It's hard to remember now – after being handed their first ever wooden spoon, with one coach axed and a new one on the way – that the Broncos spent more than a couple of months on top of the NRL ladder this year.
Granted, those months came between rounds two and three – when the game went on a COVID-19-enforced hiatus – and Brisbane were just one of six teams sharing the competition lead. But after winning their opening two games few could have predicted the disastrous campaign that was about to unfold.
It began with a 34-6 home thrashing at the hands of the Eels – the team that had ended Brisbane's previous season with an embarrassing 58-0 drubbing in the opening week of the 2019 finals.
A week later the Broncos lost 59-0 to the Roosters, also at Suncorp Stadium, and alarm bells were ringing.
Momentum in rugby league can build up over the course of a game but also over the course of a season, especially when injuries hit hard.
Just two years ago that Parramatta side (which has finished inside the top five in three of the past four seasons) made a poor start to the year, struggled with injuries, lost confidence and finished in last place. This year that was the Broncos' fate.
Broncos' top five tries of 2020
Plenty of fair criticism has been levelled at the club but there was no shortage of bad luck as well.
After veteran hooker Andrew McCullough was let go to allow rising star Jake Turpin to make the No.9 jersey his own, Turpin almost immediately copped an eight-week injury.
David Fifita, Kotoni Staggs, Matthew Lodge and new Origin winger Xavier Coates all had significant time on the sidelines, while backline star Jack Bird missed the entire year with an ACL injury.
No NRL team faces more scrutiny than the Broncos so when the losses came a mountain of pressure was placed on the young team, and a relatively young coach in Anthony Seibold – a recent Dally M Coach of the Year but one who had only two years of experience as an NRL head coach.
In the end that pressure was too much, with Kevin Walters anointed the man to make Brisbane a contender again starting in 2021.
Home & Away record
Remarkably after making a 2-0 start to the season the Broncos triumphed just once in their final 18 games, over the 15th-placed Bulldogs in round nine.
After the resumption Brisbane had two blockbuster fixtures on their home turf and conceded a combined 93 points, erasing any chance that Suncorp Stadium would be a fortress for them this season.
The only positive thing that could be said about the Broncos' home record in 2020 was that it was twice as good as their away record.
Run metres differential
For a team boasting what many considered to be one of the most talented forward packs in the competition, the Broncos were dire when it came to the territorial battle in 2020.
Payne Haas was a tireless workhorse in the middle – earning 175 metres per game and leading the club in tackle breaks and post-contact metres – but the team in general was outgunned with and without the ball.
Ranking last in both metres gained and metres conceded, the Broncos too rarely found themselves in try-scoring positions.
Try scoring – game time
For all the criticism levelled at Seibold, the Broncos were actually at their best immediately after hearing from their coach – either before kick-off or immediately after half-time.
This was the case in defence (see below) but especially in attack, with the team striking early with 19 tries in the opening 20 minutes of matches and 15 times early in the second half.
But whether due to poor fitness, poor concentration or some other factor, the team had a habit of fading badly late in each half.
Just five tries were scored in the final 20 minutes of matches all season – meaning even late consolation tries against opponents who had taken the foot off the pedal were a rarity.
Tries conceded – game time
These aren't good numbers for Brisbane across the board but especially in the final 20 minutes of each half, with a combined 66 tries conceded.
The new six-again rule introduced before round three meant the game was immediately faster and busier when the season resumed, and while some teams thrived under the new system the Broncos clearly weren't one of them.
Tries scored from six-agains
For a team that struggled in attack generally it's no surprise to see the Broncos rated poorly – equal worst in the league – when it came to scoring tries after receiving a six-again from a ruck infringement.
Brisbane were in the middle of the pack when it came to conceding six-agains, but the more frenzied style of game the new rule introduced and the increase of time the ball was in play appears to have contributed to the Broncos being sapped of energy late in matches.
Metres gained from offloads
No Broncos ranked inside the league's top 15 for offloads thrown but Tevita Pangai jnr was the closest, earning more than 250 metres in extra metres gained from his offloads this season.
Payne Haas and Anthony Milford were the next most prolific.
Considering the team had easily the least amount of possession of any club this year – with 45% across the course of the season (the Titans' 48.3% was the next worst; Penrith's 55.6% the league's best) they were fairly effective in offloading with the eighth most of any club.
Goal-kicking accuracy
Brisbane were the ninth-best goal-kicking team in the league according to the percentages, with Kotoni Staggs replacing Jamayne Isaako's as the team's sharpshooter midway through the season.
Staggs (18/23, 78%) finished with a slightly better record than Isaako (16/22, 73%) in the end, giving the club the handy bonus of at least two NRL-quality goal-kickers in their ranks.
A perfect three-from-three from Herbie Farnworth and the arrival of an experienced goal-kicker in Issac Luke didn't hurt either.
Players used
This is always a key statistic when dissecting an NRL club's season, and never more so than in a 2020 campaign that wasn't interrupted by a mid-year State of Origin series.
Any team is going to struggle when they call on 32 players across the course of a season, with Brisbane's tally equal the most in the league.
Only the Warriors (who were so short-handed they were forced to loan players from other clubs) and the Raiders and Storm (who practically rested their entire first-choice teams in round 20) used as many players as Brisbane.
For all the finger-pointing at who was to blame for the Broncos' disastrous season, if they can simply have more of their key players fit for the entire year they'll be an improved outfit in 2021.
Try-saver tackles
For a team with the worst defensive record in the league, in terms of points conceded – Brisbane leaked 624 points, with the Cowboys' 520 the next worst – Seibold's team actually had fairly solid numbers when it came to tackle effectiveness.
Nine clubs actually finished with more missed tackles than the Broncos, even with Brisbane spending more time defending than any other team.
Of course missed tackles isn't the only barometer of a team's defence, and one clue to the Broncos' frailty when it came to defending their own goal-line was a lack of try-saving tackles.
They ranked last in that statistic, despite spending more time defending and camped in their own half than any other club.
Errors differential
Perhaps it was bad luck, perhaps it was a lack of defensive pressure, but teams simply didn't make many mistakes with the ball when they were playing against Brisbane in 2020.
Despite ranking sixth in the league when it came to handling errors the Broncos still had a negative "errors differential", with their opponents making just 199 errors compared to their own 214.
Forcing turnovers is a great way to get into attacking positions quickly, but Brisbane rarely had that luxury and finished with the worst attacking record in the league.
2020 Form Guide
| Round | Opposition | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cowboys | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Won 28-21 |
| 2 | Rabbitohs | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Won 22-18 |
| 3 | Eels | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 34-6 |
| 4 | Roosters | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 59-0 |
| 5 | Sea Eagles | Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast | Lost 20-18 |
| 6 | Knights | Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast | Lost 27-6 |
| 7 | Titans | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 30-12 |
| 8 | Warriors | Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast | Lost 26-16 |
| 9 | Bulldogs | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Won 26-8 |
| 10 | Wests Tigers | Leichhardt Oval, Sydney | Lost 48-0 |
| 11 | Storm | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 46-8 |
| 12 | Sharks | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 36-26 |
| 13 | Rabbitohs | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | Lost 28-10 |
| 14 | Raiders | GIO Stadium, Sydney | Lost 36-8 |
| 15 | Dragons | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 28-24 |
| 16 | Roosters | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Lost 58-12 |
| 17 | Panthers | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 25-12 |
| 18 | Titans | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast | Lost 18-6 |
| 19 | Eels | Bankwest Stadium | Lost 26-12 |
| 20 | Cowboys | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Lost 32-16 |
FAQs
How many points did the Broncos average in 2020? ›
| Average Drive | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | PF | Pts |
| Team Stats | 323 | 1.71 |
| Opp. Stats | 446 | 2.27 |
| Lg Rank Offense | 28 | 27 |
The 1963 Denver Broncos season was the fourth season for the team in the American Football League (AFL). They finished with a record of two wins, eleven losses, and one tie, and finished fourth in the AFL's Western Division, and also the worst record in the league.
How to get all Denver Broncos games? ›- CBS. Watch Broncos games live on CBS. ...
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- NFL Red Zone. ...
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- denverbroncos.com.
All of that action led the Broncos to no pick in the first round and only five picks total in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Who has the highest PPG in the NFL 2020? ›| TEAM | SEASON | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 2020 | 31.8 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2020 | 31.3 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2020 | 30.8 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2020 | 30.7 |
Overview. The Denver Broncos are ranked 20th in our overall team guide. The survey results show that 100% of player respondents believe that the new ownership group is willing to invest in upgrading the facilities.
Who are the Broncos most hated rival? ›Oakland Raiders
Arguably, they are the Broncos' No. 1 arch enemy.
The Kansas City Chiefs have the most wins by a team against the Broncos, with 71 wins.
Do Broncos games sell out? ›To be notified directly of the ticket on sale, sign up for Denver Broncos email alerts here. Ticket availability will vary, as the Broncos have sold out 410 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 1970, but a limited number of tickets (mostly single seats) will be available for all games.
Can I get every NFL game? ›
Most TV providers carry NFL Network, while a standalone ESPN+ subscription costs $9.99 a month. Hulu + Live TV is the only TV service that gets you every international NFL game in one plan because it includes ESPN+ at no extra cost.
How to get all the NFL games for cheap? ›The cheapest all-in-one streaming service for watching the NFL is NFL+. Forged from the ashes of NFL Game Pass, NFL+ offers two subscription plans. Its basic plan is $4.99 a month and includes live in-market and primetime NFL games for phone and tablet users.
Who has the most 1st round picks NFL 2023? ›Which Team Has the Most Picks in the 2023 NFL Draft? The Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders have 12 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, leading the NFL. Houston has each of its own picks in Rounds 1 through 4, plus the Cleveland Browns' first- and third-round picks from the Deshaun Watson trade last year.
Who have the Broncos drafted so far? ›- 2022 (No. 64 overall): Nik Bonitto, LB, Oklahoma.
- 2021 (No. 9 overall): Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama.
- 2020 (No. 15 overall): Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama.
- 2019 (No. 20 overall): Noah Fant, TE, Iowa.
- 2018 (No. 5 overall): Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State.
Alabama and Georgia tied with 10 picks each in the 2023 NFL Draft, leading all other schools. Here's what you need to know: Michigan was next in line with nine picks and TCU was third with eight.
Who has the best career PPG? ›Michael Jordan scored the most points per game when playing 10+ games, with 30.1 per game.
Are the Broncos good at football? ›In a recent video for NFL.com, Pro Football Focus ranked the most-improved teams of the 2022 offseason, and the Broncos beat out the Raiders, Jets, Chargers and Dolphins for the top spot.
Who has the worst record in the NFL? ›The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the lowest win–loss percentage (. 402) in the NFL regular season.
Who is favorite Chargers or Broncos? ›
The Broncos are 6-point favorites in the latest Broncos vs. Chargers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under for total points is 39.
What is the nastiest rivalry in the NFL? ›The Chiefs–Raiders rivalry is considered as one of the NFL's most bitter. Since the AFL was established in 1960, the Chiefs and Raiders have shared the same division, first being the AFL Western Conference, and since the AFL–NFL merger, the AFC West.
Is Denver Broncos the worst team? ›Broncos ranked as 2nd-worst team in NFL power rankings.
Who is Denver Broncos nemesis? ›The Denver Broncos have three AFC West rivals—the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.
Are the Denver Broncos a popular team? ›Among every franchise in all four leagues, the Denver Broncos ranked eighth in North America for overall popularity, just below the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors.
Who are the Rams biggest rival? ›The Rams' biggest rival is the San Francisco 49ers. The rivalry goes back to 1950 and became very heated in the 1970s, as both teams competed for the NFC West title.
Are the Chargers and Broncos rivals? ›Yes, the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos are rivals in the National Football League. Historically, the Chargers and Broncos have competed in the same conference since the formation of the American Football League in 1960. Through league mergers and city swaps, the two teams have clashed 126 times entering 2023.
Has Patrick Mahomes ever lost to the Broncos? ›After Manning retired following the 2015 season, the Chiefs have gone 14–0 against the Broncos, and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has a perfect 11–0 record against Denver. Combined, the two teams have won the last 12 AFC West Division titles from 2010–2022, and were the only teams to win the AFC West in the 2010s.
What is the best rushing offense in history? ›Nov.
Just eight years previously though, in front of 14,573 fans, the Giants set the greatest ever rushing performance by a team in the history of the NFL as they dismantled the Colts with a 423-yard game on the ground with seven different players getting their hands on the pigskin.
Individual records
Darren Lockyer playing for the Broncos in 2004. Lockyer made his Broncos debut in 1995 and is a former captain of the team. He holds the record for most games played for the Broncos (355) and 2nd most points for the Broncos (1,191).
How much are beers at Broncos games? ›
| Team | 16-ounce beer |
|---|---|
| Houston Texans | $8.00 |
| Minnesota Vikings | $8.00 |
| Indianapolis Colts | $8.00 |
| Denver Broncos | $7.50 |
The 2023 Ford Bronco finished fourth among all new vehicles with an estimated five-year resale value of 65.4 percent, trailing only the Toyota Tundra at 73.3 percent, as well as the Toyota Tacoma and Tesla Model X, which tied for second place with 66 percent.
What is the longest sellout streak in the NFL? ›There are two possible answers - the Broncos hold the record for consecutive sell-outs in one city; they've not failed to sell out a home regular season or playoff game for 52 years, since 1970 at Mile High (and reached 400 straight sellouts back in November 2018).
How much does NFL cost? ›| Service | Price | Live games |
|---|---|---|
| NFL+ | $4.99–$9.99/mo. | 150+ |
| NFL Sunday Ticket | $349.00–$489.00/season* | 200+ |
An NFL football that goes into the stands is considered a "live ball" and is not allowed to be kept as a souvenir. It is a rule in the NFL that any ball that goes into the stands during a game must be returned to the field of play, as it could potentially be used again in the game.
What is the cheapest NFL team to watch? ›The Lions have the NFL's cheapest ticket, as their games cost, on average, about $224. The Jaguars ($258), Jets ($265), Cardinals ($276) and Browns ($282) are the league's other four teams that have an average ticket cost of under $300.
What is the cheapest NFL sports team to buy? ›NFL teams on average are worth $4.14 billion, 18 percent more than last year, with the cheapest team the Cincinnati Bengals at $2.84 billion, a new valuation study from Sportico reports.
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- Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys. ...
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- Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints.
What NFL team has the easiest schedule in 2023: Based on projected win totals, the New Orleans Saints have the easiest strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season. NFL teams with the easiest schedules in 2023: New Orleans Saints.
Who lost their 2023 first round pick? ›
The Miami Dolphins lost their 2023 first round pick as a result of an NFL investigation into possible tampering.
Who is the #1 WR on the Broncos? ›2:25 p.m.: Denver traded out of the No. 195 pick, sending it to New Orleans in return for a seventh-round pick (No. 257) and tight end Adam Trautman. Trautman was a third-round pick in 2020 when Sean Payton was the head coach in New Orleans and caught 18 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown last year.
Who has the most touchdown in Broncos? ›Rod Smith is the career touchdown leader of the Denver Broncos having scored 71 touchdowns throughout his career. He is followed in this ranking by Terrell Davis and Demaryius Thomas with 65 touchdowns and 60 touchdowns respectively.
What college has the most players drafted in the NFL? ›Georgia holds the record for most NFL draft selections by a college in a single year since the NFL draft became seven rounds in 1994, setting the mark at 15 players in 2022. 2004 Miami tied 2021 Alabama for the record for most first-round picks at six.
Why are there only 31 first round picks? ›There are 31 picks in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft because the Miami Dolphins were stripped of their top selection for violations of league policies relating to the integrity of the game.
Who is the best player in the NFL 2023? ›The focus with all NFL Top 100 players list centers on the quarterback and it should come as no surprise that Patrick Mahomes is number one on our list. After the reigning Super Bowl MVP, though, the list of the 100 best NFL players in 2023 opens up with a lot of young, ascending talent on defense.
How many points do the Broncos average? ›The Denver Broncos scored 16.9 points per game in 2022.
What is the average points scored in the NFL 2020? ›2020. On this occasion, the average points per game scored by NFL teams was 24.8, meaning that the 15.2 scored by the New York Jets was well under, whilst the 31.8 scored by the Green Bay Packers was above average.
How many points do the Denver Broncos average this year? ›| TEAM | SEASON | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 2022 | 16.9 |
How many points have Broncos scored? ›
The Denver Broncos put up 287 points in 2022.
What NFL team is averaging the most points? ›The Kansas City Chiefs scored the most points per game by a team in 2022, with 29.2 per game.
What is the highest scoring team in NFL history? ›113 points: Washington 72, Giants 41 (Nov.
Not only is this the highest-combined point total in NFL history, Washington also set the record for most points in a regular season game by a single team.
99 points (Denver Broncos vs.
Denver placekicker Matt Prater kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give the Broncos a 51–48 win.
| TEAM | SEASON | XP2 |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 2022 | 1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2022 | 1 |
| Houston Texans | 2022 | 1 |
| New York Jets | 2022 | 0 |
The most common football score is 20-17, as this result has occurred more than any other scoring margin throughout football history. Over the history of the NFL, 1072 different final scores have been recorded, and 20-17, as a result, has been achieved 274 times.
What is the lowest points per game in NFL history? ›The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have scored the fewest points per game by a team in a season, with 7.4 per game in 1977.
When was the last time the Broncos allowed 50 points? ›The Denver Broncos had 51 points against the Titans on December 8, 2013.
When was the last time the Broncos scored 40 points? ›| TEAM | DATE | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 10/15/2000 | 44 |
| Denver Broncos | 9/10/2000 | 42 |
| Denver Broncos | 11/22/1998 | 40 |
| Denver Broncos | 10/4/1998 | 41 |
- Passing Yards / Game. 211.3. PYDS/G. 19TH OVERALL.
- Rushing Yards / Game. 113.8. RYDS/G. 21ST OVERALL.
- Kicking Points. 147. PTS.
- Kick Return Avg. 17.5. K-RET AVG.
- Punt Return Avg. 8.3. P-RET AVG.
- Points Allowed. 339. PA.
- Third Down % 29.1. 3RD% 32ND OVERALL.
- Yards / Game. 325.1. YDS/G.
Are the Broncos the worst offense ever? ›
It is easily the worst offense in the history of the franchise. The offense is scoring 13.8 points per game, which places it dead last in the six decades that the Broncos have been in existence. Coupled with the fact that Denver's second-worst scoring team was in 1966, it paints a picture of utter failure.
How did Broncos get 5 points in football? ›As a team they have 5 thanks to Jimmy Garoppolo's running out of the back of the end zone when they played the 49ers. Let me make you feel even more disgusted with the Broncos.
What is the Broncos win loss ratio? ›| TEAM | SEASON | 4DWN% |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 2021 | 57.1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2022 | 50.0 |
| Average | 26.9 | |
| Total | 53.8 |