With the Denver Broncos first playoff game since 2005 looming large tomorrow, let's take a moment to look back at the Broncos' very first playoff appearance. Sure, the six years that have gone by since Denver was last in the playoff seems like a long time, but it's not our longest drought by far. In their first seventeen year of existence, the Broncos never once tasted the playoffs. In 1977, that all changed.

On December 24, 1977 the Pittsburgh Steelers - the Terry Bradshaw & Steel Curtain Steelers - came to Mile High in Denver's first experience with the playoffs and success.

Stick with me after the jump for a look at this historic matchup.

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Ladies and gentlemen, there's a lot more riding on tomorrow's action than we all realize. If the Broncos fail to clinch the playoffs, it will be the last time the Broncos take the field in their predominantly blue and orange uniforms.

On a lark, I thought I'd see how the Broncos did in their last games before a major uniform shift (ignoring, of course the throwback games in which some of these uniforms have been revived). I've also omitted the many minor variations and have limited my focus to the most substantial uniform changes. While the change to orange isn't a complete uniform redesign, but rather a switch to what is our current alternate uniform, the change is still substantial enough to merit consideration with the uniforms pictured below.

Jump with me, will you?

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I had hoped it wouldn't be necessary to explain why comparing John Elway's rookie stats to Tim Tebow's. It appears the media is very good at duping the public into pointless diatribe. Who can blame them, clicks and ratings is good for business. I fully support Tim Tebow as the quarterback of this football team, so don't take what I am about to share the wrong way. 

Now if you are a complete Tebow maniac then everything I am about to cover will fall upon blind eyes and unbelieving minds. Nothing I say or do will change your view of Elway as an ego maniacal, jealous, self-serving jerk face, so save yourself 15 minutes and click here -->

If you are Denver Broncos fans for life, then educate yourself a bit before buying into the comparison's of the two quarterbacks. There is a reason why so many young quarterbacks are successful in today's league and it has little to do with some magical increase in the talent of the players and everything to do with the NFL Rulebook.

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Tim Tebow mania. Why not call it Broncomania? For that is what it is. The way Tim Tebow wins football games is the way Broncos have won most of their games in the past 30 years. Yes, this is nothing new to the seasoned Broncomaniac, because we've been here before.

Tim Tebow is simply writing a new chapter in an old book authored by none other than John Elway. The book has pretty much sat gathering dust over the past decade, but now it is once again being filled with new tales of legends and sagas. There is no denying that Tebow has something within himself that is so rare only a handful of Hall of Fame quarterbacks had it. John Elway was one of them. Joe Montana another. No one would compare Elway and Montana as similar in style, mechanics or athleticism, yet no one would deny their greatness when defeat was knocking on the door.

What did Montana and Elway do? The would snatch victory from the clutches of defeat. It's that competitive fire and determination that has set them apart from other great quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame who simply won. Winning is everything of course, but sometimes you need a miracle. Tim Tebow has the same unquantifiable characteristic that they had.

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Earlier today, the Pro Football Hall of Fame released a video in it's "Two Minutes of Pro Football History" series. In it, the Hall discusses the first ever 100 catch receiver in pro football - Denver Broncos WR Lionel Taylor.  I have cut and pasted Tim Lynch's 2008 article, "Forgotten Broncos -- Lionel Taylor" below so that those who don't know this Ring of Famer can better acquaint themselves.

If you're interested in hearing about Taylor's superb performance in the 1962 AFL All-Star Game (played in 1963), click here.

Taylor is only available for induction to the Hall of Fame as a Senior Committee consideration. Here's hoping he gets his due someday soon.

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Though the Packers came into existence in 1919 as the semi-pro Indian/Acme Packers, they didn't join the entity that would later become the NFL until 1921. It would be fifty years before the Broncos and the Packers would face off for the first time.  On September 26, 1971 Green Bay would complete only five passes (from three different quarterbacks) that day at Milwaukee County Stadium, but that was more than enough to beat Denver, 13-34.   

This Sunday's match-up falls just six days shy of this game's fortieth anniversary. Denver was coming off of an embarrassing five win season just the year before - see any similarity?  Also worth noting, two different quarterbacks would play, Steve Ramsey and Don Horn.  Could we see something like that this weekend?

Follow me after the jump to find out more about notable games in this series.  

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So I have this Denver Broncos desk calendar that I received as a parting gift from co-workers at my last job (good people!) and as I peeled away the July 4th date, I saw that the factoid was about Brandon Marshall making his first Pro Bowl in 2008.  BMarsh, there's a guy I barely think about anymore, yet he was kind of a big deal around here just a few years ago.

That got me to thinking about how much change this franchise has gone through over the last few years - a sea of change if you will. To really examine the depths of this change we need to step into the way back machine and travel to 2006.

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On this day back in 1984, Pat Bowlen purchased the Denver Broncos from Edgar Kaiser Jr., saving the franchise from possible bankruptcy. Two days later, he was introduced as the majority owner of the Denver Broncos and that announcement triggered a new era in franchise history. 27 years have elapsed and in that time his tenure of ownership is permanently ingrained as one of the most successful of any team in the history of the NFL. If the Broncos are the Soul of the city of Denver then Pat Bowlen, as caretaker of the Broncos, is the Heart. The Mile High City has gone from a sleepy little "Cow Town" to the home of one of the crown jewels of Sports Franchises. Whether measured by the amount of wins and championships, attendance, national television exposure or reputation, there are few parallels in the world of professional sports. Let's take a look at the effect Mr. Bowlen has had so far in his tenure as the CEO of the Denver Broncos NFL Franchise.

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