The 1977 Denver Broncos and The "Orange Crush Defense"

Whenever football fans talk about great teams of the past that failed in their quest to win the Super Bowl, the 1977 Denver Broncos get overlooked. Perhaps it’s because this was the team’s first successful season in its 18-year existence.

Before 1977, the Broncos had only three winning seasons in seventeen years. Whatever the reason, they tend to get overlooked, in my opinion.

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Reviewing 1976 Season

Looking back at the 1976 season, Denver was 4–4 after eight games, and it looked like another ho-hum year for Broncos fans. However, the team won five of its next six games to finish the season at 9–5, its best record in franchise history.

That’s a .642 winning percentage, good enough to qualify for the playoffs in today’s NFL, but not in 1976, when only four teams from each conference made the playoffs.

Surprisingly, head coach John Ralston resigned during the offseason. Denver had compiled a 34–33–3 record under Ralston in his five years as coach, which was much better than his predecessors. Red Miller would take over as the new Head Coach.

1977 Season

The 1977 season started on a good note with a 7–0 win over the Cardinals. Denver’s offense wasn’t overpowering, gaining just 258 yards, but their defense shut down the Cardinals’ typically strong running game, holding them to 69 yards.

The following week, the “Orange Crush” Defense dominated the Buffalo Bills, holding them to only 129 total yards, forcing three interceptions, and sacking quarterback Joe Ferguson four times. The Denver running game gained 203 yards, led by Otis Armstrong, who gained 96 yards on 20 carries. The final score was Denver 26, Buffalo 6.

In week three, the Broncos’ defense allowed minimum ground yards, giving up 81 rushing yards to the Seahawks. Receiver Haven Moses had a big day for the Broncos’ offense, catching five passes for 92 yards. Running back Rob Lytle scored on a 47-yard touchdown reception, and Denver won 24–13.

Denver easily defeated Kansas City in week four, 23–7. Quarterback Craig Morton had a good day, completing 13 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions, but the Broncos defense stole the show again, allowing only 166 total yards.
Some were skeptical of the Broncos’ 4–0 record since they had not played any playoff contenders yet.

But those skeptics became believers after the Broncos destroyed the defending Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders 30–7 in a week five game at Oakland. Even kicker Jim Turner got in on the action, catching a 25-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Norris Weese. The Broncos offense gained only 200 total yards but offered no turnovers.

The Orange Crush Defense shut down the Raiders’ running game, allowing only 87 yards. While they gave up 287 yards through the air, they picked off Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler an astounding seven times.

The Denver defense allowed over 100 yards rushing for the first time this season. Bengals fullback Pete Johnson gained 108 yards on 16 carries, but the Broncos’ running game had a good game, too, gaining 180 yards. Quarterback Craig Morton and receiver Jack Dolbin hooked up for an 84-yard touchdown reception. Once again, the Broncos had zero turnovers, taking advantage of three Bengals turnovers, and cruised to a 24–13 win.

Dating back to week nine of the 1976 season, the Broncos had only one loss in their last twelve games, but they would suffer a bad loss in a rematch with the Raiders. After three quarters, Oakland had a 24–0 lead. Denver scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but that wasn’t enough.

This game was quite the opposite of their prior meeting two weeks earlier, when the Raider’s game plan was to pass first and run second. The Raiders passed only 14 times this time and ran 57 times for 200 yards. Raiders running back Clarence Davis had 20 carries for 105 yards. Craig Morton threw 19 completions for 242 yards but was sacked eight times.


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After playing the defending champions in two of the last three games, the Broncos would now play Pittsburgh, the 1975 Super Bowl Champions. Those who thought Denver would wilt after losing to the Raiders found out otherwise. An 87-yard punt return by Rick Upchurch and a 20-yard touchdown by Haven Moses gave the Broncos a 21–0 halftime lead.

The Steelers scored a late touchdown to make the final score 21–7. There wasn’t much offense from either team in this game. The Denver defense held Franco Harris to 62 yards on 23 carries and sacked Terry Bradshaw six times. Craig Morton didn’t fare much better, getting sacked five times.

The Broncos did not have one of their better games in a week nine matchup against the Chargers. Trailing 14–3 at halftime, the Broncos came back to win 17–14. The Denver offense gained only 222 total yards.

The Denver defense played their usual solid game, and the Broncos’ running game churned out 249 yards against the Chiefs. Otis Armstrong had 120 yards on 21 carries, and Rob Lytle added another 68 yards on just 12 carries. The final score was Denver 14 and Kansas City 7.

Two Juggernauts Head-To-Head

The 9–1 Broncos faced the 9–1 Colts in a week eleven matchup at Mile High Stadium. The Bronco’s defense had a tough time containing Colts running back Don McCauley, who caught 11 passes for 112 yards, but they picked off quarterback Bert Jones three times and held the Colts to only 90 yards rushing. Craig Morton connected with Rick Upchurch for a 41-yard touchdown strike, and linebacker Tom Jackson returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown. The final score was Denver 27, Baltimore 13.

Despite getting sacked six times, Craig Morton played well, completing 13 of 22 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Riley Odoms caught six passes for 86 yards and scored a touchdown. While the 1977 Broncos offense was rarely exciting or overpowering, they got the job done. The defense did its usual stellar job, allowing just 251 total yards. Denver 24, Houston 14.

In a week thirteen win over the Chargers, receiver Lonnie Perrin got the offense off to a good start with a 41-yard touchdown reception from Craig Morton. The stingy Orange Crush Defense gave up 276 yards passing, but Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts needed 41 attempts, and they intercepted him twice. San Diego managed only 64 yards rushing. The final score was 17–9.

In the final game of the regular season, the 12–1 Broncos traveled to Dallas to play the 11–2 Cowboys. The game, which had been highly anticipated a few weeks earlier, lost some of its luster since both teams had clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs. Craig Morton sat out this game. The Broncos defense held running back Tony Dorsett to only 50 yards rushing, but their offense gained only 178 yards in total, and Dallas won 14–6.

Defensive end Lyle Alzado, cornerback Bill Thompson, and linebackers Tom Jackson and Randy Gradishar made first-team All-Pro. Red Miller was named Coach of the Year, and Craig Morton was named Comeback Player of the Year.

1977 NFL Playoffs

The AFC Divisional Playoff Game would be a rematch of the week eight game between the Broncos and Steelers. The game was played on Christmas Eve, and the score was tied at 21 in the fourth quarter when Denver scored thirteen unanswered points. Craig Morton played well, completing 11 of 23 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Orange Crush defense played their usual great game, holding Franco Harris to 92 yards on 28 carries. They were equally tough on Terry Bradshaw, who completed 19 of 37 passes for only 177 yards and threw three interceptions.

The Broncos played the Raiders in the AFC Championship Game on New Year’s Day.It was 13 degrees with a wind chill factor of minus 4. Neither team was able to establish much of a running game; it was up to the quarterbacks to get it done. Craig Morton connected with Haven Moses in the first quarter on a 74-yard touchdown strike. Moses would finish the game with five receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Morton completed 10 of 20 passes for 224 yards and threw two touchdowns with one interception. Stabler completed 17 of 35 passes but only 215 yards. The Broncos led 7–3 in the third quarter and were about to make it 14–3 when running back Rob Lytle was hit by safety Jack Tatum and fumbled, or so it appeared. But the officials ruled the play had been blown dead, and the Broncos got another chance and took a 14–3 lead. They went on to win 20–17.

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The 14–2 Broncos would play the 14–2 Dallas Cowboys on Jan.15, 1978 in Super Bowl Xll. The two teams had met one month earlier, with Dallas scoring a 14–6 victory. The Bronco’s defense played well in the first half, but their offense couldn’t seem to do a thing against the “Doomsday Defense,” and they trailed 13–0 at halftime. Things didn’t improve in the second half, although Denver scored one touchdown and a field goal.

The final was Dallas 27, Denver 10. The “Orange Crush” defense held the Cowboys running attack to 143 yards on 38 carries and sacked Roger Staubach five times, but the Broncos offense was completely shut down, gaining only 156 total yards. They also had eight turnovers and allowed four sacks.

It was a disappointing end to a great season, but it was a season no Broncos fan will ever forget.

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)