The 1980 Denver Broncos season was the team's 21st year in professional football and its 11th with the National Football League (NFL). Led by fourth-year head coach Red Miller the Broncos were 8–8, tied for third in the AFC West (fourth via tiebreaker), and missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
It was Miller's final season; ownership changed in February 1981 and front office changes were made in March.
Offseason
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1980 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeDennis DunnSafetyYaleTom EbnerSafetyHoustonTom FormicaTackleColorado StateTim GerhartLinebackerLafayetteIvory Joe HunterDefensive backFlorida StateDaryle TysonCornerbackFlorida A&MScott WadeLinebackerSouth CarolinaBilly WashingtonWide receiverEast Carolina
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 Cincinnati Bengals W 17–6 1–0 Mile High Stadium 67,532 2 at New York Giants L 6–9 1–1 Giants Stadium 30,904 3 Los Angeles Rams L 13–26 1–2 Mile High Stadium 73,946 4 at Green Bay Packers W 38–0 2–2 Lambeau Field 53,060
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 7 at Philadelphia Eagles L 6–27 0–1 Veterans Stadium 70,307 2 September 14 Dallas Cowboys W 41–20 1–1 Mile High Stadium 74,919 3 September 21 San Diego Chargers L 13–30 1–2 Mile High Stadium 74,970 4 at New England Patriots L 14–23 1–3 Schaefer Stadium 60,153 5 October 5 at Cleveland Browns W 19–16 2–3 Municipal Stadium 81,065 6 Washington Redskins W 20–17 3–3 Mile High Stadium 74,657 7 October 19 Kansas City Chiefs L 17–23 3–4 Mile High Stadium 74,459 8 October 26 at New York Giants W 14–9 4–4 Giants Stadium 67,598 9 November 2 Houston Oilers L 16–20 4–5 Mile High Stadium 74,717 10 November 9 at San Diego Chargers W 20–13 5–5 San Diego Stadium 51,435 11 November 16 New York Jets W 31–24 6–5 Mile High Stadium 72,114 12 November 23 Seattle Seahawks W 36–20 7–5 Mile High Stadium 73,274 13 at Oakland Raiders L 3–9 7–6 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 51,593 14 December 7 at Kansas City Chiefs L 14–31 7–7 Arrowhead Stadium 40,237 15 December 14 Oakland Raiders L 21–24 7–8 Mile High Stadium 73,974 16 December 21 at Seattle Seahawks W 25–17 8–8 Kingdome 51,853 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1 (Sunday, September 7, 1980): at Philadelphia Eagles
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: 3 hours, 13 minutes
BroncosGame statisticsEagles 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 14, 1980): vs. Dallas Cowboys
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
CowboysGame 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 3 (Sunday, September 21, 1980): 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 4 (Monday, September 29, 1980): at New England Patriots
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game: 2 hours, 54 minutes
BroncosGame statisticsPatriots 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 5 (Sunday, October 5, 1980): at Cleveland Browns
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsBrowns 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 (Monday, October 13, 1980): vs. Washington Redskins
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
RedskinsGame 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 7 (Sunday, October 19, 1980): 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 8 (Sunday, October 26, 1980): at New York Giants
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsGiants 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, November 2, 1980): vs. Houston Oilers
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
OilersGame 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 9, 1980): 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 11 (Sunday, November 16, 1980): vs. New York Jets
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
JetsGame 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 12 (Sunday, November 23, 1980): 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 (Monday, December 1, 1980): at Oakland Raiders
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
BroncosGame statisticsRaiders 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 7, 1980): 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
Week 15 (Sunday, December 14, 1980): vs. Oakland Raiders
Point spread: Over/under: Time of game:
RaidersGame 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 21, 1980): 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
Standings
References
External links Denver Broncos – 1980 media guide 1980 Denver Broncos season at jt-sw.com 1980 Denver Broncos at Pro-Football-Reference.com