This day in football · September 16, 1923: Ironwood Legion visited the Duluth Kelleys at Duluth Athletic Park. Duluth Kelleys 7, Ironwood Legion 0. W1923 NFL season↗

From the vault · December 26, 1964 · 1964 AFL Championship Game: The Buffalo Bills beat the San Diego Chargers 20–7 at War Memorial Stadium to win the 1964 AFL championship. Box score

2003 Denver BroncosW2003 Denver Broncos↗

NFL · AFC West · 10–6 (.625) · 2nd in division · PF 381 · PA 301 · Coach Mike Shanahan · Lost Wild Card

◀ 2002 2004 ▶

Team leaders

Passing (yds)

Rushing (yds)

Receiving (yds)

Sacks

Interceptions

Efficiency (EPA)

	Offense	Defense
Plays	1030	907
EPA per play	+0.03	-0.08
Pass EPA per play	-0.02	-0.09
Rush EPA per play	+0.08	-0.08
Success rate	43.5%	37.6%
Pass rate	48.5%

Regular season, pass and run plays only. League average that year: EPA per play -0.04, success rate 41.3%. For the defense, lower is better.

Schedule (17 games)

Date	Wk	Opponent	Result	Record	Stadium
2003-09-07	1	@ Cincinnati Bengals	W 30–10	1–0	Paul Brown Stadium
2003-09-14	2	@ San Diego Chargers	W 37–13	2–0	Qualcomm Stadium
2003-09-22	3	vs Oakland Raiders	W 31–10	3–0	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-09-28	4	vs Detroit Lions	W 20–16	4–0	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-10-05	5	@ Kansas City Chiefs	L 23–24	4–1	Arrowhead Stadium
2003-10-12	6	vs Pittsburgh Steelers	W 17–14	5–1	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-10-19	7	@ Minnesota Vikings	L 20–28	5–2	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
2003-10-26	8	@ Baltimore Ravens	L 6–26	5–3	M&T Bank Stadium
2003-11-03	9	vs New England Patriots	L 26–30	5–4	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-11-16	11	vs San Diego Chargers	W 37–8	6–4	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-11-23	12	vs Chicago Bears	L 10–19	6–5	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-11-30	13	@ Oakland Raiders	W 22–8	7–5	Network Associates Coliseum
2003-12-07	14	vs Kansas City Chiefs	W 45–27	8–5	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-12-14	15	vs Cleveland Browns	W 23–20 OT	9–5	Invesco Field at Mile High
2003-12-21	16	@ Indianapolis Colts	W 31–17	10–5	RCA Dome
2003-12-28	17	@ Green Bay Packers	L 3–31	10–6	Lambeau Field
2004-01-04	WC	@ Indianapolis Colts	L 10–41		RCA Dome

Roster (63)

#	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	College	Exp	Status
11	Steve Beuerlein	QB	6-3	220	Notre Dame	16	RES
13	Danny Kanell	QB	6-3	218	Florida State	7	ACT
16	Jake Plummer	QB	6-2	212	Arizona State	6	ACT
17	Jarious Jackson	QB	6-0	228	Notre Dame	3	ACT
34	Reuben Droughns	FB	5-11	220	Oregon; Merced College	3	ACT
38	Mike Anderson	FB	6-0	230	Utah; Mount San Jacinto College	3	ACT
22	Quentin Griffin	RB	5-7	195	Oklahoma	0	ACT
26	Clinton Portis	RB	5-11	219	Miami	1	ACT
37	Cecil Sapp	RB	5-11	236	Colorado State	0	ACT
12	Charlie Adams	WR	6-2	190	Hofstra	1	ACT
14	Nate Jackson	WR	6-3	235	Menlo College; Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo)	1	ACT
80	Rod Smith	WR	6-0	200	Missouri Southern	9	ACT
81	Chris Cole	WR	6-0	195	Texas A&M	3	RES
82	Adrian Madise	WR	5-11	215	TCU; Middle Georgia College	0	ACT
85	Ashley Lelie	WR	6-3	195	Hawaii	1	ACT
87	Ed McCaffrey	WR	6-5	215	Stanford	12	ACT
83	Mike Leach	TE	6-2	235	William & Mary; Boston University	3	ACT
84	Shannon Sharpe	TE	6-2	228	Savannah State College	13	ACT
86	Patrick Hape	TE	6-4	262	Alabama	6	ACT
88	Jeb Putzier	TE	6-4	251	Boise State	1	ACT
89	Dwayne Carswell	TE	6-3	290	Liberty	9	ACT
66	Tom Nalen	C	6-3	286	Boston College	9	ACT
20	Roe Williams	CB	6-0	200	Tuskegee University; Savannah State College	1	ACT
21	Scott Turner	CB	5-10	180	Illinois	8	ACT
23	Willie Middlebrooks	CB	6-1	200	Minnesota	2	ACT
24	Deltha O'Neal	CB	5-11	194	California	3	ACT
31	Kelly Herndon	CB	5-10	180	Toledo	4	ACT
33	Jimmy Spencer	CB	5-9	188	Florida	12	ACT
35	Lenny Walls	CB	6-4	197	Boston College; St. Mary's College (CA); City College (SF)	1	ACT
47	Ryan McNeil	CB	6-2	210	Miami	10	ACT
91	Bryant McNeal	DE	6-4	250	Clemson	0	RES
92	Bertrand Berry	DE	6-3	254	Notre Dame	6	ACT
93	Trevor Pryce	DE	6-5	290	Clemson; Michigan	6	ACT
98	Reggie Hayward	DE	6-5	275	Iowa State	2	ACT
68	Mario Fatafehi	DT	6-2	300	Kansas State; Snow	2	ACT
75	Monsanto Pope	DT	6-3	300	Virginia	1	ACT
90	Darius Holland	DT	6-5	330	Colorado	8	ACT
94	Luis Almanzar	DT	6-3	282	Missouri State	2	CUT
96	Dorsett Davis	DT	6-5	305	Mississippi State; Mississippi Delta CC	1	ACT
99	Daryl Gardener	DT	6-6	295	Baylor	7	RES
25	Nick Ferguson	FS	5-11	202	Georgia Tech; Morris Brown College	7	RES
42	Sam Brandon	FS	6-2	200	UNLV	1	ACT
50	Ben Hamilton	G	6-5	290	Minnesota	2	ACT
62	Dan Neil	G	6-2	285	Texas	6	ACT
65	Cooper Carlisle	G	6-5	310	Florida	3	ACT
69	P.J. Alexander	G	6-4	297	Syracuse	1	ACT
79	Steve Herndon	G	6-4	292	Georgia	3	ACT
1	Jason Elam	K	5-11	194	Hawaii	10	ACT
53	Johnny Rutledge	MLB	6-3	239	Florida	4	ACT
56	Al Wilson	MLB	6-0	240	Tennessee	4	ACT
51	John Mobley	OLB	6-1	236	Kutztown	7	RES
52	Ian Gold	OLB	6-0	223	Michigan	3	RES
55	Keith Burns	OLB	6-2	235	Oklahoma State; Navarro	9	ACT
57	Jashon Sykes	OLB	6-2	236	Colorado	1	ACT
58	Terry Pierce	OLB	6-1	251	Kansas State	0	RES
59	Donnie Spragan	OLB	6-3	242	Stanford; University of U. of Pacific	4	ACT
4	Micah Knorr	P	6-2	199	Utah State	3	ACT
28	Kenoy Kennedy	SS	6-1	215	Arkansas	3	ACT
32	Chris Young	SS	6-0	210	Georgia Tech	1	ACT
71	Blake Brockermeyer	T	6-4	300	Texas	8	ACT
72	George Foster	T	6-5	338	Georgia	0	ACT
74	Ephraim Salaam	T	6-7	310	San Diego State	5	ACT
78	Matt Lepsis	T	6-4	290	Colorado	6	ACT

Depth chart, week 21

Offense

Pos	Starter	2nd	3rd
C	Tom Nalen
FB	Reuben Droughns	Mike Anderson
LG	Ben Hamilton	Steve Herndon
LT	Ephraim Salaam	Blake Brockermeyer
QB	Jake Plummer	Danny Kanell
RB	Clinton Portis	Quentin Griffin
RG	Dan Neil	Cooper Carlisle
RT	Matt Lepsis	George Foster
TE	Shannon Sharpe	Dwayne Carswell
WR	Rod Smith	Ed McCaffrey	Deltha O'Neal

Defense

Pos	Starter	2nd
FS	Nick Ferguson	Sam Brandon
LCB	Lenny Walls	Jimmy Spencer
LDE	Trevor Pryce	Mario Fatafehi
LDT	Mario Fatafehi	Monsanto Pope
MLB	Al Wilson	Keith Burns
RCB	Kelly Herndon	Willie Middlebrooks
RDE	Bertrand Berry	Reggie Hayward
RDT	Darius Holland	Dorsett Davis
SLB	Jashon Sykes	Keith Burns
SS	Kenoy Kennedy	Chris Young
WLB	Donnie Spragan	Johnny Rutledge

Special Teams

Pos	Starter	2nd
H	Micah Knorr
K	Jason Elam
KR	Reuben Droughns	Adrian Madise
LS	Mike Leach
P	Micah Knorr
PR	Deltha O'Neal	Rod Smith

Biggest contracts on the books in 2003

Player	Pos	Signed	Yrs	Value	Per year	Guaranteed	Cap%
Terrell Davis	RB	1998	6	$46.8M	$7.8M	$11.0M	14.9%
Trevor Pryce	IDL	2001	8	$59.9M	$7.5M	$10.6M	11.1%
Rod Smith	WR	2002	7	$41.6M	$5.9M	$11.0M	8.4%
Jake Plummer	QB	2003	7	$40.8M	$5.8M	$7.0M	7.8%
Ed McCaffrey	WR	1999	7	$24.5M	$3.5M	$4.5M	6.1%
Rod Smith	WR	1998	6	$19.2M	$3.2M	$2.4M	6.1%
Shannon Sharpe	TE	2002	7	$16.1M	$2.3M	$1.7M	3.2%
Clinton Portis	RB	2002	4	$2.6M	$662,500	$1.3M	0.9%

Contracts whose term covers this season (Over The Cap, via nflverse). Cap% is against the cap of the signing year.

Trades in 2003 (5)

Date	Trade
2003-04-26	CAR → DEN: 2003 round 4 pick 108, 2003 round 4 pick 120, 2003 round 7 pick 227, Clint Mitchell DEN → CAR: 2003 round 3 pick 82
2003-04-27	DEN → NWE: 2003 round 4 pick 120 NWE → DEN: 2003 round 4 pick 128, Bryant McNeal, 2003 round 5 pick 157
2003-08-13	DEN → SFO: 2004 round None (conditional) SFO → DEN: Nate Jackson
2003-08-23	DEN → SEA: Mat McBriar SEA → DEN: 2004 round None (conditional)
2003-08-26	DEN → WAS: Lionel Dalton WAS → DEN: 2004 round None (conditional)

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