Ten Weird Facts About Your Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are currently taking part in training camp in anticipation of the 2015-2016 season.

But in addition to looking forward, the team is looking back.

The Broncos' 2015 media guide is filled with loads of odd factoids about the squad's history, many so obscure that even die-hard fans are unlikely to know them — including the temperature of the average home game.

Wonder what lucky intern was in charge of figuring that out....

Check out ten examples below, with text and illustrations from the media guide.

Hut! Hut!
The Broncos’ original headquarters consisted of a Quonset hut on Clay Street near Bears Stadium, the team’s home field. In the mid-1960s, the franchise moved into a different facility
at 5700 Logan Street in North Denver. The series of small buildings served as the club’s home until the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre in Englewood, Colo., was completed in 1990.

Fast starts
The Broncos own the NFL’s best record through the first month of the season during the last 20 years with a 50-23 (.685) mark in those games since 1995.

Suck on that, Raiders, Chargers and Chief fans
The Broncos’ eight AFC Championship Game appearances during Pat Bowlen’s 31 years of ownership (1984-2014) are more than the combined conference title game appearance totals of their three AFC West rivals. Oakland, San Diego and Kansas City have combined to play in six AFC Championship Games since 1984.

It all started with Al Carmichael
The Broncos’ 13-10 win against the Boston Patriots at Boston University Field on Friday, Sept. 9, 1960, in front of 21,597 fans did more than mark the franchise’s first victory in its first-ever regular-season game. Denver’s contest at Boston also was the first regular-season game in American Football League history. Halfback Al Carmichael also was credited with scoring the first touchdown in AFL (and Broncos) history in that game. On the first play of the second quarter, he took a short pass from quarterback Frank Tripucka along the right flat and reversed direction, going 59 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown that gave Denver a 7-3 lead.

The Broncos don't choke away leads as often as you think
The Broncos are 76-13 (.854) when holding the lead entering the fourth quarter during the last 10 seasons (since 2005). When leading entering the fourth quarter, Denver was 12-1 in 2005, 6-3 in 2006, 6-1 in 2007, 6-1 in 2008, 6-2 in 2009, 2-2 in 2010, 3-1 in 2011, 12-0 in 2012 and 12-1 in 2013 and 11-1 in 2014.


Lucky 7
The Broncos’ record for consecutive wins against NFC clubs is seven games, accomplished during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

4X40
The Broncos scored four touchdowns of at least 40 yards (two pass plays, one rushing play and one punt return) during their Monday Night Football win against Tennessee on Nov. 19, 2007, marking the first time in club history that feat was accomplished. Denver also became the first NFL team in four seasons to score four 40+yard touchdowns in the same game with its performance against the Titans.

Third time's the charm
The Broncos have started a season with a 3-0 or better record 12 times in club history, including eight times in the last 19 seasons (since 1996).

Tim Tebow wasn't the first
The Broncos have selected more players (19) from the University of Florida in the NFL Draft than from any other school in the country.

Sixty-something
The average temperature for the 553 home games in Broncos history — combined preseason, regular season and postseason through 2013 — is 60.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.