The 2008 season was the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

' 39th in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL), their 49th overall and their 25th under the ownership of

Pat Bowlen Patrick Dennis Bowlen (February 18, 1944 – June 13, 2019) was a Canadian–American lawyer, executive and the majority owner of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL), winning three Super Bowls. He was inducted in the Pro Foo ...

. The Broncos improved from their 7–9 record from

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, but failed to make the playoffs with an 8–8 record. Entering Week 15, the Broncos had an 8–5 record — three games ahead of the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

for the

AFC West The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...

division title. The Chargers ended the season on a four-game winning streak, while the Broncos ended the season on a three-game losing streak, losing 52–21 to the San Diego Chargers in the regular season finale. The Broncos and Chargers both finished 8–8, however, the Broncos lost the tiebreaker due to the Chargers' owning a better division record (5–1 to 3–3). On December 30, 2008, two days after the regular season ended,

Mike Shanahan Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is a former American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led ...

was fired as the Broncos'

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

after 14 seasons.

Coaching staff

Roster changes

On February 29, 2008, LB

Ian Gold Ian Maurice Gold (born August 23, 1978) is a former American football player. Gold played eight seasons of professional football as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos from 2000 to 2003 and 2004 to 2007 an ...

and WR

Javon Walker Javon Liteff Walker (born October 14, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State. Walker also played for the Den ...

were released by the

in preparation for the NFL Draft and free agency. Walker was signed by the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. Long-time Broncos kicker

Jason Elam Jason Elam (born March 8, 1970) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons with the Broncos and two with the Atlanta Falcons. A three-time Pro B ...

was not re-signed by the Broncos, and was then signed by the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

. On June 2, 2008, RB

Travis Henry Travis Deion Henry (born October 29, 1978) is a former American football running back who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Tennessee. He was drafted by the Bills in t ...

was cut by the team. Seventh Round pick Josh Barrett signed on June 12, the first draft pick to sign with the team. Wide receiver Rod Smith, a veteran of both of the Broncos Super Bowl victories, retired on the first day of training camp.

NFL Draft

Draft notes

Schedule

Training camp

The Broncos opened training camp on July 24, 2008. On July 31, 2008, the Broncos granted safety John Lynch his release. The following day, head coach

, asked about the upcoming season on talk radio, said "We’re not going to miss the playoffs." Later in the day, Shanahan backed off a bit, saying "I didn’t make a guarantee . . . . you’ve got to be lucky and don’t have the injuries we’ve had. If we don’t have the injuries, I’d be very disappointed if we didn’t make the playoffs."

Preseason

Regular season

:Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Oakland Raiders

The Broncos began their 2008 campaign on the road against their AFC West rival, the

, in the second game of ESPN's

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...

doubleheader. In the first quarter, Denver ran out of the gates early as QB

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

completed a 26-yard TD pass to rookie WR

Eddie Royal William Edward "Eddie" Royal (born May 21, 1986) is an American former football wide receiver and return specialist . He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech ...

(who was filling in for WR

Brandon Marshall Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was drafted by ...

, due to his 1-game suspension). In the second quarter, the Broncos continued their domination as kicker

Matt Prater Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for lon ...

got a 26-yard field goal, while FB Michael Pittman got a 3-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Denver ran away with the game as Cutler completed a 48-yard TD pass to WR

Darrell Jackson Darrell Lamont Jackson (born December 6, 1978) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 2000s. Jackson played college football for ...

, while Prater nailed a 43-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders spoiled the Broncos' bid for a shutout as QB

JaMarcus Russell JaMarcus Trenell Russell (born August 9, 1985) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. Highly successful at LSU, where he was MVP of the 2007 Sugar ...

completed an 8-yard TD pass to WR

Ashley Lelie Ashley Jovon Lelie (; born February 16, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos 19th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii. Lelie has also played for the Atlanta Fal ...

. Denver ended its domination with RB

Selvin Young Selvin Young (born October 1, 1983) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Texas. Early years A three-year starter at Jersey Village High ...

's 5-yard TD run and Pittman's 1-yard TD run. Oakland ended the scoring with Russell completing a 4-yard TD pass to WR

Ronald Curry Ronald Antonio Curry (born May 28, 1979) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the S ...

. With the dominating win, the Broncos began their season at 1–0; with the rest of the division suffering losses, Denver, in Week 1, is in sole possession of 1st place. Eddie Royal, in his NFL debut, had the best Week 1 stats of any wide receiver, getting 9 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Week 2: vs San Diego Chargers

Coming off their dominating divisional road win over the Raiders, the Broncos played their Week 2 home opener against the AFC West foe, the

. In the first quarter, Denver was first out of the gate as FB Michael Pittman got a 1-yard TD run. The Chargers responded with kicker

Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...

getting a 34-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Denver replied with QB

completing a 3-yard and a 14-yard TD pass to TE

Tony Scheffler Tony Scheffler (born February 15, 1983) is a former American football tight end of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football and baseball at Wes ...

. San Diego immediately responded with RB

Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football a ...

returning the kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, yet the Broncos replied with rookie kicker

getting a 52-yard field goal. The Chargers struck as their lead as QB

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

completed a 48-yard TD pass to WR

Chris Chambers Christopher J. Chambers (born August 12, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers football, University of Wisconsin. He ...

, yet Denver retaliated with Cutler completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR

. In the third quarter, San Diego started to rally as Rivers completed a 15-yard TD pass to Chambers, and Kaeding kicked a 21-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Chargers took the lead with Kaeding's 28-yard field goal and Rivers' 66-yard TD pass to Sproles. The Broncos responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive (which included a controversial officiating call that turned a Cutler fumble into an incomplete pass) that was capped off with Cutler's 4-yard TD pass to rookie WR

, followed by Cutler's successful 2-point conversion pass to Royal. With an exciting win, Denver improved to 2–0. Brandon Marshall's 18 receptions was a single-game franchise record and tied for second most in league history.

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

Coming off their last-second win over the Chargers, the Broncos stayed at home, donned their alternate uniforms, and played a Week 3 interconference duel with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

. In the first quarter, Denver drew first blood as QB

completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE

Nate Jackson Nathan Ross Jackson (born June 4, 1979) is a writer and former American football tight end. Undrafted out of Menlo College in 2002, he spent most of his professional career with the Denver Broncos from 2003 to 2008 before injury problems ended ...

. The Saints answered with kicker

Martín Gramática Martín Gramática (born November 27, 1975) is an Argentine-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and New Orleans Saints. He played c ...

getting a 43-yard field goal, yet Denver replied with Cutler completing a 35-yard TD pass to WR

. In the second quarter, the Broncos increased its lead as LB

Nate Webster Nate or NATE may refer to: People and fictional characters *Nate (given name) *A nickname for Nathanael *A nickname for Nathaniel Organizations *National Association for the Teaching of English, the UK subject teacher association for all aspects ...

returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown. The Saints started to rally as RB Pierre Thomas got a 5-yard TD run, while RB

Reggie Bush Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...

got a 23-yard TD run, yet Denver answered with kicker

getting a 27-yard field goal. New Orleans closed out the half with DE

Charles Grant Charles or Charlie Grant may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Charles Jameson Grant (), American editorial cartoonist * Charles L. Grant (1942–2006), American novelist * Charles Grant (actor) (born 1957), American actor * Charles Grant (dancer ...

tackling RB

Andre Hall Andre Hall (born August 20, 1982) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at South Florida, where he was the school's all-time leading ...

in his endzone for a safety. In the third quarter, the Broncos replied with RB Michael Pittman getting a 2-yard TD run. The Saints answered with QB

Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...

completing a 6-yard TD pass to Bush, yet Denver responded with Prater nailing a 34-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans tried to rally as Thomas got a 10-yard TD run (with a failed 2-point conversion). The Saints recovered a fumble, but Gramática's go-ahead 43-yard field goal went wide right, preserving the victory for Denver. With the win, the Broncos improved to 3–0.

Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs

The

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

got off to a good start after they forced the

to punt. This was followed with a 65-yard run by Larry Johnson to set up a 23-yard field goal kick by

Nick Novak Nicholas Ryan Novak (born August 21, 1981) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Maryland. Novak has played for the Washington Redskins, A ...

, putting the Chiefs on top 3–0. After recovering an

fumble early on Denver's next drive, Kansas City again failed to make it to the end zone and a 21-yard field goal by Novak put the Chiefs up 6–0. The Broncos responded with an 8-play, 9-minute drive in the second quarter that ended in a touchdown pass from

, putting the Broncos briefly in the lead, 7–6. Later in the quarter, a fumble by Marshall was returned to the Broncos' 2-yard line by the Chiefs, followed 2 plays later by a Johnson touchdown run, putting the Chiefs up 13–7. The Broncos got the ball back, but a 28-yard field goal by

went wide right. After forcing the Chiefs to punt, the Broncos got the ball back and Prater hit a 56-yarder near the end of the half, drawing the Broncos within 13–10. The second half began with a Denver drive that resulted in a 51-yard Prater field goal, tying the game at 13–13. The Chiefs answered with a 43-yard Novak field goal, putting them back on top 16–13. On the next drive, Cutler threw an interception. However, Kansas City's very next play was a Larry Johnson fumble recovered by Denver, although 2 plays later Cutler threw another interception. Despite this exchange of turnovers (3 turnovers in 4 plays), there was no scoring for the rest of the 3rd quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs extended their lead to 23–13 with a 10-yard touchdown pass from

Damon Huard Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater. Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Be ...

Tony Gonzalez Anthony David Gonzalez (born February 27, 1976) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is the NFL's all-time leader ...

. The Broncos, however, failed to capitalize on a sustained 16-play, 75-yard drive and settled with a Prater field goal, cutting the lead to 23–16. The Chiefs and Broncos then each got field goals on their next drives, bringing the score to 26–16. The Chiefs got a good return after the Prater field goal and put the game away with a 16-yard touchdown run from Johnson. With the 33–19 victory, the Chiefs snapped a league-leading 12-game losing streak dating back to week 7 of the 2007 season. Larry Johnson carried the Chiefs with 198 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Huard managed the game well for the Chiefs, throwing 21/28 for 160 yards and 1 touchdown. Denver was hurt by 4 turnovers compared to just 1 for the Chiefs, but despite 2 interceptions, Cutler still was able to throw for 361 yards on 29/49 passing.

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Chiefs, the Broncos went home for a Week 5 interconference duel with the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

. In the first quarter, Denver trailed early as Bucs kicker

Matt Bryant Steven Matt Bryant (born May 29, 1975), nicknamed "Money Matt", is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, and was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. A ...

got a 33-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Broncos took the lead as kicker

got a 55-yard and a 40-yard field goal. Tampa Bay tied the game at halftime as Bryant kicked a 31-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Denver took a big lead as QB

completed a 10-yard TD pass to WR

Brandon Stokley Brandon Ray Stokley (born June 23, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver and current radio personality. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of L ...

. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos increased its lead as Prater nailed a 27-yard field goal. The Buccaneers rallied with a 7-yard TD pass from QB

Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-St ...

Ike Hilliard Isaac Jason Hilliard (born April 5, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver Who most recently served as the wide receivers coach for the Auburn Tigers (NCAA). He played college football for the University of Florida, and earned All-A ...

. However, Denver recovered the onside kick and drained the clock. With the win, the Broncos improved to 4–1.

Week 6: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Coming off their win over the Buccaneers, the Broncos stayed at home for a Week 6 duel with the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

. In the first quarter, Denver struck first as QB

completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR

. The Jaguars responded as kicker

Josh Scobee Joshua Taylor Scobee (born June 23, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at L ...

got a 48-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Jacksonville took the lead as RB

Maurice Jones-Drew Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned unan ...

got a 1-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Jacksonville increased their lead as Jones-Drew got a 46-yard TD run. The Broncos tried to catch up as kicker

got a 39-yard field goal, yet the Jaguars answered with QB

David Garrard David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...

completing a 30-yard TD pass to TE Marcedes Lewis. In the fourth quarter, Denver tried to come back as Cutler completed an 11-yard TD pass to TE

Daniel Graham Daniel Lawrence Graham (born November 16, 1978) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Colorado, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was ...

, but Jacksonville's defense stiffened, preventing any further scoring opportunities. With the loss, the Broncos fell to 4–2.

Week 7: at New England Patriots

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Jaguars, the Broncos flew to

Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Footb ...

for a Week 7 Monday Night duel with the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

. In the first quarter, Denver trailed early as Patriots kicker

Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He was selected in the fourth round of th ...

nailed a 31-yard and a 40-yard field goal. In the second quarter, New England increased its lead with RB

Sammy Morris Samuel Morris III (born March 23, 1977) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fif ...

getting a 4-yard TD run, along with QB

Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots an ...

completing a 13-yard TD pass to WR

Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee ...

. In the third quarter, the Broncos continued to struggle as Cassel hooked up with Moss again on a 27-yard TD pass, along with completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR

Wes Welker Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...

. In the fourth quarter, Denver avoided a shutout loss as QB

completing a 10-yard TD pass to former Patriots TE

. The Patriots sealed the win with RB

BenJarvus Green-Ellis BenJarvus Jeremy Green-Ellis (born July 2, 1985) is a former American football running back who played for the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. Green-Ellis was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played co ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. With the loss, the Broncos went into their bye week at 4–3.

Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins

Coming off their bye week, the Broncos went home for a Week 9 duel with the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

. In the first quarter, Denver trailed early as Dolphins kicker

Dan Carpenter Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...

got a 45-yard and a 47-yard field goal, along with CB Will Allen returning an interception 32 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos answered with QB

completing a 2-yard TD pass to rookie WR

. In the second quarter, Miami answered with Carpenter getting a 23-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Denver tried to rally as kicker

got a 50-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Dolphins replied with Carpenter nailing a 41-yard field goal. The Broncos tried to come back as Cutler completed a 1-yard TD pass to rookie FB

Peyton Hillis Peyton Derek Hillis (born January 21, 1986) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). Hillis attended Conway High School in Conway, Arkansas and was a highly touted recruit. Hillis attended the ...

. However, Miami pulled away as RB

Ronnie Brown Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...

got a 2-yard TD run. With their third-straight loss, Denver fell to 4–4.

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Dolphins, the Broncos flew to

Cleveland Browns Stadium FirstEnergy Stadium is a stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, primarily for American football. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and h ...

for a Week 10 Thursday night duel with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

. In the first quarter, Denver struck first as rookie RB

Ryan Torain Ryan Devon Torain (born August 10, 1986) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State University. He has also played for ...

got a 1-yard TD run. The Browns responded with QB

Brady Quinn Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...

completing a 5-yard TD pass to TE

Kellen Winslow II Kellen Boswell Winslow II (born July 21, 1983) is an American former professional football player and a convicted sex offender. He was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) and played college football at the University of Miami, wh ...

. In the second quarter, Cleveland took the lead as kicker

Phil Dawson Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He pl ...

got a 24-yard field goal and Quinn hooking up with Winslow again on a 16-yard TD pass. The Broncos answered with kicker

getting a 35-yard field goal. The Browns closed out the half with Dawson making a 52-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Denver continued to struggle as Dawson gave Cleveland a 33-yard field goal. Denver replied with Prater making a 30-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos regained the lead as QB

completed a 93-yard TD pass to rookie WR

and a 27-yard TD pass to TE

. The Browns answered with RB

Jamal Lewis Jamal Lewis (born August 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Tennessee and was s ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. Afterwards, Denver sealed the win as Cutler completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR

. With the win, the Broncos improved to 5–4. This also marked Denver's eighth-straight victory over Cleveland. Cutler had a career game, completing 24 of 42 passes for a career-best 447 yards, along with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Week 11: at Atlanta Falcons

Coming off their Thursday night road win over the Browns, the Broncos flew to the

Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...

for a Week 11 interconference duel with the

. In the first quarter, Denver drew first blood as rookie FB

got a 7-yard TD run. The Falcons answered with former Broncos kicker

getting a 46-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Atlanta took the lead as Elam made a 36-yard field goal, while RB Michael Turner got a 9-yard TD run. This is still Matt Ryan's only loss at the Georgia Dome to date. In the third quarter, Denver regained the lead as Hillis got a 2-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos increased their lead as kicker

nailed a 20-yard field goal. The Falcons tried to rally as Turner got a 28-yard TD run, yet Denver replied as QB

completed a 9-yard TD pass to TE

. With the win, the Broncos improved to 6–4. On a side note, rookie FB Spencer Larsen became the first player in franchise history to start on offense and defense. In addition to his fullback duties, he also started as middle linebacker, along with his special teams responsibilities.

Week 12: vs. Oakland Raiders

Coming off their road win over the Falcons, the Broncos went home for a Week 12 AFC West rematch with the

. After a scoreless first quarter, Denver trailed in the second quarter as Raiders kicker

Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...

got a 26-yard field goal. The Broncos responded with kicker

getting a 44-yard field goal, yet the Raiders got the halftime lead as WR

Johnnie Lee Higgins Johnnie Lee Higgins (born September 8, 1983) is a former professional American football wide receiver. Higgins played college football for the University of Texas at El Paso. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round (99th pick ...

returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Denver tied the game again as rookie FB

got a 6-yard TD run. However, Oakland replied with RB

Darren McFadden Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Dra ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders pulled away as QB

completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR

(a former Bronco), while McFadden got another 1-yard TD run. With the surprising loss, Denver fell to 6–5.

Week 13: at New York Jets

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Raiders, the Broncos flew to The Meadowlands for a Week 13 duel with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

, considered one of the best teams in the league, fresh off their victory over the undefeated

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

. In the first quarter, Denver drew first blood as safety

Vernon Fox Vernon Lee Fox, III (born October 9, 1979) is a retired American football safety. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent after the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State. Fox is currently an or ...

returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown. The Jets responded with RB Thomas Jones getting a 59-yard TD run. The Broncos answered with QB

completing a 59-yard TD pass to rookie WR

, along with kicker

getting a 25-yard field goal. In the second quarter, New York drew close as Jones got a 29-yard TD run. The Broncos replied with rookie RB

getting a 1-yard TD run, while Prater got a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Jets tried to rally as kicker

Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for sever ...

nailed a 30-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Denver pulled away as Cutler completed a 36-yard TD pass to WR

. With the win, the Broncos improved to 7–5.

Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Fresh off their road win over the Jets, the Broncos went home, donned their alternate uniforms again, and played a Week 14 AFC West rematch with the

. Denver trailed early in the first quarter as Chiefs kicker

Connor Barth Connor Thomas Barth (born April 11, 1986) is a former American football placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undraft ...

made a 26-yard field goal, along with CB

Maurice Leggett Maurice Lamar Leggett (also known as Moe Leggett) (born October 2, 1986) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was previously a member of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League and the Winnipeg Blue ...

returning an interception 27 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos closed out the period's scoring with rookie RB

getting an 18-yard touchdown run. Kansas City answered in the second quarter as QB

Tyler Thigpen Tyler Beckham Thigpen (born April 14, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He was the first ...

completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to TE

, but Denver did close out the half with QB

completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to WR

. The Broncos tied the game in the third quarter as kicker

nailed a 33-yard field goal. Afterwards, in the fourth quarter, Denver took the lead as Cutler hooked up with Marshall again on a 6-yard touchdown pass. From there, the defense prevented any possible rally from the Chiefs. With the win, the Broncos improved to 8–5.

Week 15: at Carolina Panthers

Coming off from their divisional home win over the Chiefs, the Broncos flew to Charlotte for a Week 15 interconference duel with the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

. In the first quarter, Denver drew first blood as QB

completes a 7-yard TD pass to RB

P.J. Pope William Leroy "P. J." Pope, Jr. (born February 26, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Bowling Green. Pope has also played for the ...

. Carolina soon responded with QB

Jake Delhomme Jake Christopher Delhomme (; born January 10, 1975) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at Louisiana, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisian ...

completing a 15-yard TD pass to WR

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

, yet Denver answered with kicker

nailing a 43-yard field goal. Carolina kicker

John Kasay John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...

ties the game with a 39-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Carolina took the lead with rookie RB

Jonathan Stewart Jonathan Creon Stewart (born March 21, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Oregon and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round (13th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. H ...

getting a 2-yard TD run, while Kasay closed out the half with a 44-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Carolina increased its lead with RB

DeAngelo Williams DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is a former American football running back and professional wrestler. He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He st ...

's 56-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Carolina sealed the win with Kasay's 42-yard field goal. With the loss, Denver fell to 8–6.

Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Panthers, the Broncos went home for a Week 16 duel with the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. Denver stormed out to an early first-quarter lead as quarterback

got a 2-yard touchdown run, while kicker

got a 23-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Broncos extended their lead as Prater made a 30-yard field goal. The Bills got on the board with a 37-yard field goal from kicker

Rian Lindell Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State. Early years ...

, followed by a 2-yard touchdown run from running back

Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed "Beast Mode", he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Lync ...

. Buffalo took the lead in the third quarter as Lindell got a 49-yard and a 28-yard field goal, yet Denver regained the lead with Cutler getting a 6-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, the Bills answered with quarterback

Trent Edwards Trent Addison Edwards (born October 30, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Edwards took over the sta ...

completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Stevie Johnson Steven John Johnson Jr. (born July 22, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draf ...

. The Broncos tied the game with Prater nailing a 43-yard field goal, but Buffalo got the lead again as running back Fred Jackson made an 8-yard touchdown run. Denver put together a late-game drive, but it ended up fizzling down the stretch. With the loss, the Broncos fell to 8–7.

Week 17: at San Diego Chargers

Hoping to hold on to their divisional lead, the Broncos closed out the regular season at

Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadiu ...

in a crucial Week 17 AFC West rematch with the

. Denver trailed early in the first quarter as Chargers kicker

got a 28-yard field goal. The Broncos responded with running back

Tatum Bell Tatum Antoine Bell (born March 2, 1981) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State. He is son of Tony and Terry Bell. H ...

's 26-yard touchdown run (with a failed PAT), but San Diego took the lead again as running back

LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...

got a 1-yard touchdown run. Denver's deficit increased in the second quarter as quarterback

completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Brandon Manumaleuna Brandon Michael Manumaleuna (; born January 4, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Arizona and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Manumaleuna has also been a mem ...

, along with Tomlinson's 4-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter, the Broncos tried to rally as Bell got a 37-yard touchdown run, yet the Chargers replied again as Rivers completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back

, followed by Tomlinson's 14-yard touchdown run. Denver tried to come back in the fourth quarter as quarterback

completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end

and ran into the endzone for the 2-point conversion. However, San Diego ran away with the division crown with Sproles' 2-yard touchdown run and fullback

Jacob Hester Jacob Troy Hester (born May 8, 1985) is a former American football fullback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college foo ...

's 4-yard touchdown. With the loss, the Broncos' season ended at 8–8. In the process, they became the first team in NFL history to enter the final three weeks of a regular season with a three-game lead and lose all three games.

Standings

References

External links

Official website

Denver Broncos team page
{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 Denver Broncos Season Denver Broncos seasons

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...