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2004 Denver Broncos season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = Denver Broncos

| year = 2004

| record = 10–6

| division_place = 2nd AFC West

| coach = Mike Shanahan

| owner = Pat Bowlen

| president = Pat Bowlen

| general_manager= Ted Sundquist and Mike Shanahan

| off_coach = Gary Kubiak

| def_coach = Larry Coyer

| stadium = Invesco Field at Mile High

| playoffs = Lost Wild Card Playoffs
(at Colts) 24–49

| pro bowlers = FS John Lynch
CB Champ Bailey

| uniform =

| shortnavlink = Broncos seasons

}}

The 2004 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 45th overall. Under head coach Mike Shanahan the Broncos equalled their 10–6 record from 2003, and again finished second in the AFC West. In a repeat of 2003, the Broncos’ season ended in defeat to the Indianapolis Colts 49–24 in the AFC Wild Card playoffs.

Starting quarterback Jake Plummer finished the season with 4,089 passing yards (4th in the league). During the offseason, the Broncos traded running back Clinton Portis to the Washington Redskins in exchange for cornerback Champ Bailey.

It was the last time the Broncos qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team until 2024.

Offseason

The Broncos acquired cornerback Champ Bailey in a trade with the Washington Redskins, sending running back Clinton Portis to Washington in return.

During the offseason, the Broncos failed to retain linebackers Keith Burns and Ian Gold. Both would sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but however, both players would return to the team in the following season. Also, the Broncos failed to retain defensive end Bertrand Berry, who would sign with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent.

The Broncos also signed safety John Lynch as a free agent after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

=NFL draft=

{{main|2004 NFL draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 2004

| teamname = Denver Broncos

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 17

| player = D. J. Williams

| position = Linebacker

| college = Miami (FL)

| notes = from Cincinnati{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft04/tracker/round?round=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040404091929/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft04/tracker/round?round=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 4, 2004 |title=Round 1 |access-date=June 7, 2008 |publisher=ESPN}} |cfb page exists=yes

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 2

| pick = 41

| player = Tatum Bell

| position = Running back

| college = Oklahoma State

| notes = from Washington{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft04/tracker/round?round=2 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103074856/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft04/tracker/round?round=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 3, 2013 |title=Round 2 |access-date=June 7, 2008 |publisher=ESPN}} |cfb page exists=yes

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 2

| pick = 54

| player = Darius Watts

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Marshall

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 85

| player = Jeremy LeSueur

| position = Cornerback

| college = Michigan

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 5

| pick = 152

| player = Jeff Shoate

| position = Cornerback

| college = San Diego State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 171

| player = Triandos Luke

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Alabama

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 190

| player = Josh Sewell

| position = Center

| college = Nebraska

| notes =

| maderoster = no

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 225

| player = Matt Mauck

| position = Quarterback

| college = LSU

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 247

| player = Brandon Miree

| position = Fullback

| college = Pittsburgh

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 250

| player = Bradlee Van Pelt

| position = Quarterback

| college = Colorado State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = no

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

Staff

{{NFL final staff

| year = 2004

| team = Denver Broncos

| front_office =

| head_coach =

  • Executive vice president of football operations/head coach – Mike Shanahan

| offensive =

| defensive =

| special_teams =

| strength =

}}

Roster

{{NFL final roster

|Year=2004

|TeamName=Denver Broncos

|Active=53

|Inactive=11

|PS=8

|Quarterbacks=

|Running Backs=

|Wide Receivers=

|Tight Ends=

|Offensive Linemen=

|Defensive Linemen=

|Linebackers=

|Defensive Backs=

|Special Teams=

|Reserve Lists=

|Practice Squad=

}}

Schedule

In addition to their regular home-and-away series with AFC West rivals the Raiders, the Chiefs and the Chargers, the Broncos played teams from the AFC South and NFC South as per the schedule rotation established in 2002,{{cite book|last=Urena|first=Ivan|title=Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present|year=2014|publisher=McFarland & Company Inc.|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=9780786473519|pages=154-157, 160}} and also played intraconference games against the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals based on their common divisional position vis-à-vis the Broncos from 2003.

The Christmas Day game was the first occasion the Broncos had played the Titans since they were the Houston Oilers, whom they previously met in 1995.{{cite book|last=Urena|title=Pro Football Schedules|year=2014|page=221}} This is because between 1978 and 2002 non-divisional conference games were scheduled exclusively based upon the preceding season’s finish.{{cite book|last=Urena|year=2014|title=Pro Football Schedules|pages=85–88, 116–119}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Week

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Date

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Opponent

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Result

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Record

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Attendance

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| TV

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| September 12

| Kansas City Chiefs

| W 34–24

| 1–0

| 75,939

| ESPN

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| September 19

| at Jacksonville Jaguars

| L 6–7

| 1–1

| 69,127

| CBS

style="background:#cfc"

! 3

| September 26

| San Diego Chargers

| W 23–13

| 2–1

| 74,533

| CBS

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| October 3

| at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| W 16–13

| 3–1

| 65,341

| CBS

style="background:#cfc"

! 5

| October 10

| Carolina Panthers

| W 20–17

| 4–1

| 75,072

| Fox

style="background:#cfc"

! 6

| October 17

| at Oakland Raiders

| W 31–3

| 5–1

| 57,293

| CBS

style="background:#fcc"

! 7

| {{dow tooltip|October 25, 2004}}

| at Cincinnati Bengals

| L 10–23

| 5–2

| 65,806

| ABC

style="background:#fcc"

! 8

| October 31

| Atlanta Falcons

| L 28–41

| 5–3

| 75,083

| Fox

style="background:#cfc"

! 9

| November 7

| Houston Texans

| W 31–13

| 6–3

| 74,292

| CBS

10

! colspan="6"| Bye

style="background:#cfc"

! 11

| November 21

| at New Orleans Saints

| W 34–13

| 7–3

| 64,900

| CBS

style="background:#fcc"

! 12

| November 28

| Oakland Raiders

| L 24–25

| 7–4

| 75,936

| ESPN

style="background:#fcc"

! 13

| December 5

| at San Diego Chargers

| L 17–20

| 7–5

| 65,395

| CBS

style="background:#cfc"

! 14

| December 12

| Miami Dolphins

| W 20–17

| 8–5

| 75,027

| CBS

style="background:#fcc"

! 15

| December 19

| at Kansas City Chiefs

| L 17–45

| 8–6

| 77,702

| CBS

style="background:#cfc"

! 16

| December 25

| at Tennessee Titans

| W 37–16

| 9–6

| 68,809

| ESPN

style="background:#cfc"

! 17

| January 2

| Indianapolis Colts

| W 33–14

| 10–6

| 75,149

| CBS

colspan="7" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2006|border=2}}"| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Week

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Date

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Opponent

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Result

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Record

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Venue

! style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Denver Broncos|year=2004|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#fcc"

! Wild Card

| January 9, 2005

| at Indianapolis Colts

| L 24–49

| 0–1

| RCA Dome

| 56,609

Standings

{{2004 AFC West standings}}

{{2004 AFC standings|team=DEN}}

References

{{Reflist}}

  • [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/2004.htm Broncos on Pro Football Reference]
  • [http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/2004-den Broncos Schedule on jt-sw.com]

{{Denver Broncos}}

{{Denver Broncos seasons}}

{{2004 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 Denver Broncos Season}}

Denver Broncos

Category:Denver Broncos seasons

Denver Broncos