The 1975 Denver Broncos season was the team's 16th year in professional football and its sixth with the National Football League (NFL). Led by fourth-year head coach and general manager John Ralston, the Broncos were 6–8, second in the AFC West,[1] but five games behind the Oakland Raiders, who clinched in late November.
1975 Denver Broncos season | |
---|---|
Owner | Gerald Phipps |
General manager | John Ralston |
Head coach | John Ralston |
Home field | Mile High Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 6–8 |
Division place | 2nd AFC West |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Denver opened the season with two wins at home, against the Chiefs and Packers,[2] but won only four of their last twelve games. In their sixteen years of existence, the Broncos had yet to reach the postseason.
Offseason edit
NFL Draft edit
1975 Denver Broncos draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 | Louis Wright * | CB | San Jose State | |
2 | 43 | Charles Smith | DE | North Carolina Central | |
3 | 54 | Mike Franckowiak | FB | Central Michigan | |
3 | 69 | Drew Mahalic | LB | Notre Dame | |
4 | 84 | Steve Taylor | DB | Georgia | |
4 | 95 | Rick Upchurch * | WR | Minnesota | |
5 | 107 | Stan Rogers | T | Maryland | |
5 | 121 | Rubin Carter | DT | Miami (FL) | |
8 | 199 | Steve Foley | DB | Tulane | |
9 | 225 | Rousell Williams | DB | Arizona | |
10 | 240 | Hank Englehardt | C | Pacific | |
10 | 251 | Steve Haggerty | WR | UNLV | |
12 | 303 | Harry Walters | LB | Maryland | |
13 | 329 | Eric Penick | RB | Notre Dame | |
14 | 355 | Jerry Arnold | G | Oklahoma | |
15 | 381 | Ken Shelton | TE | Virginia | |
16 | 409 | Bubba Bridges | DT | Colorado | |
17 | 433 | Lester Sherman | RB | Albany State | |
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Personnel edit
Staff edit
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Roster edit
- Source:
Regular season edit
Schedule edit
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 37–33 | 1–0 | Mile High Stadium | 51,858 | |
2 | September 29 | Green Bay Packers | W 23–13 | 2–0 | Mile High Stadium | 52,621 | |
3 | October 5 | at Buffalo Bills | L 14–38 | 2–1 | Rich Stadium | 79,864 | |
4 | October 12 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 9–20 | 2–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 49,169 | |
5 | October 19 | Cleveland Browns | W 16–15 | 3–2 | Mile High Stadium | 52,590 | |
6 | October 26 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 13–26 | 3–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 70,043 | |
7 | November 2 | Oakland Raiders | L 17–42 | 3–4 | Mile High Stadium | 52,505 | |
8 | November 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 16–17 | 3–5 | Mile High Stadium | 49,919 | |
9 | November 16 | at San Diego Chargers | W 27–17 | 4–5 | San Diego Stadium | 26,048 | |
10 | November 23 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 21–35 | 4–6 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 28,686 | |
11 | November 30 | San Diego Chargers | W 13–10 OT | 5–6 | Mile High Stadium | 44,982 | |
12 | December 8 | at Oakland Raiders | L 10–17 | 5–7 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 51,075 | |
13 | December 14 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 25–10 | 6–7 | Mile High Stadium | 36,860 | |
14 | December 20 | at Miami Dolphins | L 13–14 | 6–8 | Orange Bowl | 43,064 | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Game summaries edit
Week 2 edit
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Standings edit
AFC West | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Oakland Raiders(2) | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 5–1 | 8–3 | 375 | 255 | W1 |
Denver Broncos | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 3–3 | 4–7 | 254 | 307 | L1 |
Kansas City Chiefs | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3–3 | 3–8 | 282 | 341 | L4 |
San Diego Chargers | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 1–5 | 2–9 | 189 | 345 | L1 |
References edit
- ^ a b "Dolphins retain slim playoff hopes". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 21, 1975. p. 3B.
- ^ a b "Broncos' Ramsey steals show". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. September 30, 1975. p. 2C.
- ^ "Raiders spend all night in Bronco backfield". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 9, 1975. p. 3C.
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-Dec-10.
External links edit
- Denver Broncos – 1975 media guide
- 1975 Denver Broncos at Pro-Football-Reference.com