m. MDT Steelers 0 10 3 6 Broncos 0 7 7 17 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,823 85 F C, sunny Gerald Wrightnote Replacement Replacement officials were used from Weeks 1–3 due to the 2012 referee labor dispute. NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter PIT – 10:10 Shaun Suisham 21-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:50. (PIT 3–0) DEN – 5:16 Knowshon Moreno 7-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:54. (DEN 7–3) PIT – 0:28 Heath Miller 4-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, Shaun Suisham kick. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 4:48. (PIT 10–7) Third quarter PIT – 6:05 Shaun Suisham 35-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 64 yards, 8:55. (PIT 13–7) DEN – 5:29 Demaryius Thomas 71-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:36. (DEN 14–13) Fourth quarter PIT – 14:11 Mike Wallace 3-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger, two-point pass failed. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:18. (PIT 19–14) DEN – 9:23 Jacob Tamme 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Willis McGahee received pass from Peyton Manning for a two-point conversion. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:48. (DEN 22–19) DEN – 3:00 Matt Prater 26-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:18. (DEN 25–19) DEN – 1:58 Tracy Porter 43-yard interception return for a TD, two-point run failed. (DEN 31–19) Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger: 22/40, 245 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 19/26, 253 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PIT – Jonathan Dwyer: 9 rushes, 43 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 16 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers PIT – Antonio Brown: 4 receptions, 74 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 5 receptions, 110 yards Top tacklers PIT – Larry Foote: 8 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack DEN – Wesley Woodyard: 12 tackles, 1 sack The Broncos kicked off their 2012 season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, in a rematch of their 2011 Wild Card playoff game. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers grabbed the lead, with a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Shaun Suisham. The Broncos responded, with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 7-yard touchdown, but the Steelers countered, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to tight end Heath Miller just before halftime. In the third quarter, the Steelers added to their lead, with a 35-yard field goal by Suisham. The Broncos grabbed the lead, when quarterback Peyton Manning threw his 400th career touchdown pass—a 71-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, but the Steelers responded early in the fourth quarter, when Roethlisberger threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace (with a failed two-point conversion attempt). With 9:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos claimed the lead for good, when Manning threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme (coupled with running back Willis McGahee receiving a pass from Manning for a two-point conversion), then added to their lead with a 26-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, followed by cornerback Tracy Porter returning an interception off Roethlisberger 43 yards for a touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion attempt).Klis, Mike Peyton Manning leads Denver Broncos to strong first win over Steelers http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21505491/peyton-manning-leads-denver-broncos-steelers The Denver Post September 9, 2012 September 9, 2012 Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary September 17, 2012 8:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 pm. MDT Broncos 0 7 0 14 Falcons 10 10 7 0 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 70,427 Played indoors (dome stadium) Ken Roannote Replacement ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter ATL – 13:20 Michael Turner 1-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:53. (ATL 7–0) ATL – 9:46 Matt Bryant 37-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 2:04. (ATL 10–0) Second quarter ATL – 10:05 Matt Bryant 42-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:57. (ATL 13–0) ATL – 4:39 Tony Gonzalez 1-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 4:04. (ATL 20–0) DEN – 0:06 Demaryius Thomas 17-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:33. (ATL 20–7) Third quarter ATL – 7:08 Roddy White 4-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:17. (ATL 27–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 11:48 Willis McGahee 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:02. (ATL 27–14) DEN – 3:25 Willis McGahee 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:48. (ATL 27–21) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 24/37, 241 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT ATL – Matt Ryan: 24/36, 219 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 22 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD ATL – Michael Turner: 17 rushes, 42 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD ATL – Roddy White: 8 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mike Adams: 4 tackles, 4 assists ATL – Sean Weatherspoon: 5 tackles, 5 assists Following their season-opening win over the Steelers, the Broncos traveled to the Georgia Dome to face the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. The Falcons converted three first quarter Peyton Manning interceptions into an eventual 20–0 lead, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Michael Turner, followed by field goals of 37 and 42 yards by placekicker Matt Bryant—the latter in the second quarter—and a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Ryan to tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Broncos got on the scoreboard just before halftime, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Falcons responded in the third quarter, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to wide receiver Roddy White. The Broncos tried to rally in the fourth quarter, with running back Willis McGahee rushing for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns. However, the Falcons would run out the clock.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning outgunned by Matt Ryan as Broncos lose to Falcons http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21567256/peyton-manning-outgunned-by-matt-ryan-broncos-falcons The Denver Post September 17, 2012 September 17, 2012 Week 3: vs. Houston Texans Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary September 23 2:25 pm. MDT Texans 7 14 10 0 Broncos 5 6 0 14 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,566 84 F C, partly sunny Jerry Frumpnote Replacement CBS Jim Nantz and Phil Simms Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 13:20 Elvis Dumervil sacked Matt Schaub in the end zone for a safety. (DEN 2–0) DEN – 8:41 Matt Prater 32-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:39. (DEN 5–0) HOU – 6:28 Andre Johnson 60-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 2:13. (HOU 7–5) Second quarter HOU – 10:47 Arian Foster 3-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 14 plays, 97 yards, 7:11. (HOU 14–5) HOU – 8:54 Kevin Walter 52-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:46. (HOU 21–5) DEN – 5:44 Matt Prater 23-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:10. (HOU 21–8) DEN – 0:01 Matt Prater 53-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 0:33. (HOU 21–11) Third quarter HOU – 9:11 Shayne Graham 41-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:45. (HOU 24–11) HOU – 1:33 Owen Daniels 14-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Shayne Graham kick. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:19. (HOU 31–11) Fourth quarter DEN – 9:49 Brandon Stokley 38-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:31. (HOU 31–18) DEN – 3:00 Joel Dreessen 6-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 16 plays, 74 yards, 5:08. (HOU 31–25) Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub: 17/30, 290 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 26/52, 330 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster: 25 rushes, 105 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 12 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers HOU – Kevin Walter: 3 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD DEN – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 136 yards Top tacklers HOU – Kareem Jackson: 7 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Rahim Moore: 9 tackles Hoping to rebound from their Monday Night loss in Atlanta, the Broncos returned home for an AFC duel with the Houston Texans. The Broncos jumped out to a 5–0 lead in the first quarter, with defensive end Elvis Dumervil sacking Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub in the end zone for a safety, followed by a 32-yard field goal placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Texans would reel off 21 unanswered points, with Schaub throwing three touchdown passes—a 60-yarder to wide receiver Andre Johnson, followed in the second quarter by a 3-yarder to running back Arian Foster and a 52-yarder to wide receiver Kevin Walter. The Broncos narrowed the Texans' lead to 21–11 at halftime, with a pair of field goals by Prater—from 23 and 53 yards. The Texans increased their lead in the third quarter, with a 41-yard field goal by placekicker Shayne Graham, followed by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Schaub to tight end Owen Daniels. Trailing 31–11 with 10:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Broncos tried to rally, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a pair of touchdown passes—a 38-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Stokley and a 6-yarder to tight end Joel Dreessen to narrow Houston's lead to 31–25 with three minutes remaining. After forcing a Texans' punt, the Broncos got the football back with 20 seconds remaining, but the Texans' defense stood their ground.Caldwell, Gray Comeback Falls Short Against Houston http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Comeback-Falls-Short-Against-Houston/cf847e02-048a-45f0-b9f8-76b1e2cc3178 Denver Broncos September 23, 2012 September 23, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120927013825/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Comeback-Falls-Short-Against-Houston/cf847e02-048a-45f0-b9f8-76b1e2cc3178 September 27, 2012 dead Notes Former wide receiver Rod Smith, who played with the Broncos from 1994 to 2007, was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame during halftime. Smith is the Broncos' franchise leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.Chambers, Mike Rod Smith inducted into Denver Broncos Ring of Fame http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21614733/rod-smith-inducted-into-denver-broncos-ring-fame denverpost.com September 23, 2012 September 23, 2012 Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos – Game summary September 30 2:05 pm. MDT Raiders 3 3 0 0 Broncos 10 0 21 6 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,787 72 F C, mostly sunny Pete Morelli CBS Jim Nantz and Phil Simms Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 10:32 Joel Dreessen 22-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:28. (DEN 7–0) OAK – 6:47 Sebastian Janikowski 38-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:45. (DEN 7–3) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 21-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:47. (DEN 10–3) Second quarter OAK – 0:22 Sebastian Janikowski 24-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:52. (DEN 10–6) Third quarter DEN – 10:08 Eric Decker 17-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 3:51. (DEN 17–6) DEN – 7:30 Willis McGahee 2-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:47. (DEN 24–6) DEN – 3:46 Lance Ball 14-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 1:36. (DEN 31–6) Fourth quarter DEN – 12:56 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:49. (DEN 34–6) DEN – 3:43 Matt Prater 53-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 41 yards, 7:17. (DEN 37–6) Top passers OAK – Carson Palmer: 19/34, 202 yards DEN – Peyton Manning: 30/38, 338 yards, 3 TD Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden: 13 rushes, 34 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 19 rushes, 112 yards, 1 TD Top receivers OAK – Denarius Moore: 4 receptions, 71 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 5 receptions, 103 yards Top tacklers OAK – Tyvon Branch, Matt Giordano: 8 tackles each (1 assist by Branch) DEN – Champ Bailey, Rahim Moore: 5 tackles each (1 assist by Moore) Hoping to snap a two-game losing streak, the Broncos remained on home ground for an AFC West duel against the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos grabbed the early lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen. The Raiders responded, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski, but the Broncos countered, with a 21-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater at the end of the first quarter. A 24-yard field goal by Janikowski just before halftime was the only scoring play of the second quarter. The Broncos' offense exploded in the third quarter, with Manning connecting on a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker, followed by a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee and a 14-yard touchdown pass from Manning to running back Lance Ball. Prater added field goals of 43 and 53 yards in the fourth quarter.Klis, Mike Broncos, Peyton Manning rout Raiders in Denver with big offensive day http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21667929/broncos-peyton-manning-rout-raiders-denver-big-offensive Denver Broncos September 30, 2012 September 30, 2012 Notes With the win, the Broncos snapped a four-game home losing streak against the Raiders. Injuries Center J. D. Walton suffered a dislocated ankle late in the second quarter, and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve the following day (October 1). Week 5: at New England Patriots Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Denver Broncos at New England Patriots – Game summary October 7 4:25 pm. EDT/2:25 pm. MDT Broncos 0 7 7 7 Patriots 7 10 14 0 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 68,756 54 F C, showers Gene Steratore CBS Jim Nantz and Phil Simms Recap, Gamebook First quarter NE – 3:08 Wes Welker 8-yard TD pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 4:44. (NE 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 14:05 Joel Dreessen 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:03. (tied 7–7) NE – 7:57 Shane Vereen 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:08. (NE 14–7) NE – 0:02 Stephen Gostkowski 23-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 93 yards, 5:01. (NE 17–7) Third quarter NE – 5:00 Tom Brady 1-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 6:24. (NE 24–7) NE – 4:42 Stevan Ridley 8-yard TD run, Stephen Gostkowski kick. Drive: 1 play, 14 yards, 0:09. (NE 31–7) DEN – 1:08 Eric Decker 2-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 3:34. (NE 31–14) Fourth quarter DEN – 6:43 Brandon Stokley 5-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 1:25. (NE 31–21) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 31/44, 345 yards, 3 TD NE – Tom Brady: 23/31, 223 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 14 rushes, 51 yards NE – Stevan Ridley: 28 rushes, 151 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 9 receptions, 188 yards NE – Wes Welker: 13 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mike Adams and Rahim Moore: 6 tackles each (6 assists each) NE – Jerod Mayo and Tavon Wilson: 5 tackles each (8 assists by Mayo, 5 assists by Wilson) Coming off their dominating win over the Raiders, the Broncos traveled to Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. This was the 13th meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady since 2001. The Patriots grabbed the early lead, with Brady connecting on an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. The Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with Manning tossing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen. However, the Patriots reeled off 24 unanswered points, with running back Shane Vereen rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Stephen Gostkowski just before halftime, followed in the third quarter by Brady scoring a 1-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak and running back Stevan Ridley rushing for an 8-yard touchdown. The latter touchdown occurred after a Manning fumble deep in Broncos' territory. The Broncos responded, with Manning throwing a pair of touchdown passes – a 2-yarder to wide receiver Eric Decker, followed in the fourth quarter by a 5-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Stokley to close the gap to 31–21 with 6:43 remaining. Following a Patriots' fumble, the Broncos were attempting to rally, however, running back Willis McGahee fumbled the football at the Patriots' 14-yard line with 3:48 remaining, halting the Broncos' rally attempt. The Patriots subsequently ran out the clock.Klis, Mike Tom Brady tops Peyton Manning as Patriots beat Broncos in track meet http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21720993/tom-brady-peyton-manning-patriots-beat-broncos Denver Broncos October 7, 2012 October 7, 2012 Week 6: at San Diego Chargers Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary October 15, 2012 6:30 pm. MDT/5:30 p.m. PDT Broncos 0 0 14 21 Chargers 10 14 0 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 68,604 78 F C, sunny Jeff Triplette ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter SD – 8:59 Nick Novak 32-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:56. (SD 3–0) SD – 8:16 Antonio Gates 15-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 2 plays, 19 yards, 0:40. (SD 10–0) Second quarter SD – 6:00 Quentin Jammer 80-yard interception return for a TD, Nick Novak kick. (SD 17–0) SD – 0:24 Antonio Gates 11-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 3:56. (SD 24–0) Third quarter DEN – 10:56 Demaryius Thomas 29-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:04. (SD 24–7) DEN – 4:41 Tony Carter 65-yard fumble return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (SD 24–14) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:33 Eric Decker 7-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:14. (SD 24–21) DEN – 9:03 Brandon Stokley 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:08. (DEN 28–24) DEN – 2:05 Chris Harris, Jr. 46-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 35–24) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 24/30, 309 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT SD – Philip Rivers: 25/41, 242 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 17 rushes, 56 yards SD – Ryan Mathews: 22 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 6 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD SD – Antonio Gates: 6 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers DEN – Mike Adams: 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery SD – Antoine Cason, Eric Weddle and Atari Bigby: 5 tackles each (2 assists by Cason, 1 assist by Weddle and Bigby) Hoping to rebound from their loss at New England, the Broncos traveled to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. The Chargers jumped out to a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Novak, followed by a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates. Both scores came off Broncos' miscues on special teams—the former occurred after Trindon Holliday muffed a punt return, while the latter occurred after Omar Bolden coughed up the football on a kickoff return. The Broncos were attempting to narrow the Chargers' lead midway through the second quarter, but wide receiver Eric Decker stumbled near the Chargers' 30-yard line when it appeared that he was headed to the end zone for an easy touchdown, after receiving a 55-yard pass from quarterback Peyton Manning. Three plays later, Manning threw an interception that was returned by Chargers' cornerback Quentin Jammer 80 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers increased their lead to 24–0 just before halftime, with Rivers connecting on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Gates.Caldwell, Gray California Comeback http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/California-Comeback/4e99f38e-d957-41d3-b441-e45b433e9ded Denver Broncos October 16, 2012 October 16, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121018030842/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/California-Comeback/4e99f38e-d957-41d3-b441-e45b433e9ded October 18, 2012 dead The Broncos then staged one of the most memorable comebacks in Monday Night Football history. On the opening drive of the second half, Manning led the Broncos on an 8-play, 85-yard drive, culminating with a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On the Chargers' next possession, Broncos' defensive end Elvis Dumervil forced a fumble off Rivers, and cornerback Tony Carter scooped up the football and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. After the Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out, Manning hooked up with Decker on a 7-yard touchdown pass to pull the Broncos within 24–21 early in the fourth quarter. On the Chargers' next possession, Carter picked off Rivers, and four plays later, Manning tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley to give the Broncos a 28–24 lead with 9:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Chargers were attempting to rally, but Rivers was intercepted by cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. with 6:54 remaining. However, the Broncos were forced to punt seven plays later, giving the Chargers' offense the football with four minutes remaining. The Chargers once again tried to rally, but six plays later, Harris stepped in front of another Rivers' pass, returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown, sealing the win for the Broncos. Week 8: vs. New Orleans Saints Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos – Game summary October 28 6:20 pm. MDT Saints 0 7 0 7 Broncos 7 10 7 10 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,832 59 F C, partly cloudy Mike Carey NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 4:39 Willis McGahee 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 98 yards, 4:39. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter NO – 14:53 Darren Sproles 29-yard TD pass from Drew Brees, Garrett Hartley kick. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:53. (tied 7–7) DEN – 6:43 Eric Decker 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:17. (DEN 14–7) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 33-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:24. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 9:30 Demaryius Thomas 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 5:30. (DEN 24–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:54 Eric Decker 2-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:57. (DEN 31–7) DEN – 5:27 Matt Prater 33-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:29. (DEN 34–7) NO – 2:03 Jimmy Graham 18-yard TD pass from Drew Brees, Garrett Hartley kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:24. (DEN 34–14) Top passers NO – Drew Brees: 22/42, 213 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 22/30, 305 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas: 8 rushes, 43 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 23 rushes, 122 yards, 1 TD Top receivers NO – Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham: 5 receptions and 63 yards each (1 TD for Graham) DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 137 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers NO – Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins: 8 tackles and 1 assist each DEN – Wesley Woodyard: 9 tackles, 4 assists, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble Coming off their miraculous comeback in San Diego and subsequent bye week, the Broncos returned home for an interconference duel against the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos grabbed the lead in the first quarter, with running back Willis McGahee rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. On the Broncos' next possession, McGahee committed a fumble, and the Saints responded early in the second quarter, with quarterback Drew Brees throwing his 300th career touchdown pass—a 29-yarder to running back Darren Sproles. On the Saints' next possession, Brees was intercepted by linebacker Wesley Woodyard, and the Broncos dominated the remainder of the game. Quarterback Peyton Manning tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker and placekicker Matt Prater nailed a 33-yard field goal to close out the first half. The Broncos increased their lead in the third quarter, with Manning connecting on a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, then pulled away in the fourth quarter, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Decker and another 33-yard field goal by Prater. The Saints scored a late touchdown, with Brees connecting on an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Jimmy Graham, but the game had already been decided in the Broncos' favor.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning, Broncos defense stuff Brees, Saints for AFC West lead http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21877646/peyton-manning-broncos-defense-brees-saints-afc-west The Denver Post October 28, 2012 October 28, 2012 Notes Linebacker Joe Mays suffered a fractured fibula on a kickoff return during the fourth quarter, and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve the following day (October 29). Drew Brees surpassed John Elway for sixth on the NFL's all-time list for touchdown passes. However, Brees' personal record dropped to 0–7 in games played at Denver. Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary November 4 1:00 pm. EST/11:00 am. MST Broncos 3 7 7 14 Bengals 0 3 10 10 Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 63,623 48 F C, partly cloudy Scott Green CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 7:55 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:26. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter CIN – 14:12 Mike Nugent 28-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:23. (tied 3–3) DEN – 10:15 Eric Decker 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:57. (DEN 10–3) Third quarter DEN – 14:49 Trindon Holliday 105-yard kickoff return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 0:11. (DEN 17–3) CIN – 11:33 A. J. Green 10-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:16. (DEN 17–10) CIN – 1:17 Mike Nugent 49-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:13. (DEN 17–13) Fourth quarter CIN – 14:10 BenJarvus Green-Ellis 2-yard TD run, Mike Nugent kick. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 0:51. (CIN 20–17) DEN – 11:47 Joel Dreessen 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:23. (DEN 24–20) DEN – 3:36 Eric Decker 4-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 5:02. (DEN 31–20) CIN – 0:52 Mike Nugent 41-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 2:44. (DEN 31–23) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 27/35, 291 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT CIN – Andy Dalton: 26/42, 299 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 23 yards, 66 yards CIN – BenJarvus Green-Ellis: 17 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD CIN – Jermaine Gresham: 6 receptions, 108 yards Top tacklers DEN – Champ Bailey: 5 tackles, 1 assist CIN – Chris Crocker: 5 tackles, 2 assists Coming off their dominating win over the Saints, the Broncos traveled to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC duel with the Cincinnati Bengals. A 43-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater gave the Broncos an early lead, but the Bengals countered in the second quarter, with a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Mike Nugent. The Broncos responded, with a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker. The Broncos added to their lead, when return specialist Trindon Holliday took the opening kickoff of the second half 105 yards for a touchdown. However, the Bengals would reel off 17 unanswered points, consisting of a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton to wide receiver A. J. Green, a 49-field goal by Nugent followed in the fourth quarter by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushing for a 2-yard touchdown, with the latter two scores coming off Manning interceptions. This gave Cincinnati a 20–17 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos re-claimed the lead on their next possession, with Manning connecting on a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen. Ten plays into the Bengals' next possession, Dalton was intercepted by cornerback Champ Bailey at the Bengals' 46-yard line, and the Broncos subsequently added to their lead eight plays later, with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Decker. Trailing 31–20 with 3:36 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bengals tried to rally, with Nugent nailing a 41-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining, but the Broncos recovered the onside kick in the game's final minute and subsequently ran out the clock.Caldwell, Gray Broncos Outlast Bengals 31–23 http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Broncos-Outlast-Bengals-31-23/51ac1844-189f-48d2-ae9d-c7b917660614 Denver Broncos November 4, 2012 November 4, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102193955/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Broncos-Outlast-Bengals-31-23/51ac1844-189f-48d2-ae9d-c7b917660614 January 2, 2014 dead Notes Peyton Manning improved his personal record to 8–0 all-time in games against the Bengals. Week 10: at Carolina Panthers Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers – Game summary November 11 1:00 pm. EST/11:00 am. MST Broncos 7 10 7 12 Panthers 7 0 0 7 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 73,939 71 F C, sunny Alberto Riveron CBS Jim Nantz and Phil Simms Recap, Gamebook First quarter CAR – 6:46 Greg Olsen 4-yard TD pass from Cam Newton, Justin Medlock kick. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:04. (CAR 7–0) DEN – 1:32 Brandon Stokley 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 2:16. (tied 7–7) Second quarter DEN – 14:40 Trindon Holliday 76-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 14–7) DEN – 10:12 Matt Prater 53-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:26. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 9:59 Tony Carter 40-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 24–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:17 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:25. (DEN 27–7) DEN – 10:32 Cam Newton sacked by Mike Adams in end zone for a safety (DEN 29–7) CAR – 5:09 Greg Olsen 5-yard TD pass from Cam Newton, Justin Medlock kick. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:22. (DEN 29–14) DEN – 3:23 Ronnie Hillman 5-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 1:46. (DEN 36–14) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 27/38, 301 yards, 1 TD CAR – Cam Newton: 21/36, 241 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee: 14 rushes, 56 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart: 8 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 9 receptions, 135 yards CAR – Greg Olsen: 9 receptions, 102 yards Top tacklers DEN – Chris Harris, Jr. and Von Miller: 6 tackles each, (1 assist, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble by Miller) CAR – Luke Kuechly: 6 tackles, 4 assists thumb|300px|The Broncos on offense against the Carolina Panthers in week 10 Hoping to add to a three-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for an interconference match-up with the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. In the first quarter, the Panthers struck first, with quarterback Cam Newton connecting on a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen. However, the Broncos would reel off 29 unanswered points and dominate the remainder of the game. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley. The Broncos grabbed the lead in the second quarter, with return specialist Trindon Holliday returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 53-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, then in the third quarter, cornerback Tony Carter returned an interception off Newton 40 yards for a touchdown. Prater added a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, followed by safety Mike Adams sacking Newton in the end zone for a safety. The Panthers responded in the fourth quarter, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Newton to Olsen, but the Broncos put the game out of reach, with running back Ronnie Hillman rushing for a 5-yard touchdown.Klis, Mike Denver Broncos blow out Panthers in Carolina, as Manning ties Marino http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21976539/denver-broncos-panthers-carolina-manning-marino The Denver Post November 11, 2012 November 11, 2012 Notes The Broncos' defense harassed Cam Newton throughout the game, sacking Newton seven times. This was Broncos' head coach John Fox's first visit to Carolina, where he served as head coach of the Panthers from 2002 to 2010. Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers Denver Broncos; border:2px solid #0A2343;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary November 18 2:25 pm. MST Chargers 7 0 9 7 Broncos 0 17 7 6 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,769 62 F C, sunny Carl Cheffers CBS Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter SD – 6:52 Eric Weddle 23-yard interception return for a TD, Nick Novak kick. (SD 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:00 Demaryius Thomas 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:20. (tied 7–7) DEN – 11:33 Matt Prater 19-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:14. (DEN 10–7) DEN – 1:44 Brandon Stokley 31-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:07. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter SD – 12:48 Peyton Manning sacked by Shaun Phillips in the end zone for a safety (DEN 17–9) DEN – 7:23 Eric Decker 20-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:18. (DEN 24–9) SD – 0:58 Danario Alexander 8-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:25. (DEN 24–16) Fourth quarter DEN – 10:43 Matt Prater 30-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:15. (DEN 27–16) DEN – 4:14 Matt Prater 32-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:56. (DEN 30–16) SD – 1:24 Danario Alexander 21-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Mike Scifres kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:50. (DEN 30–23) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 24/40, 258 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 25/42, 270 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews: 15 rushes, 47 yards DEN – Willis McGahee: 7 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers SD – Danario Alexander: 7 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD DEN – Brandon Stokley: 4 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers SD – Donald Butler: 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble DEN – Champ Bailey: 8 tackles Hoping to add to a four-game winning streak, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West rematch with the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers grabbed the lead in the first quarter, with safety Eric Weddle returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning 23 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with Manning connecting on a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On the Chargers' next possession, quarterback Philip Rivers was intercepted by Broncos' safety Jim Leonhard deep in Chargers' territory. However, the Broncos had to settle for a 19-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Broncos' linebacker Nate Irving blocked Mike Scifres' punt, and on the next play, Manning threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley, giving the Broncos a 17–7 lead. The first points of the third quarter came from the Chargers, with linebacker Shaun Phillips sacking Manning in the end zone for a safety. After linebacker Wesley Woodyard recovered a Rivers' fumble deep in Chargers' territory, the Broncos increased their lead, with Manning throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker. However, the Chargers responded late in the third quarter, with Rivers connecting on an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Danario Alexander. A pair of field goals by Prater in the fourth quarter—from 30 and 32 yards—gave the Broncos a 30–16 lead with 4:14 remaining in the game. The Chargers tried to rally, with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Alexander with 1:24 remaining. However, the Broncos' recovered the onside kick, and subsequently ran out the clock.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning's Broncos bury Chargers to extend AFC West lead http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22023289/peyton-manning-broncos-chargers-afc-west The Denver Post November 18, 2012 November 18, 2012 Notes With the win, the Broncos earned their first season sweep of the Chargers since 2005, and snapped the Chargers' three-game winning streak in Denver. Nate Irving's block of a Mike Scifres' punt marked the first time since 2007 that the Broncos' special teams blocked a punt.Williamson, Bill Halftime: Denver 17, San Diego 7 https://www.espn.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/51326/halftime-denver-17-san-diego-7 ESPN November 18, 2012 November 18, 2012 This was the only game during the 2012 season in which the Broncos wore their alternate navy blue jerseys. Injuries Running back Willis McGahee suffered a ruptured MCL and compression fracture in his right knee during the second quarter, when his knee was hit by the helmet of Chargers' cornerback Quentin Jammer.Klis, Mike Broncos' Willis McGahee out 6–8 weeks with MCL tear; compression fracture http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22027671/broncos-willis-mcgahee-out-6-8-weeks-mcl The Denver Post November 19, 2012 November 19, 2012 On November 21, McGahee was placed on the injured reserve/designated for return list. Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 25 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 am. MST Broncos 0 7 7 3 Chiefs 6 0 3 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 74,244 52 F C, sunny Jerome Boger CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf Recap, Gamebook First quarter KC – 9:20 Ryan Succop 34-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:40. (KC 3–0) KC – 4:31 Ryan Succop 22-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:25. (KC 6–0) Second quarter DEN – 0:18 Jacob Tamme 7-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 94 yards, 4:57. (DEN 7–6) Third quarter KC – 7:35 Ryan Succop 49-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:22. (KC 9–7) DEN – 4:41 Demaryius Thomas 30-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:54. (DEN 14–9) Fourth quarter DEN – 0:14 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:10. (DEN 17–9) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 22/37, 285 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT KC – Brady Quinn: 13/25, 126 yards, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 20 rushes, 85 yards KC – Jamaal Charles: 23 rushes, 107 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 4 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD KC – Dwayne Bowe: 4 receptions, 41 yards Top tacklers DEN – Wesley Woodyard and Mike Adams: 8 tackles each (1 assist and 1 sack by Woodyard) KC – Javier Arenas, Jalil Brown, Abram Elam and Kendrick Lewis: 5 tackles each Hoping to add to a five-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West duel with the Kansas City Chiefs. Two field goals by Chiefs' placekicker Ryan Succop—from 34 and 22 yards—game Kansas City a 6–0 lead in the first quarter. The Broncos grabbed the lead just before halftime, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme. The Chiefs re-claimed the lead in the third quarter, with a 49-yard field goal by Succop, however, the Broncos responded, with Manning connecting on a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. For the last 4:41 of the third quarter and the first 8:36 of the fourth quarter, each team proceeded to trade punts, until the Broncos' offense got the football with 6:24 remaining in the game. The Broncos drove 68 yards in 12 plays, eating up 6:10 off the clock, culminating with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 34-yard field goal with only 14 seconds remaining to give the Broncos some breathing room. The Broncos' defense thwarted the Chiefs' last desperation drive.Klis, Mike Broncos escape Kansas City with a win behind Peyton Manning's veteran eye http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22063604/broncos-kansas-city-win-peyton-manning The Denver Post November 25, 2012 November 25, 2012 With the hard-fought win, the Broncos matched their win total from 2011. Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 2 2:05 pm. MST Buccaneers 10 0 0 13 Broncos 7 0 21 3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,432 64 F C, partly cloudy Terry McAulay Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 8:47 Mitch Unrein 1-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:00. (DEN 7–0) TB – 4:41 Connor Barth 31-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:06. (DEN 7–3) TB – 0:14 Dallas Clark 11-yard TD pass from Josh Freeman, Connor Barth kick. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:31. (TB 10–7) Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter DEN – 9:21 Demaryius Thomas 8-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:22. (DEN 14–10) DEN – 4:39 Demaryius Thomas 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:23. (DEN 21–10) DEN – 3:56 Von Miller 26-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 28–10) Fourth quarter TB – 14:55 Connor Barth 50-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:11. (DEN 28–13) DEN – 7:36 Matt Prater 31-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 7:19. (DEN 31–13) TB – 3:23 Connor Barth 55-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:14. (DEN 31–16) TB – 2:33 Mike Williams 5-yard TD pass from Josh Freeman, Connor Barth kick. Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 0:24. (DEN 31–23) Top passers TB – Josh Freeman: 18/29, 242 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT DEN – Peyton Manning: 27/38, 242 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers TB – Doug Martin: 18 rushes, 56 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 20 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers TB – Mike Williams: 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers TB – Lavonte David: 7 tackles, 3 assists DEN – Chris Harris, Jr. and Von Miller: 5 tackles and 1 assist each (1 sack, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble by Miller) Hoping to add to a six-game winning streak, the Broncos returned home for an interconference duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Broncos grabbed the early lead, when defensive tackle Mitch Unrein, lining up as a fullback, caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning. The Buccaneers responded, with a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Connor Barth, then grabbed the lead at the end of the first quarter, with quarterback Josh Freeman connecting on an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark. After a scoreless second quarter, the Broncos re-claimed the lead for good with 21 unanswered points, consisting of two Manning touchdown passes to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas—from 8 and 10 yards, followed by linebacker Von Miller returning an interception off Freeman 26 yards for a touchdown. After a Manning interception late in the third quarter, a 50-yard field goal by Barth to begin the fourth quarter narrowed the gap to 28–13, but the Broncos countered with a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. With 4:37 remaining in the game, the Buccaneers tried to rally, with a 55-yard field goal by Barth, followed by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Freeman to wide receiver Mike Williams with 2:39 remaining. However, the Buccaneers' onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, and the Broncos subsequently ran out the clock.Klis, Mike Broncos clinch AFC West with win over Tampa Bay; Manning throws 3 TDs http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22111610/broncos-clinch-afc-west-win-tampa-bay-manning The Denver Post December 2, 2012 December 2, 2012 Notes With the win, the Broncos exceeded their win total from 2011, and also clinched their second consecutive AFC West division title. This was the 12th division title in the Broncos' franchise history, tying the Oakland Raiders for the all-time lead in AFC West championships since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger.Zaas, Stuart Inside the Numbers: Week 13 http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/inside-the-numbers-week-13/ Denver Broncos December 2, 2012 December 2, 2012 The Broncos also clinched consecutive division titles for the first time since 1986–87.Krier, Chris Mile High Monday: Broncos Beat the Buccaneers and Win the AFC West http://predominantlyorange.com/2012/12/03/mile-high-monday-broncos-beat-the-buccaneers-and-win-the-afc-west/ Predominately Orange December 3, 2012 December 3, 2012 Week 14: at Oakland Raiders Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders – Game summary December 6, 2012 6:20 pm. MST/5:20 pm. PST Broncos 10 3 13 0 Raiders 0 7 0 6 O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California 53,807 57 F C, cloudy skies Clete Blakeman NFLN Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 10:30 Joel Dreessen 6-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:30. (DEN 7–0) DEN – 5:09 Matt Prater 43-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 4:42. (DEN 10–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:39 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:14. (DEN 13–0) OAK – 1:59 Darren McFadden 6-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:33. (DEN 13–7) Third quarter DEN – 7:30 Matt Prater 20-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:03. (DEN 16–7) DEN – 5:07 Knowshon Moreno 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:38. (DEN 23–7) DEN – 0:19 Matt Prater 33-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:18. (DEN 26–7) Fourth quarter OAK – 5:36 Darrius Heyward-Bey 56-yard TD pass from Carson Palmer, two-point pass failed. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 1:50. (DEN 26–13) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 26/36, 310 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT OAK – Carson Palmer: 19/30, 273 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 32 rushes, 119 yards, 1 TD OAK – Darren McFadden: 11 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 8 rushes, 88 yards OAK – Rod Streater: 4 receptions, 100 yards Top tacklers DEN – Tony Carter and D. J. Williams: 4 tackles each (2 assists by Carter, 1 assist by Williams) OAK – Joselio Hanson: 8 tackles, 1 assist Hoping to add to a seven-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to the O.co Coliseum for an AFC West rematch with the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos jumped out to a 13–0 lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen, followed by field goals of 43 and 34 from placekicker Matt Prater, with the latter field goal occurring early in the second quarter. The Raiders got on the scoreboard late in the first half, with quarterback Carson Palmer throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Darren McFadden. The Broncos added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 20-yard field goal by Prater, a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Knowshon Moreno and a 33-yard field goal by Prater. A 56-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (with a failed two-point conversion attempt) was the only scoring play of the fourth quarter, and the Broncos ran out the final 5:36 of the game.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning, Broncos' star power enough to beat Raiders in Oakland http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22143060/peyton-manning-broncos-star-power-enough-beat-raiders The Denver Post December 6, 2012 December 6, 2012 Notes With the win, the Broncos earned their first season sweep of the Raiders since 2006, and also swept their division rivals on the road for the third time in four seasons. Week 15: at Baltimore Ravens Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary December 16 1:00 pm. EST/11:00 am. MST Broncos 3 14 14 3 Ravens 0 0 3 14 M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 71,317 53 F C, cloudy Pete Morelli CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 7:13 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:56. (DEN 3–0) Second quarter DEN – 11:51 Jacob Hester 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:12. (DEN 10–0) DEN – 0:15 Chris Harris, Jr. 98-yard interception return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 17–0) Third quarter BAL – 12:18 Justin Tucker 45-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2:42. (DEN 17–3) DEN – 9:53 Eric Decker 51-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:25. (DEN 24–3) DEN – 7:40 Knowshon Moreno 6-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:16. (DEN 31–3) Fourth quarter BAL – 14:31 Dennis Pitta 31-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 4–36, 1:17. (DEN 31–10) DEN – 4:32 Matt Prater 36-yard FG. Drive: 15 plays, 62, yards, 9:59. (DEN 34–10) BAL – 4:08 Dennis Pitta 61-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 1 play, 61 yards, 0:24. (DEN 34–17) Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning: 17/28, 204 yards, 1 TD BAL – Joe Flacco: 20/40, 254 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 22 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD BAL – Ray Rice: 12 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers DEN – Eric Decker: 8 receptions, 133 yards, 1 TD BAL – Dennis Pitta: 7 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers DEN – Champ Bailey: 6 tackles BAL – Josh Bynes: 11 tackles, 2 assists Hoping to add to an eight-game winning streak, the Broncos traveled to M&T Bank Stadium for an AFC duel with the Baltimore Ravens, where the Broncos had never won in four previous regular-season meetings. A 27-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater was the only scoring play of the first quarter. The Broncos increased their lead in the second quarter, with fullback Jacob Hester rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Ravens were threatening to narrow the Broncos' lead just before halftime; however, Broncos' cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. stepped in front of a pass from Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco, returning an interception 98 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker Justin Tucker. However, the Broncos added to their lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 51-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker, followed by a 6-yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno to give the Broncos a commanding 31–3 lead. The Ravens finally got into the end zone early in the fourth quarter, with Flacco connecting on a 31-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dennis Pitta, but the Broncos responded with a 36-yard field goal from Prater. The Ravens added one more score, with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Pitta, but the Broncos' lead was too much for the Ravens to overcome.Klis, Mike Broncos, Peyton Manning run over Ravens for ninth straight win http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22204528/broncos-peyton-manning-run-over-ravens-ninth-straight The Denver Post December 16, 2012 December 16, 2012 Notes This was the Broncos' first-ever, and, to date, their only win in Baltimore.Boxscore finder: Denver Broncos vs Baltimore Ravens https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=den&tm2=rav&yr=all pro-football-reference.com December 16, 2012 December 16, 2012 Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 23 2:05 pm. MST Browns 3 0 3 6 Broncos 7 7 7 13 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,351 51 F C, partly cloudy Alberto Riveron CBS Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 12:10 Demaryius Thomas 22-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:50. (DEN 7–0) CLE – 4:35 Phil Dawson 27-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:35. (DEN 7–3) Second quarter DEN – 12:40 Eric Decker 10-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 6:55. (DEN 14–3) Third quarter CLE – 11:09 Phil Dawson 53-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 3:51. (DEN 14–6) DEN – 4:33 Eric Decker 8-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:36. (DEN 21–6) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:53 Matt Prater 27-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 3:22. (DEN 24–6) DEN – 12:11 Jacob Hester 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 2 plays, 19 yards, 0:15. (DEN 31–6) CLE – 7:56 Greg Little 6-yard TD pass from Colt McCoy, two-point run failed. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:15. (DEN 31–12) DEN – 1:55 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:02. (DEN 34–12) Top passers CLE – Brandon Weeden: 12/19, 104 yards DEN – Peyton Manning: 30/43, 339 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CLE – Trent Richardson: 9 rushes, 53 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 22 rushes, 78 yards Top receivers CLE – Greg Little: 6 receptions, 58 yards, 1 TD DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 9 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers CLE – Craig Robertson: 12 tackles, 2 assists DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 8 tackles Hoping to add to a nine-game winning streak, the Broncos returned home for an AFC match-up with the Cleveland Browns. On the game's opening drive, quarterback Peyton Manning threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Browns got on the scoreboard, with a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Phil Dawson. A 10-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker was the only scoring play of the second quarter. The Browns narrowed the Broncos' lead early in the third quarter, with a 53-yard field goal by Dawson, but the Broncos would add 17 unanswered points to their lead, with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Decker, followed in the fourth quarter by a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater and a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Jacob Hester. The Browns finally scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, with quarterback Colt McCoy connecting on a 6-yard pass to wide receiver Greg Little, but the Broncos' lead was too much for the Browns to overcome. Prater added a 41-yard field goal to close out the scoring.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning, Broncos streak past Cleveland with AFC No. 1 seed in sight http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22251213/peyton-manning-broncos-streak-past-cleveland-afc-seed The Denver Post December 23, 2012 December 23, 2012 Notes The Broncos matched their win total from the two previous seasons combined, and also swept the AFC North division. The Broncos won their 10th consecutive game against the Browns, dating back to the 1991 season, and improved their all-time series record against the Browns to 22–5 (including the playoffs).Boxscore finder: Denver Broncos vs Cleveland Browns https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=den&tm2=cle&yr=all pro-football-reference.com December 23, 2012 December 23, 2012 Week 17: vs. Kansas City Chiefs Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 30 2:25 pm. MST Chiefs 0 3 0 0 Broncos 7 14 14 3 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,502 35 F C, partly cloudy Ed Hochuli CBS Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 9:56 Knowshon Moreno 3-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:06. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter KC – 14:53 Ryan Succop 23-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:16. (DEN 7–3) DEN – 5:32 Eric Decker 11-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:00. (DEN 14–3) DEN – 0:10 Eric Decker 16-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 1:27. (DEN 21–3) Third quarter DEN – 9:10 Demaryius Thomas 13-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:50. (DEN 28–3) DEN – 1:04 Lance Ball 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 5:36. (DEN 35–3) Fourth quarter DEN – 8:09 Matt Prater 42-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 6:10. (DEN 38–3) Top passers KC – Brady Quinn: 7/16, 49 yards DEN – Peyton Manning: 23/29, 304 yards, 3 TD Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles: 14 rushes, 53 yards DEN – Lance Ball: 15 rushes, 66 yards, 1 TD Top receivers KC – Tony Moeaki: 2 receptions, 21 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 7 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers KC – Justin Houston: 8 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Rahim Moore: 8 tackles, 1 sack Hoping to add to a ten-game winning streak and gain momentum into the playoffs, the Broncos remained at home for an AFC West divisional rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, in the 2012 regular season finale. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 3-yard touchdown. The Chiefs got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, with a 23-yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop, in what would be the Chiefs' only scoring play of the game. The Broncos later added to their lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing three touchdown passes—two to wide receiver Eric Decker—from 11 and 16 yards, followed in the third quarter by a 13-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Broncos added another touchdown late in the third quarter, with running back Lance Ball rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. A 42-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater in the fourth quarter was the last scoring play of the game.Caldwell, Gray Recap: 38–3 Win Clinches AFC's Top Seed http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Recap-38-3-Win-Clinches-AFCs-Top-Seed/43bc1f10-680c-4b0e-93e3-afad54b82f16 Denver Broncos December 30, 2012 December 30, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130103164109/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Recap-38-3-Win-Clinches-AFCs-Top-Seed/43bc1f10-680c-4b0e-93e3-afad54b82f16 January 3, 2013 dead Notes With the win, the Broncos exceeded their win total from the two previous seasons combined, swept their AFC West division rivals for only the second time in franchise history, and earned their first season sweep of the Chiefs since 2007. At the time, the 35-point margin was the Broncos' largest margin of victory over the Chiefs in the 53-year history of this rivalry,Mason, Andrew 2013 Game-by-Game: Week 11 http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-5/2013-Game-by-Game-Week-11/d8cba3f5-858a-4b09-a95a-0866e7473d03 Denver Broncos July 8, 2013 July 8, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130712035001/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-5/2013-Game-by-Game-Week-11/d8cba3f5-858a-4b09-a95a-0866e7473d03 July 12, 2013 dead until it was surpassed by a 38–0 win over the Chiefs in 2024. The win was also the 100th in John Fox's coaching career (including postseason games).Everett, Tyler Fox Notches Win No. 100 http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Fox-Notches-Win-No-100/23e2bd24-fdf4-4e09-8fa1-4638ff1754ea Denver Broncos December 31, 2012 December 31, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130103200810/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Fox-Notches-Win-No-100/23e2bd24-fdf4-4e09-8fa1-4638ff1754ea January 3, 2013 dead By virtue of the Houston Texans' 28–16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the day, the Broncos clinched a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.Caldwell, Gray No. 1 Seed Broncos Prepare for Postseason http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/No-1-Seed-Broncos-Prepare-for-Postseason/e263a69d-846a-4463-97b0-eae8621563a9 Denver Broncos December 30, 2012 December 30, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130103172405/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/No-1-Seed-Broncos-Prepare-for-Postseason/e263a69d-846a-4463-97b0-eae8621563a9 January 3, 2013 dead Standings Division DEN Conference DEN Statistics Team leaders Category Player(s) Value Passing yards Peyton Manning 4,659 Passing touchdowns Peyton Manning 37 Rushing yards Willis McGahee 731 Rushing touchdowns Willis McGaheeKnowshon Moreno 4 Receptions Demaryius Thomas 94 Receiving yards Demaryius Thomas 1,434 Receiving touchdowns Eric Decker 13 Points Matt Prater 133 Kickoff return yards Trindon Holliday 358 Punt return yards Trindon Holliday 334 Tackles Wesley Woodyard 117 Sacks Von Miller 18.5 * Forced fumbles Elvis DumervilVon Miller 6 Interceptions Chris Harris, Jr.Wesley Woodyard 3 * Indicates single-season franchise record.Davis, Sam SI's All Pro Team Includes a Pair of Broncos http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/index.html Denver Broncos January 9, 2013 January 9, 2013 Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.Denver Broncos Team Statistics http://www.denverbroncos.com/team/statistics.html Denver Broncos December 31, 2012 December 31, 2012 NOTE: Search for the 2012 regular season. League rankings Offense Category Value NFL rank(out of 32) Total yards 397.9 YPG Yards per game 4th Yards per play 5.8 6th Rushing yards 114.5 YPG 16th Yards per rush 3.8 23rd Passing yards 283.3 YPG 5th Yards per pass 7.9 5th Scoring 30.1 PPG Points per game 2nd Pass completions 402/588 (.684) 2nd Third downs 96/213 (.451) 3rd Possession average 31:16 Per game 8th Fewest sacks allowed 21 2nd Turnover differential −1 T− tied for17th Defense Category Value NFL rank(out of 32) Total yards 290.8 YPG 2nd Yards per play 4.6 1st Rushing yards 91.1 YPG 3rd Yards per rush 3.6 2nd Passing yards 199.6 YPG 3rd Yards per pass 6.4 5th Scoring 18.1 PPG 4th Pass completions 321/559 (.574) 7th Third downs 66/216 (.306) 1st Sacks 52 T−1st Forced fumbles 19 4th Fumble recoveries 8 T–22nd Interceptions 16 13th Special Teams Category Value NFL rank(out of 32) Kickoff returns 23.1 YPR Yards per return 18th Punt returns 9.3 YPR 18th Gross punting 46.3 YPP Yards per punt 17th Net punting 43.3 YPP 5th Kickoff coverage Opponents' kickoff returns 22.1 YPR 7th Punt coverage Opponents' punt returns 6.2 YPR 2nd Source for this section: NFL.com.NFL.com Statistics http://www.nfl.com/stats/team December 31, 2012 NFL.com December 31, 2012 NOTE: Search for the 2012 regular season. Postseason 2012–13 NFL playoffs Schedule Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild CardFirst-round bye Divisional January 12, 2013 F j, Y Baltimore Ravens (4) L 35–38 (2OT) 0–1 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap Game summaries AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Baltimore Ravens Mile High Miracle Denver Broncos 2012 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Divisional Playoffs: (#4) Baltimore Ravens at (#1) Denver Broncos – Game summary January 12, 2013 F j, Y 2:30 p.m. MST Ravens 14 7 7 7 0 3 Broncos 14 7 7 7 0 0 Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 76,732 13 F C, partly cloudy Bill Vinovich CBS Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook First quarter DEN – 12:14 Trindon Holliday 90-yard punt return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 7–0) BAL – 10:31 Torrey Smith 59-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 4 plays, 94 yards, 1:43. (tied 7–7) BAL – 9:49 Corey Graham 39-yard interception return for a TD, Justin Tucker kick. (BAL 14–7) DEN – 4:02 Brandon Stokley 15-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:47. (tied 14–14) Second quarter DEN – 7:26 Knowshon Moreno 14-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:35. (DEN 21–14) BAL – 0:36 Torrey Smith 32-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:40. (tied 21–21) Third quarter DEN – 14:47 Trindon Holliday 104-yard kickoff return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 0:13. (DEN 28–21) BAL – 0:20 Ray Rice 1-yard TD run, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:27. (tied 28–28) Fourth quarter DEN – 7:11 Demaryius Thomas 17-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:58. (DEN 35–28) BAL – 0:31 Jacoby Jones 70-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco, Justin Tucker kick. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 0:38. (tied 35–35) First overtime No scoring plays Second overtime BAL – 13:18 Justin Tucker 47-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:33. (BAL 38–35) Top passers BAL – Joe Flacco: 18/34, 331 yards, 3 TD DEN – Peyton Manning: 28/43, 290 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Ray Rice: 30 rushes, 131 yards, 1 TD DEN – Ronnie Hillman: 22 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers BAL – Torrey Smith: 3 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD DEN – Eric Decker: 6 receptions, 84 yards Top tacklers BAL – Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs: 10 tackles each (7 assists by Lewis, 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble by Suggs) DEN – Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard: 7 tackles each (2 assists by Miller) Following a first-round bye, the Broncos kicked off the divisional round of the 2012–13 NFL playoffs at home by welcoming the Baltimore Ravens, whom the Broncos defeated in Baltimore four weeks earlier. A 90-yard punt return for a touchdown by return specialist Trindon Holliday gave the Broncos the early lead. However, the Ravens quickly responded, with quarterback Joe Flacco connecting on a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith, followed by cornerback Corey Graham returning an interception off Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning 39 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos tied the game, with Manning throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley, then re-claimed the lead midway through the second quarter, with Manning connecting on a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos had an opportunity to add to their lead just after the two-minute warning, but placekicker Matt Prater missed a 52-yard field goal, giving the Ravens excellent field goal position with 1:16 remaining until halftime. Three plays later, Flacco connected on another touchdown pass to Smith – this one from 32 yards.Caldwell, Gray Zaas, Stuart Double-OT Heartbreaker Ends Denver's Season http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Double-OT-Heartbreaker-Ends-Denvers-Season/73d0f072-f98d-492d-8348-3551c7b2c516 Denver Broncos January 12, 2013 January 12, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130116144119/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Double-OT-Heartbreaker-Ends-Denvers-Season/73d0f072-f98d-492d-8348-3551c7b2c516 January 16, 2013 dead Holliday took the opening kickoff of the second half 104 yards for a touchdown, but after a Manning fumble, the Ravens tied the game late in the third quarter, with running back Ray Rice rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. After each team's offense subsequently went three-and-out, the Broncos marched down the field on a 10-play, 88-yard drive, culminating with Manning throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas midway through the fourth quarter. The Ravens, on their next possession, marched 44 yards in eight plays, but turned the ball over on downs with 3:12 remaining in regulation. The Broncos achieved one first-down with 2:23 remaining, which forced the Ravens to start using the last two of their three remaining timeouts on defense. After the two-minute warning, the Ravens had exhausted all of their team timeouts, however, the Broncos failed to convert a critical third-down run, and were forced to punt, giving the Ravens the football with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Three plays later, and with no timeouts, Flacco launched a 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacoby Jones to tie the game at 35 with 31 seconds remaining to force overtime. The Ravens won the overtime coin toss. Both teams were forced to punt on their first possessions. The Ravens once again were forced to punt on their next possession, and the Broncos' offense got the football with 3:37 remaining in the first overtime. However, seven plays into the Broncos' second overtime possession, Manning was intercepted again by Graham in Broncos' territory, giving the Ravens the football at the Broncos' 45-yard line with 1:01 remaining in the first overtime. Six plays later, Ravens' placekicker Justin Tucker nailed a game-winning 47-yard field early in the second overtime. Broncos lost and in 2013, 2014 and 2015 will have division titles Records and milestones Numerous individual, franchise and league records and milestones were either tied, reached or broken during the season: Team Week 6: The Broncos' rally from a 24–0 halftime deficit during the team's Week 6 win over the San Diego Chargers tied the largest comeback in Monday Night Football history. The 35 points scored after halftime tied the highest number of points that the Broncos scored in the second half, and also marked the first time in NFL history that a team won a game by double digits after trailing by at least 24 points at halftime.Jones, Lindsay Klis, Mike Legwold, Jeff Champ Bailey glad Broncos can finally finish a comeback http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_21780458/champ-bailey-glad-broncos-can-finally-finish-comeback The Denver Post October 16, 2012 October 16, 2012 Season: The Broncos set a franchise record for scoring 30 or more points in 11 games,Kensler, Tom Denver Broncos to stay in Denver during week off http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22291027/denver-broncos-stay-denver-during-week-off Denver Broncos January 1, 2013 January 1, 2013 which was surpassed during the 2013 season. Peyton Manning Week 1: Became the third quarterback in NFL history to achieve 400 career touchdown passes (joining Dan Marino and Brett Favre), as well as the fastest quarterback to achieve that feat.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning on joining the 400 TD club http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/09/09/manning-joining-400-club/15543/ The Denver Post September 9, 2012 September 9, 2012 Week 3: Became the NFL's all-time leader in 300-yard passing games. Week 8: Set a new personal record for consecutive 300-yard passing games. Week 9: Surpassed Dan Marino for the NFL's all-time lead in game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. Week 11: Surpassed Dan Marino for second-place on the NFL's all-time list for touchdown passes. Week 12: Surpassed John Elway for second-place on the NFL's all-time list for regular-season wins by a quarterback. Week 13: Surpassed Dan Marino for second-place on the NFL's all-time pass completions list and set a franchise record for touchdown passes in a single season, which Manning surpassed in 2013. Week 14: Became the second quarterback in NFL history to achieve 5,000 career pass completions (joining Brett Favre), as well as the fastest quarterback to achieve that feat. He also achieved his NFL-record 12th season with at least 10 wins during a regular season.Peyton Manning, Broncos cruise past Raiders for eighth straight win https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=321206013 ESPN December 6, 2012 December 6, 2012 Week 17: Set a new single-season franchise record for pass completions;Saccomano, Jim Broncos Move Ahead in Special Season http://blog.denverbroncos.com/jsaccomano/broncos-move-ahead-in-special-season/ Denver Broncos December 31, 2012 December 31, 2012 surpassed Brett Favre on the NFL's all-time list for games with three or more touchdown passesAssociated Press Peyton Manning matches NFL record https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8809673/peyton-manning-denver-broncos-wins-6th-offensive-player-month-award ESPN January 3, 2013 January 3, 2013 and set a new NFL record with a .707 pass completion percentage in games played during the month of December.Zaas, Stuart Manning Earns Player of the Month Honor http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Earns-Player-of-the-Month-Honor/0f679703-2251-4f4b-b8bf-c2157430edcb Denver Broncos January 3, 2013 January 3, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130105214425/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Earns-Player-of-the-Month-Honor/0f679703-2251-4f4b-b8bf-c2157430edcb January 5, 2013 dead Overall, Manning set new Broncos' single-season franchise records in pass completion percentage (.686), pass completions (400), passer rating (105.9), passing yardage (4,659) and touchdown passes (37), the latter four of which Manning surpassed in 2013.Klis, Mike Peyton Manning sets NFL record as Broncos rout Raiders for AFC's top seed http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_24812867/peyton-manning-sets-nfl-record-broncos-rout-raiders The Denver Post December 29, 2013 December 29, 2013 He was also named to the AFC Pro Bowl for the 12th time in his career, the most by a quarterback in NFL history. Other players Britton Colquitt: Set a new single-season franchise record for net punting, with an average of 42.1 net yards per punt. Colquitt surpassed his own record that he previously set during the 2011 season.Davis, Sam Colquitt Nets Another Record http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Colquitt-Nets-Another-Record/8abcfb31-b13b-4b7b-9ed1-02a89e2cb30d Denver Broncos January 8, 2013 January 8, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130111212955/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Colquitt-Nets-Another-Record/8abcfb31-b13b-4b7b-9ed1-02a89e2cb30d January 11, 2013 dead Chris Harris, Jr.: During the team's Week 15 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Harris returned a 98-yard interception for a touchdown, which, at the time, set a new record for the longest interception return in Broncos' franchise history, until Aqib Talib surpassed that record with a 103-yard return in 2017.http://media.denverbroncos.com/images/9008/Releases/170924_Buffalo.pdf Denver Broncos 2017 Weekly Press Release Denver Broncos September 17, 2017 September 17, 2017 NOTE: Search for page 17. September 20, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170920022848/http://media.denverbroncos.com/images/9008/Releases/170924_Buffalo.pdf dead Trindon Holliday: Week 9: 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown set a new record for the longest play in Broncos' franchise history, which Holliday tied in 2013.Caldwell, Gray Broncos-Record 52 Points Ground Eagles http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Broncos-Record-52-Points-Ground-Eagles/081da6d0-98e4-4af8-815a-7d18f0f0decb Denver Broncos September 29, 2013 September 29, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131002151212/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Broncos-Record-52-Points-Ground-Eagles/081da6d0-98e4-4af8-815a-7d18f0f0decb October 2, 2013 dead Divisional playoffs: 90-yard punt return for a touchdown set a new record for the longest punt return in NFL playoff history, which was also the first punt return for a touchdown in Broncos' postseason history; became the first player in NFL history to return both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff game.Everett, Tyler Holliday Makes History http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Holliday-Makes-History/8d4e39d7-1b77-48a0-b3d5-0c6e838eea5f Denver Broncos January 12, 2013 January 12, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130117072723/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Holliday-Makes-History/8d4e39d7-1b77-48a0-b3d5-0c6e838eea5f January 17, 2013 dead Von Miller: Set a new Broncos' franchise record for quarterback sacks in a single season, during the team's Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns. Miller finished the season with 18.5 sacks. Mitch Unrein: Became the first defensive lineman in Broncos' franchise history to catch a touchdown pass, during the team's Week 13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Awards and honors Recipient Award(s) Champ Bailey Named to the USA Football All Fundamentals TeamEverett, Tyler Clady, Bailey Recognized by USA Football http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/clady-bailey-recognized-by-usa-football/ Denver Broncos January 7, 2013 January 7, 2013 Zane Beadles Named as the team's Walter Payton Man of the YearCaldwell, Gray Beadles Named Team's Walter Payton Man of the Year http://blog.denverbroncos.com/community/beadles-named-teams-walter-payton-man-of-the-year/ Denver Broncos December 26, 2012 December 26, 2012 Ryan Clady Named to the USA Football All Fundamentals Team Trindon Holliday Week 9: AFC Special Teams Player of the WeekZaas, Stuart Holliday Earns Weekly Honor http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/holliday-earns-weekly-honor/ Denver Broncos November 7, 2012 November 7, 2012 Peyton Manning Week 6: AFC Offensive Player of the WeekZaas, Stuart Peyton Manning Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/peyton-manning-named-afc-offensive-player-of-the-week/ Denver Broncos October 17, 2012 October 17, 2012October: AFC Offensive Player of the MonthZaas, Stuart Manning Named AFC Offensive Player of the Month http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Named-AFC-Offensive-Player-of-the-Month/c2f64726-d50f-4565-b5dc-eadeb700a26d Denver Broncos November 1, 2012 November 1, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121103221219/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Named-AFC-Offensive-Player-of-the-Month/c2f64726-d50f-4565-b5dc-eadeb700a26d November 3, 2012 dead Week 17: AFC Offensive Player of the WeekZaas, Stuart Manning Named Offensive Player of the Week http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Named-Offensive-Player-of-the-Week/6c4e60fb-91b2-4788-9d47-4afffecf8292 Denver Broncos January 2, 2013 January 2, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130105032946/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Named-Offensive-Player-of-the-Week/6c4e60fb-91b2-4788-9d47-4afffecf8292 January 5, 2013 dead December: AFC Offensive Player of the MonthColorado Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the YearDavis, Sam Peyton Manning, Missy Franklin Named Colorado's Athletes of the Year http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/peyton-manning-missy-franklin-named-colorados-athletes-of-the-year/ Denver Broncos January 8, 2013 January 8, 20132012 season: AFC Offensive Player of the YearCaldwell, Gray Manning Honored as AFC Offensive Player of the Year http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/manning-honored-as-afc-offensive-player-of-the-year/ Denver Broncos January 15, 2013 January 15, 20132012 season: FedEx Air Player of the YearZaas, Stuart Manning Named FedEx Air Player of the Year http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Named-FedEx-Air-Player-of-the-Year/0ad6c08d-e56d-4b55-936d-13687e90edf6 Denver Broncos February 3, 2013 February 3, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130206034019/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Manning-Named-FedEx-Air-Player-of-the-Year/0ad6c08d-e56d-4b55-936d-13687e90edf6 February 6, 2013 dead 2012 season: Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year Von Miller Week 11: AFC Defensive Player of the WeekCaldwell, Gray Miller Takes Home Second DPOW Award http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/miller-takes-home-second-dpow-award/ Denver Broncos November 21, 2012 November 21, 2012November: AFC Defensive Player of the MonthZaas, Stuart Miller Earns AFC Defensive Player of the Month http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/miller-earns-afc-defensive-player-of-the-month/ Denver Broncos November 29, 2012 November 29, 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121202112252/http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/miller-earns-afc-defensive-player-of-the-month/ December 2, 2012 mdy Voted to NFL.com's All-Under-25 TeamZaas, Stuart Pair of Broncos Linebackers Nab Postseason Honors http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/pair-of-broncos-linebackers-nab-postseason-honors/ Denver Broncos February 14, 2013 February 14, 2013 Knowshon Moreno Week 15: AFC Offensive Player of the Week,Zaas, Stuart Moreno Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Moreno-Named-AFC-Offensive-Player-of-the-Week/5a027ecb-394b-4aee-ba15-2a8429548f16 Denver Broncos December 19, 2012 December 19, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121221012752/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Moreno-Named-AFC-Offensive-Player-of-the-Week/5a027ecb-394b-4aee-ba15-2a8429548f16 December 21, 2012 dead FedEx Ground Player of the WeekEverett, Tyler Moreno Takes Home FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/moreno-takes-home-fedex-ground-nfl-player-of-the-week/ Denver Broncos December 21, 2012 December 21, 2012 Tracy Porter Week 1: AFC Defensive Player of the WeekZaas, Stuart Porter Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/porter-named-afc-defensive-player-of-the-week/ Denver Broncos September 12, 2012 September 12, 2012 Matt Prater Week 4: AFC Special Teams Player of the WeekZaas, Stuart Prater Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/prater-named-afc-special-teams-player-of-the-week/ Denver Broncos October 3, 2012 October 3, 2012 Brandon Stokley 2012 season: DISH Unbeatable Value Player of the YearZaas, Stuart Stokley Voted DISH Unbeatable Value Player of the Year http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/stokley-voted-dish-unbeatable-value-player-of-the-year/ Denver Broncos February 20, 2013 February 20, 2013 Wesley Woodyard Week 8: AFC Defensive Player of the WeekZaas, Stuart Woodyard Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/woodyard-named-afc-defensive-player-of-the-week/ Denver Broncos October 31, 2012 October 31, 2012Voted to USA Today's All-Joe Team Team Week 6: GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week (come-from-behind win)Everett, Tyler Broncos Take Home GMC's Never Say Never Moment of the Week http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/broncos-take-home-gmcs-never-say-never-moment-of-the-week/ Denver Broncos October 19, 2012 October 19, 2012 Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections Seven Broncos were elected to the 2013 Pro Bowl. Cornerback Champ Bailey, quarterback Peyton Manning and linebacker Von Miller were named as starters, while offensive tackle Ryan Clady and defensive end Elvis Dumervil were named as reserves.Caldwell, Gray Zaas, Stuart Five Broncos Selected to Pro Bowl http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Five-Broncos-Selected-to-Pro-Bowl/09b7ef02-b960-4da7-b910-5fa2d706996d Denver Broncos December 20, 2012 December 20, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121229134851/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Five-Broncos-Selected-to-Pro-Bowl/09b7ef02-b960-4da7-b910-5fa2d706996d December 29, 2012 dead Guard Zane Beadles and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas were later added to the game as injury replacements.Zaas, Stuart Beadles, Thomas Added to Pro Bowl Roster http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Beadles-Thomas-Added-to-Pro-Bowl-Roster/0324ef93-1f42-4b33-82db-8e7062a6a2aa Denver Broncos January 21, 2013 January 21, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20170809025652/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Beadles-Thomas-Added-to-Pro-Bowl-Roster/0324ef93-1f42-4b33-82db-8e7062a6a2aa August 9, 2017 dead mdy-all Clady and Miller, however, each withdrew from the game due to injuries.Zaas, Stuart Clady Withdraws from Pro Bowl http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/clady-withdraws-from-pro-bowl/ Denver Broncos January 15, 2013 January 15, 2013Zaas, Stuart Miller Missed Pro Bowl with Shoulder Injury http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Miller-Missed-Pro-Bowl-with-Shoulder-Injury/0c1498d9-bce7-4dc9-a256-cc66a08f8d8b Denver Broncos January 30, 2013 January 30, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130205071808/http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Miller-Missed-Pro-Bowl-with-Shoulder-Injury/0c1498d9-bce7-4dc9-a256-cc66a08f8d8b February 5, 2013 dead Clady, Manning and Miller were also voted to the 2012 All-Pro First Team, while Bailey was named to the Second Team.Davis, Sam AP All-Pro Team Features Four Broncos http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/ap-all-pro-team-features-four-broncos/ Denver Broncos January 12, 2013 January 12, 2013 Other news and notes The Broncos switched their primary home jersey color from navy blue to orange. The orange jerseys that served as the team's alternate colored jersey from 2002 to 2011 became the primary home jersey, while the navy blue jerseys that served as the team's primary home jersey from 1997 to 2011 switched to alternate designation. The change was made due to overwhelming popularity with fans, who clamored for the team to return to wearing orange at home, which was the team's predominant home jersey color from 1962 to 1996.Klis, Mike NFL approves Broncos' switch back to orange uniforms http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19031069 The Denver Post October 3, 2011 October 3, 2011 On April 3, the Broncos, along with each of the other 31 NFL teams, unveiled the team's new uniforms for the 2012 season, with Nike replacing Reebok as the NFL's merchandising dealer. With the exceptions of a few tweaks (including the neckline), the team's uniform designs remained the same as the previous seasons.Legwold, Jeff Broncos, all other NFL teams get new uniforms for 2012 http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_20320517/broncos-all-other-nfl-teams-get-new-uniforms The Denver Post April 4, 2012 April 4, 2012 On July 31, former Broncos' wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, who played with the Broncos from 1995 to 2003, was announced as the team's new color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Dave Logan on the team's radio network, 850 KOA (AM). McCaffrey replaced Brian Griese, the station's color commentator for the previous two seasons, who took on expanded duties with ESPN's college football coverage.Rice, Mike Eddie Mac is Back http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mrice/eddie-mac-is-back/ Denver Broncos July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 August 4, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120804002225/http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mrice/eddie-mac-is-back/ dead The Broncos set a new single-season franchise record for home attendance with 613,062 fans, surpassing the previous record of 612,893 that was set in 2007.Zaas, Stuart Broncos Set Single-Season Home Attendance Record http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/broncos-set-single-season-home-attendance-record/ Denver Broncos January 4, 2013 January 4, 2013 Notes note References 30em External links http://www.denverbroncos.com The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage 2012 Season page on Pro Football Reference 2012 Denver Broncos at ESPN Denver Category:Denver Broncos seasons Denver Broncos Category:AFC West championship seasons