The 1988 season was the Denver Broncos' 29th year in professional football and its 19th with the National Football League (NFL). The Broncos entered the season as two-time defending AFC champions and looked to advance to the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season. The Broncos were led by Dan Reeves, their head coach, in his eighth season at this position as well as for the team. Future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway came into the season as the reigning MVP, the only time he won this award in his career. After losing back-to-back Super Bowls, the Broncos added future Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett through a trade in the offseason. There was hope that he would contribute to the ground game and help them cross the threshold to win a Super Bowl. The trade brought the 34-year-old running back to Denver for a conditional 5th-round pick (WFAA).
Despite the upgrade, having the reigning MVP, and having gone to two straight Super Bowls, the Broncos missed the playoffs and finished with an 8–8 record, second to the Seattle Seahawks in their division. Injuries, a bad run game, and a poor defense all contributed to the disappointing season (LATimes). John Elway had a down year after his MVP win, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. The trade for Tony Dorsett did not work out as both he and Sammy Winder, the second-string running back, finished with inefficient running at under four yards per carry.
After the season, the last remaining Bronco from their Super Bowl XII team, offensive lineman Billy Bryan, retired, ending a 12-year era for the team. The lackluster defense, which included ranking 28th against the run, ended in the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Collier at the same time. Joe Collier spent sixteen seasons with the team, being the mastermind behind the famed 'Orange Crush Defense' of the late 1970s and early 1980s (Deardo).
Tony Dorsett Trade wfaa.com. Retrieved 2025-May-18. 1988 Season Recap latimes.com. Retrieved 2025-May-18. Joe Collier cbssports.com. Retrieved 2025-May-18.
Off season
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1988 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeBryan BarkerPunterSanta Clara
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 4 Seattle Seahawks L 14–21 0–1 Mile High Stadium 75,986 2 September 11 San Diego Chargers W 34–3 1–1 Mile High Stadium 75,359 3 September 18 at Kansas City Chiefs L 13–20 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium 63,268 4 Los Angeles Raiders L 27–30 1–3 Mile High Stadium 75,964 5 October 2 at San Diego Chargers W 12–0 2–3 Jack Murphy Stadium 55,763 6 October 9 at San Francisco 49ers W 16–13 3–3 Candlestick Park 61,711 7 October 16 Atlanta Falcons W 30–14 4–3 Mile High Stadium 75,287 8 October 23 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 21–39 4–4 Three Rivers Stadium 49,811 9 at Indianapolis Colts L 23–55 4–5 Hoosier Dome 60,544 10 November 6 Kansas City Chiefs W 17–11 5–5 Mile High Stadium 74,227 11 November 13 Cleveland Browns W 30–7 6–5 Mile High Stadium 75,806 12 November 20 at New Orleans Saints L 0–42 6–6 Louisiana Superdome 68,075 13 November 27 Los Angeles Rams W 35–24 7–6 Mile High Stadium 74,141 14 December 4 at Los Angeles Raiders L 20–21 7–7 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 65,561 15 December 11 at Seattle Seahawks L 14–42 7–8 Kingdome 62,838 16 December 17 New England Patriots W 21–10 8–8 Mile High Stadium 70,910 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 9 at Colts
Week 16
Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Oct-19.
Standings
References
External links 1988 Denver Broncos season at jt-sw.com 1988 Denver Broncos at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1988 Season Reflection- LA times archives Denver Broncos – 1988 media guide Joe Collier at cbssports.com Tony Dorsett trade at wfaa.com Tony Dorsett trade hopes at sports illustrated vault