2010 Denver Broncos season The Denver Broncos season was the franchise ' s 41st season in the National Football League , the 51st overall and the 10th playing their home games at INVESCO Field at Mile High . The off - season was marked by the draft selections of Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and All - American Florida quarterback Tim Tebow , as well as season - ending injuries to All - Pro linebacker Elvis Dumervil and free agent running back LenDale White . The team failed to improve on its 8 – 8 record from 2009 , and set a new franchise record for losses in a single season , with a 4 – 12 record . The regular season was marked by a videotaping scandal dubbed " Spygate II " and the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels . Preseason . Schedule . The Broncos preseason schedule was announced on March 31 , 2010 . Roster changes . Roster cuts . During a one - week span from August 23 – 30 , the Broncos began trimming their roster from 80 to 75 players , with the releases of running back Toney Baker , offensive tackle s Kirk Barton and Tyler Polumbus , linebacker Akin Ayodele and wide receiver Patrick Carter . The next round of roster cuts occurred on September 3 , as the team prepared to trim their roster to 53 players before the September 4 deadline . Nose tackle Chris Baker , tight end s Kory Sperry and Nathan Overbay , offensive tackle Paul Duncan , wide receiver Alric Arnett , linebacker Johnny Williams and one of the team ' s seventh - round draft picks , defensive end Jammie Kirlew , were all released . On September 4 , linebacker Darrell Reid , defensive end Jarvis Green , tight end Marquez Branson , center Seth Olsen , wide receiver Britt Davis , tight end Riar Geer , linebackers Kevin Alexander and Worrell Williams , safety Kyle McCarthy and nose tackle Jeff Stehle were released , with the latter five players assigned to the practice squad the following day . Other notable transactions that occurred on September 4 involved the team placing defensive end / linebacker Elvis Dumervil and wide receiver Brandon Stokley on the Injured Reserve , trading cornerback Alphonso Smith to the Detroit Lions for tight end Dan Gronkowski , as well as placing undrafted defensive end Ben Garland on the Military reserve list . On September 7 , defensive end Le Kevin Smith was released . Regular season . Schedule . On January 15 , 2010 , the NFL announced that the Broncos will play the San Francisco 49ers in the International Series at Wembley Stadium in London , England . The game occurred during Week 8 on Sunday , October 31 , at 11 : 00 am MDT ( 5 : 00 pm GMT ) , and was aired by CBS in the United States . The 49ers were the designated home team for this game . The remainder of the Broncos ' schedule was announced on April 20 , 2010 . LEGEND : Game summaries . Week 1 : at Jacksonville Jaguars . The Broncos began their 2010 season at EverBank Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars . After a scoreless first quarter , the Broncos trailed late in the second quarter , as Jaguars ' quarterback David Garrard completed a 21 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Marcedes Lewis . The Broncos would answer prior to halftime , as quarterback Kyle Orton found wide receiver Jabar Gaffney on an 8 - yard touchdown pass . Jacksonville would re - claim the lead in the third quarter , as Garrard hooked up with Lewis again on a 10 - yard touchdown pass . The Broncos would respond , with a 1 - yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno . However , Jacksonville grabbed the lead again , with a 45 - yard field goal by placekicker Josh Scobee . The Broncos would catch up in the fourth quarter , with a 54 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater . However , Jacksonville got the last laugh , as Garrard completed a 24 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kassim Osgood . With the loss , the Broncos began its season at 0 – 1 . Week 2 : vs . Seattle Seahawks . Hoping to rebound from their season - opening loss to the Jaguars , the Broncos played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Seattle Seahawks . In the first quarter , the Broncos took the early lead , as quarterback Kyle Orton completed a 13 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal , followed in the second quarter by a 1 - yard touchdown run from running back Correll Buckhalter and a 20 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater . Seattle got on the board in the third quarter , when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completed an 11 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ben Obomanu , but the Broncos replied with a 1 - yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno . The Broncos increased their lead in the fourth quarter , when Orton threw a 21 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas . Seattle replied , with Hasselbeck scrambling 20 yards for a touchdown , but the Broncos ' lead was too much for Seattle to overcome . With the win , the Broncos improved to 1 – 1 . Week 3 : vs . Indianapolis Colts . Coming off their win over the Seahawks , the Broncos played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Indianapolis Colts . Prior to the game , a moment of silence was held for wide receiver Kenny McKinley , who passed away on September 20 , with the team paying tribute to him by placing a number 11 decal on their helmets in his honor . In the first quarter , the Broncos trailed early when Colts ' placekicker Adam Vinatieri nailed field goals from 38 and 33 yards . This was followed in the second quarter by quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 5 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Austin Collie . The Broncos got on the board , with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 25 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the Broncos cut the lead , when quarterback Kyle Orton completed a 48 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd , but Indianapolis replied , with Manning throwing a 9 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Blair White . The Broncos responded , with Prater hitting a 34 - yard field goal , but they trailed further in the fourth quarter , when Manning found Collie on a 23 - yard touchdown pass , sealing the win for Indianapolis . With the loss , the Broncos fell to 1 – 2 . Week 4 : at Tennessee Titans . Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Colts , the Broncos flew to LP Field for an AFC duel with the Tennessee Titans . After a scoreless first quarter , the Broncos took the lead in the second quarter , as quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 2 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal . Tennessee responded , with quarterback Vince Young throwing an 8 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kenny Britt . The Broncos would retake the lead , with a 36 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater , but Tennessee replied , when placekicker Rob Bironas nailed an incredible 55 - yard field goal just before halftime . In the third quarter , the Broncos took the lead again , with another 36 - yard field goal by Prater , but Titans ' wide receiver Marc Mariani returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown , putting Tennessee ahead 17 – 13 . Tennessee ' s lead was narrowed , with a 35 - yard field goal by Prater , but was increased again with a 46 - yard field goal by Bironas . In the fourth quarter , the Broncos pulled ahead , when Orton completed a 6 - yard touchdown pass to running back Correll Buckhalter . After Tennessee fumbled the ensuing kickoff , the Broncos increased their lead with 28 seconds remaining , with a 36 - yard field goal by Prater . The Broncos ' defense thwarted Tennessee ' s final desperation drive of the game . With the win , the Broncos improved to 2 – 2 . Week 5 : at Baltimore Ravens . Coming off their win at Tennessee , the Broncos flew to M & T Bank Stadium for an AFC duel with the Baltimore Ravens . In the first quarter , the Broncos trailed early , with Ravens ' quarterback Joe Flacco scrambling for a 1 - yard touchdown , followed in the second quarter by a 1 - yard touchdown run by running back Ray Rice , and a 37 - yard field goal by placekicker Billy Cundiff . The Broncos got on the board , when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 42 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd . After a scoreless third quarter , the Broncos fell further behind in the fourth quarter , with another 1 - yard touchdown run by Rice . The Broncos replied , with a 38 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater , but a 30 - yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee put the Ravens ' up 31 – 10 . The Broncos responded , with Orton finding Lloyd again on a 44 - yard touchdown pass , but Baltimore ' s lead was too much to overcome . With the loss , the Broncos fell to 2 – 3 . Week 6 : vs . New York Jets . Hoping to rebound from their loss at Baltimore , the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an AFC duel with the New York Jets . After a scoreless first quarter , the Jets grabbed the lead in the second quarter , as quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a 32 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards . The Broncos responded , with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 5 - yard touchdown run . The Broncos grabbed the lead just before halftime , with a 59 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater . In the third quarter , the Jets responded , with a 56 - yard field goal by placekicker Nick Folk . The Broncos took the lead , when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 17 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas . The Jets responded midway through the fourth quarter , after running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a 20 - yard touchdown . The Broncos grabbed the lead again , with a 48 - yard field goal by Prater . However , following a pass - interference penalty on Broncos ' cornerback Renaldo Hill near the goal line , the Jets pulled ahead , with a Tomlinson 2 - yard touchdown run . The Jets ' defense thwarted the Broncos ' last drive of the game . With the loss , the Broncos fell to 2 – 4 . Week 7 : vs . Oakland Raiders . Hoping to rebound from their heartbreaking loss to the Jets , the Broncos played on home ground for an AFC West rivalry match against the Oakland Raiders . In the first quarter , the Broncos trailed early , as Raiders ' quarterback Jason Campbell completed a 43 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller . Oakland scored again , after cornerback Chris Johnson returned an interception by quarterback Kyle Orton 30 yards for a touchdown . This was followed by a 4 - yard touchdown run by running back Darren McFadden and a 31 - yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski . Things got much worse for the Broncos in the second quarter , as Campbell threw a 19 - yard touchdown pass to McFadden , followed by a McFadden 4 - yard touchdown run that put Oakland up 38 – 0 midway through the second quarter . The Broncos would finally get on the board , with Orton finding running back Knowshon Moreno on a 7 - yard touchdown pass , followed in the third quarter by a 27 - yard touchdown pass from Orton to Moreno . Oakland struck back , with a 1 - yard touchdown run by fullback Marcel Reece , followed by a 57 - yard touchdown run by McFadden and a 1 - yard touchdown run by running back Michael Bush . Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth quarter . The Broncos not only fell to 2 – 5 , but suffered their worst defeat since a 55 – 10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV . The loss also tied the highest point total that the Broncos have allowed in a single game , since a 59 – 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in . Week 8 : at San Francisco 49ers . International Series Following their disastrous home loss to the Raiders , the Broncos flew to London , England , for an International Series contest with the San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium . In the first quarter , the Broncos trailed early , with a 34 - yard field goal by 49ers ' placekicker Joe Nedney . After a scoreless second quarter , the Broncos grabbed the lead in the third quarter , when quarterback Tim Tebow scrambled for a 1 - yard touchdown run , followed in the fourth quarter by a 32 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater . However , the Broncos suddenly fell behind , with 49ers ' quarterback Troy Smith scrambling for a 1 - yard touchdown run , followed by his 28 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree , and a 3 - yard touchdown run by running back Frank Gore . The Broncos tried to rally when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 1 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd ( with a blocked extra - point attempt ) , but San Francisco ' s defense stood their ground . With the loss , the Broncos went into their bye week at 2 – 6 . Less than a month later , the Broncos were subjected to a videotaping scandal involving the team ' s director of video operations that occurred during a 49ers ' walkthrough practice , one day before the game . Week 10 : vs . Kansas City Chiefs . Coming off their overseas trip to London and subsequent bye week , the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an AFC West duel against the Kansas City Chiefs , hoping to snap a 4 - game losing streak . In the first quarter , quarterback Kyle Orton , playing on his 28th birthday , threw three touchdown passes : a 17 - yarder to running back Knowshon Moreno , a 6 - yarder to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and a 40 - yarder to wide receiver Jabar Gaffney . In the second quarter , quarterback Tim Tebow ran for a 1 - yard touchdown , followed by linebacker Jason Hunter returning a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown , giving the Broncos a commanding 35 – 0 lead before the two - minute warning . Kansas City got on the board , with a 5 - yard touchdown run from running back Jamaal Charles , followed by a 40 - yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop just before halftime . In the third quarter , Tim Tebow threw his first touchdown pass – a 3 - yarder to fullback Spencer Larsen , but Kansas City responded , with quarterback Matt Cassel throwing a 15 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe . In the fourth quarter , Orton threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game – a 15 - yarder to Lloyd . Kansas City responded , with Cassel throwing a pair of touchdown passes – an 11 - yarder to wide receiver Chris Chambers , followed by a 22 - yarder to Bowe ( both with failed two - point conversion attempts ) , but the outcome had already been decided in the Broncos ' favor . With the win , the Broncos improved to 3 – 6 . Week 11 : at San Diego Chargers . Coming off their dominating win over the Chiefs , the Broncos flew to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football . The Broncos delivered the opening strike in the first quarter , with a 4 - yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno . However , San Diego answered , with quarterback Philip Rivers completing a 6 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Malcom Floyd . San Diego took the lead in the second quarter , as fullback Mike Tolbert ran for a 1 - yard touchdown , followed by Rivers completing a 40 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Patrick Crayton . San Diego would add to their lead in the third quarter , as Rivers completed a 57 - yard touchdown pass to running back Darren Sproles . In the fourth quarter , San Diego continued their dominating night , with Rivers completing a 3 - yard touchdown pass to fullback Jacob Hester . The Broncos tried to rally , as quarterback Kyle Orton found wide receiver Brandon Lloyd on a 13 - yard touchdown pass , but San Diego ' s lead was too much to overcome . With the loss , Denver fell to 3 – 7 . Week 12 : vs . St . Louis Rams . Following their Monday Night debacle in San Diego and subsequent videotaping scandal , the Broncos returned home for an interconference match against the St . Louis Rams . In the first quarter , the Broncos jumped out to a 10 – 0 lead , with a 4 - yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno , followed by a 49 - yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater . St . Louis responded , with quarterback Sam Bradford throwing a 36 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Hoomanawanui . In the second quarter , The Broncos took a 13 – 7 lead , with a 40 - yard field goal by Prater . However , St . Louis would reel off 26 unanswered points , starting off with a pair of touchdown passes from Bradford to tight end Billy Bajema – 2 and 26 yards – the latter with a missed extra point , followed by a pair of field goals from placekicker Josh Brown – 28 and 37 yards – before halftime . In the third quarter , St . Louis continued their offensive onslaught , with a 1 - yard touchdown run from running back Kenneth Darby , giving St . Louis a 33 – 13 lead . In the fourth quarter , the Broncos snapped the Rams ' streak of 26 unanswered points , with quarterback Kyle Orton throwing a 41 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd , but St . Louis responded with a 26 - yard field goal from Brown . Trailing 36 – 20 with four minutes remaining , the Broncos tried to rally , with Orton throwing two touchdown passes – a 16 - yarder to wide receiver Eddie Royal ( with a failed two - point conversion attempt ) , followed by a 5 - yarder to Lloyd , but the Broncos ' rally attempt was cut short by the Rams ' defense . With the loss , the Broncos dropped to 3 – 8 , matching their loss total from the previous two seasons . Week 13 : at Kansas City Chiefs . Hoping to break a two - game losing streak , the Broncos flew to Arrowhead Stadium for a AFC West rivalry rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs . The Broncos trailed in the first quarter , as Chiefs ' quarterback Matt Cassel threw a 2 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Leonard Pope , in what would be the game ' s only touchdown . The Broncos responded in the second quarter , with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 25 - yard field goal , but Kansas City countered , with a 47 - yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop just before halftime . After a scoreless third quarter , the Broncos cut into the lead with a 41 - yard field goal by Prater , but Kansas City ' s defense prevented anything else from happening . With the loss , the Broncos fell to 3 – 9 , and were officially eliminated from postseason contention . One day later , head coach Josh McDaniels was fired , and replaced by running backs coach Eric Studesville on an interim basis for the remainder of the season . Week 14 : at Arizona Cardinals . Hoping to snap a three - game losing streak , the Broncos flew to University of Phoenix Stadium for an interconference duel with the Arizona Cardinals , whom the Broncos had never lost to in the teams ' previous eight meetings . The Broncos took the early lead in the first quarter , with a 32 - yard field goal by placekicker Steven Hauschka . However , Arizona responded , as placekicker Jay Feely would account for 22 unanswered points – a 36 - yard field goal in the first quarter , a 48 - yard field goal , 5 - yard touchdown run off a fake field goal and a 55 - yard field goal in the second quarter , a 23 - yard field goal in the third quarter , and a 49 - yard field goal in the fourth quarter . A 30 - yard field goal by Hauschka would cut the lead to 22 – 6 , but Arizona would answer , with an 8 - yard touchdown run by running back Tim Hightower . The Broncos would respond , with a 1 - yard touchdown run by running back Knowshon Moreno , but Arizona pulled away , with Hightower running for a 35 - yard touchdown , followed by linebacker Daryl Washington returning an interception 40 yards ( and defensive end Darnell Dockett recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown ) . With the loss , the Broncos not only dropped to 3 – 10 , but also suffered their first - ever loss to the Cardinals . The loss also guarantees that the Broncos will finish in fourth - place in the AFC West at the end of the season . Week 15 : at Oakland Raiders . Hoping to snap a four - game losing streak , the Broncos flew to the Oakland - Alameda County Coliseum , for an AFC West divisional rematch with the Oakland Raiders . In the first quarter , Oakland grabbed the early lead , with a 71 - yard touchdown run by wide receiver Jacoby Ford . The Broncos responded , when quarterback Tim Tebow , starting in place of an injured Kyle Orton , scrambled for a 40 - yard touchdown run . The Broncos grabbed the lead , when Tebow threw a 33 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd , but Oakland responded , with a 1 - yard touchdown run by running back Michael Bush . In the second quarter , the Broncos lead again , with a 46 - yard field goal by placekicker Steven Hauschka , but Oakland would tie the game , with a 49 - yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski just before halftime . In the third quarter , Oakland grabbed the lead , with a 35 - yard field goal by Janikowski . The Broncos responded , with a 35 - yard field goal by Hauschka . Oakland lead again , with a 47 - yard field goal by Janikowski . In the fourth quarter , Oakland widened their lead , when quarterback Jason Campbell threw a 73 - yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece . The Broncos narrowed the lead , with a 45 - yard field goal by Hauschka , but Oakland pulled away , when linebacker Quentin Groves tackled running back Correll Buckhalter in the end zone for a safety , followed by a 1 - yard touchdown by Bush . With the loss , the Broncos not only dropped to 3 – 11 , but also tied their franchise record for losses in a season . Week 16 : vs . Houston Texans . Hoping to snap a five - game losing streak , the Broncos returned home for a game against the Houston Texans . In the first quarter , the Broncos trailed early , after a 3 - yard touchdown run by Texans ' running back Arian Foster , followed in the second quarter by a 3 - yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Schaub to tight end Owen Daniels , and a 34 - yard field goal by placekicker Neil Rackers , giving Houston a 17 – 0 halftime lead . The Broncos got on the board in the third quarter , with a 6 - yard touchdown run by running back Correll Buckhalter , but Houston responded , with a 54 - yard field goal by Rackers . The Broncos cut into the Texans ' lead , with a 27 - yard field goal by placekicker Steven Hauschka , but Houston responded with a 57 - yard field goal by Rackers , giving Houston a 23 – 10 lead . In the fourth quarter , the Broncos staged a rally , with a 23 - yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to Buckhalter , followed by Tebow scrambling for a 6 - yard touchdown run , giving the Broncos a 24 – 23 lead with three minutes remaining . The Broncos ' defense thwarted Houston ' s final drive . With the win , the Broncos improved to 4 – 11 . Week 17 : vs . San Diego Chargers . The Broncos ' final game of the 2010 season was an AFC West divisional rematch with the San Diego Chargers . The Broncos took the lead in the first quarter , with a 14 - yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd . However , San Diego responded in the second quarter , with a 27 - yard touchdown run by running back Ryan Mathews , followed by field goals from 42 , 45 and 47 yards by placekicker Nate Kaeding . San Diego added to their lead in the third quarter , with a 12 - yard touchdown run by Mathews , followed by a 37 - yard field goal by Kaeding . The Broncos narrowed San Diego ' s lead , with a 6 - yard touchdown pass from Tebow to wide receiver Eric Decker , but was increased in the fourth quarter , with a 31 - yard touchdown run by Mathews . Trailing 33 – 14 with 7 : 55 remaining in the game , the Broncos immediately responded , when kick returner Cassius Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown , followed by a 6 - yard touchdown scramble by Tebow with 26 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter . Following Tebow ' s touchdown run , the Broncos recovered the onside kick , but two desperation hail mary passes by Tebow were unsuccessful , sealing the win for San Diego . With the loss , the Broncos finished the 2010 season at 4 – 12 , setting a new franchise record for losses in a single season . Videotaping scandal . On November 27 , one day before the team ' s 36 – 33 loss to the St . Louis Rams , media reports stated the Broncos had come under investigation from the NFL , following a videotaping incident similar to the New England Patriots ' videotaping controversy of 2007 . " The Denver Post " reported that Steve Scarnecchia , the team ' s director of video operations hired by then - head coach Josh McDaniels in 2009 , videotaped a San Francisco 49ers ' walkthrough practice , prior to the teams ' Week 8 game at Wembley Stadium in London , England . Scarnecchia , the son of New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia , worked in the Patriots ' ( 2001 – 2004 ) and the New York Jets ' ( 2006 – 2007 ) video departments prior to joining the Broncos in 2009 . The " Denver Post " reported he was placed on a leave of absence by the team after the allegation came to light . The same day , the NFL fined the Broncos and McDaniels $ 50 , 000 each , and Scarnecchia was fired as a result of the incident . Scarnecchia told NFL investigators he acted alone and " knew it was wrong " to tape the walkthrough practice , after the rest of the Broncos ' staff had left the stadium . Scarnecchia later presented McDaniels with the six - minute video , but McDaniels declined to view it , and it was not shown to any other Broncos staff member , and therefore the NFL determined the Broncos had not gained a competitive advantage from it . However , the NFL fined McDaniels due to the fact that he did not immediately report the incident to the league office , as required by policy . Team executives learned of the incident on November 8 and informed the NFL on November 16 . NFL Security then began its investigation , which included a forensic analysis of the computer from which the recording was later deleted by Scarnecchia . The recording was retained by the league ; in the case of the Patriots ' prior incident , the league had destroyed all tapes received from the Patriots . The NFL also fined the Broncos , as " clubs are ultimately accountable for the conduct of their employees . " Because of Scarnecchia ' s involvement with the Patriots ' video department ( 2001 – 2004 ) during the period ( 2000 – Sept . 2007 ) of their accused illegal taping , the NFL determined Scarnecchia is subject to a hearing , as a repeat offender of NFL policy , on whether he should be banned from employment in the league . " A significant number " of Broncos employees also certified in writing to the league that they were aware of no further incidents , but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that if any more accusations came to light , he would re - open the investigation . Firing of Josh McDaniels . On December 6 , head coach Josh McDaniels was fired , one day after the team ' s 10 – 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 . Under McDaniels , the Broncos went 5 – 17 following a 6 – 0 start to the 2009 season . Running backs coach Eric Studesville was named interim coach that same day .