6 most heartbreaking losses in Broncos history (that didn't come in the Super Bowl) | Sporting News

The Denver Broncos have experienced some great highs in their franchise history.

But there have been some dark days as well.

If you're a lifelong Broncos fan, you have had the pleasure of watching your team reach the NFL mountain top more than once.

If you're a newer fan, there is some great history for you to read through and learn about.

But oftentimes with great highs come extreme lows.

The Broncos have lost five different Super Bowls.

There could be another list like this one dissecting each of those, as well as a great ensuing debate as to which one was the worst.

Here, we will look at six other gutwrenching losses that didn't happen in the Super Bowl.

There will be a strong debate as to which of these was the worst, but they're all tough to stomach to this day.

Denver Broncos most heartbreaking non-Super Bowl defeats 6.

Broncos 27, Chiefs 30: November 27, 2016 This is a game you may not have expected to see on here, or might not even remember.

It doesn't stand out as a "terrible" loss until you look back on the circumstances that followed.

Both teams came into this game with 7-3 records.

The Broncos, the defending Super Bowl champions, were fighting off the retirement of Peyton Manning with Trevor Siemian, a seventh-round pick who had played surprisingly well.

The Broncos took a 24-16 lead late in this game, but then folded on the ensuing possession on defense, allowing Alex Smith to take the Chiefs down the field on a long drive, not only scoring a touchdown but adding the two-point conversion.

The game went into overtime where each team had a chance to possess the ball.

After Gary Kubiak called on Brandon McManus to kick a 62-yard field goal with just over one minute to play, which he missed, the Chiefs were given a short field.

Smith got his team into field-goal range and Cairo Santos came out for a 34-yard field goal.

If he makes it, the Chiefs win, if he misses, the game ends in a tie.

Santos doinks the kick off the left upright which deflects hard to the right and just slides inside the upright.

Mike Tirico's call of the play is perfect...

unless you're a Broncos fan.

The 2016 Broncos team wasn't bad, but it never recovered from this loss.

They would go on to lose three of their next four games before getting destroyed by the Chiefs on Christmas night to close the season.

The Broncos would go on to miss the playoffs that year and the seven seasons that followed, while the Chiefs would go on to create a dynasty.

5.

Broncos 16, Giants 20: December 12, 1998 This loss may have prevented the first undefeated season since 1972.

The Broncos came into the game 13-0 but struggled on the road on a Saturday against the Giants.

Denver clung to a 16-13 lead with under a minute left to play when Giants quarterback Kent Graham tossed this bomb to Amani Toomer, who beat Tito Paul, to shock the Broncos.

The Broncos lost their following game to the Dolphins as well, but with the undefeated season out of reach, the normal intensity wasn't present for the Broncos.

Remember, they beat that same Dolphins team in the playoffs 38-3 just two weeks later.

4.

Broncos 7, Bills 10: January 12, 1992 This was the AFC Championship Game for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

The Broncos bounced back from a terrible 1990 season to get back in Super Bowl contention, but they had to get through Jim Kelly and the mighty Bills.

Buffalo was one of the toughest places to play in the league in those days, but this was a game the Broncos gave away.

Not only was John Elway injured in this game, forcing the team to turn to Kubiak, but David Treadwell missed three field goals in the game.

3.

Broncos 17, Steelers 34: January 22, 2006 The Broncos have had some excellent teams over the years, but the 2005 team deserved better than this.

After losing to Peyton Manning and the Colts in the Wild Card round in 2003 and 2004, the team reached the AFC Championship Game after stunning the New England Patriots in the divisional round, handing the combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady their first postseason loss in New England.

Coming off that high and earning a home game with a chance to get to the Super Bowl, spirits were a mile high in Denver.

But then Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers came to town and not only beat the Broncos, but did so easily.

2.

Broncos 27, Jaguars 30: January 4, 1997 The Broncos were 13-3 in 1996 and seemed destined to get to the Super Bowl with one of the best teams they had ever had.

In the divisional round of the playoffs following the 1996 season, the Broncos ran into a Jacksonville Jaguars team that could do no wrong.

Mark Brunell's scrambling ability caused fits for the Denver defense all day and Natrone Means rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown as well.

The Broncos fought to prevent the upset, but just couldn't stop the Jacksonville offense.

Fans at Mile High Stadium were left in utter disbelief as the Jaguars, in just their second year of existence, pulled off one of the biggest playoff upsets in NFL history.

Countless Broncos fans will tell you to this day that the Jaguars stopped the Broncos from having a three-peat, something that still has never happened in the NFL.

1.

Broncos 35, Ravens 38: January 12, 2013 There are plenty of fans who will still put the loss to the Jaguars at the top of this list, and that's totally understandable.

This loss right here will always be at the top for me, as it's truly astonishing that it happened.

In 2012, Peyton Manning's first year in Denver, the Broncos were the best team in the league.

This loss prevented a Super Bowl victory.

It's easy to make that statement, but the Broncos were equipped to beat the Patriots and the 49ers to win it all that season.

But it never happened because of a late-game gaffe by Rahim Moore or late-game heroics by the combination of Joe Flacco and Jacoby Jones , depending on how you want to look at it.

8 years ago today: Trailing 35-28 with 44 seconds left and no timeouts, Joe Flacco miraculously connected with Jacoby Jones for a 70-yard TD.

The #Ravens would go on to beat Peyton Manning's Broncos in overtime and win the Super Bowl a few weeks later.

pic.twitter.com/HeDLehPpBc The Broncos would go on to lose in overtime after all of the air had been sucked out of the building after this play took place.

It will always be tough to watch that clip and realize that it actually happened.

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