# 2003 Denver Broncos season

The 2003 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 34th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 44th overall.
After the departure of Brian Griese, who signed with his father's team, the Dolphins, the Broncos acquired Jake Plummer, who had been struggling in recent years with Arizona.
After two seasons of mediocrity, the Broncos rebounded with a 10–6 record. They also earned their first playoff berth since 2000. But Denver's season ended with a 41–10 blowout to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card round. Following the season, Clinton Portis was traded to the Washington Redskins, and Shannon Sharpe and Ed McCaffrey both retired.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

2003 Denver Broncos draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 20 | George Foster | Offensive tackle | Georgia | |
| 2 | 51 | Terry Pierce | Linebacker | Kansas State | |
| 4 | 108 | Quentin Griffin | Running back | Oklahoma | from Carolina |
| 4 | 114 | Nick Eason | Defensive tackle | Clemson | |
| 4 | 128 | Bryant McNeal | Defensive end | Clemson | |
| 5 | 157 | Ben Claxton | Center | Ole Miss | from New England |
| 5 | 158 | Adrian Madise | Wide receiver | TCU | |
| 6 | 194 | Aaron Hunt | Defensive end | Texas Tech | |
| 7 | 227 | Clint Mitchell | Defensive end | Florida | from Carolina |
| 7 | 235 | Ahmaad Galloway | Running back | Alabama | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

#### Draft notes

* ↑ #108: Carolina → Denver (D). see #82: Denver → Carolina
* ↑ #157: New England → Denver (D). see #120: Denver → New England.
* ↑ #227: Carolina → Denver (D). see #82: Denver → Carolina

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 7 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 30–10 | 1–0 | Paul Brown Stadium | 63,820 |
| 2 | September 14 | at San Diego Chargers | W 37–13 | 2–0 | Qualcomm Stadium | 65,445 |
| 3 | September 22 | Oakland Raiders | W 31–10 | 3–0 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 76,753 |
| 4 | September 28 | Detroit Lions | W 20–16 | 4–0 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,719 |
| 5 | October 5 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 23–24 | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,903 |
| 6 | October 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–14 | 5–1 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,974 |
| 7 | October 19 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 20–28 | 5–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 64,381 |
| 8 | October 26 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 6–26 | 5–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | 69,721 |
| 9 | November 3 | New England Patriots | L 26–30 | 5–4 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 76,203 |
| 10 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 11 | November 16 | San Diego Chargers | W 37–8 | 6–4 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,217 |
| 12 | November 23 | Chicago Bears | L 10–19 | 6–5 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,540 |
| 13 | November 30 | at Oakland Raiders | W 22–8 | 7–5 | Network Associates Coliseum | 57,201 |
| 14 | December 7 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 45–27 | 8–5 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 76,403 |
| 15 | December 14 | Cleveland Browns | W 23–20 (OT) | 9–5 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,358 |
| 16 | December 21 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 31–17 | 10–5 | RCA Dome | 57,149 |
| 17 | December 28 | at Green Bay Packers | L 3–31 | 10–6 | Lambeau Field | 70,299 |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. MDT
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Partly Cloudy & Fair
* Game attendance: 63,820
* Referee: Gerry Austin
* TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 51-yard field goal, 9:04. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:55.
Second quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 2-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 10:54. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:51.
CIN – Shayne Graham 26-yard field goal, 3:13. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:57.
DEN – Clinton Portis 8-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 1:13. Broncos 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:00.
DEN – Jason Elam 27-yard field goal, 0:11. Broncos 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 0:56.
Third quarter
DEN – Ian Gold 12-yard interception return (Jason Elam kick), 10:18. Broncos 27–3.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 39-yard field goal, 4:16. Broncos 30–3. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 4:00.
CIN – Chad Johnson 41-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 3:04. Broncos 30–10. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:12.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 12/25, 115 yards, 3 INT
CIN – Jon Kitna – 20/37, 264 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 24 rushes, 120 yards, 2 TD
CIN – Corey Dillon – 14 rushes, 34 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 43 yards
CIN – Chad Johnson – 6 receptions, 95 yards, TD :

#### Week 2

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 14 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT/1:15 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Clear and Sunny
* Game attendance: 65,445
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson, Brent Jones, and Scott Kaplan
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Reuben Droughns 12-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 12:18. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:42.
SD – Steve Christie 19-yard field goal, 6:21. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:57.
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:36. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 4:45.
Second quarter
DEN – Cooper Carlisle 6-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 6:58. Broncos 21–3 Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 6:01.
SD – Eric Parker 23-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 1:05. Broncos 21–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:53.
DEN – Jason Elam 30-yard field goal, 0:05. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:00.
Third quarter
SD – Steve Christie 25-yard field goal, 9:31. Broncos 24–13. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:29.
DEN – Mike Anderson 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 4:48. Broncos 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 4:43.
DEN – Jason Elam 45-yard field goal, 1:05. Broncos 34–13. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 34-yard field goal, 14:21. Broncos 37–13. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:26.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 9/13, 94 yards, 3 TD
SD – Drew Brees – 20/41, 182 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 12 rushes, 129 yards
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 93 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 71 yards
SD – Eric Parker – 5 receptions, 59 yards, TD :

#### Week 3

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Broncos | 21 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Clear
* Game attendance: 76,753
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Lisa Guerrero
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 18-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 9:28. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:03.
DEN – Ashley Lelie 44-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 4:14. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:51.
DEN – Jake Plummer 6-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 0:54. Broncos 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:23.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 20-yard field goal, 2:28. Broncos 24–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:14.
Third quarter
DEN – Mike Anderson 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 12:11. Broncos 31–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:49.
OAK – Zack Crockett 4-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:21. Broncos 31–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:50.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 41-yard field goal, 12:26. Broncos 31–10. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
OAK – Rich Gannon – 14/29, 149 yards
DEN – Jake Plummer – 14/21, 197 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley – 5 rushes, 16 yards
DEN – Mike Anderson – 14 rushes, 70 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Jerry Rice – 4 receptions, 61 yards
DEN – Ashley Lelie – 3 receptions, 108 yards, TD :

#### Week 4

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), Clear/Sunny
* Game attendance: 75,519
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Bill Maas
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Charles Rogers 33-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 7:07. Lions 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 3:01.
DEN – Ashley Lelie 29-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:11.
Second quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 10:36. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:41.
DET – Jason Hanson 53-yard field goal, 6:00. Broncos 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:36.
Third quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 37-yard field goal, 1:17. Broncos 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:43.
Fourth quarter
DET – Scotty Anderson 43-yard pass from Joey Harrington (kick short), 13:36. Broncos 17–16. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 2:41.
DEN – Jason Elam 41-yard field goal, 3:13. Broncos 20–16. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:29.
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 15/33, 149 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Jake Plummer – 25/34, 277 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DET – Shawn Bryson – 13 rushes, 73 yards
DEN – Jake Plummer – 6 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
DET – Charles Rogers – 4 receptions, 62 yards, TD
DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 7 receptions, 74 yards, TD :

#### Week 5

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/11:00 a.m. MDT
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), Clear
* Game attendance: 78,903
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Dwayne Carswell 6-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 5:16. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:21.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 20-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 3:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:54.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 48-yard field goal, 12:28. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 17 yards, 3:17.
KC – Morten Andersen 23-yard field goal, 5:54. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 6:34.
DEN – Jason Elam 29-yard field goal, 0:05. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 1:16.
Third quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 65-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 13:30. Broncos 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:30.
KC – Johnnie Morton 28-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 10:49. Broncos 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:41.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 21-yard field goal, 13:42. Broncos 23–17. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 7:41.
KC – Dante Hall 93-yard kickoff return (Morten Andersen kick), 8:20. Chiefs 24–23.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 20/38, 220 yards, TD
KC – Trent Green – 15/28, 129 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 23 rushes, 141 yards, TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 17 rushes, 97 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 8 receptions, 130 yards
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 3 receptions, 47 yards, TD :

#### Week 6

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 75,974
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Jeff Reed 24-yard field goal, 9:00. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:32.
Second quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 10-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (Jason Elam kick), 12:09. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:31.
PIT – Jeff Reed 26-yard field goal, 6:15. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DEN – Rod Smith 11-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (Jason Elam kick), 9:22. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 2:01.
PIT – Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Jerome Bettis run), 2:41. Tied 14–14. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 6:41.
DEN – Jason Elam 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 2:41.
Top passers
PIT – Tommy Maddox – 19/30, 182 yards
DEN – Steve Beuerlein – 17/28, 172 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
PIT – Jerome Bettis – 14 rushes, 34 yards, TD
DEN – Clinton Portis – 15 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Hines Ward – 8 receptions, 81 yards
DEN – Rod Smith – 4 receptions, 70 yards, TD :

#### Week 7

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/11:00 a.m. MDT
* Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,381
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Kelly Campbell 47-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 6:10. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:33.
Second quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 4-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 1:51. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 5:16.
MIN – Moe Williams 59-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 0:00. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 1:51.
Third quarter
MIN – Onterrio Smith 5-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 9:24. Vikings 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:36.
MIN – Lance Johnstone 33-yard interception return (Aaron Elling kick), 7:57. Vikings 28–7.
DEN – Jason Elam 46-yard field goal, 5:20. Vikings 28–10. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 2:37.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 46-yard field goal, 14:17. Vikings 28–13. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:14.
DEN – Mike Anderson 1-yard run pass from Danny Kanell (Jason Elam kick), 6:45. Vikings 28–20. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 4:38.
Top passers
DEN – Danny Kanell – 12/18, 104 yards, TD
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 19/26, 277 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 25 rushes, 117 yards, TD
MIN – Moe Williams – 14 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 7 receptions, 79 yards
MIN – Randy Moss – 10 receptions, 151 yards :

#### Week 8

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Ravens | 0 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 26 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Mostly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 69,721
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 28-yard field goal, 5:31. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:48.
Second quarter
BAL – Matt Stover 25-yard field goal, 10:40. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 41 yards, 5:27.
BAL – Matt Stover 39-yard field goal, 7:41. Ravens 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:01.
BAL – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 9–3. Drive: 14 plays, 55 yards, 6:06.
Third quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 22-yard field goal, 7:10. Ravens 9–6. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:48.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Terry Jones 5-yard pass from Kyle Boller (Matt Stover kick), 7:35. Ravens 16–6. Drive: 4 plays, 20 yards, 2:05.
BAL – Matt Stover 29-yard field goal, 3:00. Ravens 19–6. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:03.
BAL – Jamal Lewis 28-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 1:56. Ravens 26–6. Drive: 1 play, 28 yards, 0:07.
Top passers
DEN – Danny Kanell – 16/31, 114 yards, 2 INT
BAL – Kyle Boller – 15/27, 137 yards, TD
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 22 rushes, 86 yards
BAL – Jamal Lewis – 32 rushes, 134 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 6 receptions, 29 yards
BAL – Todd Heap – 3 receptions, 54 yards :

#### Week 9

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 26 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), foggy
* Game attendance: 76,203
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Lisa Guerrero
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 15-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 10:51. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 1:55.
NE – Deion Branch 66-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 0:09.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 43-yard field goal, 11:29. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:38.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 7:57. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:32.
DEN – Mike Anderson 1-yard pass from Danny Kanell (Micah Knorr kick), 0:24. Broncos 17–10. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:33.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 46-yard field goal, 0:01. Broncos 17–13. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:23.
Third quarter
NE – Daniel Graham 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 5:57. Patriots 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:46.
DEN – Deltha O'Neal 57-yard punt return (Micah Knorr kick), 3:13. Broncos 24–20.
Fourth quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 11:08. Broncos 24–23. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 7:05.
DEN – Lonie Paxton fumble out of bounds in the end zone for a Safety, 2:49. Broncos 26–23
NE – David Givens 18-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:30. Patriots 30–26. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 20/35, 350 yards, 3 TD, INT
DEN – Danny Kanell – 16/35, 163 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Antowain Smith – 17 rushes, 55 yards
DEN – Clinton Portis – 26 rushes, 111 yards, TD
Top receivers
NE – Deion Branch – 3 receptions, 107 yards, TD
DEN – Rod Smith – 4 receptions, 58 yards :

#### Week 11

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Broncos | 10 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 37 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Mostly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 75,217
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 11-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 13:06. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:11.
DEN – Jason Elam 42-yard field goal, 6:14. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 5:07.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 22-yard field goal, 9:46. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:13.
DEN – Rod Smith 65-yard punt return (Jason Elam kick), 8:25. Broncos 20–0.
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 26-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 0:32. Broncos 27–0. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 0:50.
Third quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 26-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:28. Broncos 34–0. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Micah Knorr 27-yard field goal, 13:11. Broncos 37–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:49.
SD – Kassim Osgood 19-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Doug Flutie–Stephen Alexander pass), 10:12. Broncos 37–8. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:59.
Top passers
SD – Doug Flutie – 9/25, 70 yards, TD, INT
DEN – Jake Plummer – 23/34, 253 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 8 rushes, 29 yards
DEN – Clinton Portis – 25 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 4 receptions, 16 yards
DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 7 receptions, 101 yards, 3 TD :

#### Week 12

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 3 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 19 |
| Broncos | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 18 °F (−8 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 75,540
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Rod Smith 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 3:59. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 7:31.
CHI – Paul Edinger 33-yard field goal, 1:31. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:28.
Second quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 23-yard field goal, 1:57. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:31.
CHI – Paul Edinger 54-yard field goal, 0:03. Bears 9–7. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 0:54.
Third quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 25-yard field goal, 11:41. Broncos 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:19.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Kordell Stewart 1-yard run (Paul Edinger kick), 12:45. Bears 16–10. Drive: 15 plays, 55 yards, 8:38.
CHI – Paul Edinger 47-yard field goal, 8:46. Bears 19–10. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 2:27.
Top passers
CHI – Chris Chandler – 8/18, 79 yards
DEN – Jake Plummer – 19/35, 176 yards, TD
Top rushers
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 60 yards
DEN – Clinton Portis – 14 rushes, 165 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 4 receptions, 43 yards
DEN – Rod Smith – 9 receptions, 86 yards, TD :

#### Week 13

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 22 |
| Raiders | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST/1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), Light Rain
* Game attendance: 57,201
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Punt blocked by O. J. Santiago out of bounds in the end zone for a safety, 7:49. Raiders 2–0
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 46-yard field goal, 4:36. Raiders 5–0. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:13.
Second quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 4-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 11:00. Broncos 7–5. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 8:36.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 48-yard field goal, 9:03. Raiders 8–7. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 1:57.
DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 4:24. Broncos 14–8. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:39.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Clinton Portis run), 3:15. Broncos 22–8. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 6:04.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 11/20, 105 yards, TD, INT
OAK – Rick Mirer – 13/30, 153 yards
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 34 rushes, 170 yards, 2 TD
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley – 8 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 4 receptions, 39 yards
OAK – Jerry Porter – 3 receptions, 49 yards :

#### Week 14

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), Partly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 76,403
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 11-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 9:24. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:36.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 3:03. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:21.
Second quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 11:18. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 6:45.
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 7:36. Tied 14–14. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:42.
DEN – Jason Elam 47-yard field goal, 5:28. Broncos 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:08.
KC – Eddie Kennison 42-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 1:19. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 4:09.
Third quarter
DEN – Reuben Droughns 3-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 5:58. Broncos 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 7:27.
DEN – Clinton Portis 59-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:42. Broncos 31–21. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:20.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 28-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 11:24. Broncos 38–21. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:02.
DEN – Clinton Portis 53-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 7:58. Broncos 45–21. Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:10.
KC – Trent Green 1-yard run (run failed), 0:02. Broncos 45–27. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:13.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 34/47, 397 yards, TD
DEN – Jake Plummer – 20/29, 238 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 12 rushes, 44 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Clinton Portis – 22 rushes, 218 yards, 5 TD
Top receivers
KC – Dante Hall – 11 receptions, 124 yards
DEN – Rod Smith – 7 receptions, 85 yards :

#### Week 15

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Broncos | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Partly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 75,358
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 10:06. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:29.
DEN – Jason Elam 51-yard field goal, 1:33. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 39 yards, 6:12.
Second quarter
CLE – Brett Conway 39-yard field goal, 6:00. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 1:44.
CLE – Keith Heinrich 1-yard pass from Tim Couch (Brett Conway kick), 0:00. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 3:03.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 13-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 10:43. Broncos 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:20.
CLE – Andre Davis 35-yard pass from Tim Couch (Brett Conway kick), 7:48. Tied 17–17. Drive: 3 plays, 34 yards, 0:53.
CLE – Brett Conway 48-yard field goal, 1:11. Browns 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:04.
DEN – Jason Elam 36-yard field goal, 0:06. Tied 20–20. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:05.
Overtime
DEN – Jason Elam 25-yard field goal, 9:50. Broncos 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:10.
Top passers
CLE – Tim Couch – 8/18, 181 yards, 2 TD, INT
DEN – Jake Plummer – 22/36, 269 yards, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Jamel White – 20 rushes, 55 yards
DEN – Clinton Portis – 38 rushes, 139 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CLE – Dennis Northcutt – 3 receptions, 115 yards
DEN – Shannon Sharpe – 8 receptions, 97 yards :

#### Week 16

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
| Colts | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m MST
* Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 57,149
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Gary Brackett 31-yard interception return (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 12:59. Colts 7–0.
DEN – Mike Anderson 2-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 9:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:04.
DEN – Jake Plummer 6-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:06. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 5:44.
Second quarter
IND – Edgerrin James 16-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:10. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:56.
DEN – Jake Plummer 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 6:20. Broncos 21–14. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 7:50.
DEN – Rod Smith 15-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 1:11. Broncos 28–14. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:58.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 40-yard field goal, 0:04. Broncos 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 24-yard field goal, 4:26. Broncos 31–17. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 9:34.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 14/17, 238 yards, TD, INT
IND – Peyton Manning – 12/23, 146 yards
Top rushers
DEN – Quentin Griffin – 28 rushes, 136 yards
IND – Edgerrin James – 10 rushes, 42 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Ashley Lelie – 5 receptions, 115 yards
IND – Marvin Harrison – 6 receptions, 85 yards :

#### Week 17

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST/2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Mostly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 70,299
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Bubba Franks 2-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:49. Packers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:11.
Second quarter
GB – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, 4:43. Packers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:25.
Third quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 31-yard field goal, 4:00. Packers 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 4:06.
GB – Ahman Green 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 1:35. Packers 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:25.
Fourth quarter
GB – Ahman Green 98-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:18. Packers 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 98 yards, 0:13.
GB – Marcus Wilkins fumble recovery in the end zone (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:10. Packers 31–3.
Top passers
DEN – Danny Kanell – 9/18, 61 yards, INT
GB – Brett Favre – 12/21, 116 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Quentin Griffin – 21 rushes, 74 yards
GB – Ahman Green – 20 rushes, 218 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DEN – Jeb Putzier – 4 receptions, 34 yards
GB – Javon Walker – 3 receptions, 41 yards :

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 484 | 332 | W1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 381 | 301 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 270 | 379 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 313 | 441 | W1 |

## Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| AFC Wild Card | January 4 | at Indianapolis Colts (3) | L 10–41 | 0-1 | RCA Dome | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (#3) Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Colts | 14 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 41 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Indoors (dome)
* Game attendance: 56,586
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Brandon Stokley 31-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 11:55. Colts 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:05.
DEN – Jason Elam 49-yard field goal, 3:41. Colts 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 8:14.
IND – Marvin Harrison 46-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 0:24. Colts 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:17.
Second quarter
IND – Marvin Harrison 23-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 7:28. Colts 21–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:49.
IND – Brandon Stokley 87-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 1:51. Colts 28–3. Drive: 1 play, 87 yards, 0:10.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Colts 31–3. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 7-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 5:19. Colts 38–3. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:45.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard field goal, 0:55. Colts 41–3. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 3:38.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Rod Smith 7-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 7:04. Colts 41–10. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 6:18.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 20/33, 181 yards, TD, 2 INT
IND – Peyton Manning – 22/26, 377 yards, 5 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 17 rushes, 68 yards
IND – Edgerrin James – 17 rushes, 78 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD
IND – Brandon Stokley – 4 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD :