NFL team season
A ticket for the AFC Championship Game between the Browns and the Broncos. The 1987 Denver Broncos season was the team's 28th year in professional football and its 18th with the National Football League (NFL). Games scheduled during the third week of the season were cancelled, and games played from weeks 4 to 6 were played with replacement teams. The Broncos finished first in the AFC West, and were AFC Champions for the second straight year. Quarterback John Elway was voted league MVP for 1987. The Broncos reached the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season, but lost for the second straight time, 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.
Offseason NFL Draft Personnel Staff 1987 Denver Broncos staff Front office
President and chief executive officer – Pat Bowlen General manager – John Beake Director of player personnel – Reed Johnson Director of pro personnel – Lide Huggins Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Defensive line – Stan Jones Assistant defensive line – Rubin Carter Linebackers – Myrel Moore Defensive backs – Charlie West Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Strength/conditioning – Al Miller
[1]
Roster 1987 Denver Broncos final roster Quarterbacks Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen Defensive linemen
Linebackers Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists 69 Tony Colorito NT (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 78 Winford Hood T (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 66 Jim Juriga T (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 29 Warren Marshall RB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 85 Rick Massie (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 93 Richard Reed LB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 58 Rafe Wilkinson LB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve ) 47 Gerald Willhite RB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve )
Rookies in italics
NFL replacement players After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:
1987 Denver Broncos replacement roster Quarterbacks
Running backs
28 Scott Caldwell32 Joe Dudek 34 Walt Goffigan41 Zeph Lee 43 Bruce McIntyre24 Percy Keith29 John Sterling42 Mark TempletonWide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
73 Kevin Belcher T-- Robin Ham76 Archie Harris T69 David Jones71 Jack Peavey C60 Rick Pryor66 Carlos Scott -- Tyrone Sorrells61 Isaac WilliamsDefensive linemen
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 13 Seattle Seahawks W 40–17 1–0 Mile High Stadium 75,999 2 September 20 at Green Bay Packers T 17–17 (OT) 1–0–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 50,624 3 September 28 at Cleveland Browns canceled 1–0–1 Cleveland Stadium 4 October 4 Houston Oilers L 10–40 1–1–1 Mile High Stadium 38,494 5 October 12 Los Angeles Raiders W 30–14 2–1–1 Mile High Stadium 61,230 6 October 18 at Kansas City Chiefs W 26–17 3–1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 20,296 7 October 26 at Minnesota Vikings L 27–34 3–2–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 51,011 8 November 1 Detroit Lions W 34–0 4–2–1 Mile High Stadium 75,172 9 November 8 at Buffalo Bills L 14–21 4–3–1 Rich Stadium 63,698 10 November 16 Chicago Bears W 31–29 5–3–1 Mile High Stadium 75,783 11 November 22 at Los Angeles Raiders W 23–17 6–3–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 61,318 12 November 29 at San Diego Chargers W 31–17 7–3–1 Jack Murphy Stadium 61,880 13 December 6 New England Patriots W 31–20 8–3–1 Mile High Stadium 75,795 14 December 13 at Seattle Seahawks L 21–28 8–4–1 Kingdome 61,759 15 December 19 Kansas City Chiefs W 20–17 9–4–1 Mile High Stadium 75,053 16 December 27 San Diego Chargers W 24–0 10–4–1 Mile High Stadium 21,189 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1 1 2 3 4 Total Seahawks 14 3 0 0 17 • Broncos 7 13 14 6 40
Date: September 17Location: Mile High Stadium Game start: 2:00 p.m. MST Game attendance: 75,999Referee: Red CashionTV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen Scoring summary Q1 SEA Turner 20 yard pass from Krieg (Johnson kick)SEA 7–0 Q1 DEN Sewell 72 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)Tie 7–7 Q1 SEA Warner 10 yard pass from Krieg (Johnson kick)SEA 14–7 Q2 SEA Johnson 25 yard field goal SEA 17–7 Q2 DEN Karlis 37 yard field goal SEA 17–10 Q2 DEN Karlis 42 yard field goal SEA 17–13 Q2 DEN Watson 4 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick) DEN 20–17 Q3 DEN Mobley 5 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)DEN 27–17 Q3 DEN Johnson 59 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)DEN 34–17 Q4 DEN Karlis 25 yard field goal DEN 37–17 Q4 DEN Karlis 29 yard field goal DEN 40–17
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Week 2 1 2 3 4 OT Total Broncos 0 3 7 7 0 17 Packers 7 7 0 3 0 17
Week 4 1 2 3 4 Total • Oilers 7 10 10 13 40 Broncos 0 10 0 0 10
Date: October 4Location: Mile High StadiumReferee: Jim TunneyTelevision network: NBC
Week 5 1 2 3 4 Total Raiders 0 14 0 0 14 • Broncos 14 3 6 7 30
Date: October 12Location: Mile High Stadium Game start: 7:00 p.m. MST Game attendance: 61,230Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C); wind 7 mph (11 km/h)Referee: Fred SilvaTV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf Scoring summary Q1 DEN Dudek 7 yard run (Clendenen kick)DEN 7–0 Q1 DEN Dudek 3 yard run (Clendenen kick) DEN 14–0 Q2 LA Perry 3 yard pass from Evans (Hardy kick) DEN 14–7 Q2 LA Calhoun 55 yard interception return (Hardy kick) Tie 14–14 Q2 DEN Clendenen 31 yard field goal DEN 17–14 Q3 DEN Massie 10 yard pass from Karcher (kick failed) DEN 23–14 Q4 DEN Poole 1 yard run (Clendenen kick)DEN 30–14
[3]
Week 6 1 2 3 4 Total • Broncos 9 10 0 7 26 Chiefs 7 7 3 0 17
Date: October 18Location: Arrowhead Stadium Referee: Jerry MarkbreitTV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
Week 7 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 10 0 10 27 • Vikings 7 7 13 7 34
Week 8 1 2 3 4 Total Lions 0 0 0 0 0 • Broncos 17 7 0 10 34
Date: November 1Location: Mile High StadiumReferee: Jerry SeemanTelevision network: CBS
Week 9 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 0 7 7 14 • Bills 0 18 3 0 21
Date: November 8Location: Rich Stadium Referee: Dick JorgensenTelevision network: NBC
Week 10 1 2 3 4 Total Bears 14 0 15 0 29 • Broncos 0 21 0 10 31
Date: November 16Location: Mile High StadiumReferee: Red CashionTV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf
Week 11 1 2 3 4 Total • Broncos 10 10 0 3 23 Raiders 0 14 3 0 17
Scoring summary Q1 DEN Karlis 49 yard field goalDEN 3–0 Q1 DEN Johnson 24 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)DEN 10–0 Q2 DEN Karlis 31 yard field goal DEN 13–0 Q2 LA Jackson 35 yard run (Bahr kick)DEN 13–7 Q2 DEN Elway 1 yard run (Karlis kick) DEN 20–7 Q2 LA Jackson 1 yard run (Bahr kick) DEN 20–14 Q3 LA Bahr 34 yard field goal pass DEN 20–17 Q4 DEN Karlis 20 yard field goal DEN 23–17
Week 12 1 2 3 4 Total • Broncos 7 10 14 0 31 Chargers 7 3 0 7 17
Date: November 29Location: Jack Murphy Stadium Referee: Gene BarthTV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
Week 13 1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 7 10 3 0 20 • Broncos 0 3 14 14 31
Date: December 6Location: Mile High StadiumReferee: Fred SilvaTV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen Scoring summary Q1 NE Dupard 10 yard run (Franklin kick)NE 7–0 Q2 DEN Karlis 24 yard field goalNE 7–3 Q2 NE Collins 4 yard pass from Ramsey (Franklin kick) NE 14–3 Q2 NE Franklin 36 yard field goal NE 17–3 Q3 DEN Boddie 1 yard run (Karlis kick)NE 17–10 Q3 DEN Massie 7 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)Tied 17–17 Q3 NE Franklin 27 yard field goal NE 20–17 Q4 DEN Jackson 2 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick) DEN 24–20 Q4 DEN Haynes 14 yard interception return (Karlis kick)DEN 31–20
Week 14 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 0 14 7 21 • Seahawks 0 14 7 7 28
Date: December 13Location: Kingdome Game weather: Indoors (dome)Referee: Bob McElweeTelevision network: ESPN Scoring summary Q2 5:50 SEA Warner 3 yard run (Johnson kick)SEA 7–0 Q2 0:22 SEA Butler 35 yard pass from Krieg (Johnson kick) SEA 14–0 Q3 12:28 DEN Winder 11 yard run (Karlis kick)SEA 14–7 Q3 10:36 DEN Massie 39 yard pass from Elway (Karlis kick)Tied 14–14 Q3 9:30 SEA Butler 40 yard pass from Krieg (Johnson kick) SEA 21–14 Q4 12:39 SEA Williams 7 yard pass from Krieg (Johnson kick) SEA 28–14 Q4 0:25 DEN Winder 1 yard run (Karlis kick) SEA 28–21
Week 15 1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 3 7 7 17 • Broncos 7 10 3 0 20
Date: December 19 Location: Mile High Stadium
Week 16 1 2 3 4 Total Chargers 0 0 0 0 0 • Broncos 14 0 0 10 24
Date: December 27Location: Mile High StadiumReferee: Fred SilvaTV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo Scoring summary Q1 DEN Clark 71 yard punt return DEN 7–0 Q1 DEN Winder 1 yard rush (Karlis kick)DEN 14–0 Q4 DEN Karlis 26 yard field goal DEN 17–0 Q4 DEN Hunley 52 yard interception return (Karlis kick)DEN 24–0
Standings Playoffs Divisional 1 2 3 4 Total Oilers 0 3 0 7 10 • Broncos 14 10 3 7 34
Conference Championship 1 2 3 4 Total Browns 0 3 21 9 33 • Broncos 14 7 10 7 38
Date: January 17Location: Mile High Stadium
Super Bowl 1 2 3 4 Total • Redskins 0 35 0 7 42 Broncos 10 0 0 0 10
Awards and records Ricky Nattiel, All-Rookie selection References ^ Broncos Directory (PDF) . NFL Enterprises, LLC. September 26, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2021 .{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Feb-02. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Aug-25. External links
Denver Broncos
Founded in 1960 Based in Denver, Colorado Headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado Franchise Stadiums Key personnel Culture Lore Rivalries Retired numbers Division championships (15) Conference championships (8) League championships (3) Media Current league affiliations Former league affiliation
