This week the Denver Broncos travel to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans, with the Broncos fresh off a win that both is the first for John Elway as the head of football operations and for John Fox as head coach.
The victory over Cincinnati also is one more step, one more brick in the foundation of re-establishing the Broncos culture, for the team, the city and all the fans.
But growth is one step at a time, and this week the Broncos take their show on the road for the first regular season road game of 2011.
When Denver visits Nashville it will still seem a bit new to Bronco fans watching on television.
But if you think of the franchise not just as the Tennessee Titans, but as what it is, which is the original Houston Oilers, that rivalry is a lot stronger.
This will be the 36th time the Broncos have played the Oilers/Titans franchise, and in fact the first time Denver ever visited Tennessee for a game was not 2004, a 37-16 Bronco win on Christmas Day, but back on August 24, 1966, when Denver played the Miami Dolphins in an exhibition game in Memphis.
The Broncos and Oilers played twice annually from 1960 through 1969, and it started off very rough for the Broncos. The series now stands at a 14-20-1 record for Denver, but in those American Football League years Houston won 14 games, so since the merger which had both clubs becoming members of the National Football League the Broncos have led this series.
But the early years were rough.
I think there is a parallel to the current building of the Broncos. We go to Nashville hoping to get some of the injured players back and knowing we have a tough fight coming in the opponents’ backyard.
But that’s part of the challenge of the game. There is always a next game, and sometimes it is on the road against a tough opponent. That’s just the way it goes.
But one of the great wins in the AFL history of the Broncos came against this franchise when it was in Houston.
In 1966 the Broncos were a wretched team. They were in the last year of being an aimless team used mostly as cannon fodder for the rest of the AFL. The following year Lou Saban took over as head coach and Denver began a slow march onto the path of respectability as a football team.
But back to 1966.
On September 3 Denver opened the AFL season on Saturday night, September 3 at Rice Stadium against a vastly superior Houston team quarterbacked by future Pro Football Hall of Famer George Blanda.
The Broncos played one of the most ignominious games in franchise history that night, totally dominated in a 45-7 loss to the Oilers. In fact, so dominant was Houston in victory that Denver was held without a single first down from the line of scrimmage. The only first down the Broncos recorded was the automatic one that comes with a kickoff return touchdown, as Goldie Sellers returned a kickoff for Denver’s only score—and only first down—of the night.
It was a humiliating moment in franchise history, and more than a few Houston players chuckled about it in the press reports.
The return match took place in Denver just three weeks later. By then the Broncos had fired head coach Mac Speedie and replaced him on an interim basis with tough Ray Malavasi. In Malavasi’s first game as head coach Denver lost at home to the New York Jets, 16-7.
When the Oilers came in the following week, October 2, Denver appeared to have no chance against a vastly superior team. But sometimes the word “team” is key.
I saw one of the greatest individual displays ever that day by Houston quarterback George Blanda. But it came in a losing effort.
Blanda of course also was the placekicker for Houston, and in that game he threw five touchdown passes, kicked five extra points and added field goal to account for 38 Houston points.
But Denver combined points from offense, defense and special teams and won the game, 40-38 before 27,203 at old Bears Stadium. The winning points came on a 46-yard field goal by Denver kicker Gary Kroner with just 27 seconds left, a stirring moment that offset five Blanda TD passes of 18, 79, 27, 23 and nine yards, as well as his own 49-yard field goal for the remaining Houston points.
Just for good measure, the Broncos had another kickoff return by Sellers in this game, this one for 100 yards.
It was a great game, an AFL classic, and the “team” found a way to get a win.
So the Broncos go to Tennessee looking for a win in their first road game of the year, but will do so against an opponent that is an AFL original and thus one of the seven oldest rivals in franchise history.
Tags: george blanda, Houston, Houston Oilers, Oilers, saccomano, Tennessee, Titans
To the present, this is gonna be a doozie of a game, last week effort won’t suffice, we need key guys like Bailey and Doom to be healthy again, and a crap load more running, then we stand a slight chance with Orton just managing the game. Just don’t put the game in his hands, we all know what happens with that…..
Man, you would think it would be busier on the blogs after a win….
Mondays @ work are Crazy man Just for giggles I went to chiefs web site and read some of their fans comments and I have to say it’s funny as hell I could not be happier that they are failing so miserably at reach the high expectations that there fans had set for them at the begging of the year
I agree Bay. Thanks Jim for a walk down memory lane. As Bay said, this weeks game will be entirely different than the two previous weeks. The TEAM is going to have to “man up” for sure. Everybody is going to have to be on their A game and stay on it the entire game. No stupid mistakes.
Easier said then done man
Do they always take 2 days off after a game why are they not hitting the field tell Wednesday
Mayber they gave them an extra day for congrats on the win. Seems with a team like Tenn. coming up in a week, they would be on the practice field working out some of those kinks.
Blogs are probably empty because people are disappointed that we won because that means more snoring Orton. And also gives the false illusion that this team maybe good. But 1 game or 1 loss doesn’t make a season. But he played good enough to manage the game, made some throws, and was never really forced to do make a play — just manage the game, cuz thats what he does best, he is a game manager not a QB but Ill give him a B-. If we go into the bye week with anything better than 1-4 … Orton will continue to be the starter … and thats fine, because all EFX is doing is delaying the inevitable.
If we don’t have Doom and Champ, I find it hard to see us winning this game. And also DJ would be nice because against TN last year he led the team in tackles and CJ barely got 50 yards. A repeat of that would be nice this year. CJ has been avg so far. Ill wait till saturday to make my prediction. TRB
My only hope is this QQ thing isn’t drug out very long, because if it is we are going to be in this same mess next year looking ar a ‘new’ qb, whoever it will be.
I dont see y the QQ would stop untill fans get what they want or Tebow is traded
WOW!!!
Some of you guys on here (((and I won’t mention names are))) VERY HARD TO PLEASE!!!
SERIOUSLY, We played a GOOD GAME yesterday with HALF of our Salary Cap sitting on the bench!!!
Why are SOOOOOO MANY still negative???
Let’s be Happy for the WIN for a CHANGE!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Thanks for another great post Jim, keep them coming. It was great to get a victory at home on Sunday, the guys played hard and subs stepped up and got the job done! There were some plays made by guys we’ve been waiting to hear there names, Joe Mays was stout and Robert Ayers came up with a big play when we needed one. Two passing TD’s by Orton/Decker combination and many more to come. Go Broncos!
I thought some notable efforts were from:
Vaughn, Cassius – running down a missed tackle and stopping a score = DANG that guy can flat out FLY!!! Sure he got a call against him later in the game, but I thought it was a GOOD performance by and UNDRAFTED COLLEGE FREE AGENT!!!
Eric Decker – I KNEW that guy was a serious BALLER = GREAT job minus the fumble = HOWEVER, you more than made up for it!!!
Willis Magahee (spelling?) – GREAT JOB = POWERFUL RUNNER – I love the NORTH-SOUTH ATTITUDE!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Actually true2broncos it was around 34%, slightly over 1/3 of the salary, but it hurts. Having Bailey, Doom and Lloyd back this week would help alot considering how the Titans handled the Ravens. I never look at any game as an automatic lose as on any given game or play can make the difference. This game is in line with the team getting more comfortable with the new system and coach philosophy as witnessed with improvement over week one. A gae we should have won if not for the points left on the field…
Kyle Orton has to have broad shoulders and man-up moving forward and never look back over his left ear at the sidelines. Take the bull by the horns and wrestle this team back to respect. If he doesn’t we will fail and fail hard. The defense is looking better each week and played outstanding considering the players missing…The next man up is an anology of man-up and make the plays as a ‘unit’. I think they can and will…
Go Broncos!!!
Next man up is simply a necessity in the NFL every coach has to use. Just ask the Packers last year how important that was for them. The big question here is exactly how many next man up can we count on, we better get our guys healthy again. The good thing so far is the O line has remained healthy, if a couple of those guys go down, there goes the running game and Orton will be all panicky once again because we have zero quality depth on the O line, or darn near. Hopefully I didn’t just jinx anything….
the ravens and titans always play each other tough. We can win this game, no mental breakdowns, we beat this team last yr no reason we cant do it again. But Orton and Fennigan have some unfinished business LOL.
Hey, Bay where can a person find a list of all the Free Agents?
Bailey, Champ CB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP – Out
Dumervil, Elvis DE Shoulder DNP DNP DNP – Out
Lloyd, Brandon WR Groin DNP DNP LP – Out
Moreno, Knowshon RB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP – Out
Thomas, Demaryius WR Finger DNP DNP DNP Out
Thomas, Marcus DT Shoulder/Groin DNP DNP DNP Out
Warren, Ty DT Triceps DNP DNP DNP Out
Williams, D.J. WLB Elbow DNP DNP DNP Out
PLUS***
Royal got hurt during the game
J Thomas got hurt during the game
___________________________
I might be wrong but I think these guys account for more than half of our SALARY CAP?!?!?!?
DOOM, & Bailey – use up a BUNCH!
But I’m more than happy to have them on the Team = both guys are CLASS ACTS!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Miller man, answer in previous blog.
This week will be intersting to say the least on who we bring in and who gets cut. We just might bring in 2 WR`s. I do like WR Eron Riley from our PS, I hope they put him on our active roster.
BTW, love to see Earl Campbell in above pic, one of my all time favorite RB.
Lloyd should be back against the Titans.
Just hearing the name Earl Cambell brings back good chidhood memories, One of the all time greats at running the rock.
And Bob Swenson too, member of the Orange Crush, greatly underrated LB, one of our greats, this is what he said back then about the draft:
“The draft is bull,… The scouts for most of the teams are 100 years old, and most of them don’t know what they’re doing. I went to school at Berkeley, and most of the NFL scouts think the students are still rioting in the streets out there. They didn’t want to look at me.”
That guy had character and that’s what the Orange Crush was all about, character.
Earl Campbell. Forgot a letter.
so what the heck is going on with our WRs???? we only have 2… call me crazy thats not enough and we cant put tebow in as receiver any more that does nothing for us. I think we should cut thomas and put royal on reserve, and get a couple guys off the street so we can have a health crop.
Bay I watched the 1977 AFC championship game again. Man football was sure different back in the day.
Royal is a good P/KO returner. I wouldn`t be so hasty to make a quick decision to put Royal on IR. We are short in the return game as far as P/KR`s. We need depth in that area.
John Fox`s game plan reminds me of that era.
Jim, thanks for the early Broncos history lesson, that game at old Bears stadium must have been a game of the 60`s for our team. Neat to hear about.
I loved the Drive II against that Oilers team!
I also recall my late grandfather talking about that game where Blanda was a scoring machine but lost. I never realized how much he scored. Thanks for the post Mr. Saccomano. Look forward to the next one!
GO BRONCOS in 2011!
Jim,
Correction to your comments about the game where the only firtst down the Broncos got was an automatic one on a kickoff return for aTD. A first down is not awarded for a kickoff return for a TD. Total number of 1st downs for Broncos was 0. I listened to that game and remember how frustratiung it was. The lowest point in Bronco history. But the hiring of Lou Saban (Who, in my humble opinion belongs in the Ring of Fame for the pride and respect he gave the Broncos during his tenure.) gave the Broncos the spark that headed them to the heights they eventually obtained.
the thing I remember most about the Bronco/Oilers is the K/R and P/R battle between Rick Upchurch and Billy “white shoes” Johnson. they were always 1/2 by the end of the year. and in those days that was about all we (as fans) could hang our hat on. other than Floyd Little.
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