Week 1: vs. Baltimore Ravens
NFL Kickoff Game
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: September 5
Game time:7:12 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 83°F (28°C), mostly cloudy, light rain
Game attendance: 76,977
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michelle Tafoya
First quarter
BAL – Vonta Leach 2-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 7:11. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:58.
Second quarter
DEN – Julius Thomas 24-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 11:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:05.
BAL – Ray Rice 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 8:03. Ravens 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:05.
DEN – Julius Thomas 23-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 5:34. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:29.
BAL – Justin Tucker 25-yard field goal. Ravens 17–14. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 3:12.
Third quarter
DEN – Andre Caldwell 28-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 12:30. Broncos 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:30.
DEN – Wes Welker 5-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 10:28. Broncos 28–17. Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:40.
DEN – Wes Welker 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:37. Broncos 35–17. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:29.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 26-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 13:13. Broncos 42–17. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:33.
BAL – Marlon Brown 13-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 10:28. Broncos 42–24. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:38.
BAL – Justin Tucker 30-yard field goal, 5:29. Broncos 42–27. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:38.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 78-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 4:30. Broncos 49–27. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:59.
The Kickoff Game was initially scheduled to be held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland as the Ravens were the defending Super Bowl XLVII champions, in a publicized rematch from the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff game, however, the game was held in Denver due to a scheduling conflict with the Ravens' Major League Baseball (MLB) counterparts, the Baltimore Orioles. The Ravens became the first defending Super Bowl champions since the NFL Kickoff Game was introduced in 2004 to not host their Kickoff Game. The Ravens grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Joe Flacco tossing a 2-yard touchdown pass to fullback Vonta Leach. Following a Flacco interception, the Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas. After Broncos' wide receiver Wes Welker muffed a punt return near the goal line, the Ravens grabbed the lead, with running back Ray Rice rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, but the Broncos responded, with Manning connecting with Julius Thomas on another touchdown pass – from 23 yards out. The Ravens grabbed a 17–14 lead just before halftime, with placekicker Justin Tucker nailing a 25-yard field goal. However, the Broncos reeled off 28 unanswered points, with Manning throwing four more touchdown passes – a 28-yarder to wide receiver Andre Caldwell, two to Welker from 5 and 2 yards out, followed in the fourth quarter by a 26-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The second score came after Broncos' safety David Bruton blocked a Sam Koch punt. The Ravens later scored 10 unanswered points, with Flacco throwing a 13-yard touchdown to wide receiver Marlon Brown, followed by a 30-yard field goal from Tucker to pull to within 42–27 with 5:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Broncos subsequently put the game out of reach, after Manning threw his seventh touchdown pass of the game – a 78-yarder to Demaryius Thomas. With the win, the Broncos started the season 1–0 for the third consecutive season.
Top passers
BAL – Joe Flacco – 34/62, 362 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
DEN – Peyton Manning –27/42, 462 yards, 7 TD
Top rushers
BAL – Ray Rice – 12 rushes, 36 yards, TD
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 9 rushes, 28 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Torrey Smith – 4 receptions, 92 yards
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 5 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD
Week 2: at New York Giants
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date: September 15
Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/2:25 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 70°F (21°C), mostly sunny
Game attendance: 81,285
Referee: Gene Steratone
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
First quarter
NYG – Josh Brown 36-yard field goal, 7:41. Giants 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:09.
Second quarter
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 20-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 14:22. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 0:48.
NYG – Josh Brown 24-yard field goal, 6:53. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:31.
NYG – Josh Brown 41-yard field goal, 2:19. Giants 9–7. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:46.
DEN – Matt Prater 42-yard field goal, 0:47. Broncos 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:32.
Third quarter
DEN – Wes Welker 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 8:58. Broncos 17–9. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:28.
NYG – Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 3:08. Broncos 17–16. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 5:50.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 25-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 0:25. Broncos 24–16. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Julius Thomas 11-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 12:19. Broncos 31–16. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:34.
DEN – Trindon Holliday 81-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick), 10:13. Broncos 38–16. Drive: 0 plays, 81 yards, 0:12.
NYG – Da'Rel Scott 23-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 3:59. Broncos 38–23. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:13.
DEN – Matt Prater 47-yard field goal, 2:38. Broncos 41–23. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 1:21.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 30/43, 307 yards, 2 TD
NYG – Eli Manning – 28/49, 362 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 13 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TD
NYG – David Wilson – 7 rushes, 17 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Eric Decker – 9 receptions, 87 yards
NYG – Victor Cruz – 8 receptions, 118 yards
Coming off their season-opening win over the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens, the Broncos traveled to East Rutherford, New Jersey, for an interconference duel against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. This was the third match-up between brothers Peyton Manning (Broncos) and Eli Manning (Giants), with Peyton Manning winning the previous two match-ups as a member of the Indianapolis Colts – 2006 and 2010. The Giants grabbed the lead midway through the first quarter, with a 36-yard field goal by placekicker Josh Brown. In the second quarter, a 20-yard touchdown run by running back Knowshon Moreno gave the Broncos the lead. Two field goals by Brown – from 24 and 41 yards – gave the Giants a 9–7 lead. The Broncos re-claimed the lead just before halftime, with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 42-yard field goal. The Broncos increased their lead in the third quarter, with quarterback Peyton Manning connecting on a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. The Giants responded, with running back Brandon Jacobs rushing for a 1-yard touchdown to pull the Giants to within 17–16 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, the Broncos seized control of the game with 21 unanswered points, beginning with a 25-yard touchdown run by Moreno, followed in the fourth quarter by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to tight end Julius Thomas, and return specialist Trindon Holliday returning a punt 81 yards for a touchdown. The Giants tried to rally, with quarterback Eli Manning throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to running back Da'Rel Scott with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but a 47-yard field goal by Prater put the game out of reach. With the win, the Broncos improved to 2–0.
Notes
Peyton Manning improved his head-to-head record against Eli Manning to 3–0. This would be the last time the Manning brothers played against each other in the NFL, following Peyton's retirement following the 2015 season.
Injuries
Offensive tackle Ryan Clady suffered a Lisfranc fracture in his foot late in the fourth quarter, and was placed on injured reserve three days later (September 18).
Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders
at Sports Authority at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: September 23
Game time:6:40 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 64°F (18°C), mostly clear
Game attendance: 76,978
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
First quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 10:28. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:23.
DEN – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 0:47. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 3:42.
Second quarter
DEN – Wes Welker 12-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 7:27. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:35.
OAK – Denarius Moore 73-yard pass from Terrelle Pryor (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:57. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:30.
DEN – Julius Thomas 13-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 3:40. Broncos 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:17.
DEN – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal, 0:19. Broncos 27–7. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 1:30.
Third quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 40-yard field goal, 8:41. Broncos 30–7. Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 6:19.
OAK – Marcel Reece 16-yard pass from Darren McFadden (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:17. Broncos 30–14. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:26.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Ronnie Hillman 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 11:27. Broncos 37–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:50.
OAK – Darren McFadden 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:15. Broncos 37–21. Drive: 4 plays, 20 yards, 1:04.
Top passers
OAK – Terrelle Pryor – 19/28, 281 yards, TD
DEN – Peyton Manning – 32/37, 374 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
OAK – Terrelle Pryor – 4 rushes, 36 yards
DEN – Ronnie Hillman – 9 rushes, 66 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Denarius Moore – 6 receptions, 124 yards, TD
DEN – Eric Decker – 8 receptions, 133 yards, TD
Coming off their win over the Giants, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West duel with the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football. The Broncos jumped out to a 17–0 lead, with a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker, a 53-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater and 12-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Wes Welker, the latter of which occurred in the second quarter. The Raiders got on the scoreboard when quarterback Terrelle Pryor completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Denarius Moore. The Broncos subsequently added to their lead, with Manning throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas, followed by two field goals by Prater – a 41-yarder just before halftime and a 40-yarder midway through the third quarter. Following a Manning fumble, the Raiders narrowed the Broncos' lead, with Pryor tossing the football on a running play to running back Darren McFadden, and McFadden throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece, however, the Broncos responded early in the fourth quarter, with running back Ronnie Hillman rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Raiders scored a late touchdown, with McFadden rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, however, the Broncos recovered the ensuing onside kick, sealing the win. With the win, the Broncos improved to 3–0.
Notes
This was the 17th meeting on Monday Night Football between the Broncos and Raiders – tied for the most frequent pairing in Monday Night Football history with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, who will meet for a 17th time in 2015.
Week 4: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: September 29
Game time: 2:25 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 76°F (24°C), partly cloudly
Game attendance: 77,002
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
First quarter
DEN – Wes Welker 6-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 10:19. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:52.
PHI – Alex Henery 35-yard field goal, 6:03. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:16.
DEN – Trindon Holliday 105-yard kickoff return (Matt Prater kick), 5:50. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 0 plays, 105 yards, 0:13.
Second quarter
PHI – Alex Henery 25-yard field goal, 14:18. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 6:32.
PHI – Chris Polk 4-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 11:06. Broncos 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 2:10.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 5:05. Broncos 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:01.
Third quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 9:54. Broncos 28–13. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:06.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 15-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 5:10. Broncos 35–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.
DEN – Wes Welker 4-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 0:22. Broncos 42–13. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:35.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Steven Johnson 17-yard return of blocked punt (Matt Prater kick), 13:54. Broncos 49–13. Drive: 0 plays, 17 yards, 0:05.
DEN – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 6:53. Broncos 52–13. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:49.
PHI – Jeff Maehl 6-yard pass from Nick Foles (Alex Henery kick), 4:35. Broncos 52–20. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:18.
Top passers
PHI – Michael Vick – 14/27, 248 yards
DEN – Peyton Manning – 28/34, 327 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
PHI – LeSean McCoy – 16 rushes, 73 yards
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 12 rushes, 78 yards, TD
Top receivers
PHI – Brent Celek – 3 receptions, 57 yards
DEN – Eric Decker – 5 receptions, 88 yards
Coming off their Monday Night win over the Raiders, the Broncos remained on home ground for an interconference duel with the Philadelphia Eagles. A 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Wes Welker gave the Broncos the early lead. The Eagles countered, with a 35-yard field goal by placekicker Alex Henery, however, the Broncos subsequently increased their lead, with return specialist Trindon Holliday returning the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles cut into the Broncos' lead in the second quarter, with a 25-yard field goal by Henery, followed by running back Chris Polk rushing for a 4-yard touchdown to pull to within 14–13. However, the Broncos proceeded to score 38 unanswered points and take control of the game. First, running back Knowshon Moreno rushed for a 4-yard touchdown. Then in the third quarter, Manning added three more touchdown passes – a 1-yarder and a 15-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, followed by a 4-yarder to Welker. In the fourth quarter, Broncos' linebacker Steven Johnson blocked Donnie Jones' punt and immediately returned the football 17 yards for a touchdown, which was followed by a 53-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. The Eagles scored a late touchdown, with quarterback Nick Foles, playing in place of Michael Vick, completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeff Maehl, but the outcome of the game had already been decided in the Broncos' favor. With the win, the Broncos improved to 4–0.
Notes
This was the only game during the 2013 season in which the Broncos wore their alternate navy blue jerseys.
Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Date: October 6
Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT/2:25 p.m. MDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 92,758
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
First quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 8:06. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:54.
DAL – DeMarco Murray 4–yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 3:18. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:35.
DEN – Julius Thomas 4–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 2:28. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:50.
Second quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 43–yard field goal, 12:14. Cowboys 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:14.
DEN – Eric Decker 2–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 9:06. Cowboys 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:08.
DEN – Julius Thomas 9–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 5:22. Broncos 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:27.
DEN – Peyton Manning 1–yard run (Matt Prater kick), 0:46. Broncos 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 2:24.
DAL – Dan Bailey 48–yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 28–20. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 0:46.
Third quarter
DEN – Wes Welker 2–yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 8:03. Broncos 35–20. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:57.
DAL – Terrance Williams 82–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:08. Broncos 35–27. Drive: 2 plays, 83 yards, 0:55.
DEN – Matt Prater 48–yard field goal, 3:23. Broncos 38–27. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:45.
DAL – Dez Bryant 2–yard pass from Tony Romo (run failed), 0:14. Broncos 38–33. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:09.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Jason Witten 10–yard pass from Tony Romo (Tony Romo–Terrance Williams pass), 13:38. Cowboys 41–38. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:24.
DEN – Matt Prater 50–yard field goal, 9:37. Tied 41–41. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 1:24.
DAL – Cole Beasley 4–yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 7:19. Cowboys 48–41. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 2:18.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 1–yard run (Matt Prater kick), 2:39. Tied 48–48. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:40.
DEN – Matt Prater 28–yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 51–48. Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 1:57.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 33/42, 414 yards, 4 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo – 25/36, 506 yards, 5 TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 19 rushes, 93 yards, TD
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 12 rushes, 43 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Julius Thomas – 9 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Terrance Williams – 4 receptions, 151 yards, TD
Coming off their blowout win over the Eagles, the Broncos traveled to Arlington, Texas, for an interconference duel with the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys grabbed a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Romo to wide receiver Dez Bryant, followed by running back DeMarco Murray rushing for a 4-yard touchdown. The latter score occurred after a fumble by Broncos' wide receiver Eric Decker. The Broncos later got on the scoreboard, with quarterback Peyton Manning connecting on a 4-yard shovel pass to tight end Julius Thomas for a touchdown. Early in the second quarter, a 43-yard field goal by placekicker Dan Bailey gave the Cowboys a 17–7 lead. The Broncos then reeled off 21 unanswered points, with Manning adding two more touchdown passes – a 2-yarder to Decker and a 9-yarder to Thomas, followed by Manning rushing for a 1-yard touchdown on a bootleg play. A 48-yard field goal by Bailey at the end of the first half narrowed the Broncos' lead to 28–20.
The Broncos added to their lead midway through the third quarter, with Manning connecting on a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. However, the Cowboys subsequently began chipping away at the Broncos' lead, with Romo connecting on an 82-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrance Williams. A 48-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater gave the Broncos a 38–27 lead, but the Cowboys further narrowed the Broncos' lead, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Romo to Bryant (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt). On the Broncos' next possession, Manning threw his first interception of the season, and the Cowboys subsequently re-claimed the lead early in the fourth quarter, with Romo throwing a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten, coupled with a two-point pass from Romo to Williams. The Broncos tied the game at 41–41 on their next possession, with a 50-yard field goal by Prater, however, on the Cowboys' next possession, Romo connected on a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cole Beasley to give the Cowboys a 48–41 lead with 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter. Manning subsequently led the Broncos on a 9-play, 73-yard drive, which culminated with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 48–48 with 2:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. Two plays into the Cowboys' next possession, as the Cowboys were attempting a game-winning drive, Romo was intercepted by Broncos' linebacker Danny Trevathan at the Cowboys' 24-yard line just before the two-minute warning. On the fourth play of the Broncos' final possession, the Broncos were facing a 3rd-and-1 at the Cowboys' 2-yard line, after the Cowboys had exhausted two of their three team timeouts. Moreno earned a crucial first down after Manning implored him to go down before reaching the goal line instead of scoring a touchdown, which forced the Cowboys to burn their final timeout with 1:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. After three kneel-downs by Manning, Prater nailed the game-winning 28-yard field goal as time expired. With the win, the Broncos improved to 5–0.
Notes
This was the only game during the 2013 season in which the Broncos wore their alternate navy blue jerseys.
Week 6: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: October 13
Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 59°F (15°C), partly cloudy
Game attendance: 76,862
Referee: Jeff Triplette
TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Shannon Sharpe
First quarter
DEN – Julius Thomas 3-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 12:09. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 2:02.
DEN – Wes Welker 20-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 2:44. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 6:08.
Second quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 50-yard field goal, 13:18. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:26.
JAX – Josh Scobee 30-yard field goal, 5:43. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 2:20.
JAX – Paul Posluszny 59-yard interception return (pass failed), 0:36. Broncos 14–12. Drive: 0 plays, 59 yards, 0:12.
Third quarter
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 12:16. Broncos 21–12. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:44.
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew 5-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 7:43. Broncos 21–19. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:33.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 8-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 4:02. Broncos 28–19. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 3-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:09. Broncos 35–19. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 2:19.
Top passers
JAX – Chad Henne – 27/42, 303 yards, 2 INT
DEN – Peyton Manning – 28/42, 295 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 21 rushes, 71 yards, TD
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 15 rushes, 42 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
JAX – Justin Blackmon – 14 receptions, 190 yards
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 3 receptions, 78 yards
Coming off their comeback win over the Cowboys, the Broncos returned home for an AFC match against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos entered the game as the largest favorites (27 points) in NFL history. The Broncos started their dominance by jumping out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a pair of touchdown passes – a 3-yarder to tight end Julius Thomas and a 20-yarder to wide receiver Wes Welker. The Jaguars outscored the Broncos 12–0 in the second quarter, with a pair of field goals from placekicker Josh Scobee – from 50 and 30 yards out, followed by linebacker Paul Posluszny returning a Manning interception 59 yards for a touchdown (with an unsuccessful two-point attempt). On the opening drive of the third quarter, Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, however, the Jaguars had a response, with running back Maurice Jones-Drew rushing for a 5-yard touchdown to pull to within 21–19 midway through the third quarter. The Broncos subsequently added to their lead, with Moreno rushing for a pair of touchdowns – an 8-yarder followed by a 3-yarder at the 9:09 mark of the fourth quarter, the latter of which was the final scoring play of the game. The Jaguars attempted a rally, but the Broncos' defense stood their ground on the Jaguars' final two offensive possessions. With the win, the Broncos improved to 6–0.
Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: October 20
Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 57°F (14°C), clear – retractable roof open
Attendance: 67,196
Referee: Carl Cheffers
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michelle Tafoya
First quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 17-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 8:16. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 56 yards, 0:46.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 27-yard field goal, 4:05. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:11.
IND – Darrius Heyward-Bey 11-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 1:20. Colts 10–7. Drive: 1 play, 11 yards, 0:07.
Second quarter
DEN – Julius Thomas 12-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 11:56. Broncos 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:24.
IND – Peyton Manning fumble forced by Robert Mathis out of the end zone for a safety, 8:52. Broncos 14–12. Drive: 0 plays, 0 plays, 0:12.
IND – Stanley Havili 20-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:50. Colts 19–14. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:02.
IND – Coby Fleener 8-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:10. Colts 26–14. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 1:25.
Third quarter
IND – Andrew Luck 10-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:00. Colts 33–14. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:49.
DEN – Matt Prater 31-yard field goal, 0:42. Colts 33–17. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:18.
Fourth quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 52-yard field goal, 12:59. Colts 36–17. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:43.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 31-yard pass from Peyton Manning (pass failed), 12:11. Colts 36–23. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:48.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:44. Colts 36–30. Drive: 8 plays, 23 yards, 2:42.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 42-yard field goal, 5:57. Colts 39–30. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:02.
DEN – Matt Prater 47-yard field goal, 0:12. Colts 39–33. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 1:16.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 29/49, 386 yards, 3 TD, INT
IND – Andrew Luck – 21/38, 228 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 15 rushes, 40 yards, TD
IND – Trent Richardson – 14 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Eric Decker – 8 receptions, 150 yards, TD
IND – Reggie Wayne – 5 receptions, 50 yards
Coming off their win over the Jaguars, the Broncos traveled to Lucas Oil Stadium for an AFC duel with the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos grabbed the early lead in the first quarter, with quarterback Peyton Manning connecting with wide receiver Eric Decker on a 17-yard touchdown pass. The Colts responded, with a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Adam Vinatieri. Following a fumble by Broncos' return specialist Trindon Holliday on a punt return, the Colts grabbed the lead, with quarterback Andrew Luck completing an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. The Broncos re-claimed the lead in the second quarter, with Manning throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Julius Thomas. On the Broncos next possession, Colts' linebacker Robert Mathis forced a fumble off Manning out of the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Colts subsequently re-claimed the lead, with Luck connecting on a 20-yard touchdown pass to fullback Stanley Havili, then added to their lead, with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Luck to tight end Coby Fleener just before halftime.
The Broncos' offense went three-and-out on their first three possessions of the third quarter, and the Colts took a 33–14 lead, with Luck rushing for a 10-yard touchdown. Late in the third quarter, the Broncos tried to cut into the Colts lead, with a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, but the Colts responded early in the fourth quarter, with a 52-yard field goal by Vinatieri. Trailing 36–17, the Broncos attempted a rally, with Manning connecting on a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), followed by a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Knowshon Moreno. The latter score occurred after Broncos' safety Duke Ihenacho forced a fumble off Colts' running back Trent Richardson deep in Colts' territory. The Broncos' defense forced a punt on the Colts next possession. However, with 7:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, Manning's arm was hit by Colts' linebacker Erik Walden, and his pass was subsequently intercepted by linebacker Pat Angerer deep in Broncos' territory. Four plays later, a Vinatieri 42-yard field goal gave the Colts a 39–30 lead with 6:06 remaining. Eight plays into the Broncos' next possession, running back Ronnie Hillman lost a fumble at the Colts' 3-yard line at the 3:15 mark of the fourth quarter, just as the Broncos were attempting to narrow the Colts' lead. The Colts' offense subsequently ran time off the clock, forcing the Broncos to burn all three of their team timeouts. The Broncos tried a desperation rally with 1:28 remaining, with Prater nailing a 47-yard field goal with only 17 seconds remaining. However, the ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful, sealing the win for the Colts. With the loss, the Broncos' record dropped to 6–1.
Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: October 27
Game time: 2:25 p.m. MDT
Game weather: 69°F (21°C), mostly sunny
Game attendance: 77,031
Referee: Ron Winter
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
First quarter
DEN – Wes Welker 6-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 10:02. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 3:40.
Second quarter
WAS – Leonard Hankerson 7-yard pass from Robert Griffin III (Kai Forbath kick), 0:19. Tied 7–7. Drive: 16 plays, 95 yards, 7:03.
Third quarter
WAS – Alfred Morris 1-yard run (Kai Forbath kick), 11:34. Redskins 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:22.
WAS – DeAngelo Hall 26-yard interception return (Kai Forbath kick), 11:25. Redskins 21–7. Drive: 0 plays, 26 yards, 0:12.
DEN – Montee Ball 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 7:48. Redskins 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:37.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Joel Dreessen 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 14:56. Tied 21–21. Drive: 16 plays, 83 yards, 4:59.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 35-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 14:19. Broncos 28–21. Drive: 1 play, 35 yards, 0:10.
DEN – Matt Prater 19-yard field goal, 11:14. Broncos 31–21. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:01.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 35-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:35. Broncos 38–21. Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, 0:34.
DEN – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie 75-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 2:07. Broncos 45–21. Drive: 0 plays, 75 yards, 0:12.
Top passers
WAS – Robert Griffin III – 15/30, 132 yards, TD, 2 INT
DEN – Peyton Manning – 30/44, 354 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
WAS – Alfred Morris – 17 rushes, 93 yards, TD
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 14 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
WAS – Jordan Reed – 8 receptions, 90 yards
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
Hoping to recover from their first loss of the season at Indianapolis, the Broncos returned home for an interconference match against the Washington Redskins. A 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Wes Welker gave the Broncos the early lead. The Redskins tied the game just before halftime, with quarterback Robert Griffin III connecting on a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Leonard Hankerson. Early in the third quarter, the Redskins grabbed a 21–7 lead, with two touchdowns in only 19 seconds – both off Manning turnovers. Following a Manning fumble, Redskins' running back Alfred Morris rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. On the first play of the Broncos' next possession, Manning was intercepted by cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who returned the football 26 yards for a touchdown. However, the Broncos scored the final 38 points of the game. Midway through the third quarter, running back Montee Ball rushed for a 4-yard touchdown. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Manning connected on a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joel Dreessen to tie the game at 21–21. The Redskins' offense went three-and-out on their next possession, and after punter Sav Rocca shanked a punt to the Redskins' 35-yard line, the Broncos immediately grabbed the lead on the first play of their next possession, with Manning throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to running back Knowshon Moreno on a screen play. On the Redskins' next possession, Broncos' linebacker Von Miller forced a fumble off RGIII deep in Redskins' territory, though the Broncos had to settle on a 19-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. Midway through the fourth quarter, Manning threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game – a 35-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The final scoring play of the game came courtesy of cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returning an interception off Redskins' quarterback Kirk Cousins 75 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the Broncos improved to 7–1.
Notes
This was Redskins' head coach Mike Shanahan's first visit to Denver since being fired by the Broncos after the 2008 season. Shanahan, who coached the Broncos from 1995 to 2008, is the winningest head coach in Broncos' franchise history, with 146 wins. This was the Broncos' final home game against Washington under the "Redskins" moniker, as Washington adopted a temporary moniker in 2020.
Week 10: at San Diego Chargers
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Date: November 10
Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PST
Game weather: 78°F (26°C), sunny
Game attendance: 68,847
Referee: Tony Corrente
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
First quarter
DEN – Julius Thomas 74-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 9:18. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 0:57.
Second quarter
SD – Nick Novak 26-yard field goal, 14:58. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 9:20.
SD – Nick Novak 40-yard field goal, 9:05. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:59.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 11-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:38. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:27.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 7-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 0:13. Broncos 21–6. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 1:25.
Third quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 34-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 11:34. Broncos 28–6. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:26.
SD – Danny Woodhead 7-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 8:38. Broncos 28–13. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:52.
Fourth quarter
SD – Ryan Mathews 1-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 10:42. Broncos 28–20. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:47.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 25/36, 330 yards, 4 TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 19/29, 218 yards, TD
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 15 rushes, 65 yards
SD – Ryan Mathews – 14 rushes, 59 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 7 receptions, 108 yards, 3 TD
SD – Antonio Gates – 4 receptions, 62 yards
Coming off their win over the Redskins and subsequent bye week, the Broncos traveled to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers. A 74-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to tight end Julius Thomas in the first quarter gave the Broncos the early lead. Two second-quarter field goals by Chargers' placekicker Nick Novak – from 26 and 40 yards out – narrowed the Broncos lead. However, the Broncos struck back, with Manning connecting on three touchdown passes to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas – an 11-yarder, a 7-yarder just before halftime and a 34-yarder on the opening possession of the second half, which increased the Broncos' lead to 28–6. On the Broncos' next possession, Chargers' linebacker Tourek Williams forced a fumble off Manning deep in Broncos' territory, and the Chargers immediately capitalized two plays later, with quarterback Philip Rivers throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Danny Woodhead. The Chargers further narrowed the Broncos' lead early in the fourth quarter, with running back Ryan Mathews rushing for a 1-yard touchdown to pull to within 28–20 with 10:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Chargers' defense forced a punt on the Broncos' next possession, and with 6:43 left in the game, the Chargers tried to rally, however, the Broncos' defense forced a Chargers' punt with 3:37 remaining, and the Broncos' offense subsequently ran out the clock. With the win, the Broncos improved to 7–1.
Week 11: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: November 17
Game time: 6:30 p.m. MST
Game weather: 43°F (6°C), clear
Game attendance: 77,076
Referee: John Parry
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michelle Tafoya
First quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 54-yard field goal, 12:33. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 1:31.
DEN – Julius Thomas 9-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 3:03. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:25.
Second quarter
KC – Dwayne Bowe 6-yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop kick), 13:23. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:40.
DEN – Montee Ball 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:05. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:18.
KC – Ryan Succop 20-yard field goal, 2:55. Broncos 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:10.
Third quarter
DEN – Montee Ball 8-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 2:22. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:02.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 7:06. Broncos 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:42.
KC – Anthony Fasano 10-yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop kick), 4:56. Broncos 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:10.
Top passers
KC – Alex Smith – 21/45, 230 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Peyton Manning – 24/40, 323 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Jamaal Charles – 16 rushes, 78 yards
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 27 rushes, 79 yards
Top receivers
KC – Dwayne Bowe – 4 receptions, 57 yards, TD
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 5 receptions, 121 yards
Coming off their win over the Chargers, the Broncos returned home for an AFC West duel with the 9–0 Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos jumped out to a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, with a 54-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, followed by a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to tight end Julius Thomas. The Chiefs got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, with a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alex Smith to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. The Broncos immediately responded, with running back Montee Ball rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Chiefs pulled to within 17–10, with a 20-yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop. The Broncos added to their lead late in the third quarter, with an 8-yard touchdown run by Ball, followed by a 36-yard field goal by Prater midway through the fourth quarter. The Chiefs tried to rally, with Smith connecting on a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano, and forced a Broncos' punt with one minute remaining in the game, but the Broncos' defense stood their ground to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season. With the win, the Broncos improved to 9–1.
Week 12: at New England Patriots
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Date: November 24
Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. MST
Game weather: 22°F (–6°C), clear, windy, and cold
Game attendance: 68,756
Referee: Gene Steratone
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michelle Tafoya
First quarter
DEN – Von Miller 60-yard fumble return (Matt Prater kick), 9:54. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 60 yards, 0:12.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:54. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:28.
DEN – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 2:57. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:29.
Second quarter
DEN – Jacob Tamme 10-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:10. Broncos 24–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:28.
Third quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 5-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 11:21. Broncos 24–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:39.
NE – Brandon Bolden 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 5:40. Broncos 24–14. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 2:39.
NE – Rob Gronkowski 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:19. Broncos 24–21. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 1:42.
Fourth quarter
NE – Julian Edelman 14-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:13. Patriots 28–24. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 1:19.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 7:37. Patriots 31–24. Drive: 12 plays, 34 yards, 4:45.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 11-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 3:06. Tied 31–31. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:31.
Overtime
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 1:56. Patriots 34–31. Drive: 3 plays, 0 yards, 1:05.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 19/36, 150 yards, 2 TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 34/50, 344 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 37 rushes, 224 yards, TD
NE – Brandon Bolden – 13 rushes, 58 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Jacob Tamme – 5 receptions, 47 yards, TD
NE – Julian Edelman – 9 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TD
Coming off their win over the Chiefs, the Broncos traveled to Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. This was the 14th meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady since 2001. The Broncos jumped out to a 17–0 lead in the first quarter off three Patriots' turnovers. First, linebacker Von Miller returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown. Then, after another Patriots' fumble, running back Knowshon Moreno rushed for a 2-yard touchdown. Placekicker Matt Prater added a 27-yard field goal after yet another Patriots' fumble. The Broncos increased their lead to 24–0 midway through the second quarter, with Manning connecting on a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme.
The Patriots then reeled off 31 unanswered points, 14 of which came off two Broncos' turnovers. The Patriots took the opening possession of the second half and got on the scoreboard, with Brady connecting on a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman. Following a fumble by Broncos' running back Montee Ball, the Patriots scored again, with running back Brandon Bolden rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. After forcing a Broncos' punt, the Patriots pulled to within 24–21 near the end of the third quarter, with Brady throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski. On the second play of the Broncos' next possession, Manning was intercepted by Patriots' cornerback Logan Ryan early in the fourth quarter, and three plays later, Brady connected on another touchdown pass to Edelman – from 14 yards out – to give the Patriots a 28–24 lead. The Broncos went three-and-out on their next offensive possession, and the Patriots subsequently added to their lead, with a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Stephen Gostkowski midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos snapped the Patriots' streak of 31 unanswered points and tied the game on their next possession, with a 10-play, 80-yard drive, culminating with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, sending the game to overtime.
Each team traded punts on their first two overtime possessions, and after the Patriots' second punt, Broncos' cornerback Tony Carter inadvertently made contact with the football as he was trying to get out of the way of a bouncing punt, with Patriots' safety Nate Ebner recovering the fumble at the Broncos' 13-yard line. Three plays later, Gostkowski nailed the game-winning 30-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining in overtime. With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 9–2.
Notes
This marked wide receiver Wes Welker's first visit to New England, where he was a standout Pro Bowler with the team from 2007 to 2012. Tom Brady improved his head-to-head record against Peyton Manning to 10–4, while Manning suffered his 14th career loss in 21 starts against the Patriots.
Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date: December 1
Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST/2:25 p.m. MST
Game weather: 55°F (13°C), sunny and clear
Game attendance: 77,065
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
First quarter
KC – Junior Hemingway 17-yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop kick), 2:41. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 4:10.
Second quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 41-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 14:53. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:48.
KC – Knile Davis 108-yard kickoff return (Ryan Succop kick), 14:40. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
KC – Anthony Fasano 12-yard pass from Alex Smith (Ryan Succop kick), 10:57. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:12.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 3-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 4:16. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 37-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 11:51. Tied 21–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:09.
DEN – Eric Decker 15-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:48. Broncos 28–21. Drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 2:08.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 14:16. Broncos 35–21. Drive: 10 plays, 95 yards, 5:45.
KC – Jamaal Charles 1-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 6:32. Broncos 35–28. Drive: 17 plays, 80 yards, 7:44.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 22/35, 403 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
KC – Alex Smith – 26/42, 293 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Montee Ball – 13 rushes, 117 yards
KC – Jamaal Charles – 19 rushes, 93 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Eric Decker – 8 receptions, 174 yards, 4 TD
KC – Dwayne Bowe – 3 receptions, 56 yards
Hoping to rebound from their overtime loss to the Patriots, the Broncos traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos and Chiefs entered the game tied for the AFC West division lead, both with 9–2 records. The Chiefs grabbed the lead late in the first quarter, with quarterback Alex Smith throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Junior Hemingway. The Broncos responded at the beginning of the second quarter, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eric Decker. However, Chiefs' running back Knile Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, and following a Manning interception on the Broncos' next possession, Smith connected with tight end Anthony Fasano on a 12-yard touchdown pass to give the Chiefs a 21–7 lead. The Broncos then reeled off 28 unanswered points, beginning with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Manning to running back Knowshon Moreno. Manning then connected with Decker on three more touchdown passes – a 37-yarder and a 15-yarder in the third quarter, followed by a 1-yarder early in the fourth quarter. A 1-yard touchdown run by Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles narrowed the Broncos' lead to 35–28 with 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Chiefs' defense forced a punt on the Broncos' next possession. The Chiefs' offense had one last possession with 3:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Smith drove the Chiefs to as far as the Broncos' 13-yard line with 1:51 remaining. However, Broncos' safety Mike Adams deflected a fourth-down pass from Smith that was intended for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe near the goal line, and the Broncos subsequently ran out the clock. With the win, the Broncos improved to 10–2 and improved their division record to 4–0.
Notes
With the win, the Broncos swept the Chiefs for a second consecutive season.
Week 14: vs. Tennessee Titans
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: December 8
Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
Game weather: 18°F (–8°C), mostly sunny
Game attendance: 76,554
Referee: Scott Green
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
First quarter
TEN – Shonn Greene 1-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 12:37. Titans 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:23.
DEN – Wes Welker 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 7:28. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 5:09.
TEN – Chris Johnson 3-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 7:01. Titans 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:27.
DEN – Matt Prater 25-yard field goal, 0:25. Titans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 2:24.
Second quarter
TEN – Shonn Greene 28-yard run (Rob Bironas kick), 6:58. Titans 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 3:38.
DEN – Julius Thomas 8-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 1:50. Titans 21–17. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:08.
DEN – Matt Prater 64-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 0:52.
Third quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 4-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 11:52. Broncos 27–21. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:08.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 7:34. Broncos 34–21. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 2:56.
TEN – Justin Hunter 41-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rob Bironas kick), 4:50. Broncos 34–28. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:44.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 19-yard field goal, 13:15. Broncos 37–28. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:35.
DEN – Eric Decker 20-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 9:12. Broncos 44–28. Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 0:35.
DEN – Montee Ball 5-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:07. Broncos 51–28. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
TEN – Justin Hunter – 4 receptions, 114 yards, TD
DEN – Eric Decker – 8 receptions, 117 yards, TD
Top rushers
TEN – Shonn Greene – 9 rushes, 46 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 14 rushes, 78 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Justin Hunter – 4 receptions, 114 yards, TD
DEN – Eric Decker – 8 receptions, 117 yards, TD
Coming off their win over the Chiefs, the Broncos returned home for an AFC duel with the Tennessee Titans. The Titans struck first on their opening possession, with running back Shonn Greene rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Broncos responded, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. Titans' running back Leon Washington then returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to the Broncos' 3-yard line, and the Titans subsequently re-claimed the lead, with a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Chris Johnson. The Broncos narrowed the Titans' lead toward the end of the first quarter, with a 25-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. Midway through the second quarter, Greene rushed for a 28-yard touchdown, which gave the Titans a 21–10 lead. Just after the two-minute warning, Manning connected with tight end Julius Thomas on an 8-yard touchdown pass, and just before halftime, Prater nailed an NFL-record 64-yard field goal. The Broncos claimed the lead on the opening possession of the second half, with Manning throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, then increased their lead, with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Titans tried to cut into the Broncos' lead, with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connecting on a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Justin Hunter. However, the Broncos pulled away in the fourth quarter, with a 19-yard field goal by Prater, a 20-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker and a 5-yard touchdown run by running back Montee Ball. With the win, the Broncos improved to 11–2.
Notes
With the win, the Broncos clinched a playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season.
Week 15: vs. San Diego Chargers
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: December 12
Game time: 6:25 p.m. MST
Game weather: 37°F (3°C), mostly clear
Game attendance: 76,497
TV announcers (NFL Network): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
First quarter
DEN – Andre Caldwell 15-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 11:51. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:09.
SD – Nick Novak 38-yard field goal, 5:15. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 6:36.
DEN – Matt Prater 32-yard field goal, 1:22. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:53.
Second quarter
SD – Keenan Allen 19-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 9:46. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:36.
SD – Keenan Allen 10-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 1:05. Chargers 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:26.
Third quarter
SD – Ryan Mathews 23-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 11:06. Chargers 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Andre Caldwell 5-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 10:25. Chargers 24–17. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:07.
SD – Nick Novak 35-yard field goal, 2:36. Chargers 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:31.
DEN – Matt Prater 42-yard field goal, 0:29. Chargers 27–20. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:07.
Top passers
Coming off their win over the Titans, the Broncos remained on home ground for an AFC West rematch with the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football. A 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Andre Caldwell gave the Broncos the early lead. The Chargers subsequently got on the board, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Novak. The Broncos answered, with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Chargers scored 21 unanswered points and dominated the time of possession, as the Broncos' offense went three-and-out on all three of their second quarter possessions. A 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to wide receiver Keenan Allen tied the game, and the Chargers grabbed the lead late in the first half, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Allen. The Chargers took the opening possession of the second half and increased their lead, culminating with running back Ryan Mathews rushing for a 23-yard touchdown. The Broncos were forced to punt after only four plays on their initial possession of the second half, and the Chargers' ball control offense subsequently ate up over eight minutes of the third quarter, though the Broncos' defense forced a Chargers' punt. The Broncos cut into the Chargers' lead in the fourth quarter, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Caldwell with 10:30 remaining in the game. After forcing a Chargers' punt, the Broncos offense got the football with 5:50 remaining, however, three plays later, Manning was intercepted by Chargers' linebacker Thomas Keiser at the Broncos' 39-yard line. Six plays later, a 35-yard field goal by Novak increased the Chargers' lead to 27–17 with 2:41 remaining. With no timeouts remaining (save the two-minute warning), the Broncos tried to rally, with Prater kicking a 42-yard field goal with only 34 seconds remaining. However, the Broncos' onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, sealing the win for the Chargers. With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 11–3.
Notes
With the loss, the Broncos had their 13-game regular-season home winning streak snapped, as well as their 10-game winning streak against division opponents.
Week 16: at Houston Texans
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date: December 22
Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
Game weather: 58°F (14°C), partly cloudy – retractable roof open
Attendance: 71,761
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fout
First quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 32-yard field goal, 8:50. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 4:38.
HOU – Randy Bullock 45-yard field goal, 2:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:04.
Second quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 36-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 14:54. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:08.
HOU – Randy Bullock 35-yard field goal, 6:06. Broncos 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:45.
DEN – Matt Prater 25-yard field goal, 0:56. Broncos 13–6. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 5:10.
DEN – Matt Prater 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 16–6. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 0:26.
Third quarter
HOU – Keshawn Martin 15-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Randy Bullock kick), 10:33. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:14.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 10-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 13:26. Broncos 23–13. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:45.
DEN – Eric Decker 20-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:57. Broncos 30–13. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:03.
DEN – Julius Thomas 25-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 4:28. Broncos 37–13. Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 0:48.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 32/51, 400 yards, 4 TD
HOU – Matt Schaub – 18/37, 176 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 11 rushes, 76 yards
HOU – Deji Karim – 8 rushes, 30 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Eric Decker – 10 receptions, 131 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Ryan Griffin – 5 receptions, 66 yards
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Chargers, the Broncos traveled to Reliant Stadium for an AFC match with the Houston Texans. The two teams traded field goals in the first quarter, with a 32-yarder by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater and a 45-yarder by Texans' placekicker Randy Bullock. The Broncos grabbed the lead early in the second quarter, with a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. A 35-yard field goal by Bullock narrowed the Broncos' lead, but the Broncos increased it with two field goals from Prater in the final minute of the first half – a 25-yarder and a 44-yarder. A 15-yard touchdown pass from Texans' quarterback Matt Schaub to wide receiver Keshawn Martin was the only scoring play of the third quarter, which narrowed the Broncos' lead to 16–13. After Broncos' safety Mike Adams intercepted Schaub early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos subsequently pulled away, with Manning throwing two touchdown passes to wide receiver Eric Decker – a 10-yarder and a 20-yarder. Later in the fourth quarter, Manning threw his 51st touchdown pass of the season – a 25-yarder to tight end Julius Thomas, in which Manning set a new NFL record for touchdown passes in a single season. With the win, the Broncos improved to 12–3.
Notes
With the win, coupled with the Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Broncos clinched the AFC West division title. This was the 13th division title in the Broncos' franchise history, surpassing the Oakland Raiders for the all-time lead in AFC West championships since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. It also marked the first time in franchise history that the Broncos clinched three consecutive AFC West division titles.
Week 17: at Oakland Raiders
at Coliseum, Oakland, California
Date: December 29
Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PST
Game weather: 70°F (21°C), sunny
Game attendance: 51,500
Referee: Ron Winter
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
First quarter
DEN – Eric Decker 3-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 7:05. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:54.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 7-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 5:39. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:14.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 12:37. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 4:48.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 63-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 5:37. Broncos 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:39.
DEN – DeMaryius Thomas 5-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 0:13. Broncos 31–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 54-yard field goal, 6:36. Broncos 34–0. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:57.
OAK – Rod Streater 14-yard pass from Terrelle Pryor (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:24. Broncos 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:12.
OAK – Nick Kasa 9-yard pass from Terrelle Pryor (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:37. Broncos 34–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:36.
Top passers
DEN – Peyton Manning – 25/28, 266 yards, 4 TD
OAK – Terrelle Pryor – 21/38, 207 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Montee Ball – 10 rushes, 72 yards
OAK – Terrelle Pryor – 9 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
DEN – DeMaryius Thomas – 6 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD
OAK – Denarius Moore – 4 receptions, 63 yards
Hoping to gain momentum into the playoffs, the Broncos traveled to the Coliseum for an AFC West divisional rematch with the Oakland Raiders, in the 2013 regular season finale. The Broncos dominated this game from the start. In the first quarter, quarterback Peyton Manning threw a pair of touchdown passes – a 3-yarder to wide receiver Eric Decker and a 7-yarder to running back Knowshon Moreno. In the second quarter, placekicker Matt Prater added a 34-yard field goal, and later in the second quarter, Manning connected with wide receiver Demaryius Thomas on a 63-yard touchdown pass. This gave the Broncos a 24–0 lead, in which the Broncos set a new NFL record for points scored in a single season. Just before halftime, Manning once again connected with Thomas on another touchdown pass – from 5 yards out, in which Manning set a new NFL record for single-season passing yardage. Manning sat out the entire second half, and backup quarterback Brock Osweiler took over. After a scoreless third quarter, Prater added a 54-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Raiders finally got on the scoreboard, with quarterback Terrelle Pryor throwing a pair of touchdown passes – a 14-yarder to wide receiver Rod Streater and a 9-yarder to tight end Nick Kasa, but the outcome of the game had already been decided in the Broncos' favor. With the win, the Broncos improved to 13–3, matching their record from the previous year.
Notes
With the win, the Broncos clinched a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, as well as sweeping their division rivals on the road for the fourth time in five seasons.
AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (6) San Diego Chargers
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Date: January 12, 2014
Game time: 2:40 p.m. MST
Game weather: 41°F (5°C), partly cloudy
Game attendance: 76,969
Referee: Clete Blakeman
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
First quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 2:25. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 7:01.
Second quarter
DEN – Wes Welker 3-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 6:00. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 5:13.
Third quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 45-yard field goal, 9:35. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 12 plays, 37 yards, 5:25.
Fourth quarter
SD – Keenan Allen 16-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 12:59. Broncos 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:08.
DEN – Knowshon Moreno 3-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:12. Broncos 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:47.
SD – Keenan Allen 16-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 5:43. Broncos 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:29.
SD – Nick Novak 30-yard field goal, 3:53. Broncos 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 1:50.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 18/27, 217 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Peyton Manning – 25/36, 230 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – Danny Woodhead – 9 rushes, 29 yards
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 23 rushes, 82 yards, TD
Top receivers
SD – Keenan Allen – 6 receptions, 142 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Julius Thomas – 6 receptions, 76 yards
Following a first-round bye, the Broncos began their run in the 2013–14 NFL playoffs at home by welcoming their AFC West division rivals, the San Diego Chargers, in the teams' first-ever playoff meeting. The Broncos grabbed the lead late in the first quarter, with quarterback Peyton Manning connecting on a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. After Chargers' placekicker Nick Novak missed a 53-yard field goal early in the second quarter, the Broncos added to their lead, with Manning throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker. Just before halftime, the Broncos tried to add to their lead, after wide receiver Eric Decker stumbled on a long punt return, when it appeared that he was headed to the end zone for a touchdown. However, eight plays later, Manning was intercepted in the end zone by Chargers' linebacker Donald Butler. A 45-yard field goal by Broncos' placekicker Matt Prater on the opening possession of the second half was the only scoring play of the third quarter, as Prater later missed a 47-yard field goal toward the end of the third quarter. The Chargers finally got on the scoreboard at the 13:03 mark of the fourth quarter, with quarterback Philip Rivers connecting on a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan Allen. The Broncos subsequently responded, with running back Knowshon Moreno rushing for a 3-yard touchdown. Trailing 24–7 with 8:12 remaining in the game, the Chargers attempted a rally on their next possession. The Chargers were facing a 4th-and-5 on their own 36-yard line, and Rivers connected on a 49-yard pass to Allen to keep the Chargers alive. Three plays later, Rivers connected with Allen on another 16-yard touchdown pass. After the Chargers recovered the ensuing onside kick, a 30-yard field goal by Novak pulled the Chargers to within 24–17 with 3:56 remaining in the game. The Broncos' offense then ran out the clock, which included Manning completing two critical third-down passing plays to tight end Julius Thomas and Moreno converting a 3rd-and-1 into a game-clinching first down.
With the win, the Broncos advanced to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 2005.
AFC Championship: vs. (2) New England Patriots
Date: January 19, 2014
Game time: 1:00 p.m. MST
Game weather: 63°F (17°C), sunny
Game attendance: 77,710
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
First quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 3:43. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:07.
Second quarter
DEN – Jacob Tamme 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 7:50. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 93 yards, 7:01.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 47-yard field goal, 2:54. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:56.
DEN – Matt Prater 35-yard field goal, 0:25. Broncos 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:29.
Third quarter
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 3-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 7:52. Broncos 20–3. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:08.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 19-yard field goal, 12:02. Broncos 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:23.
NE – Julian Edelman 7-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:26. Broncos 23–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:36.
DEN – Matt Prater 54-yard field goal, 7:00. Broncos 26–10. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:26.
NE – Tom Brady 5-yard run (run failed), 3:07. Broncos 26–16. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:53.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 24/38, 277 yards, TD
DEN – Peyton Manning – 32/43, 400 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NE – Shane Vereen – 4 rushes, 34 yards
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 14 rushes, 59 yards
Top receivers
NE – Julian Edelman – 10 receptions, 89 yards, TD
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 7 receptions, 134 yards, TD
Coming off their win over the Chargers in the Divisional round, the Broncos welcomed the No. 2 seed New England Patriots to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, for the AFC Championship. The Broncos' defense forced the Patriots' offense to go three-and-out on their first two offensive possessions. The Broncos were forced to punt on their first offensive possession, but did not punt for the remainder of the game. A 27-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater gave the Broncos the lead late in the first quarter. After the Broncos' defense forced another Patriots' punt, the Broncos put together a 15-play, 93-yard drive that chewed up seven minutes of the second quarter, and added to their lead, with quarterback Peyton Manning connecting on a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Tamme. The two teams then subsequently traded field goals, with a 47-yarder by Patriots' placekicker Stephen Gostkowski and a 35-yarder by Prater just before halftime, to give the Broncos a 13–3 lead.
The Broncos took the opening possession of the second half and added to their lead, with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up the first seven minutes of the third quarter, culminating with Manning throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On the Patriots' first offensive possession of the second half, the Patriots drove to the Broncos' 29-yard line and faced a 4th-and-2, however, Broncos' defensive tackle Terrance Knighton sacked Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, forcing a turnover on downs. The Broncos subsequently added to lead early in the fourth quarter, with a 19-yard field goal by Prater. The Patriots finally got into the end zone on their next possession, with Brady connecting on a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman, but the Broncos subsequently added to their lead, with Prater nailing a 54-yard field goal with seven minutes remaining. Trailing 26–10, the Patriots tried to rally, with Brady scrambling up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown run. However, the Broncos' defense subsequently thwarted a two-point conversion attempt by Patriots' running back Shane Vereen to get the Patriots to within a one-score deficit, keeping the score at 26–16 with 3:13 remaining in the game. The Patriots tried an onside kick, but Broncos' wide receiver Eric Decker recovered the football near midfield. The Broncos' offense then forced the Patriots to use all of their timeouts and ran out the clock, aided by a critical 5-yard run on 4th-and-2 by running back Montee Ball just after the two-minute warning.
With the win, the Broncos advanced to Super Bowl XLVIII, the team's first Super Bowl appearance since winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
Notes
This was head coach John Fox's first win over Bill Belichick and the Patriots in the postseason, previously losing to the Patriots in the 2011 Divisional playoffs, and Super Bowl XXXVIII as Carolina Panthers' head coach.
Super Bowl XLVIII: vs. (N1) Seattle Seahawks
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date: February 2, 2014
Game time: 6:25 p.m. MST/4:25 p.m. EST
Game weather: 49°F (9°C), partly cloudy
Game attendance: 82,459
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Erin Andrews
First quarter
SEA – Knowshon Moreno tackled in the end zone by Cliff Avril for a safety, 14:48. Seahawks 2–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 10:21. Seahawks 5–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:27.
SEA – Steven Hauschka 33-yard field goal, 2:16. Seahawks 8–0. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:15.
Second quarter
SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 12:00. Seahawks 15–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:59.
SEA – Malcolm Smith 69-yard interception return (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:21. Seahawks 22–0. Drive: 0 plays, 69 yards, 0:12.
Third quarter
SEA – Percy Harvin 87-yard kickoff return (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:48. Seahawks 29–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12.
SEA – Jermaine Kearse 23-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:58. Seahawks 36–0. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:57.
DEN – Demaryius Thomas 14-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Peyton Manning–Wes Welker pass), 0:00. Seahawks 36–8. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:58.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Doug Baldwin 10-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:45. Seahawks 43–8. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 3:15.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 18/25, 206 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Peyton Manning – 34/49, 280 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SEA – Percy Harvin – 2 rushes, 45 yards
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 5 rushes, 17 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD
DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 13 receptions, 118 yards, TD
On the first offensive play of the game, an errant snap by Broncos' center Manny Ramirez over the head of quarterback Peyton Manning resulted in a safety that gave the Seahawks the early lead only 12 seconds into the game. Placekicker Steven Hauschka added field goals of 31 and 33 yards to give the Seahawks an 8–0 lead after the first quarter. The Broncos' offense went three-and-out on their second offensive possession, and three plays into the Broncos' third offensive possession, Manning was intercepted by Seahawks' safety Kam Chancellor at the Broncos' 39-yard line toward the end of the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, the Seahawks added to their lead, with running back Marshawn Lynch rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. The Broncos earned their first 1st-down on their next offensive possession at the 10:13 mark of the second quarter, however, the Seahawks' defense forced another turnover off Manning – defensive end Cliff Avril altered a pass by Manning, and linebacker Malcolm Smith intercepted the football and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos' offense drove to the Seahawks' 19-yard line one minute before halftime, and decided to go for a first down instead of kick a field goal. However, a short pass from Manning intended for wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was deflected by Avril and fell incomplete, giving the Seahawks a 22–0 halftime lead.
Things got much worse for the Broncos, as Seahawks' wide receiver/return specialist Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff of the second half 87 yards for a touchdown. The two teams then traded punts on their next possessions, and later in the third quarter, Seahawks' cornerback Byron Maxwell forced a fumble off Demaryius Thomas, and the Seahawks capitalized six plays later, with quarterback Russell Wilson connecting with wide receiver Jermaine Kearse on a 23-yard touchdown pass to give the Seahawks a commanding 36–0 lead. The Broncos finally got on the scoreboard at the end of the third quarter, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Demaryius Thomas (coupled with a two-point pass from Manning to wide receiver Wes Welker). This was the Broncos' only scoring play of the game, and the Seahawks added one more scoring play early in the fourth quarter, with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to wide receiver Doug Baldwin.
With the loss, the Broncos' record in Super Bowls dropped to 2–5.
Notes
This marked cornerback Champ Bailey's final game in a Broncos' uniform, as he was released on March 6, 2014.