Remembering the 1973 Denver Broncos

The 1973 Denver Broncos were indeed a special team. They were the first Denver team to earn a winning record. The Broncos finished the 1973 campaign with a 7-5-2 mark, which gave them a sense of optimism for the future.

Their offense was indeed a cause for hope for their future. Their offensive attack scored a total of 354 points in 1973, which stood out as the third-best amount in the entire NFL.

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1973 Broncos - Offensive Firepower

The main weapons for Denver’s offense in 1973 included quarterback Charley Johnson, who threw for 2,465 yards and 20 touchdowns. Johnson had a very strong running game to rely upon. Running back Floyd Little offered a strong veteran performance with 979 rushing yards and a league-best 12 touchdowns. Little also added another receiving touchdown. Joe Dawkins provided the team with a quality stand-in performance in the Broncos backfield. He contributed 706 rushing yards, including a 72-yard dash for a score at Kansas City. Dawkins also caught 30 passes for 329 yards in 1973.

Leading Denver’s pass receivers, however, was second-year tight end Riley Odoms, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound pro who caught 43 passes worth 629 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Haven Moses led the Broncos with eight touchdown receptions, as he was Johnson’s main outside threat. Moses snared a total of 28 passes worth 518 yards in 1973.

Defense Behind Offense In 73'

The Denver defense was not as strong as their offense, but they offered inspired play, nonetheless. The Broncos defenders allowed a total of 296 points and 4,235 yards in 1973, which gave them a rank of 15th best in the NFL. Leading the Denver defense were defensive linemen such as Lyle Alzado, Barney Chavous, and Paul Smith.

Those three were some of the most formidable as could be found in the American Football Conference during that era. The linebackers for the 1973 Broncos were not as well-known as their defensive linemen, but they were still strong defenders, especially against opposing rushing attacks. They included the likes of Tom Graham, Bill Laskey, and Ray May.

May was a new acquisition in Denver. He came to the team from Baltimore, where he was a member of the 1970 Colts World Championship team that won Super Bowl V. May immediately became a team leader for the Broncos. He introduced a custom back in 1973 that has been seen in many huddles in the sport since then…the custom of players holding hands, as a symbol of drawing strength from each other.

Critics derided it as nothing more than a humorous gimmick, but Denver’s defensive players considered it to be a display of their raw emotion. It was an emotion that helped them overcome a 1-3 start to their season and win three straight games in November.

Hoping For A Winning Record

The Broncos and their loyal fans were starving for a winning record after a full decade of losing in the 1960s. It was as if they were in a perpetual state of rebuilding. But in 1973, Denver finally put together several strong efforts, which included several big upset victories. The Broncos defeated the future AFC Central Division Champion Cincinnati Bengals on opening day, 28-10. Then in the 10th week of the 1973 season, they ventured into Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium and upended the defending a tough Steelers team, 23-13.

By season’s end, the Denver Broncos were no longer a patsy along the pro football landscape. With John Ralston as their head coach, they had built themselves into a better team than they had ever been before.

Trivia Question:

The Denver Broncos enjoyed playing in their first ever Monday Night Football game at their home stadium – Mile High Stadium – in 1973. Which team did they play on that evening, and what was the result of that game?

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Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski

Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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