2010 Denver Broncos season

2010 Denver Broncos season
Head Coach	Josh McDaniels (fired on December 6; 3–9 record) Eric Studesville (interim; 1–3 record)
General Manager	Brian Xanders
Home Field	INVESCO Field at Mile High
Results
Record	4–12
Place	4th AFC West
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	WR Brandon Lloyd CB Champ Bailey
Uniform
File:AFCW-Uniform-DEN.PNG
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
2009	2011

The 2010 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st overall and the 10th playing their home games at INVESCO Field at Mile High. The off-season was marked by the draft selections of Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and All-American Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, as well as season-ending injuries to All-Pro linebacker Elvis Dumervil and free agent running back LenDale White. The team failed to improve on its 8–8 record from 2009, and set a new franchise record for losses in a single season, with a 4–12 record. The regular season was marked by a videotaping scandal dubbed Spygate II and the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels.

Offseason

Personnel changes

• On January 13, longtime offensive coordinator/line coach Rick Dennison was hired as the new offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.
• On January 14, longtime running backs coach Bobby Turner was hired to the same position with the Washington Redskins, reuniting him with former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan.
• On January 18, the Broncos and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan decided to mutually part ways.
• On January 23, the following changes were made to the Broncos coaching staff: Eric Studesville was hired as the new running backs coach. Bob Ligashesky was hired as the new tight ends coach, a position previously held by Clancy Barone, who was moved to offensive line coach. Bob Wylie was named the assistant offensive line coach. Ben McDaniels, younger brother of former head coach Josh McDaniels, became the quarterbacks coach, while Mike McCoy, who previously served as both quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, will retain his position as offensive coordinator.
• On January 28, Don Martindale was promoted from linebackers coach to the defensive coordinator position that was previously vacated by Mike Nolan.
• On February 11, Craig Aukerman, who was previously a linebackers coach at Kent State University, was named the team's defensive assistant.
• On February 23, the coaching staff was finalized, when Brian Callahan was hired as a coaching assistant.

Roster changes

Free agents

Position	Player	Tag	2010 Team	Notes and references
DT	Justin Bannan	UFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 5
P	Mitch Berger	UFA	None
LB	Elvis Dumervil	RFA	Denver Broncos	Signed tender June 14, contract extension July 22
S	Vernon Fox	UFA	None
G	Brandon Gorin	UFA	None
DE	Jarvis Green	UFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 9, released September 4
LB	Nick Greisen	UFA	Omaha Nighthawks (UFL)	Signed April 29, waived August 12
T	Ben Hamilton	UFA	Seattle Seahawks
G/C	Russ Hochstein	UFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 5
DE	Vonnie Holliday	UFA	Washington Redskins
WR	Chad Jackson	UFA	Buffalo Bills
CB	Nate Jones	UFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 5
G	Chris Kuper	RFA	Denver Broncos	Signed June 4
CB	Ty Law	UFA	None
WR	Brandon Lloyd	UFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 5
WR	Brandon Marshall	RFA	Miami Dolphins	Signed tender April 13, traded to the Dolphins on April 14
QB	Kyle Orton	RFA	Denver Broncos	Signed tender April 16, contract extension August 19
PK	Matt Prater	RFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 9
DE	Le Kevin Smith	RFA	Denver Broncos	Signed March 11. released September 7, re-signed October 26, released November 9

Player re-signed by the Broncos

Signings

Position	Player	Tag	2009 team	Date signed	Notes and references
RB	J.J. Arrington	UFA	Injured reserve	March 5	traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on July 31
LB/DE	Baraka Atkins	UFA	San Francisco 49ers	January 13	waived September 5
LB	Akin Ayodele	UFA	Miami Dolphins	April 24	released August 24
T	Kirk Barton	WVR	Detroit Lions	July 7	waived August 23
G	Stanley Daniels	WVR	Green Bay Packers	May 14	waived December 11, moved from practice squad to active roster December 22, on final roster
LB	Bruce Davis	WVR	New England Patriots	June 1	waived July 27
FB	Kyle Eckel	UFA	New Orleans Saints	June 4	placed on Injured Reserve June 17
PK	Jason Elam	UFA	Atlanta Falcons	March 30	retired on March 31
C	Dustin Fry	UFA	Carolina Panthers	January 7	released August 19
G	Matt McChesney	UFA	Injured Reserve	January 7	retired on May 16
P	A.J. Trapasso	UFA	Tennessee Titans	January 7	released June 15
RB	Kolby Smith	WVR	Kansas City Chiefs	June 15	waived August 4
NT	Jamal Williams	UFA	San Diego Chargers	March 9	on final roster
T	Maurice Williams	UFA	Jacksonville Jaguars	May 6	released June 4

Departures

Position	Player	Notes and references
S	Josh Barrett	waived August 6, then claimed by the New England Patriots
QB	Tom Brandstater	released June 4, signed with the Indianapolis Colts on June 7
LB	Andra Davis	released March 11, signed with the Buffalo Bills on March 16
RB	LaMont Jordan	released February 23
DT	J'Vonne Parker	released March 11
DT	Kenny Peterson	released March 10
QB	Chris Simms	released March 15, signed with the Tennessee Titans on April 12
C	Casey Wiegmann	released February 23, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 12

Retirements

• On March 30, longtime placekicker Jason Elam, who spent his first 15 seasons with the Broncos (1993–2007) and his final two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2008–2009), signed a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a Bronco.
• On May 16, guard Matt McChesney, who spent the entire 2009 season on the Injured Reserve, retired following a freak golfing accident in April.

Trades

• On March 14, the Broncos traded fullback Peyton Hillis, a 2011 sixth-round draft pick and a 2012 conditional draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Brady Quinn.
• On April 14, wide receiver Brandon Marshall was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2010 second-round draft pick (later traded to the Baltimore Ravens – see draft note 5 below) and a possible 2011 second-round draft pick.
• On April 19, the Broncos were involved in a three-team trade with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, with the team sending tight end Tony Scheffler to the Lions – see draft note 9 below.
• On July 30, running back J.J. Arrington, who was signed to a contract in March after spending the entire 2009 season on the Injured Reserve, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for linebacker Joe Mays. However, since Arrington was released by the Eagles prior to the start of the season, the Eagles will receive the Broncos' sixth-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft.

2010 draft class

Main article: 2010 NFL Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Signed	Cut	Notes
1	22	Demaryius Thomas	WR	Georgia Tech	July 31	–
	25	Tim Tebow	QB	Florida	July 29	–
2	45	Zane Beadles	T	Utah	July 27	–
3	80	J.D. Walton	C	Baylor	June 17	–
	87	Eric Decker	WR	Minnesota	July 27	–
4	None
5	137	Perrish Cox	CB	Oklahoma State	June 9	–
6	183	Eric Olsen	C	Notre Dame	July 24	–
7	225	Syd'Quan Thompson	CB	California	May 21	–
	232	Jammie Kirlew	DE	Indiana	May 25	September 3

Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed on April 26, unless noted otherwise.

Position	Player	College	Notes and references
LB/DE	Kevin Alexander	Clemson	released September 4, assigned to practice squad September 5, promoted to active roster October 16, released December 20
WR	Alric Arnett	West Virginia	waived September 3
RB	Toney Baker	North Carolina State	waived August 23
NT/DE	Jaron Baston	Missouri	released June 17
LB	Devin Bishop	California	released August 20
LB/DT	Korey Bosworth	UCLA	released June 15
S	Marcellus Bowman	Boston College	released May 6
RB	Chris Brown	Oklahoma	released May 3
T	Paul Duncan	Notre Dame	waived September 3
DE	Ben Garland	Air Force	placed on the reserve/military list
TE	Riar Geer	Colorado	released September 4, assigned to practice squad September 5
WR	Patrick Honeycutt	Middle Tennessee State	waived August 5
WR	Dicky Lyons, Jr.	Kentucky	signed May 3, waived July 6
T	Chris Marinelli	Stanford	waived July 27
S	Kyle McCarthy	Notre Dame	released September 4, assigned to practice squad September 5, promoted to active roster October 16, placed on Injured reserve December 13
TE	Nathan Overbay	Eastern Washington	waived September 3
G	Michael Shumard	Texas A&M	released May 6
NT	Jeff Stehle	Wisconsin	released September 4, assigned to practice squad September 14, released October 13
CB	Cassius Vaughn	Mississippi	on final roster
WR	Landis Williams	Maine	waived July 6

Preseason

Schedule

The Broncos preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	August 15	5:00 pm MDT	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 24–33	0–1	Paul Brown Stadium	KCNC	Recap
2	August 21	7:00 pm MDT	Detroit Lions	L 20–25	0–2	INVESCO Field at Mile High	KCNC	Recap
3	August 29	6:00 pm MDT	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 34–17	1–2	INVESCO Field at Mile High	Fox	Recap
4	September 2	6:00 pm MDT	at Minnesota Vikings	L 24–31	1–3	Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	KCNC	Recap

Opening training camp roster

Denver Broncos 2010 opening training camp roster
Quarterbacks  8 Kyle Orton  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow R Running Backs 40 Toney Baker UR 35 Lance Ball 28 Correll Buckhalter 29 Bruce Hall 46 Spencer Larsen FB 27 Knowshon Moreno 42 Kolby Smith Wide Receivers 82 Alric Arnett UR 87 Eric Decker R 10 Jabar Gaffney 17 Patrick Honeycutt UR 84 Brandon Lloyd 11 Kenny McKinley 19 Eddie Royal 14 Brandon Stokley 88 Demaryius Thomas R 12 Matthew Willis Tight Ends 85 Marquez Branson 83 Riar Geer UR 89 Daniel Graham 86 Nathan Overbay UR 81 Richard Quinn		Offensive Linemen 72 Kirk Barton T 67 D'Anthony Batiste T 68 Zane Beadles G R 64 Stanley Daniels G 61 Paul Duncan T UR 62 Dustin Fry C 74 Ryan Harris T 71 Russ Hochstein G/C 73 Chris Kuper G 69 Eric Olsen C R 70 Seth Olsen G 77 Tyler Polumbus T 50 J. D. Walton C R Defensive Linemen 75 Chris Baker NT/DE 99 Justin Bannan DE 91 Ronald Fields NT 90 Ben Garland DE UR 93 Jarvis Green DE 98 Ryan McBean DE 97 Le Kevin Smith DE 65 Jeff Stehle NT UR 79 Marcus Thomas NT/DE		Linebackers 48 Kevin Alexander OLB/DE UR 58 Baraka Atkins OLB/DE 56 Robert Ayers OLB/DE 51 Akin Ayodele ILB 49 Devin Bishop ILB UR 92 Elvis Dumervil OLB/DE 54 Nick Greisen ILB 57 Mario Haggan ILB 53 Jammie Kirlew OLB/DE R 96 Joe Mays ILB 94 Jarvis Moss OLB/DE 55 D. J. Williams ILB 59 Wesley Woodyard ILB Defensive Backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 36 Josh Barrett SS 30 David Bruton SS 25 Tony Carter CB 32 Perrish Cox CB R 20 Brian Dawkins FS 21 André Goodman CB 23 Renaldo Hill SS 33 Nate Jones CB 31 Darcel McBath FS 34 Kyle McCarthy FS UR 22 Alphonso Smith CB 43 Syd'Quan Thompson CB R 41 Cassius Vaughn CB UR Special Teams  4 Britton Colquitt P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve Lists 78 Ryan Clady OT (Active/NF-Inj.) File:Injury icon 2.svg 39 Kyle Eckel FB (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg 52 Braxton Kelley ILB (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg 95 Darrell Reid OLB/DE (Active/PUP) File:Injury icon 2.svg 76 Jamal Williams NT (Active/PUP) File:Injury icon 2.svg Notations R: 2010 Rookie UR: 2010 Undrafted Rookie

Roster changes

Notable injuries

• On August 4, shortly after the start of training camp, the Broncos suffered a devastating blow to their defense, when outside linebacker/defensive end Elvis Dumervil suffered a torn pectoral muscle in practice. Though there was speculation that Dumervil would be able to return as early as November, he was placed on Injured Reserve on September 3, and missed the entire 2010 season.
• On September 2, during the team's last preseason game at the Minnesota Vikings, running back LenDale White suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and missed the 2010 season. White, a Denver native, was signed to a free agent contract on August 4, after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks in May, and spending his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

Signings

Position	Player	Tag	2009 team	Date signed	Notes and references
RB	Andre Brown	WVR	New York Giants	September 5	released September 15, assigned to practice squad September 17, moved to active roster September 21, released October 16
WR	Patrick Carter	UFA	Seattle Seahawks	August 5	waived August 23
T	Chris Clark	WVR	Minnesota Vikings	September 5	on final roster
WR	Britt Davis	UFA	New York Jets	August 5	released September 4, assigned to practice squad September 5, moved to active roster December 13
RB	Justin Fargas	UFA	Oakland Raiders	August 11	released August 30
DE/LB	Jason Hunter	UFA	Detroit Lions	August 19	on final roster
TE	Kory Sperry	UFA	Miami Dolphins	August 24	waived September 3
DT	Kevin Vickerson	UFA	Tennessee Titans	September 7	on final roster
RB	LenDale White	UFA	Tennessee Titans	August 4	placed on Injured Reserve September 3
LB	Johnny Williams	UFA	Pittsburgh Steelers	August 12	waived September 3
LB	Worrell Williams	UFA	Sacramento Mountain Lions (UFL)	August 20	released September 4, assigned to practice squad September 5, released September 14

Roster cuts

During a one-week span from August 23–30, the Broncos began trimming their roster from 80 to 75 players, with the releases of running back Toney Baker, offensive tackles Kirk Barton and Tyler Polumbus, linebacker Akin Ayodele and wide receiver Patrick Carter.

The next round of roster cuts occurred on September 3, as the team prepared to trim their roster to 53 players before the September 4 deadline. Nose tackle Chris Baker, tight ends Kory Sperry and Nathan Overbay, offensive tackle Paul Duncan, wide receiver Alric Arnett, linebacker Johnny Williams and one of the team's seventh-round draft picks, defensive end Jammie Kirlew, were all released.

On September 4, linebacker Darrell Reid, defensive end Jarvis Green, tight end Marquez Branson, center Seth Olsen, wide receiver Britt Davis, tight end Riar Geer, linebackers Kevin Alexander and Worrell Williams, safety Kyle McCarthy and nose tackle Jeff Stehle were released, with the latter five players assigned to the practice squad the following day. Other notable transactions that occurred on September 4 involved the team placing defensive end/linebacker Elvis Dumervil and wide receiver Brandon Stokley on the Injured Reserve, trading cornerback Alphonso Smith to the Detroit Lions for tight end Dan Gronkowski, as well as placing undrafted defensive end Ben Garland on the Military reserve list.

On September 7, defensive end Le Kevin Smith was released.

Regular season

Schedule

On January 15, 2010, the NFL announced that the Broncos will play the San Francisco 49ers in the International Series at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The game occurred during Week 8 on Sunday, October 31, at 11:00 am MDT (5:00 pm GMT), and was aired by CBS in the United States. The 49ers were the designated home team for this game.

The remainder of the Broncos' schedule was announced on April 20, 2010.

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	September 12	11:00 am MDT	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 17–24	0–1	EverBank Field	CBS	Recap
2	September 19	2:05 pm MDT	Seattle Seahawks	W 31–14	1–1	INVESCO Field at Mile High	Fox	Recap
3	September 26	2:15 pm MDT	Indianapolis Colts	L 13–27	1–2	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
4	October 3	11:00 am MDT	at Tennessee Titans	W 26–20	2–2	LP Field	CBS	Recap
5	October 10	11:00 am MDT	at Baltimore Ravens	L 17–31	2–3	M&T Bank Stadium	CBS	Recap
6	October 17	2:05 pm MDT	New York Jets	L 20–24	2–4	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
7	October 24	2:15 pm MDT	Oakland Raiders	L 14–59	2–5	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
8	October 31	11:00 am MDT ^	vs. San Francisco 49ers	L 16–24	2–6	Wembley Stadium (London, England)	CBS	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 14	2:05 pm MST	Kansas City Chiefs	W 49–29	3–6	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
11	November 22	6:30 pm MST	at San Diego Chargers	L 14–35	3–7	Qualcomm Stadium	ESPN	Recap
12	November 28	2:15 pm MST	St. Louis Rams	L 33–36	3–8	INVESCO Field at Mile High	Fox	Recap
13	December 5	11:00 am MST	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 6–10	3–9	Arrowhead Stadium	CBS	Recap
14	December 12	2:15 pm MST	at Arizona Cardinals	L 13–43	3–10	University of Phoenix Stadium	CBS	Recap
15	December 19	2:15 pm MST	at Oakland Raiders	L 23–39	3–11	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum	CBS	Recap
16	December 26	2:05 pm MST	Houston Texans	W 24–23	4–11	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
17	January 2, 2011	2:15 pm MST	San Diego Chargers	L 28–33	4–12	INVESCO Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap

LEGEND:

^{^[a]} The game was simulcast locally on KTVD.

 #  The Broncos wore their alternate orange jerseys.

 ^  Blue/Red indicates the International Series game in London.

Week 1 roster

Denver Broncos 2010 Week 1 roster
Quarterbacks  8 Kyle Orton  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow R Running Backs 35 Lance Ball 26 Andre Brown 28 Correll Buckhalter 46 Spencer Larsen FB 27 Knowshon Moreno Wide Receivers 87 Eric Decker R 10 Jabar Gaffney 84 Brandon Lloyd 19 Eddie Royal 88 Demaryius Thomas R 12 Matthew Willis Tight Ends 89 Daniel Graham 82 Dan Gronkowski 81 Richard Quinn		Offensive Linemen 67 D'Anthony Batiste T 68 Zane Beadles G R 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 64 Stanley Daniels G 74 Ryan Harris T 71 Russ Hochstein G/C 73 Chris Kuper G 69 Eric Olsen C R 50 J. D. Walton C R Defensive Linemen 97 Justin Bannan DE 91 Ronald Fields NT 98 Ryan McBean DE 79 Marcus Thomas NT/DE 99 Kevin Vickerson DE 76 Jamal Williams NT		Linebackers 56 Robert Ayers OLB/DE 57 Mario Haggan ILB 52 Jason Hunter DE/OLB 51 Joe Mays ILB 94 Jarvis Moss OLB/DE 55 D. J. Williams ILB 59 Wesley Woodyard ILB Defensive Backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 30 David Bruton SS 32 Perrish Cox CB R 20 Brian Dawkins FS 21 André Goodman CB 23 Renaldo Hill SS 33 Nate Jones CB 31 Darcel McBath FS 22 Syd'Quan Thompson CB R 41 Cassius Vaughn CB UR Special Teams  4 Britton Colquitt P 66 Lonie Paxton LS  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve Lists 92 Elvis Dumervil OLB/DE (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg 39 Kyle Eckel FB (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg -- Ben Garland DE (Military) UR -- Braxton Kelley ILB (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg 11 Kenny McKinley WR (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg 14 Brandon Stokley WR (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg 25 LenDale White RB (IR) File:Injury icon 2.svg Practice Squad 58 Kevin Alexander OLB/DE UR 63 Jeff Byers G 17 Britt Davis WR 90 Lionel Dotson DE 83 Riar Geer TE UR 29 Bruce Hall RB 34 Kyle McCarthy FS UR 54 Worrell Williams ILB R Notations R: 2010 Rookie UR: 2010 Undrafted Rookie

Roster changes

• On September 14, the Broncos acquired running back Laurence Maroney and a 2011 sixth-round draft pick from the New England Patriots for a 2011 fourth-round draft pick. That same day, wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who was placed on Injured Reserve during the team's final roster cut-down to 53 players ten days earlier (September 4), was released after reaching an injury settlement. Stokley later signed with the Seattle Seahawks on September 28.
• On September 20, tragedy struck the Broncos' organization, when wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead in his Centennial, Colorado home of an apparent suicide, at the age of 23. The Denver Post later reported in December that McKinley had accumulated a large gambling debt prior to his death. McKinley was the team's 5th-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft.
• On September 21, running back Andre Brown was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.
• On October 16, the following roster moves were made: Linebacker/defensive end Kevin Alexander and safety Kyle McCarthy, both undrafted rookies, were moved from the practice squad to the active roster. Running back Andre Brown and offensive tackle D'Anthony Batiste were released.
• On October 18, wide receiver Matthew Willis was placed on the season-ending Injured Reserve, after suffering a broken foot during the team's 24–20 loss to the New York Jets the previous day. His roster spot was filled on October 19, with the promotion of linebacker Diyral Briggs from the practice squad to the active roster. Briggs was waived just six days later (October 25).
• On October 26, defensive end Le Kevin Smith, who was released prior to the start of the season during the final roster cut-down to 53 players, was re-signed. Two weeks later, on November 9, Smith was once again released.
• On November 9, the team signed former Cincinnati Bengals' tight end Daniel Coats. He was released the following day, when running back Lance Ball was moved from the practice squad to the active roster.
• On November 17, linebacker Jarvis Moss was waived. His roster spot was filled when the team signed former Cleveland Browns' linebacker David Veikune.
• On December 6, tight end Dan Gronkowski and linebacker Joe Mays were placed on Injured Reserve. Their roster spots were filled the following day (December 7), when the team re-signed tight end Daniel Coats and moved linebacker Lee Robinson from the practice squad to the active roster.
• On December 11, the Broncos signed placekicker Steven Hauschka, due to a groin injury to incumbent placekicker Matt Prater. To make room for Hauschka, the team waived guard Stanley Daniels.
• On December 13, safety Kyle McCarthy was placed on Injured Reserve. His roster spot was filled, when wide receiver Britt Davis was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.
• On December 20, the Broncos waived linebacker Kevin Alexander. His roster spot was filled, when the team claimed cornerback Chevis Jackson off waivers from the New England Patriots.
• On December 22, fullback Spencer Larsen was placed on Injured Reserve. His roster spot was filled, when guard Stanley Daniels, previously waived on December 11, was moved from the practice squad to the active roster.
• On December 23, placekicker Matt Prater was placed on Injured Reserve. His roster spot was filled, when undrafted rookie guard Jeff Byers was moved from the practice squad to active roster.
• On December 27, linebacker Lee Robinson was placed on Injured Reserve. His roster spot was filled, when the team signed defensive end/nose tackle Louis Leonard.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week One: Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 7 7 3 17 Jaguars 0 7 10 7 24 at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida Date: September 12 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. MDT Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C), rain clouds Game attendance: 63,636 Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Solomon Wilcots (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter No scoring Second quarter JAC – 0:50 Marcedes Lewis 21-yard TD pass from David Garrard, Josh Scobee kick. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:09. (JAC 7–0) DEN – 0:16 Jabar Gaffney 8-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 0:34. (tied 7–7) Third quarter JAC – 10:43 Marcedes Lewis 10-yard TD pass from David Garrard, Josh Scobee kick. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 4:17. (JAC 14–7) DEN – 4:07 Knowshon Moreno 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:59. (tied 14–14) JAC – 0:45 Josh Scobee 45-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:22. (JAC 17–14) Fourth quarter DEN – 11:20 Matt Prater 54-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:25. (tied 17–17) JAC – 7:59 Kassim Osgood 24-yard TD pass from David Garrard, Josh Scobee kick. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:21. (JAC 24–17) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 21/33, 295 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT JAC – David Garrard: 16/21, 170 yards, 3 TD Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 15 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew: 23 rushes, 98 yards Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 5 receptions, 117 yards JAC – Mike Thomas: 6 receptions, 89 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 9 tackles, 2 assists JAC – Sean Considine: 6 tackles

The Broncos began their 2010 season at EverBank Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a scoreless first quarter, the Broncos trailed late in the second quarter, as Jaguars' quarterback David Garrard completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Marcedes Lewis. The Broncos would answer prior to halftime, as quarterback Kyle Orton found wide receiver Jabar Gaffney on an 8-yard touchdown pass. Jacksonville would re-claim the lead in the third quarter, as Garrard hooked up with Lewis again on a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Broncos would respond, with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno. However, Jacksonville grabbed the lead again, with a 45-yard field goal by placekicker Josh Scobee. The Broncos would catch up in the fourth quarter, with a 54-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, Jacksonville got the last laugh, as Garrard completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kassim Osgood.

With the loss, the Broncos began its season at 0–1.

Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Two: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Seahawks 0 0 7 7 14 Broncos 7 10 7 7 31 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: September 19 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT Game weather: 91 °F (33 °C), sunny Game attendance: 75,130 Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (color commentator) and Tony Siragusa (sideline reporter) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 3:48 Eddie Royal 13-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:16. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 10:30 Correll Buckhalter 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:41. (DEN 14–0) DEN – 0:11 Matt Prater 20-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 6:07. (DEN 17–0) Third quarter SEA – 9:47 Ben Obomanu 11-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Olindo Mare kick. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:04. (DEN 17–7) DEN – 3:31 Knowshon Moreno 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 8:16. (DEN 24–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 9:11 Demaryius Thomas 21-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:56. (DEN 31–7) SEA – 5:59 Matt Hasselbeck 20-yard TD run, Olindo Mare kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:12. (DEN 31–7) Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 20/35, 233 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT DEN – Kyle Orton: 25/25, 307 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Justin Forsett: 8 rushes, 44 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 24 rushes, 51 yards, 1 TD Top receivers SEA – Golden Tate: 1 reception, 52 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers SEA – Lawyer Milloy and Earl Thomas: 7 tackles each (1 assist by Milloy) DEN – Brian Dawkins and Nate Jones: 6 tackles each (2 assists by Dawkins)

Hoping to rebound from their season-opening loss to the Jaguars, the Broncos played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Seattle Seahawks. In the first quarter, the Broncos took the early lead, as quarterback Kyle Orton completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal, followed in the second quarter by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Correll Buckhalter and a 20-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. Seattle got on the board in the third quarter, when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ben Obomanu, but the Broncos replied with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos increased their lead in the fourth quarter, when Orton threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Seattle replied, with Hasselbeck scrambling 20 yards for a touchdown, but the Broncos' lead was too much for Seattle to overcome.

With the win, the Broncos improved to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Three: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Colts 6 7 7 7 27 Broncos 0 3 10 0 13 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: September 26 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny Game attendance: 76,401 Referee: Alberto Riveron TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter IND – 7:35 Adam Vinatieri 38-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:11. (IND 3–0) IND – 1:38 Adam Vinatieri 33-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 0:53. (IND 6–0) Second quarter IND – 10:37 Austin Collie 5-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:00. (IND 13–0) DEN – 0:12 Matt Prater 25-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 1:37. (IND 13–3) Third quarter DEN – 11:40 Brandon Lloyd 48-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:20. (IND 13–10) IND – 4:51 Blair White 9-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:40. (IND 20–10) DEN – 2:24 Matt Prater 34-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:27. (IND 20–13) Fourth quarter IND – 4:26 Austin Collie 23-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:16. (IND 27–13) Top passers IND – Peyton Manning: 27/43, 325 yards, 3 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 37/57, 476 yards 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers IND – Joseph Addai: 13 rushes, 29 yards DEN – Laurence Maroney: 12 rushes, 24 yards Top receivers IND – Austin Collie: 12 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TD DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 6 receptions, 169 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers IND – Kelvin Hayden: 10 tackles DEN – Nate Jones: 6 tackles, 1 assist

Coming off their win over the Seahawks, the Broncos played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Indianapolis Colts. Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held for wide receiver Kenny McKinley, who passed away on September 20, with the team paying tribute to him by placing a number 11 decal on their helmets in his honor. In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early when Colts' placekicker Adam Vinatieri nailed field goals from 38 and 33 yards. This was followed in the second quarter by quarterback Peyton Manning throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Austin Collie. The Broncos got on the board, with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 25-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Broncos cut the lead, when quarterback Kyle Orton completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, but Indianapolis replied, with Manning throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Blair White. The Broncos responded, with Prater hitting a 34-yard field goal, but they trailed further in the fourth quarter, when Manning found Collie on a 23-yard touchdown pass, sealing the win for Indianapolis.

With the loss, the Broncos fell to 1–2.

Week 4: at Tennessee Titans

Week Four: Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 10 6 10 26 Titans 0 10 10 0 20 at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee Date: October 3 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/11:00 a.m. MDT Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy Game attendance: 69,143 Referee: Clete Blakeman TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Solomon Wilcots (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter No scoring Second quarter DEN – 11:24 Eddie Royal 2-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:23. (DEN 7–0) TEN – 9:18 Kenny Britt 8-yard TD pass from Vince Young, Rob Bironas kick. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:06. (tied 7–7) DEN – 0:23 Matt Prater 36-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 4:28. (DEN 10–7) TEN – 0:00 Rob Bironas 55-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 0:23. (tied 10–10) Third quarter DEN – 10:30 Matt Prater 36-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:30. (DEN 13–10) TEN – 10:19 Marc Mariani 98-yard kickoff return for a TD, Rob Bironas kick. Drive: 0:11. (TEN 17–13) DEN – 8:12 Matt Prater 35-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:07. (TEN 17–16) TEN – 5:00 Rob Bironas 46-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:12. (TEN 20–16) Fourth quarter DEN – 1:33 Correll Buckhalter 6-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:09. (DEN 23–20) DEN – 0:28 Matt Prater 36-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:05. (DEN 26–20) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 35/50, 341 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT TEN – Vince Young: 17/28, 173 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Kyle Orton: 3 rushes, 11 yards TEN – Chris Johnson: 19 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 11 receptions, 115 yards TEN – Nate Washington: 4 receptions, 42 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 8 tackles, 2 assists TEN – Alterraun Verner: 11 tackles

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Colts, the Broncos flew to LP Field for an AFC duel with the Tennessee Titans. After a scoreless first quarter, the Broncos took the lead in the second quarter, as quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Royal. Tennessee responded, with quarterback Vince Young throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kenny Britt. The Broncos would retake the lead, with a 36-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, but Tennessee replied, when placekicker Rob Bironas nailed an incredible 55-yard field goal just before halftime. In the third quarter, the Broncos took the lead again, with another 36-yard field goal by Prater, but Titans' wide receiver Marc Mariani returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, putting Tennessee ahead 17–13. Tennessee's lead was narrowed, with a 35-yard field goal by Prater, but was increased again with a 46-yard field goal by Bironas. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos pulled ahead, when Orton completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Correll Buckhalter. After Tennessee fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos increased their lead with 28 seconds remaining, with a 36-yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos' defense thwarted Tennessee's final desperation drive of the game.

With the win, the Broncos improved to 2–2.

Week 5: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Five: Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 7 0 10 17 Ravens 7 10 0 14 31 at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland Date: October 10 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. MDT Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny Game attendance: 71,246 Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter BAL – 0:45 Joe Flacco 1-yard TD run, Billy Cundiff kick. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:36. (BAL 7–0) Second quarter BAL – 10:16 Ray Rice 1-yard TD run, Billy Cundiff kick. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:30. (BAL 14–0) BAL – 9:21 Billy Cundiff 37-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:48. (BAL 17–0) DEN – 0:48 Brandon Lloyd 42-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:09. (BAL 17–7) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter BAL – 14:21 Ray Rice 1-yard TD run, Billy Cundiff kick. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:25. (BAL 24–7) DEN – 11:50 Matt Prater38-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 2:31. (BAL 24–10) BAL – 5:06 Willis McGahee 30-yard TD run, Billy Cundiff kick. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 6:44. (BAL 31–10) DEN – 0:35 Brandon Lloyd 44-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 90 yards, 1:16. (BAL 31–17) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 23/38, 314 yards, 2 TD BAL – Joe Flacco: 14/25, 196 yards Top rushers DEN – Laurence Maroney: 6 rushes, 27 yards BAL – Ray Rice: 27 rushes, 133 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 5 receptions, 135 yards, 2 TD BAL – Ed Dickson: 1 reception, 58 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 10 tackles, 5 assists BAL – Ray Lewis and Fabian Washington: 5 tackles each (1 assist by Lewis)

Coming off their win at Tennessee, the Broncos flew to M&T Bank Stadium for an AFC duel with the Baltimore Ravens. In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early, with Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco scrambling for a 1-yard touchdown, followed in the second quarter by a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Ray Rice, and a 37-yard field goal by placekicker Billy Cundiff. The Broncos got on the board, when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. After a scoreless third quarter, the Broncos fell further behind in the fourth quarter, with another 1-yard touchdown run by Rice. The Broncos replied, with a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater, but a 30-yard touchdown run by running back Willis McGahee put the Ravens' up 31–10. The Broncos responded, with Orton finding Lloyd again on a 44-yard touchdown pass, but Baltimore's lead was too much to overcome.

With the loss, the Broncos fell to 2–3.

Week 6: vs. New York Jets

Week Six: New York Jets at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Jets 0 7 3 14 24 Broncos 0 10 7 3 20 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: October 17 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 75,982 Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter No scoring Second quarter NYJ – 14:54 Braylon Edwards 32-yard TD pass from Mark Sanchez, Nick Folk kick. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:40. (NYJ 7–0) DEN – 11:11 Tim Tebow 5-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:43. (tied 7–7) DEN – 0:00 Matt Prater 59-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 0:39. (DEN 10–7) Third quarter NYJ – 6:41 Nick Folk 56-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:57. (tied 10–10) DEN – 1:23 Demaryius Thomas 17-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 1:36. (DEN 17–10) Fourth quarter NYJ – 8:36 LaDainian Tomlinson 20-yard TD run, Nick Folk kick. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:07. (tied 17–17) DEN – 3:55 Matt Prater 48-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:41. (DEN 20–17) NYJ – 1:13 LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard TD run, Nick Folk kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:42. (NYJ 24–20) Top passers NYJ – Mark Sanchez: 17/30, 198 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT DEN – Kyle Orton: 14/34, 209 yards, 1 TD Top rushers NYJ – LaDainian Tomlinson: 16 rushes, 55 yards, 2 TD DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 12 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers NYJ – Dustin Keller: 3 receptions, 75 yards DEN – Jabar Gaffney: 6 receptions, 81 yards Top tacklers NYJ – David Harris: 7 tackles, 1 assist DEN – D. J. Williams: 8 tackles, 3 assists

Hoping to rebound from their loss at Baltimore, the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an AFC duel with the New York Jets. After a scoreless first quarter, the Jets grabbed the lead in the second quarter, as quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards. The Broncos responded, with quarterback Tim Tebow scrambling for a 5-yard touchdown run. The Broncos grabbed the lead just before halftime, with a 59-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. In the third quarter, the Jets responded, with a 56-yard field goal by placekicker Nick Folk. The Broncos took the lead, when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Jets responded midway through the fourth quarter, after running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a 20-yard touchdown. The Broncos grabbed the lead again, with a 48-yard field goal by Prater. However, following a pass-interference penalty on Broncos' cornerback Renaldo Hill near the goal line, the Jets pulled ahead, with a Tomlinson 2-yard touchdown run. The Jets' defense thwarted the Broncos' last drive of the game.

With the loss, the Broncos fell to 2–4.

Week 7: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Seven: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Raiders 24 14 21 0 59 Broncos 0 7 7 0 14 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: October 24 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MDT Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), mostly cloudy Game attendance: 75,835 Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter OAK – 10:44 Zach Miller 43-yard TD pass from Jason Campbell, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:16. (OAK 7–0) OAK – 10:36 Chris Johnson 30-yard interception return for a TD, Sebastian Janikowski kick. (OAK 14–0) OAK – 8:58 Darren McFadden 4-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 1:04. (OAK 21–0) OAK – 4:20 Sebastian Janikowski 31-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:52. (OAK 24–0) Second quarter OAK – 14:36 Darren McFadden 19-yard TD pass from Jason Campbell, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:15. (OAK 31–0) OAK – 7:58 Darren McFadden 4-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards 1:48. (OAK 38–0) DEN – 1:56 Knowshon Moreno 7-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:17. (OAK 38–7) Third quarter DEN – 13:34 Knowshon Moreno 27-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:26. (OAK 38–14) OAK – 7:33 Marcel Reece 1-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:01. (OAK 45–14) OAK – 5:28 Darren McFadden 57-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 1 play, 57 yards, 0:11. (OAK 52–14) OAK – 0:27 Michael Bush 1-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:59. (OAK 59–14) Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers OAK – Jason Campbell: 12/20, 204 yards, 2 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 12/29, 198 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden: 16 rushes, 165 yards, 3 TD DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 14 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers OAK – Zach Miller: 3 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD DEN – Jabar Gaffney: 4 receptions, 54 yards Top tacklers OAK – Richard Seymour, Mike Mitchell, Michael Huff, Tyvon Branch and Quentin Groves: 3 tackles each (1 assist by Seymour, Mitchell and Huff) DEN – Marcus Thomas and Mario Haggan: 7 tackles each (3 assists by Thomas, 1 assist by Haggan)

Hoping to rebound from their heartbreaking loss to the Jets, the Broncos played on home ground for an AFC West rivalry match against the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early, as Raiders' quarterback Jason Campbell completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller. Oakland scored again, after cornerback Chris Johnson returned an interception by quarterback Kyle Orton 30 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Darren McFadden and a 31-yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski. Things got much worse for the Broncos in the second quarter, as Campbell threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to McFadden, followed by a McFadden 4-yard touchdown run that put Oakland up 38–0 midway through the second quarter. The Broncos would finally get on the board, with Orton finding running back Knowshon Moreno on a 7-yard touchdown pass, followed in the third quarter by a 27-yard touchdown pass from Orton to Moreno. Oakland struck back, with a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Marcel Reece, followed by a 57-yard touchdown run by McFadden and a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Michael Bush. Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos not only fell to 2–5, but suffered their worst defeat since a 55–10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. The loss also tied the highest point total that the Broncos have allowed in a single game, since a 59–7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963.

Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers

International Series

Week Eight: Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 0 7 9 16 49ers 3 0 0 21 24 at Wembley Stadium, London, England Date: October 31 Game time: 5:00 p.m. GMT/11:00 a.m. MDT Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), mostly cloudy Game attendance: 83,941 Referee: Scott Green TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter SF – 0:23 Joe Nedney 34-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 7:31. (SF 3–0) Second quarter No scoring Third quarter DEN – 8:08 Tim Tebow 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 2:15. (DEN 7–3) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:13 Matt Prater 32-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:11. (DEN 10–3) SF – 11:51 Troy Smith 1-yard TD run, Joe Nedney kick. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:22. (tied 10–10) SF – 7:23 Michael Crabtree 28-yard TD pass from Troy Smith, Joe Nedney kick. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 2:11. (SF 17–10) SF – 3:47 Frank Gore 3-yard TD run, Joe Nedney kick. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:20. (SF 24–10) DEN – 2:19 Brandon Lloyd 1-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, kick blocked. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 1:28. (SF 24–16) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 28/40, 370 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT SF – Troy Smith: 12/19, 196 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 11 rushes, 40 yards SF – Frank Gore: 29 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 7 receptions, 169 yards, 1 TD SF – Delanie Walker: 5 receptions, 85 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 9 tackles SF – Patrick Willis: 8 tackles, 1 assist

Following their disastrous home loss to the Raiders, the Broncos flew to London, England, for an International Series contest with the San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium. In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early, with a 34-yard field goal by 49ers' placekicker Joe Nedney. After a scoreless second quarter, the Broncos grabbed the lead in the third quarter, when quarterback Tim Tebow scrambled for a 1-yard touchdown run, followed in the fourth quarter by a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. However, the Broncos suddenly fell behind, with 49ers' quarterback Troy Smith scrambling for a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by his 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree, and a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Frank Gore. The Broncos tried to rally when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (with a blocked extra-point attempt), but San Francisco's defense stood their ground.

With the loss, the Broncos went into their bye week at 2–6.

Less than a month later, the Broncos were subjected to a videotaping scandal involving the team's director of video operations that occurred during a 49ers' walkthrough practice, one day before the game.

Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Ten: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Chiefs 0 10 7 12 29 Broncos 21 14 7 7 49 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: November 14 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 75,334 Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Solomon Wilcots (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 12:02 Knowshon Moreno 17-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:58. (DEN 7–0) DEN – 4:19 Brandon Lloyd 6-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 4:37. (DEN 14–0) DEN – 1:19 Jabar Gaffney 40-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive:' 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:15. (DEN 21–0) Second quarter DEN – 10:07 Tim Tebow 1-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:10. (DEN 28–0) DEN – 5:48 Jason Hunter 75-yard fumble return for a TD, Matt Prater kick. (DEN 35–0) KC – Jamaal Charles 5-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:20. (DEN 35–7) KC – 0:00 Ryan Succop 40-yard FG. Drive: 1 play, 0:01. (DEN 35–10) Third quarter DEN – 9:24 Spencer Larsen 3-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:45. (DEN 42–10) KC – 2:22 Dwayne Bowe 15-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 1:22. (DEN 42–17) Fourth quarter DEN – 11:47 Brandon Lloyd 15-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:35. (DEN 49–17) KC – 6:54 Chris Chambers 11-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, two-point pass failed. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 4:53. (DEN 49–23) KC – 0:10 Dwayne Bowe 22-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, two-point pass failed. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 1:45. (DEN 49–29) Top passers KC – Matt Cassel: 33/53, 469 yards, 4 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 22/34, 296 yards, 4 TD Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles: 14 rushes, 41 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 22 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe: 13 receptions, 186 yards, 2 TD DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 6 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers KC – Derrick Johnson: 12 tackles DEN – Champ Bailey: 9 tackles, 1 assist

Coming off their overseas trip to London and subsequent bye week, the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an AFC West duel against the Kansas City Chiefs, hoping to snap a 4-game losing streak. In the first quarter, quarterback Kyle Orton, playing on his 28th birthday, threw three touchdown passes: a 17-yarder to running back Knowshon Moreno, a 6-yarder to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and a 40-yarder to wide receiver Jabar Gaffney. In the second quarter, quarterback Tim Tebow ran for a 1-yard touchdown, followed by linebacker Jason Hunter returning a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown, giving the Broncos a commanding 35–0 lead before the two-minute warning. Kansas City got on the board, with a 5-yard touchdown run from running back Jamaal Charles, followed by a 40-yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop just before halftime. In the third quarter, Tim Tebow threw his first touchdown pass – a 3-yarder to fullback Spencer Larsen, but Kansas City responded, with quarterback Matt Cassel throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. In the fourth quarter, Orton threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game – a 15-yarder to Lloyd. Kansas City responded, with Cassel throwing a pair of touchdown passes – an 11-yarder to wide receiver Chris Chambers, followed by a 22-yarder to Bowe (both with failed two-point conversion attempts), but the outcome had already been decided in the Broncos' favor.

With the win, the Broncos improved to 3–6.

Week 11: at San Diego Chargers

Week Eleven: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 0 0 7 14 Chargers 7 14 7 7 35 at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California Date: November 22 Game time: 6:30 p.m. MST/5:30 p.m. PST Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 68,482 Referee: Jeff Triplette TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden (color commentators), Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya (sideline reporters) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 12:05 Knowshon Moreno 4-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:55. (DEN 7–0) SD – 2:14 Malcom Floyd 6-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 6:26. (tied 7–7) Second quarter SD – 7:58 Mike Tolbert 1-yard TD run, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 2:38. (SD 14–7) SD – 2:05 Patrick Crayton 40-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 2 plays, 54 yards, 0:54. (SD 21–7) Third quarter SD – 12:36 Darren Sproles 57-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 5 plays, 72 plays, 2:24. (SD 28–7) Fourth quarter SD – 14:16 Jacob Hester 3-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:29. (SD 35–7) DEN – 8:48 Brandon Lloyd 13-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:39. (SD 35–14) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 24/38, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT SD – Philip Rivers: 15/24, 233 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 13 rushes, 58 yards, 1 TD SD – Mike Tolbert: 25 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 6 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD SD – Patrick Crayton: 3 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Joe Mays: 6 tackles, 3 assists SD – Antoine Cason: 7 tackles, 2 assists

Coming off their dominating win over the Chiefs, the Broncos flew to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. The Broncos delivered the opening strike in the first quarter, with a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno. However, San Diego answered, with quarterback Philip Rivers completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Malcom Floyd. San Diego took the lead in the second quarter, as fullback Mike Tolbert ran for a 1-yard touchdown, followed by Rivers completing a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Patrick Crayton. San Diego would add to their lead in the third quarter, as Rivers completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to running back Darren Sproles. In the fourth quarter, San Diego continued their dominating night, with Rivers completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jacob Hester. The Broncos tried to rally, as quarterback Kyle Orton found wide receiver Brandon Lloyd on a 13-yard touchdown pass, but San Diego's lead was too much to overcome.

With the loss, Denver fell to 3–7.

Week 12: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Twelve: St. Louis Rams at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Rams 7 19 7 3 36 Broncos 10 3 0 20 33 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: November 28 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), mostly cloudy Game attendance: 72,736 Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts (play-by-play), John Lynch (color commentator) and Nischelle Turner (sideline reporter) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 11:54 Knowshon Moreno 4-yard TD run, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:06. (DEN 7–0) DEN – 7:24 Matt Prater 49-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 2:53. (DEN 10–0) STL – 1:32 Michael Hoomanawanui 36-yard TD pass from Sam Bradford, Josh Brown kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 plays, 5:52. (DEN 10–7) Second quarter DEN – 12:27 Matt Prater 40-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:05. (DEN 13–7) STL – 5:45 Billy Bajema 2-yard TD pass from Sam Bradford, Josh Brown kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:42. (STL 14–13) STL – 2:53 Billy Bajema 26-yard TD pass from Sam Bradford, kick failed. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 1:15. (STL 20–13) STL – 0:54 Josh Brown 28-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 1:33. (STL 23–13) STL – 0:14 Josh Brown 37-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:33. (STL 26–13) Third quarter STL – 8:55 Kenneth Darby 1-yard TD run, Josh Brown kick. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:05. (STL 33–13) Fourth quarter DEN – 14:54 Brandon Lloyd 41-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:01. (STL 33–20) STL – 10:50 Josh Brown 26-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:04. (STL 36–20) DEN – 4:50 Eddie Royal 16-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, two-point pass failed. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 3:09. (STL 36–26) DEN – 2:35 Brandon Lloyd 5-yard TD pass from Kyle Orton, Matt Prater kick. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 1:51. (STL 36–33) Top passers STL – Sam Bradford: 22/37, 308 yards, 3 TD DEN – Kyle Orton: 24/41, 347 yards, 3 TD Top rushers STL – Stephen Jackson: 29 rushes, 72 yards DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 12 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD Top receivers STL – Danario Alexander: 4 receptions, 95 yards DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 4 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers STL – Craig Dahl: 6 tackles DEN – Jamal Williams: 5 tackles, 3 assists

Following their Monday Night debacle in San Diego and subsequent videotaping scandal, the Broncos returned home for an interconference match against the St. Louis Rams. In the first quarter, the Broncos jumped out to a 10–0 lead, with a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Knowshon Moreno, followed by a 49-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Prater. St. Louis responded, with quarterback Sam Bradford throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. In the second quarter, The Broncos took a 13–7 lead, with a 40-yard field goal by Prater. However, St. Louis would reel off 26 unanswered points, starting off with a pair of touchdown passes from Bradford to tight end Billy Bajema – 2 and 26 yards – the latter with a missed extra point, followed by a pair of field goals from placekicker Josh Brown – 28 and 37 yards – before halftime. In the third quarter, St. Louis continued their offensive onslaught, with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Kenneth Darby, giving St. Louis a 33–13 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos snapped the Rams' streak of 26 unanswered points, with quarterback Kyle Orton throwing a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, but St. Louis responded with a 26-yard field goal from Brown. Trailing 36–20 with four minutes remaining, the Broncos tried to rally, with Orton throwing two touchdown passes – a 16-yarder to wide receiver Eddie Royal (with a failed two-point conversion attempt), followed by a 5-yarder to Lloyd, but the Broncos' rally attempt was cut short by the Rams' defense.

With the loss, the Broncos dropped to 3–8, matching their loss total from the previous two seasons.

Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 0 3 0 3 6 Chiefs 7 3 0 0 10 at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Date: December 5 Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST Game weather: 26 °F (−3 °C), sunny Game attendance: 67,267 Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter KC – 1:15 Leonard Pope 2-yard TD pass from Matt Cassel, Ryan Succop kick. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:29. (KC 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 1:19 Matt Prater 25-yard FG. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 5:20. (KC 7–3) KC – 0:03 Ryan Succop 47-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 1:16. (KC 10–3) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter DEN – 13:42 Matt Prater 41-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 2:42. (KC 10–6) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 9/28, 117 yards KC – Matt Cassel: 17/31, 196 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 23 rushes, 161 yards KC – Jamaal Charles: 21 rushes, 116 yards Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 2 receptions, 31 yards KC – Thomas Jones and Tony Moeaki: 4 receptions, 54 yards Top tacklers DEN – Perrish Cox: 8 tackles KC – Eric Berry and Glenn Dorsey: 6 tackles each (1 assist by Berry)

Hoping to break a two-game losing streak, the Broncos flew to Arrowhead Stadium for a AFC West rivalry rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos trailed in the first quarter, as Chiefs' quarterback Matt Cassel threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Leonard Pope, in what would be the game's only touchdown. The Broncos responded in the second quarter, with placekicker Matt Prater nailing a 25-yard field goal, but Kansas City countered, with a 47-yard field goal by placekicker Ryan Succop just before halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, the Broncos cut into the lead with a 41-yard field goal by Prater, but Kansas City's defense prevented anything else from happening.

With the loss, the Broncos fell to 3–9, and were officially eliminated from postseason contention. One day later, head coach Josh McDaniels was fired, and replaced by running backs coach Eric Studesville on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.

Week 14: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Fourteen: Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 3 0 0 10 13 Cardinals 3 13 3 24 43 at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Date: December 12 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Game attendance: 62,223 Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 10:36 Steven Hauschka 32-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:24. (DEN 3–0) ARI – 4:35 Jay Feely 36-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:58. (tied 3–3) Second quarter ARI – 11:50 Jay Feely 48-yard FG. Drive: 7 yards, 17 yards, 2:58. (ARI 6–3) ARI – 4:02 Jay Feely 5-yard fake-FG run for a TD, Jay Feely kick. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:01. (ARI 13–3) ARI – 0:02 Jay Feely 55-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 1:42. (ARI 16–3) Third quarter ARI – 9:40 Jay Feely 23-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:20. (ARI 19–3) Fourth quarter ARI – 14:55 Jay Feely 49-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:04. (ARI 22–3) DEN – 11:20 Steven Hauschka 30-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 2:16. (ARI 22–6) ARI – 6:07 Tim Hightower 8-yard TD run, Jay Feely kick. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 5:13. (ARI 29–6) DEN – 3:31 Knowshon Moreno 1-yard TD run, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:36. (ARI 29–13) ARI – 3:09 Tim Hightower 35-yard TD run, Jay Feely kick. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 0:22. (ARI 36–13) ARI – 2:42 Darnell Dockett fumble recovery in the end zone, Jay Feely kick. (ARI 43–13) Top passers DEN – Kyle Orton: 19/41, 166 yards, 3 INT ARI – John Skelton: 15/37, 146 yards Top rushers DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 19 rushes, 81 yards, 1 TD ARI – Tim Hightower: 18 rushes, 148 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DEN – Jabar Gaffney: 3 receptions, 48 yards ARI – Larry Fitzgerald: 6 receptions, 72 yards Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 6 tackles, 2 assists ARI – Adrian Wilson: 11 tackles

Hoping to snap a three-game losing streak, the Broncos flew to University of Phoenix Stadium for an interconference duel with the Arizona Cardinals, whom the Broncos had never lost to in the teams' previous eight meetings. The Broncos took the early lead in the first quarter, with a 32-yard field goal by placekicker Steven Hauschka. However, Arizona responded, as placekicker Jay Feely would account for 22 unanswered points – a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter, a 48-yard field goal, 5-yard touchdown run off a fake field goal and a 55-yard field goal in the second quarter, a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter, and a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. A 30-yard field goal by Hauschka would cut the lead to 22–6, but Arizona would answer, with an 8-yard touchdown run by running back Tim Hightower. The Broncos would respond, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Knowshon Moreno, but Arizona pulled away, with Hightower running for a 35-yard touchdown, followed by linebacker Daryl Washington returning an interception 40 yards (and defensive end Darnell Dockett recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown).

With the loss, the Broncos not only dropped to 3–10, but also suffered their first-ever loss to the Cardinals. The loss also guarantees that the Broncos will finish in fourth-place in the AFC West at the end of the season.

Week 15: at Oakland Raiders

Week Fifteen: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 14 3 3 3 23 Raiders 14 3 6 16 39 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California Date: December 19 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST/1:15 p.m. PST Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy/rainy Game attendance: 44,246 Referee: Scott Green TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson (play-by-play) and Steve Tasker (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter OAK – 13:14 Jacoby Ford 71-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 1 play, 71 yards, 0:12. (OAK 7–0) DEN – 9:40 Tim Tebow 40-yard TD run, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 3 plays, 26 yards, 1:56. (tied 7–7) DEN – 7:38 Brandon Lloyd 33-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:44. (DEN 14–7) OAK – 3:20 Michael Bush 1-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:18. (tied 14–14) Second quarter DEN – 14:09 Steven Hauschka 46-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:11. (DEN 17–14) OAK – 1:02 Sebastian Janikowski 49-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:21. (tied 17–17) Third quarter OAK – 7:27 Sebastian Janikowski 35-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:30. (OAK 20–17) DEN – 5:03 Steven Hauschka 35-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:24. (tied 20–20) OAK – 1:29 Sebastian Janikowski 47-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 3:34. OAK 23–20) Fourth quarter OAK – 14:32 Marcel Reece 73-yard TD pass from Jason Campbell, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 1 play, 73 yards, 0:12. (OAK 30–20) DEN – 10:04 Steven Hauschka 45-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:28. (OAK 30–23) OAK – 7:37 Quentin Groves tackled Correll Buckhalter in the end zone for a safety (OAK 32–23) OAK – 3:37 Michael Bush 1-yard TD run, Sebastian Janikowski kick. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:00. (OAK 39–23) Top passers DEN – Tim Tebow: 8/16 138 yards, 1 TD OAK – Jason Campbell: 15/26, 238 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Tim Tebow: 8 rushes, 78 yards, 1 TD OAK – Darren McFadden: 20 rushes, 119 yards Top receivers DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 4 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD OAK – Marcel Reece: 2 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – D. J. Williams: 7 tackles, 1 assist OAK – Tyvon Branch: 5 tackles

Hoping to snap a four-game losing streak, the Broncos flew to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, for an AFC West divisional rematch with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Oakland grabbed the early lead, with a 71-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Jacoby Ford. The Broncos responded, when quarterback Tim Tebow, starting in place of an injured Kyle Orton, scrambled for a 40-yard touchdown run. The Broncos grabbed the lead, when Tebow threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, but Oakland responded, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Michael Bush. In the second quarter, the Broncos lead again, with a 46-yard field goal by placekicker Steven Hauschka, but Oakland would tie the game, with a 49-yard field goal by placekicker Sebastian Janikowski just before halftime. In the third quarter, Oakland grabbed the lead, with a 35-yard field goal by Janikowski. The Broncos responded, with a 35-yard field goal by Hauschka. Oakland lead again, with a 47-yard field goal by Janikowski. In the fourth quarter, Oakland widened their lead, when quarterback Jason Campbell threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece. The Broncos narrowed the lead, with a 45-yard field goal by Hauschka, but Oakland pulled away, when linebacker Quentin Groves tackled running back Correll Buckhalter in the end zone for a safety, followed by a 1-yard touchdown by Bush.

With the loss, the Broncos not only dropped to 3–11, but also tied their franchise record for losses in a season.

Week 16: vs. Houston Texans

Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Texans 7 10 6 0 23 Broncos 0 0 10 14 24 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: December 26 Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 73,691 Referee: Ron Winter TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and Steve Beuerlein (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter HOU – 2:41 Arian Foster 3-yard TD run, Neil Rackers kick. Drive: 6 plays, 91 yards, 3:11. (HOU 7–0) Second quarter HOU – 11:43 Owen Daniels 3-yard TD pass from Matt Schaub, Neil Rackers kick. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:42. (HOU 14–0) HOU – 0:22 Neil Rackers 34-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:42. (HOU 17–0) Third quarter DEN – 12:58 Correll Buckhalter 6-yard TD run, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:02. (HOU 17–7) HOU – 10:14 Neil Rackers 54-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 2:44. (HOU 20–7) DEN – 7:06 Steven Hauschka 27-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:08. (HOU 20–10) HOU – 2:34 Neil Rackers 57-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:32. (HOU 23–10) Fourth quarter DEN – 10:55 Correll Buckhalter 23-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:39. (HOU 23–17) DEN – 3:02 Tim Tebow 6-yard TD run, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 4:40. (DEN 24–23) Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub: 23/33, 310 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 16/29, 308 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster: 19 rushes, 91 yards, 1 TD DEN – Correll Buckhalter: 11 rushes, 42 yards, 1 TD Top receivers HOU – Jacoby Jones: 5 receptions, 115 yards DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 5 receptions, 111 yards Top tacklers HOU – Glover Quin: 8 tackles DEN – Brian Dawkins and Wesley Woodyard: 8 tackles and 1 assist each

Hoping to snap a five-game losing streak, the Broncos returned home for a game against the Houston Texans. In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early, after a 3-yard touchdown run by Texans' running back Arian Foster, followed in the second quarter by a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Schaub to tight end Owen Daniels, and a 34-yard field goal by placekicker Neil Rackers, giving Houston a 17–0 halftime lead. The Broncos got on the board in the third quarter, with a 6-yard touchdown run by running back Correll Buckhalter, but Houston responded, with a 54-yard field goal by Rackers. The Broncos cut into the Texans' lead, with a 27-yard field goal by placekicker Steven Hauschka, but Houston responded with a 57-yard field goal by Rackers, giving Houston a 23–10 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos staged a rally, with a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to Buckhalter, followed by Tebow scrambling for a 6-yard touchdown run, giving the Broncos a 24–23 lead with three minutes remaining. The Broncos' defense thwarted Houston's final drive.

With the win, the Broncos improved to 4–11.

Week 17: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Seventeen: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary 1 2 3 4 Total Chargers 0 16 10 7 33 Broncos 7 0 7 14 28 at INVESCO Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Date: January 2 Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), partly cloudy Game attendance: 74,155 Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and Steve Beuerlein (color commentator) Recap, Game book Game information First quarter DEN – 2:57 Brandon Lloyd 14-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:42. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter SD – 13:52 Ryan Mathews 27-yard TD run, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:05. (tied 7–7) SD – 9:59 Nate Kaeding 42-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:11. (SD 10–7) SD – 3:45 Nate Kaeding 45-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:05. (SD 13–7) SD – 0:09 Nate Kaeding 47-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 1:33. (SD 16–7) Third quarter SD – 11:10 Ryan Mathews 12-yard TD run, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:34. (SD 23–7) SD – 8:31 Nate Kaeding 37-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 0:58. (SD 26–7) DEN – 3:15 Eric Decker 6-yard TD pass from Tim Tebow, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 5:16. (SD 26–14) Fourth quarter SD – 7:55 Ryan Mathews 31-yard TD run, Nate Kaeding kick. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:13. (SD 33–14) DEN – 7:42 Cassius Vaughn 97-yard kickoff return for a TD, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 0:13. (SD 33–21) DEN – 0:26 Tim Tebow 6-yard TD run, Steven Hauschka kick. Drive: 12 plays, 92 yards, 2:23. (SD 33–28) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 21/37, 313 yards, 1 INT DEN – Tim Tebow: 16/36, 205 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SD – Ryan Mathews: 26 rushes, 120 yards, 3 TD DEN – Tim Tebow: 13 rushes, 94 yards, 1 TD Top receivers SD – Legedu Naanee: 4 receptions, 79 yards DEN – Brandon Lloyd: 5 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers SD – Kevin Burnett: 7 tackles, 1 assist DEN – Mario Haggan: 9 tackles

The Broncos' final game of the 2010 season was an AFC West divisional rematch with the San Diego Chargers. The Broncos took the lead in the first quarter, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. However, San Diego responded in the second quarter, with a 27-yard touchdown run by running back Ryan Mathews, followed by field goals from 42, 45 and 47 yards by placekicker Nate Kaeding. San Diego added to their lead in the third quarter, with a 12-yard touchdown run by Mathews, followed by a 37-yard field goal by Kaeding. The Broncos narrowed San Diego's lead, with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to wide receiver Eric Decker, but was increased in the fourth quarter, with a 31-yard touchdown run by Mathews. Trailing 33–14 with 7:55 remaining in the game, the Broncos immediately responded, when kick returner Cassius Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 6-yard touchdown scramble by Tebow with 26 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Following Tebow's touchdown run, the Broncos recovered the onside kick, but two desperation hail mary passes by Tebow were unsuccessful, sealing the win for San Diego.

With the loss, the Broncos finished the 2010 season at 4–12, setting a new franchise record for losses in a single season.

Final standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
y (4) Kansas City Chiefs	10	6	0	.625	2–4	6–6	366	326	L1
San Diego Chargers	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	441	319	W1
Oakland Raiders	8	8	0	.500	6–0	6–6	410	371	W1
Denver Broncos	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	344	471	L1

Videotaping scandal

On November 27, one day before the team's 36–33 loss to the St. Louis Rams, media reports stated the Broncos had come under investigation from the NFL, following a videotaping incident similar to the New England Patriots' videotaping controversy of 2007. The Denver Post reported that Steve Scarnecchia, the team's director of video operations hired by then-head coach Josh McDaniels in 2009, videotaped a San Francisco 49ers' walkthrough practice, prior to the teams' Week 8 game at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Scarnecchia, the son of New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, worked in the Patriots' (2001–2004) and the New York Jets' (2006–2007) video departments prior to joining the Broncos in 2009. The Denver Post reported he was placed on a leave of absence by the team after the allegation came to light.

The same day, the NFL fined the Broncos and McDaniels $50,000 each, and Scarnecchia was fired as a result of the incident. Scarnecchia told NFL investigators he acted alone and "knew it was wrong" to tape the walkthrough practice, after the rest of the Broncos' staff had left the stadium. Scarnecchia later presented McDaniels with the six-minute video, but McDaniels declined to view it, and it was not shown to any other Broncos staff member, and therefore the NFL determined the Broncos had not gained a competitive advantage from it.

However, the NFL fined McDaniels due to the fact that he did not immediately report the incident to the league office, as required by policy. Team executives learned of the incident on November 8 and informed the NFL on November 16. NFL Security then began its investigation, which included a forensic analysis of the computer from which the recording was later deleted by Scarnecchia. The recording was retained by the league; in the case of the Patriots' prior incident, the league had destroyed all tapes received from the Patriots. The NFL also fined the Broncos, as "clubs are ultimately accountable for the conduct of their employees."

Because of Scarnecchia's involvement with the Patriots' video department (2001–2004) during the period (2000–Sept. 2007) of their accused illegal taping, the NFL determined Scarnecchia is subject to a hearing, as a repeat offender of NFL policy, on whether he should be banned from employment in the league. "A significant number" of Broncos employees also certified in writing to the league that they were aware of no further incidents, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that if any more accusations came to light, he would re-open the investigation.

Firing of Josh McDaniels

On December 6, head coach Josh McDaniels was fired, one day after the team's 10–6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. Under McDaniels, the Broncos went 5–17 following a 6–0 start to the 2009 season. Running backs coach Eric Studesville was named interim coach that same day.

Staff

Denver Broncos 2010 staff
Front Office Chairman/President/CEO – Pat Bowlen General Manager – Brian Xanders Director of Football Administration – Mike Bluem Director of College Scouting – Matt Russell Director of Pro Personnel – Keith Kidd Assistant Director of College Scouting – Lenny McGill Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Anthony Kelly Head Coaches Head Coach – Josh McDaniels (fired mid-season) Interim Head Coach – Eric Studesville Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Mike McCoy Quarterbacks – Ben McDaniels Wide Receivers – Adam Gase Tight Ends – Bob Ligashesky Offensive Line – Clancy Barone Assistant Offensive Line – Bob Wylie Coaching Assistant – Brian Callahan			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Don Martindale Defensive Line – Wayne Nunnely Assistant Linebackers – Roman Phifer Secondary – Ed Donatell Defensive Assistant – Craig Aukerman Coaching Assistant – Jay Rodgers Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Mike Priefer Assistant Special Teams – Keith Burns Strength and Conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Rich Tuten Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Greg Saporta Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Justin Lovett

Final roster

2010 Denver Broncos roster
	Quarterbacks  8 Kyle Orton  9 Brady Quinn 15 Tim Tebow Running backs 35 Lance Ball 28 Correll Buckhalter 26 Laurence Maroney 27 Knowshon Moreno Wide receivers 17 Britt Davis 87 Eric Decker KR 10 Jabar Gaffney 84 Brandon Lloyd 19 Eddie Royal PR 88 Demaryius Thomas Tight ends 85 Daniel Coats (American football) 89 Daniel Graham 81 Richard Quinn		Offensive linemen 68 Zane Beadles G/T 63 Jeff Byers G 78 Ryan Clady T 75 Chris Clark T 64 Stanley Daniels G 74 Ryan Harris T 71 Russ Hochstein C/G 73 Chris Kuper G 69 Eric Olsen G 50 J. D. Walton C Defensive linemen 97 Justin Bannan DE 91 Ronald Fields NT 94 Louis Leonard DE/NT 98 Ryan McBean DE 79 Marcus Thomas DE/NT 99 Kevin Vickerson DE 76 Jamal Williams NT		Linebackers 56 Robert Ayers OLB/DE 57 Mario Haggan ILB 52 Jason Hunter OLB/DE 90 David Veikune OLB 55 D. J. Williams ILB 59 Wesley Woodyard ILB Defensive backs 24 Champ Bailey CB 30 David Bruton SS 32 Perrish Cox CB 20 Brian Dawkins FS 21 André Goodman CB 23 Renaldo Hill SS 29 Chevis Jackson CB 33 Nathan Jones CB 31 Darcel McBath FS 22 Syd'Quan Thompson CB 41 Cassius Vaughn CB Special teams  4 Britton Colquitt P  3 Steven Hauschka K 66 Lonie Paxton LS		Reserve lists 92 Elvis Dumervil OLB/DE (IR) 39 Kyle Eckel FB (IR) -- Ben Garland DE (Reserve/Military) 82 Dan Gronkowski TE (IR) 48 Braxton Kelley ILB (IR) 46 Spencer Larsen FB (IR) 34 Kyle McCarthy SS (IR) 51 Joe Mays ILB (IR)  5 Matt Prater K (IR) 54 Lee Robinson ILB (IR) 25 LenDale White RB (IR) 12 Matthew Willis WR (IR) Practice squad 58 Dominic Douglas ILB 37 Jeremiah Johnson RB 36 Brandon Minor RB 86 John Nalbone TE 38 Nick Polk FS 13 Eron Riley WR 95 Jeff Stehle NT 96 Mitch Unrein DE Rookies in italics 53 Active, 12 Inactive, 8 Practice squad

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award(s)
Champ Bailey	Named to the All Fundamentals Team by the NFL Players Association Named to the Pro Bowl roster for the tenth time in his career, setting a new NFL record for cornerbacks
Brandon Lloyd	Named to the AFC Pro Bowl team. Lloyd led the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards Voted to The Associated Press 2010 NFL All-Pro Team
Kyle Orton	Week 4: FedEx Air Player of the Week. Week 10: AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Tim Tebow	Week 10: Pepsi Rookie of the Week Week 16: Pepsi Rookie of the Week

External links

• Denver Broncos official website
• The Denver Post – All Things Broncos
• Season page on Pro Football Reference