In the first of Thin Air’s Rate Your Hate series, we consider the teams of the NFC East.
Loading ...Despite being in the other conference, the Broncos have a lot of history against the NFC East–and much of it is not good history. Consider that a trigger warning, but also know that not all of the history is bad.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys brutally extinguished the hope of the 1977 Broncos, the first playoff team in franchise history in Super Bowl XII. What you may not also know is that the Cowboys also defeated the Broncos in the regular season that year: a “closer” 14-6 loss at Dallas.
Since then, however, the Broncos have generally had the upper hand over the Cowboys. After losing a pair of games during the Jimmy Johnson dynasty in 1992 and 1995, the Broncos now hold a five game winning streak against the Cowboys. Those five games were: being a victim of the Broncos 14-2 1998 campaign; a pair of memorable Thanksgiving games that included staving off a Cowboys rally in Ryan Leaf’s last NFL game ever in 2001 and Ron Dayne’s long run in overtime in 2005; a tremendous goal line stand by the defense in 2009; and the fourth highest scoring game in NFL history in 2013, of which one of those scores was the most awesome ever.
The Broncos currently lead the series 7-5, and will face off against the Cowboys in Week 2 of 2017.
New York Giants
Like the Cowboys, the Giants also hold a trump card over the Broncos with their Super Bowl XXI victory. Unlike the Cowboys, the Giants also hold two other painful victories over the Broncos. They ruined Denver’s bid for a perfect season in 1998, and also were one of the few teams to beat the Broncos in their 13-3 2005 season. In both games, Amani Toomer caught the game winning touchdown pass.
Currently, the series is tied 6-6, and the Broncos hold a two game winning streak over the Giants. All of that will go on the line Week 6 of 2017.
Philadelphia Eagles
Despite being the only NFC East team the Broncos have not lost a Super Bowl against, the Eagles are also the only NFC East team to currently have a winning record against the Broncos, at 5-7. The Broncos have won three of the last four, including a shootout in 2005 that was Terrell Owens’s last game as an Eagle, and an obliteration in Denver by the soon to be 2013 AFC champions.
The Broncos and Eagles will meet in Philadelphia in Week 9 of 2017.
Washington Redskins
You know the drill here: yet another devastating defeat in Super Bowl XXII. However, the Broncos do have some memorable wins over the Redskins, in particular the back and forth victory the year before in 1986. The Broncos will also be forever tied to the Redskins via the historic Champ Bailey/Clinton Portis trade in 2005, as well as the hiring of Mike Shanahan as their head coach from 2010-2013.
The Broncos lead the series 7-6, with the two teams scheduled to face off in DC in Week 16 of 2017.