The 1983 Denver Broncos season was its 24th in professional football and 14th in the National Football League (NFL). Led by third-year head coach Dan Reeves, the Broncos were 9–7, third in the AFC West, and made their first playoff appearance in four seasons.
Before the season, the Broncos traded with the Baltimore Colts for the rights to first overall pick in the 1983 draft, quarterback John Elway. He started ten games for the Broncos as a rookie, and the team won four of them.Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1983 Denver Broncos In his first two starts, both road wins, Elway left the game trailing, relieved by veteran Steve DeBerg.
After three straight losses, Elway was benched by Reeves in early October; and DeBerg led the team to four consecutive victories and a 6–3 record. A shoulder injury in a loss in Seattle sidelined him and Elway again became the starter. In the rematch with Seattle two weeks later in Denver, Elway was out with the flu and third-string rookie Gary Kubiak led the Broncos to a win.
Elway's finest game as a rookie came in week 15, the Broncos' second game against Baltimore, the team that drafted him. Denver trailed 19–0 at the start of the fourth quarter, until Elway threw for three touchdowns in the final period to win 21–19 and kept their playoff hopes alive.Pro-Football-Reference.com: Baltimore Colts 19 at Denver Broncos 21; Sunday, December 11, 1983 The following week was a lopsided road loss at Kansas City in wind chill, but the Broncos made the playoffs, gaining the final AFC berth over Cleveland, also at 9–7, whom they defeated in week 14.
DeBerg started the wild card playoff loss in Seattle, and was relieved by Elway in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos' wild-card playoff loss to the Seahawks marked their only playoff appearance during the three-year ownership of Edgar Kaiser Jr.; Pat Bowlen bought the team the following spring.
NFL draft
Personnel
Staff
Source:
Roster
Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 Seattle Seahawks W 10–7 1–0 Mile High Stadium 53,887 2 Atlanta Falcons W 21–10 2–0 Mile High Stadium 73,199 3 Cleveland Browns W 19–10 3–0 Mile High Stadium 73,244 4 at Minnesota Vikings L 3–34 3–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 59,435
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 4 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 14–10 1–0 Three Rivers Stadium 58,233 2 September 11 at Baltimore Colts W 17–10 2–0 Memorial Stadium 52,613 3 September 18 Philadelphia Eagles L 10–13 2–1 Mile High Stadium 74,202 4 September 25 Los Angeles Raiders L 7–22 2–2 Mile High Stadium 74,289 5 October 2 at Chicago Bears L 14–31 2–3 Soldier Field 58,210 6 October 9 at Houston Oilers W 26–14 3–3 Astrodome 44,209 7 October 16 Cincinnati Bengals W 24–17 4–3 Mile High Stadium 74,305 8 October 23 San Diego Chargers W 14–6 5–3 Mile High Stadium 74,581 9 October 30 Kansas City Chiefs W 27–24 6–3 Mile High Stadium 74,640 10 November 6 at Seattle Seahawks L 19–27 6–4 Kingdome 61,189 11 November 13 at Los Angeles Raiders L 20–22 6–5 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 51,945 12 November 20 Seattle Seahawks W 38–27 7–5 Mile High Stadium 74,710 13 November 27 at San Diego Chargers L 7–31 7–6 Jack Murphy Stadium 43,650 14 December 4 Cleveland Browns W 27–6 8–6 Mile High Stadium 70,912 15 December 11 Baltimore Colts W 21–19 9–6 Mile High Stadium 74,864 16 December 18 at Kansas City Chiefs L 17–48 9–7 Arrowhead Stadium 11,377 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1 (Sunday, September 4, 1983): at Pittsburgh Steelers
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsSteelers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 2 (Sunday, September 11, 1983): at Baltimore Colts
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsColts First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 3 (Sunday, September 18, 1983): vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
EaglesGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 4 (Sunday, September 25, 1983): vs. Los Angeles Raiders
Point spread: Broncos +3½ Over/under: 34.0 (under) Time of game:
RaidersGame statisticsBroncos11 First downs 1637–82 Rushes–yards 30–130154 Passing yards 18813–24–1 14–33–23–22 Sacked–yards 5–50132 Net passing yards 138214 Total yards 268113 Return yards 1229–46.1 8–42.63–0 Fumbles–lost 4–24–22 Penalties–yards 9–7829:29 Time of possession 30:31
Individual stats
Week 5 (Sunday, October 2, 1983): at Chicago Bears
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsBears First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 6 (Sunday, October 9, 1983): at Houston Oilers
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsOilers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 7 (Sunday, October 16, 1983): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BengalsGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 8 (Sunday, October 23, 1983): vs. San Diego Chargers
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
ChargersGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 9 (Sunday, October 30, 1983): vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
ChiefsGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 10 (Sunday, November 6, 1983): at Seattle Seahawks
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsSeahawks First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 11 (Sunday, November 13, 1983): at Los Angeles Raiders
Point spread: Broncos +7 Over/under: 42.0 (push) Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsRaiders14 First downs 2325–63 Rushes–yards 29–140190 Passing yards 25211–31–1 26–43–02–21 Sacked–yards 5–52169 Net passing yards 200232 Total yards 34091 Return yards 1477–36.4 5–44.82–1 Fumbles–lost 3–35–29 Penalties–yards 7–5726:30 Time of possession 33:30
Individual stats
Week 12 (Sunday, November 20, 1983): vs. Seattle Seahawks
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
SeahawksGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 13 (Sunday, November 27, 1983): at San Diego Chargers
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsChargers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 14 (Sunday, December 4, 1983): vs. Cleveland Browns
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BrownsGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 15 (Sunday, December 11, 1983): vs. Baltimore Colts
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
ColtsGame statisticsBroncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Week 16 (Sunday, December 18, 1983): at Kansas City Chiefs
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsChiefs First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Individual stats
Standings
Playoffs
Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance AFC Wild Card Playoffs December 24 at Seattle Seahawks (4) L 7–31 0–1 Kingdome 60,752
Playoff game summaries 1983 AFC Wild Card Playoffs (Saturday, December 24, 1983): at (4) Seattle Seahawks
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: 2 hours, 53 minutes
BroncosGame statisticsSeahawks21 First downs 1733–125 Rushes–yards 38–145254 Passing yards 20024–34–2 12–13–02–19 Sacked–yards 2–21233 Net passing yards 179360 Total yards 324128 Return yards 1464–47.8 3–41.71–1 Fumbles–lost 1–05–35 Penalties–yards 3–3430:57 Time of possession 29:03
Individual stats
Playoff Game Officials Playoff Round Opponent Referee Umpire Head Linesman Line Judge Back Judge Side Judge Field Judge Alternate Wild Card at Seattle (43) Red Cashion (67) John Keck (109) Sid Semon (41) Dick McKenzie (28) Don Wedge (90) Gil Mace (84) Bob Wortman
References
External links Denver Broncos – 1983 media guide 1983 Denver Broncos season at jt-sw.com 1983 Denver Broncos at Pro-Football-Reference.com