The Denver Broncos this Sunday will be the road team when they play the San Francisco 49ers, but both teams will be a long way from the City by the Bay.
London’s Wembley Stadium will be the host venue when the Broncos take on old rival San Francisco as part of the NFL’s 2010 International Series, but it will not be the Broncos’ first foray into international competition.
Starting in 1987 when the Broncos played the Los Angeles Rams in London, Denver has played seven games as the NFL’s international representatives (that first game was on August 9, 1987 at old Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 72,786).
The Broncos are one of just two franchises, with San Diego being the other, to have represented American football on all four continents where the NFL has hosted a game, making Pat Bowlen’s franchise one of the league’s most popular and well-traveled, high praise for the level at which the owner has watched his team perform in his 27 years of ownership.
This will be the second game for the Broncos in London, but the Broncos have also played two other games in Europe (one each in Barcelona and Berlin), two more in Asia (both in Tokyo), one in Australia (in Sydney) and one outside the United States but still in North America (Mexico City).
For the record, the games and results are as follows:
1999 a 20-17 win over San Diego in Sydney
1997 a 38-19 loss to Miami in Mexico City
1995 a 24-10 win over San Francisco in Tokyo
1994 a 25-22 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders in Barcelona
1992 a 31-27 loss to Miami in Berlin
1990 a 10-7 win over Seattle in Tokyo
1987 a 28-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London
Miami is the only other NFL team to play in seven of the ten countries in which the NFL has hosted a game.
The Broncos and the 49ers have been two of the most frequent NFL teams in international games, with San Francisco leading the NFL, having played in nine international contests, while the Broncos this week move into a tie with Dallas and Pittsburgh for the second-most games outside American borders, with their eighth appearance promoting NFL football and the Mile High City.
Tags: Denver Broncos, Jim Saccomano, London
Talking about Elway, here he is, for a second I thought he just got arrested, LOL.
And all of these games played in other continents by the Broncos were preseason games, this one being the first regular season game, correct?
Well you wouldn’t Adam & Eve it see old John boy with the local bobby being nicked! lol
Man PLEASE COME BACK TO AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!
It seems like the games in London each year are low scoring affairs played on grass not made for football (well American football). It also seems like there are a bunch of injuries from that game. I am grateful that we have the bye week after this to help with our mounting injuries!
I also hope the Broncos either go on a tear and win there next 9 games or that they fall flat on there backs and get some good draft picks this year – in otherwords for me it’s make it or break it here and NOW!
I think McDaniels is a good coach, but in today’s NFL you need player that can overcome injuries and players that aren’t injury prone. I like McDaniels overall sceme, but the player need to buck up and be men and play like there jobs depend on it, because they really do!
The NFL is as even and equal as I can recall it ever being right now – plenty of good players and good coaches, but it comes down to “who wants it more”!!! The last few years we’ve started good and finished really bad, but perhaps this is the year we start bad and finish STRONG!!!
That is my hope!!! GO BRONCOS
I would love if you came to New Zealand, but we don’t have a stadium big enough to warrant a visit. Stadium Australia has the capacity to seat a smidgen over 100K so that would be ‘Perfeck’
Low scoring…? The Saints beat the Chargers 37-35, and the Pats racked up 30 odd points last year…I’m sure Denver will follow on and put 30+ points on the board. Can’t wait to see my guys at Wembley!
ITS ELWAY. 20 years ago. But there he is. Thanks Jim
The Broncos-Raiders preseason game in 1994 was a bad idea. I recall that an ugly fight broke out in that game after both teams played three heated battles in 1993.
To tell you the truth, I really don`t like the idea of going across the sea`s and playing NFL football. Not just the Broncos, but any NFL game. The games should be played here in our stadiums. I don`t like it.
haha, nice picture of Elway. Thanks for posting that!
I have full confidence this team will put the Raider game behind them and make some major adjustments to get this last win before our bye week. If I can manage to put that disaster of a game behind me and not dwell on it and think just because of that game our future is completely doomed… well then so can this team. I’m not talking about denial… I’m talking about getting over this game. It’s in the past, it’s done, it’s over with… move on!
Have faith Bronco Country…
GO BRONCOS in 2010!!!!
wow. i was at wembley in ’87, i was 13 years old and went with my Dad, we had standing tickets as all-seater stadiums hadnt come in yet….and here i am about to see my beloved Broncos again 23 years later….just realised i’ve been a supporter for 25 years this year…..come on Denver dont let me down! cant be worse than against the Raiders surely
Sorry guys for the re-post but this is too important not to:
THIS IS ADDRESSED TO MCDANIELS AND THE WHOLE TEAM
Since I have traveled across the pound well over a dozen times, I know everything there is to know about jet lag:
All flights from the USA to Europe leave about 5 to 6 pm local time and arrive in Europe about 8 to 9 am local time there.
It is critical to get a good night sleep on the plane, at the very most eat the meal that they will serve you right after the departure and immediately go to sleep, bypass all the movies and all that stuff. Sleep all the way until they tell you to raise your seat up for landing, that way you will have gotten at least 6 hour sleep in an 8 hour flight (if you need more sleep, skip the meal, eat before you board). Then as you get there spend the day as a regular day and no matter how tired you are do not sleep until that night, you will then immediately be on the local time schedule, not missing a beat by the next day, no jet lag to speak of, GUARANTEED.
If on the other end, you get on the plane enjoy the movies, play cards with your buddies or study the game plan without getting your sleep, when you get to London you will very quickly need some sleep and do that during the day, you will then have problem sleeping that night and will be in the jet lag zone for multiple days, GUARANTEED.
You can take all the above to the bank.
As usual, this valuable advice I have learned over a lifetime is free of charge, just out of my benevolent Bronco fan heart.
Hello to all the Mid West !
As a Brit- and yes a Bears fan!
I thought that I would give all of you that WON’T be at Wembley on Sunday a try at home field advantage.
The stadium will be FULL- with about 85,000 there.
BUT ONLY about 5,000 of those will be SF fans, and about 5,000 will be Bronco fans, the other 75,000 (myself included) will be Neutral- yes we may well pick a team for the day- but we will SHOUT for anybody !
It will be a “Home” game for BOTH teams- if asked for noise – trust us we will make it !
Secondly- on JET LAG !
Flying (here) from the US I agree with the above comments- so much so that when we fly back next May we land here on Sunday morning at 10:00- and then I will be at work bright eyed the next day- trust me (as a Bear)- would I lie !