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1999 Denver Broncos season

NFL team season

Field	Value
team	Denver Broncos
year	1999
record	6–10
division_place	5th AFC West
president	Pat Bowlen
coach	Mike Shanahan
off_coach	Gary Kubiak
def_coach	Greg Robinson
general manager	Neal Dahlen and Mike Shanahan
owner	Pat Bowlen
stadium	Mile High Stadium
playoffs	Did not qualify
pro bowlers	C Tom Nalen
FB Detron Smith
DT Trevor Pryce
shortnavlink	Broncos seasons

FB Detron Smith DT Trevor Pryce

The 1999 season was the Denver Broncos' 30th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 40th overall. The 1999 Broncos were hoping to win a third consecutive Super Bowl, but after winning a second against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami, the team suffered the retirement of Super Bowl XXXIII MVP quarterback John Elway during the off-season. Elway had spent his entire career with the Broncos, and much of the focus in the weeks leading up to the season centered on the void left by Elway's departure. Head coach Mike Shanahan announced that third-round 1998 draft pick Brian Griese, son of Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese, would take the reins of the offense, passing over veteran and credible back-up quarterback Bubby Brister.

In the preseason, the Broncos played in the first and so far only NFL game held in Australia. On August 7, before a crowd of 73,811 spectators at Stadium Australia in Sydney, the Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 20–17.

Although no one expected a serious defense of their title, the Broncos would stumble out of the gate this season, losing the first four regular season games. Many of the games would be decided in the final two minutes of play, but the Broncos found themselves on the losing end at 6–10. It was their first losing season since 1994, their worst season since 1990 and the worst record of the five-team AFC West. Until the injury plagued 2022 Rams, this was the worst ever season for a team defending their Super Bowl title in a non-strike season. Only the 1982 San Francisco 49ers had a lower winning percentage as they failed to defend their first Super Bowl championship.

The Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons combined for an 11–21 record in 1999. This is, as of 2022, the worst combined record for both defending conference and/or Super Bowl champions in the season following a Super Bowl appearance. The 11-21 mark was matched by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders four years later, one season removed from Super Bowl XXXVII.

Statistics site Football Outsiders calculates that the Broncos went from the league's third-easiest schedule in 1998, to the hardest schedule in 1999:

Before [2011](2011-nfl-season), the worst one-year increase in strength of schedule belonged to the 1999 Broncos. Denver had ridden the third-easiest schedule (in a 30-team league) to a Lombardi Trophy in 1998, only to fall apart the next season under the weight of John Elway's retirement, Terrell Davis'[s] Week 4 injury, and – oh, by the way – the toughest schedule in the league.

This was the largest single-season change in ''Football Outsiders''' rankings until the 2011 St. Louis Rams.

Week 4 saw star running back Terrell Davis, who was last year's league MVP, hurt his knee and was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1999 NFL draft

Draft notes

Personnel

Staff

President and chief executive officer – Pat Bowlen
Vice-president of business operations – Joe Ellis
Vice-president of administration – John Beake
General manager – Neal Dahlen
Director of pro scouting – Jack Elway
Director of college scouting – Ted Sundquist
College scouting consultant – Jerry Frei
Head coach/vice president of football operations – Mike Shanahan
Assistant head coach/offensive line – Alex Gibbs
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Gary Kubiak
Running backs – Bobby Turner
Wide receivers – Mike Heimerdinger
Tight ends – Brian Pariani
Assistant offensive line/Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Barney Chavous
Offensive assistant – Pat McPherson
Defensive coordinator – Greg Robinson
Defensive line – George Dyer
Linebackers – Frank Bush
Defensive backs – Ed Donatell
Defensive assistant – Rick Smith
Defensive assistant – Terry Tumey
Pass rush specialist – John Teerlinck
Special teams – Rick Dennison
Strength and conditioning – Rich Tuten
Assistant strength and conditioning – Ricky Porter
Assistant strength and conditioning – Greg Saporta

Roster

53 active, 10 inactive, 4 practice squad

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance
1	September 13	[Miami Dolphins](1999-miami-dolphins-season)	L 21–38	0–1	75,623
2	September 19	at [Kansas City Chiefs](1999-kansas-city-chiefs-season)	L 10–26	0–2	78,683
3	September 26	at [Tampa Bay Buccaneers](1999-tampa-bay-buccaneers-season)	L 10–13	0–3	65,297
4	October 3	[New York Jets](1999-new-york-jets-season)	L 13–21	0–4	74,181
5	October 10	at [Oakland Raiders](1999-oakland-raiders-season)	W 16–13	1–4	55,704
6	October 17	[Green Bay Packers](1999-green-bay-packers-season)	W 31–10	2–4	73,352
7	October 24	at [New England Patriots](1999-new-england-patriots-season)	L 23–24	2–5	60,011
8	October 31	[Minnesota Vikings](1999-minnesota-vikings-season)	L 20–23	2–6	75,021
9	November 7	at [San Diego Chargers](1999-san-diego-chargers-season)	W 33–17	3–6	61,204
10	November 14	at [Seattle Seahawks](1999-seattle-seahawks-season)	L 17–20	3–7	66,314
11	November 22	[Oakland Raiders](1999-oakland-raiders-season)	W 27–21 (OT)	4–7	70,012
12	Bye
13	December 5	[Kansas City Chiefs](1999-kansas-city-chiefs-season)	L 10–16	4–8	73,855
14	December 13	at [Jacksonville Jaguars](1999-jacksonville-jaguars-season)	L 24–27	4–9	71,357
15	December 19	[Seattle Seahawks](1999-seattle-seahawks-season)	W 36–30 (OT)	5–9	65,987
16	December 25	at [Detroit Lions](1999-detroit-lions-season)	W 17–7	6–9	73,158
17	January 2	[San Diego Chargers](1999-san-diego-chargers-season)	L 6–12	6–10	69,278

Standings

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20140102195745/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1016586/4/index.htm Aussies Rule: During a three-day footy-fest in Sydney, the author didn't have much luck convincing two mates that the NFL game measured up to two Australian brands. by Gary Smith]
[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20000103/ai_n9964502/ Broncos' record worst among Super Bowl champions, Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 3, 2000 by John Branch]
[[Football Outsiders]] Almanac 2012 ({{ISBN. 1478201525), page 216-217
"1999 Denver Broncos starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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