Denver Broncos (12‐4) vs. San Diego Chargers (4‐12) Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 • 2:25 p.m. MST • Sporrts Authority Field at Mile High FINAL SCORE: BRONCOS 27, CHARGERS 20 • ATTENDANCE: 76,844

BRONCOS CLINCH AFC NO. 1 SEED AND FIFTH CONSECUTIVE AFC WEST DIVISION TITLE

The Denver Broncos (12‐4) earned their third AFC No. 1 seed in the last four yeears with their 27‐20 win against the San Diego Chargers (4‐12) in their regular‐season finale. This is the eighth time in team history the Broncos have captured the No. 1 seed and the 13th time Denver has earned a playoff bye.

BRONCOS SEASONS EARNING A PLAYOFF BYE Year Seed Postseason (Rec.) Year Seed Postseason (Rec.) 1978 2 Playoffs (0‐1) 1998 1 Champs (3‐0) 1984 2 Playoffs (0‐1) 2005 2 Playoffs (1‐1) 1986 2 S.B. (2‐1) 2012 1 Playoffs (0‐1) 1987 1 S.B. (2‐1) 2013 1 S.B. (2‐1) 1989 1 S.B. (2‐1) 2014 2 Playoffs (0‐1) 1991 2 Playoffs (1‐1) 2015 1 TBD 1996 1 Playoffs (0‐1)

BRONCOS EARN FIFTH CONSECUTIVE AFC WEST DIVISION TITLE

Denver’s win ensured its 15th all‐time AFC West title, including iits fifth consecutive division crown. The Broncos’ five consecutive division titles are tied for the fifth most in NFL history. Additionally, the Broncos joined the L.A. Rams (7, 1973‐79), Dallas (5, 1992‐96) and San Francisco (5, 1986‐90) as the only four teams in history to win five consecutive division titles with multiple head coaches and starting quarterbacks.

MOST CONSECUTIVE DIVISION TITLES MOST AFC WEST TITLES Team Division Years HC/QB No. Team No. 1. New England AFC East 2009‐15 1/1 7 1. Denver 15 L.A. Rams NFC West 1973‐79 2/7 7 2. Oakland 12 3. Pittsburgh AFC Central 1974‐79 1/5 6 3. San Diego 10 Minnesota NFC Central 1973‐78 1/4 6 4. Kansas City 6 5. Denver AFFC West 2011‐15 2/4 5 5. Seattle 2 Indianapolis AFC South 2003‐07 1/1 5 New England AFC East 2003‐07 1/1 5 MOST CCONSECUTIVE AFC WEST TITLES Dallas NFC East 1992‐96 2/5 5 Team Years No. San Francisco NFC West 1986‐90 2/5 5 1. Denver 2011‐15 5 Chicago NFC Central 1984‐88 1/10 5 Oakland 1972‐76 5 Oakland AFC West 1972‐76 1/4 5 3. San Diego 2006‐09 4 active streaks in italics 4. Oakland 2000‐02 3 *Green Bay can clinch its fifth consecutive division San Diego 1979‐81 3 title with a win tonight against Minnesota San Diego 1963‐65 3

KUBIAK TIES FOR MOST WINS BY BRONCOS FIRST‐YEAR HEAD COACH

Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak earned his 12th win of the season to tie Red Miller (1977) for the most wins in team history by a head coach in his first year with the team.

MOST WINS BY A BRONCOS FIRST‐YEAR HEAD COACH Head Coach Year Wins Playoffs 1. Gary Kubiak 2015 12 TBD Red Miller 1977 12 Super Bowl (2‐1) 3. Dan Reeves 1981 10 ‐ 4. Wade Phillips 1993 9 Playoffs (0‐1) 5. John Fox 2011 8 Playoffs (1‐1) Josh McDaniels 2009 8 ‐ Mike Shanahan 1995 8 ‐

BRONCOS DEFENSE FINISHES NO. 1

The Broncos finished the regular season with the NFL’s top‐ranked defense (283.1 ypg) for the first time in team history. Denver also finished first in the league in pass defense (199.6 ypg) and third in rushing defense (83.6 ypg), missing by 35 rushing yards becoming just the third team since the 1970 NFL merger to finish first in total defense, pass defense and rush defense.

FEWEST YARDS PER GAME ALLOWED, NFL, 2015 Team Yds./G Allowed 1. Denver Broncos 283.1 2. Seattle Seahawks 291.8 3. Houston Texans 310.2 4. New York Jets 318.6 5. Arizona Cardinals 321.7

MANNING RECORDS 54th CAREER GAME‐WINGING DRIVE

Broncos QB Peyton Manning took over for Denver in the third quarter and completed 5‐of‐9 passes (55.65) for 69 yards (80.3 rtg.) in leading Denver to the comeback win. RB Ronnie Hillman’s 23‐yard touchdown run with 4:44 remaining capped Manning’s 54th career game‐winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime to extend his NFL record in that category.

MOST CAREER GAME‐WINNING DRIVES IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OR OVERTIME, SINCE 1970 NFL MERGER Player No. 1. Peyton Manning, Ind./Den. 54 2. Dan Marino, Mia. 47 3. Brett Favre, Atl./G.B./NYJ, Min. 43 4. John Elway, Den. 40 5. Tom Brady, N.E. 39

BRONCOS FINISH FIRST IN SACKS

The Broncos recorded three sacks against San Diego to finish the season ranked first in the NFL with 52 quarterback takedowns. This is the third time (1971, 2012) the Broncos have led the NFL in sacks. Denver’s 52 sacks are tied for the second most in team history in a single season.

MOST SACKS, NFL, 2015 MOST SACKS, BRONCOS HISTORY Team No. Year No. 1. Denver 52 1. 1984 57 2. New England 49 2. 2015 52 3. Pittsburgh 48 2012 52 4. Kansas City 46 1991 52 5. Carolina 44 5. Three times 50

THOMAS JOINS ELITE COMPANY

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas finished with five catches for 117 yards (23.4 avg.) with one touchdown against San Diego to give him his 32nd career 100‐yard receiving game, passing Ring of Fame WR Rod Smith for the most in team history (incl. playoffs). His 105 catches on the year represent the third most in team history in a single season. Thomas also surpassed 1,300 receiving yards on the season (1,304) to join Marvin Harrison (5) and Jerry Rice (4) as the only players in NFL history with four consecutive seasons totaling at least 90 receptions and 1,300 receiving yards.

MOST TOTAL 100‐YARD RECEIVING MOST RECEPTIONS, SINGLE SEASON, GAMES, BRONCOS HISTORY BRONCOS HISTORY Player No. Player Year Rec. 1. Demaryius Thomas 32 1. Rod Smith 2000 113 2. Rod Smith 31 2. Demaryius Thomas 2014 111 3. Lionel Taylor 24 3. Demaryius Thomas 2015 105 4. Ed McCaffrey 18 4. Brandon Marshall 2008 104 Shannon Sharpe 18 5. Brandon Marshall 2007 102

MOST CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 90+ REC. & 1,200+REC. YDS., NFL HISTORY Player Years No. 1. Marvin Harrison, Ind. 1999‐2003 5 2. Demaryius Thomas 2012‐15 4 Torry Holt, Stl. 2002‐05 4 Jerry Rice, S.F. 1993‐96 4

BRONCOS PACED BY BIG PLAYS IN FIRST QUARTER

Denver took a 7‐0 lead on QB Brock Osweiler’s 72‐yard pass to WR Demaryius Thomas. The play, which tied for the second‐longest gain from scrimmage for the Broncos this year, was one of three plays for Denver in the first quarter covering 30 or more yards (the most by the team in any quarter in at least the last 10 years).

LONGEST PLAYS FROM SCRIMMAGE, BRONCOS, 2015 Player Opp. (Date) Play Length 1. Emmanuel Sanders at Cle. (10/18) Reception 75 2. Demaryius Thomas vs. S.D. (1/3) Reception 72 Ronnie Hillman vs. Min. (10/4) Run 72 4. Emmanuel Sanders at Ind. (11/8) Reception 64 Emmanuel Sanders at Pit. (12/20) Reception 61

McMANUS CAPS SUCCESSFUL SEASON

Broncos K Brandon McManus converted both field goal attempts (48, 35) against San Diego to give him 30 field goals on the year, tying for the third most in team history for a single season.

MOST FIELD GOALS MADE, SINGLE SEASON, BRONCOS HISTORY Player Year No. 1. Jason Elam 1995 31 Jason Elam 2001 31 3. Brandon McManus 2015 30 Jason Elam 1994 30 5. Matt Prater 2009 30

MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES

* ‐ Denver’s game captains were TE Owen Daniels (offense), DE Vance Walker (defense) and CB Kayvon Webster (special teams). * ‐ The Broncos finished ‐4 in turnover differential, improving to 4‐34‐1 all‐time when finishing ‐4 or worse in a single game. * ‐ RB Ronnie Hillman (15‐117) and RB C.J. Anderson (15‐95) narrowly missed becoming the first Broncos rushing duo to each record 100 yards in a game since 2011 (W. McGahee – 163, T. Tebow – 118 at Oak., 11/6/11). * ‐ Broncos LB Danny Trevathan finished with a team‐high 10 tackles (8 solo) to represent his fourth game of the year with double‐digit tackle totals and finish the season with a team‐best 110 defensive stops.

Denver Broncos

Miscellaneous Statistics 2 World Championships • 7 Super Bowls • 9 AFC Championship Games • 14 AFC West Titles • 22 Playoff Berths • 28 Winning Seasons (21 10‐Win)

Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 • 2:25 p.m. MST • Sports Authority Field at Mile High • Denver, Colo. DENVER BRONCOS 27, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 20 • ATTENDANCE: 76,844

DRIVE ENGINEERING

Drives Drives Ended By ------Points Quarterback, Team (*Plays/Yards) Started TD FG FGA Punt Downs Turn. Safety Clock (Rplcd) Yielded OSWEILER, Denver (36-295) ...... 9 1 0 0 2 0 5 0 1 (0) 7 MANNING, Denver (27-210) ...... 6 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 (0) 20 RIVERS, San Diego (67-317) ...... 14 2 2 0 7 2 1 0 0 (0) 20 *—not including aborted plays, kneel‐downs or spiked passes to stop clock (Manning 2‐minus 2).

FIRST DOWN TENDENCIES

Rushing------Passing------Overall------Times Gained------Miscellany--- Team Plays Yards Avg. Plays Yards Avg. Plays Yards Avg. 20+ 10+ 5+ 2- 0 Neg TD QBS TO DENVER ...... 18 138 7.7 15 92 6.2 33 230 7.0 3 10 17 14 10 3 1 0 1 Oakland ...... 16 78 4.9 10 91 9.1 26 169 6.5 2 4 11 12 7 3 1 1 0

YARDS GAINED BY DOWN / QUARTER / PLUS TERRITORY

1st Down------2nd Down------3rd Down------4th Down------BY QUARTER IN PLUS TERRITORY Team Plays Yards Avg. Plays Yards Avg. Plays Yards Avg. Plays Yards Avg. 1 2 3 4 Plays Yards Avg. DENVER ...... 33 230 7.0 21 179 8.5 11 94 8.5 0 0 0.0 237 42 100 124 20 127 6.4 San Diego ...... 26 169 6.5 21 87 4.1 18 91 5.1 2 0 0.0 68 25 89 135 23 46 2.0 Overtime Yards: N/A.

KICKOFF ANALYSIS

Opp In20/ Opp. Player, Team Total Ret FC MF NA TB (EZ+) 25 OB Ons SQB Opponent SYL ASL McManus, Denver ...... 6 1 0 0 0 5 (4) 0/6 0 (0) (0) 20T20r20T20T20T20T SD20 Lambo, San Diego ...... 5 0 0 0 0 5 (3) 0/5 0 (0) (0) 20T20T20t20t20T D20 *—onside, squib and free kicks not included; r—returned; t—touchback; T—touchback/ball through end zone.

TEAM MISCELLANEOUS

POINTS OFF AVERAGE STARTING SECOND DOWN YDS LOST DUE AVG TO GO 3 & TIME SPENT TURNOVERS FIELD POSITION EFFICIENCY TO PENALTIES 3rd Dwn OUT IN THE LEAD Team Opp TO Pts Drives AFP In/At20 Made-Att Pct. No. Yards Avg. No. Time DENVER ...... 1 7 15 D29 7 (1/6) 6-21 28.7 1 5 6.7 3 48:21 San Diego ...... 5 10 14 S29 8 (2/6) 3-21 14.3 0 0 5.3 5 6:07 AFP—Average Field Position; AT/In—Drives Started At/Inside the 20. (Tied 5:32)

INSIDE-THE-20 ANALYSIS (RED ZONE) FIRST DOWNS EARNED (Leaders)

(must have crossed the 20-yard line) Denver San Diego Denver Rush Pass Rec. — Total Total Penetrations ...... 2 1 Anderson ...... 6 0 0 — 6 Scores ...... 2 1 Osweiler ...... 0 6 0 — 6 (TDs/FGs) ...... 1/1 1/0 Hillman...... 5 0 0 — 5 Turnovers/Downs/Clock ...... 0/0/0 0/0/0 Sanders ...... 0 0 4 — 4 Plays-Yards ...... 4-17 4-7 Manning ...... 0 4 0 — 4 Third Down Conversions ...... 0-0 1-1 San Diego Rush Pass Rec. — Total Fourth Down Conversions ...... 0-0 0-0 Rivers ...... 0 8 0 — 8 Scores From Outside RZ (TD/FG) .... 3/2,1 3/1,2 Brown ...... 4 0 0 — 4 (does NOT include running out the clock if not attempting to score) Gates/Woodhead ...... 0 0 3 — 3

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICAL NOTES  SD earned just two first downs (one of which was by penalty) on seven trips into plus territory; those came on its first TD drive in the third quarter. The Chargers gained 46 yards on 23 plus-territory plays (19 yards on 18 plays on the six drives they did not score).  SD’s 80-yard first down TD pass skewed two first down stats: on nine other first down pass plays, SD netted 11 yards; on 25 other first down plays, the Chargers had 89 yard, or 3.6 per.