Throwback Thursday: The Denver Broncos on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving hasn’t been too kind to the Denver Broncos.

Perhaps it’s a good thing then they haven’t played on the holiday that much. In fact, John Elway only played on Thanksgiving once. As it goes with the Broncos on Thanksgiving it was a loss, 40-27 to the Detroit Lions in 1990.

Elway only played on Thanksgiving once? It is kind of surprising.

The franchise has played 11 games all time on the day of family, feasts and football and comprised a record of 4-7. Denver lost its four games on Thanksgiving from 1962-69. The first game the Broncos played was a 46-45 loss to the New York Titans.

Denver didn’t get its first win on Thanksgiving until 1974 when it beat the Lions 31-27. After the Broncos 17-14 loss to Detroit in 1978, they wouldn’t play on the holiday again until 1990, Elway’s lone game. After that it wasn’t until 2001 Denver played on Thanksgiving, a 26-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

From that point on, the Broncos have won three of four games on the Thursday holiday, the most recent being a blowout of the New York Giants. That’s the game that means the most to me because I watched it from the deck of a cruise ship in the Caribbean and that’s the trip I proposed to my future wife. We won’t talk about who was the head coach at that time, let’s just focus on the fact the Broncos won on Thanksgiving.

But for history, let’s revisit the 1962 Thanksgiving game.

It was Nov. 22 at Bears Stadium (what it was named before Mile High Stadium). According to the box score from Pro Football Reference, it was 32 degrees with a wind chill of 28.

To say this was a wild game is an understatement. The Titans led 24-7 in the second quarter. The Broncos proceeded to outscore New York 38-8 for the 45-32 lead in the fourth quarter.

The fans in attendance had to think Denver had this one locked up, only to see Dick Christy throw his fourth and fifth touchdown passes to give the Titans the 46-45 win.

What’s amazing when you look at the stats for the game is neither team racked up the yards. You would think with a high-scoring game like this both teams moved the ball, but that’s not the case. New York finished with 381 total yards, the Broncos with 294. So what led to the points? Turnovers. The two teams combined for eight of them. To go with his five touchdowns, Christy threw three picks. In fact, Denver scored two touchdowns on Titans’ turnovers.

The Broncos utilized two quarterbacks, George Shaw and Frank Tripucka. Shaw finished 12-of-16 for 117 yards two touchdowns and an interception while Tripucka was 9 for 15 for 113 yards a touchdown and two interceptions. Lionel Taylor finished with six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown for Denver and Bob Scarpito added five receptions for 89 yards and two TDs.

Of course, Gene Mingo not only ran the ball, he was the place kicker and returner for the Broncos.

Three of those players now have their names in the Broncos Ring of Fame and you can see their plaques in Monument Plaza (Tripucka, Taylor and Mingo).

Even though the first Thanksgiving game didn’t result in a win for Denver, it’s always a trip to take a ride back to the past to see how it all started; especially on Thanksgiving.