| Team: | Denver Broncos |
| Year: | 1967 |
| Record: | 3–11 |
| Division Place: | 4th AFL Western |
| Coach: | Lou Saban |
| General Manager: | Lou Saban |
| Owner: | Gerald Phipps |
| Stadium: | Bears Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Shortnavlink: | Broncos seasons |
The 1967 Denver Broncos season was the eighth season for the team in the American Football League (AFL). Led by first-year head coach and general manager Lou Saban, the Broncos posted a record of three wins and eleven losses, last in the AFL's Western division. Running back Floyd Little, a first round draft choice (sixth overall), was team captain in his rookie season.[1] After an opening win at home, the Broncos lost nine straight games, then split the last four.
Inter-league play between the AFL and NFL in the exhibition season began this year. In the first matchup on August 5, the Broncos defeated the Detroit Lions 13–7 and became the first AFL team to beat an NFL team.[2] [3] [4]
Before the season, the Broncos changed from orange helmets to blue helmets.[5]
This was the first season that the Broncos wore their now famous "Orange Crush" uniforms, but the famous D logo on the helmets would not appear until the next season. The team would make slight modifications to the uniforms throughout the years until they were retired 30 years later after the 1996 season. In 2024, the Orange Crush uniforms will return albeit in a slightly different design, retaining the helmet design from the 1997 uniforms (but retiring the 97 uniforms all together), along with the 1977 uniforms as a throwback.
Hired in December 1966, Saban left the University of Maryland after just one season; he had previously been an AFL head coach at Boston and Buffalo, where he won consecutive AFL titles.[6] [7] [8]
See main article: 1967 American Football League season.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3 | Boston Patriots | W 26–21 | 1–0 | Bears Stadium | 35,488 | Recap | |
| 2 | September 10 | at Oakland Raiders | L 0–51 | 1–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 25,423 | Recap | |
| 3 | September 17 | at Miami Dolphins | L 21–35 | 1–2 | Orange Bowl | 29,381 | Recap | |
| 4 | September 24 | New York Jets | L 24–38 | 1–3 | Bears Stadium | 35,365 | Recap | |
| 5 | October 1 | at Houston Oilers | L 6–10 | 1–4 | Rice Stadium | 21,798 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 8 | Buffalo Bills | L 16–17 | 1–5 | Bears Stadium | 35,188 | Recap | |
| 7 | Bye | |||||||
| 8 | October 22 | San Diego Chargers | L 21–38 | 1–6 | Bears Stadium | 34,464 | Recap | |
| 9 | October 29 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 9–52 | 1–7 | Municipal Stadium | 44,002 | Recap | |
| 10 | November 5 | Oakland Raiders | L 17–21 | 1–8 | Bears Stadium | 29,043 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 12 | Houston Oilers | L 18–20 | 1–9 | Bears Stadium | 30,392 | Recap | |
| 12 | November 19 | at Buffalo Bills | W 21–20 | 2–9 | War Memorial Stadium | 30,891 | Recap | |
| 13 | November 23 | at San Diego Chargers | L 20–24 | 2–10 | San Diego Stadium | 34,586 | Recap | |
| 14 | December 3 | at New York Jets | W 33–24 | 3–10 | Shea Stadium | 61,615 | Recap | |
| 15 | Bye | |||||||
| 16 | December 17 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 24–38 | 3–11 | Bears Stadium | 31,660 | Recap | |
| 17 | Bye | |||||||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||