Week 4 still has one game left to its name before it is consigned to the history books, but with neither the Green Bay Packers nor the Philadelphia Eagles on the Broncos’ regular-season docket, it’s appropriate to turn the focus to next Monday night’s visit from the Baltimore Ravens … who come in flying as one of the league’s last unbeatens at 4-0.

This will mark the eighth time since the AFL-NFL merger that the Broncos have faced a team that opened the year with four or more wins without a loss, and Denver has been fairly successful in this situation, winning five of the previous seven contests like this — including all three such games played in Denver. The Broncos even won one such game when they were 1-5, turning back the then-6-0 San Diego Chargers 12 years ago.

Denver’s history in such games includes one Monday Night Football appearance, one effort that got the Broncos on the cover of Sports Illustrated and two heartbreaking road losses in a pair of the league’s most problematic road environments. Read on for more …

1977

Broncos (4-0) at Raiders (4-0)

Result: W, 30-7

Looking Back: To understand the significance of this game, don’t merely look at the fact that the Broncos would eventually win the AFC Championship — look at where the Raiders were. The franchise was at its zenith, winners of 17 games in a row (including the 1976 postseason run to Super Bowl XI).