There were the formative years, the Elway (quarterback) years, the Super Bowl years, the post-Elway (quarterback) years and the year Elway (executive) returned.

But never have the Broncos experienced a more remarkable year than in 2012.

Two of the biggest stories in sports during the past calendar year were Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning. John Elway the Broncos executive got rid of one and brought in the other.

The Broncos' year began with Tebow, a phenomenon who was arguably the most celebrated, most criticized, most widely debated sports star of the past 20 years, much less in 2012.

I could write a book about Tebow.

Two months after Tebow heroically led the Broncos to an exhilarating upset playoff victory against the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, he was gone, replaced by the NFL's most recognizable star in the years before the curiosity that was Tebowmania.

There have been years when even cities such as Los Angeles could celebrate a Stanley Cup. Every four years we become acquainted with such sensational swimmers as Michael Phelps and our own Missy Franklin.

But a year featuring both the height of Tebowmania and the return of Peyton Manning on the same team? You can't make it up. In honor of Elway (former quarterback, current executive) here are the seven biggest moments of the Broncos' 2012 calendar year:


1. Manning commits to Elway (executive), March 19. Elway was sitting in his office with coach John Fox standing across his desk when the call came from Manning. After a whirlwind recruiting period, Manning decided to play with the Broncos.

2. Tebow to Thomas, Jan. 8. Tebow passed for 316 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime, defeating the Steelers and moving the Broncos' crowd and city of Denver into delirious celebration.

3. The comeback from 24-0, Oct. 15. Manning's signing was the watershed moment of the year. Halftime of Game 6 at San Diego was the watershed moment of the season. The Broncos started the season 2-3 and were on their way to 2-4 after falling behind, 24-0 at halftime. The Broncos rallied in the second half for a 35-24 victory and haven't lost since.

4. Manning passes opening test, Sept. 9. After all those neck surgeries that took down the ironman quarterback for his final season in Indianapolis, there was widespread doubt about Manning's ability to perform. In the season opener before a Sunday night prime-time audience, Manning completed 19-of-26 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 31-19 victory against Pittsburgh.

Blog: First-and-Orange


5. Tebow traded to New York, March 21. Not all Broncos fans were pleased with Elway the executive. Knowing Tebow is a monumental distraction as a backup, Elway made sure this was Manning's team by trading Tebow to the New York Jets. With the Jets, the Tebow story spiraled from inspirational to sadness.

6. Lesson learned in New England, Oct. 7. Denver's D was caught off guard by the Patriots' machine gun-tempo offense that recorded a shocking 89 plays and 35 first downs. After that loss, the Broncos inserted Keith Brooking at middle linebacker and Chris Harris at cornerback. The defense has ranked first and second in nearly every category since.

7. Pat Bowlen demands more, Jan. 14. The Broncos were embarrassed in the playoffs' second round, getting drilled 45-10 at New England. "Not a bad season, but not a great season either," said Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. "I want a great season." Tebow suffered rib and chest injuries that would have knocked him out of the AFC championship game — setbacks that convinced Elway his quarterback's rambunctious style of play couldn't hold up long term.

And the rest is Peyton Manning.

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, or

Spotlight on ...

Brandon Marshall, WR, Bears

When: 11 a.m. Sunday when the 9-6 Bears play the 4-11 Detroit Lions at Detroit's Ford Field.

What's up: Marshall, a former Broncos star, has a chance to make the first playoff appearance of his seven-year career. For that to happen, the Bears need to beat the Lions on the road and hope Green Bay defeats the Vikings at Minnesota.

Background: Denver knows all too well about Marshall's turbulent but productive past. A top-10 overall talent, the Broncos acquired him in the fourth round of the 2006 draft out of Central Florida. He slid that far because of character issues. He had 100-catch seasons for the Broncos from 2007 to 2009, but his petulance and legal troubles were destructive as the team finished 7-9, 8-8 and 8-8 those years. He was traded to Miami after the 2009 season for two second-round picks. The Broncos packaged their 2010 second-round pick to move up and draft Tim Tebow in the first round and used their 2011 second-round pick in the Marshall trade to draft offensive tackle Orlando Franklin. Marshall's production dipped during two losing seasons with the Dolphins, who traded Marshall to the Bears before this season for two third-round picks.

Klis' take: Reunited with former Denver quarterback Jay Cutler and passing game coordinator Jeremy Bates in Chicago, Marshall has had a career-best season. He ranks second in the NFL to Detroit's Calvin Johnson in receptions (117 to 113) and yards (1,892 to 1,466) and is tied for third with 11 touchdowns. There is reason for Denver fans to root Marshall into the play- offs because it would mean the Vikings don't make the tournament, thereby diminishing the chances of Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson overtaking Denver quarterback Peyton Manning for the league's MVP award.


1. Vikings: From 3-13 to winning three in a row to put playoff berth in their control.

2. Seahawks: How do you waste all that money on Matt Flynn and wind up in the playoffs by averaging 47.3 points in the last three games? Pete Carroll can flat out coach.

3. Falcons: Improved QB Matt Ryan and Mike Nolan's defense may bust through their playoff hex.


1. Buccaneers: Greg Schiano's bush-league "victory formation" attack comes back to haunt him.

2. 49ers: May have lost the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed. Can Colin Kaepernick win two playoff games on the road?

3. Titans: Lost 55-7 to Green Bay and 51-20 to Chicago. They're also 0-5 in the AFC South.