Editing Denver Broncos (section)

===Bob Howsam/Gerald Phipps era (1960–1980)===
The Denver Broncos were founded on August 14, 1959, when [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] baseball owner [[Bob Howsam]] was awarded an [[American Football League]] (AFL) charter franchise.<ref name="ProFootballHOF1" /> The Broncos won the first-ever AFL game over the [[1960 Boston Patriots season|Boston Patriots]] 13–10, on September 9, [[1960 Denver Broncos season|1960]]. Seven years later on August 5, [[1967 AFL season|1967]], they became the first-ever AFL team to defeat an [[National Football League|NFL]] team, with a 13–7 win over the [[1967 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]] in a preseason game.<ref name="ProFootballHOF1" /> However, the Broncos were not successful in the 1960s, winning more than five games only once (7–7, [[1962 Denver Broncos season|1962]]), compiling a {{winpct|39|97|4|record=y}} record during the ten seasons of the AFL.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conigliofamily.com/Broncos.htm |title=Denver Broncos: American Football League Charter Members |work=Conigliofamily.com |access-date=November 28, 2008 |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128145221/http://www.conigliofamily.com/Broncos.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Denver came close to losing its franchise in [[1965 Denver Broncos season|1965]], until a local ownership group took control,<ref name=shftm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0sFeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6589%2C2586643 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Brothers buy Broncos; won't shift team |date=February 16, 1965 |page=11 |access-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209093108/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0sFeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6589,2586643 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=brsold65>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=csNNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gUkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4223%2C3217349 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |agency=United Press International |title=Broncos sold, stay at home |date=February 16, 1965 |page=B6 |access-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208130649/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=csNNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gUkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4223,3217349 |url-status=live }}</ref> and rebuilt the team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nflteamhistory.com/nfl_teams/denver_broncos/team_history.html |title=Denver Broncos Team History |work=NFLteamhistory.com |access-date=November 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003111245/http://www.nflteamhistory.com/nfl_teams/denver_broncos/team_history.html |archive-date=October 3, 2008 }}</ref> The team's first superstar, "Franchise" [[Floyd Little]], was instrumental in keeping the team in Denver, due to his signing in [[1967 Denver Broncos season|1967]] as well as his [[Pro Bowl]] efforts on and off the field. The Broncos were the only original AFL team that never played in the title game, as well as the only original AFL team never to have a winning season while a member of the AFL during the upstart league's 10-year history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den |title=Denver Broncos Team Encyclopedia&nbsp;– Pro Football Reference |website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 31, 2018 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102203957/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1972, the Broncos hired former [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford University]] coach [[John Ralston (coach)|John Ralston]] as their [[List of Denver Broncos head coaches|head coach]].<ref name="l128">{{cite web | last=Chass | first=Murray | title=Ralston of Stanford Will Coach Broncos | website=The New York Times | date=January 6, 1972 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/06/archives/ralston-of-stanford-will-coach-broncos.html | access-date=August 24, 2024}}</ref> In [[1973 Denver Broncos season|1973]], he was the [[United Press International|UPI]]'s [[American Football Conference|AFC]] Coach of the Year, after Denver achieved its first winning season at 7–5–2. In five seasons with the Broncos, Ralston guided the team to three winning seasons. Though Ralston finished the [[1976 Denver Broncos season|1976 season]] with a 9–5 record, the team, as was the case in Ralston's previous winning seasons, still missed the playoffs. Following the season, several prominent players publicly voiced their discontent with Ralston, which soon led to his resignation.<ref name="BroncosSportsE-Cyclopedia">{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/denver/broncos.html |title=Sports E-Cyclopedia&nbsp;– Denver Broncos |access-date=July 20, 2010 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021161444/https://sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/denver/broncos.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 47 - Randy Gradishar.jpg|right|thumb|The Broncos defeated the Raiders in the [[1977–78 NFL playoffs|1977–78]] AFC Championship Game to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl.]]
[[Red Miller]], a long-time assistant coach, was hired and along with the [[Orange Crush Defense]] (a nickname originated in 1977, also the brand of [[Orange Crush|the popular orange-flavored soft drink]]) and aging [[List of Denver Broncos starting quarterbacks|quarterback]] [[Craig Morton]], took the Broncos to what was then a record-setting 12–2 regular-season record and their first playoff appearance in [[1977 Denver Broncos season|1977]], and ultimately made their first Super Bowl appearance in [[Super Bowl XII]], in which they were defeated by the [[1977 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] (Morton's former team), 27–10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1977.htm|title=1977 Denver Broncos Statistics|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=March 31, 2018|archive-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013136/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1977.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>