We are in the same city, coincidentally, for our NFL Thursday miniseries this week as we were for the NBA equivalent: the Mile High City, baby! With a .523 overall winning percentage since starting the AFL with the 1960 season, the Denver Broncos have also won three Super Bowl championships (1997, 1998, 2015). However, only one of those teams made the list, as we know the best teams don’t always win it all, do they?

In 64 seasons of play, the Broncos have captured 15 division titles as well, while playing in an addition five Super Bowls (all losses, some of them below). Not bad for a franchise that went 18 years from its inception to its first playoff appearance (1977). Clearly, Denver made up for lost time with 22 postseason berths between 1977 and 2015, even though the Broncos haven’t made it to meaningful January since then. Doh!

No. 5: 2012 Denver Broncos

This team won the AFC West with a 13-3 record. These Broncos had the No. 2 offense, the No. 4 offense, and the No. 4 spot in the SRS rankings overall. But it all fell apart in the waning seconds of the team’s first playoff game, at home, against the Baltimore Ravens. The Denver defense gave up a 70-yard touchdown pass in the final minute that tied the game, and then the eventual champs won it in double overtime.

The balanced roster was led by linebacker Von Miller (18 Approximate Value), tackle Ryan Clady (17), and quarterback Peyton Manning (15). The playoff game was a back-and-forth affair, for sure, with a third down deep in their own territory with less than a minute play, the Ravens looked cooked. Alas, that Broncos breakdown in the secondary cost the team a shot at advancing in the playoffs. A Mile High Miracle, indeed.

No. 4: 1997 Denver Broncos

The first league champion in team history, these Broncos posted a 12-4 record to finish second in the AFC West. Denver sported the No. 1 offense, the No. 6 defense, and the No. 1 overall SRS ranking. But after blowing out Jacksonville in a wild-card playoff matchup by 25 points, the Broncos won the next three games—including the Super Bowl—by a combined 14 points. That is a long and grinding road to victory!

This roster was loaded on both sides of the ball, though: running back Terrell Davis (19 AV), QB John Elway (18), LB John Mobley (17), cornerback Darrien Gordon (16), and wide receiver Rod Smith (15) led the way. A 14-10 comeback win in the divisional round against Kansas City was followed by a 24-21 nail biter against Pittsburgh. Denver beat Green Bay, 31-24, in a memorable Super Bowl victory to cap it off.

No. 3: 2005 Denver Broncos

This entry on the list surprised us: a forgettable team, sadly, despite its 13-3 record with another AFC West title. With the No. 7 offense and the No. 3 defense, these Broncos were No. 2 in the SRS rankings, overall. But Denver did become a rare team to beat the cheatin’ New England Patriots in the postseason, as the Pats were the defending champs. But the Broncos fell behind 24-3 at halftime at home to the Steelers next game.

CB Champ Bailey (17 AV), QB Jake Plummer (15), and LB Al Wilson (15) were the value leaders, which is probably why the team is forgettable in team lore. The Denver defense forced 5 turnovers against the Patriots, including two interceptions off Tom Brady, but against Pittsburgh, the Broncos offense could not get itself out of the mid-game hole. Denver cut it to a ten-point deficit in the fourth, but it was not enough.

No. 2: 1977 Denver Broncos

The first team in organization history to make the postseason, these Broncos reached the Super Bowl before the wheels came off. A 12-2 record secured the AFC West title, thanks to the No. 10 offense, the No. 3 offense, and the No. 1 overall ranking in the SRS. Denver beat Pittsburgh (1974, 1975) and Oakland (1976), the winners of the last three NFL titles, before losing badly to Dallas in the Super Bowl. That’s a gauntlet, folks.

The Orange Crush defense was loaded: LB Randy Gradishar (18 AV), defensive lineman Lyle Alzado (17), and LB Tom Jackson (16) were a force to be reckoned with. Against the Steelers, the Broncos scored the last 13 points to win, 34-21. Against the Raiders, Denver held off Oakland’s late comeback attempt. But in the Super Bowl, QB Craig Morton had a nightmare game against his old team: only 39 yards with 4 INTs. Ouch.

No. 1: 2013 Denver Broncos

With another 13-3 record, these Broncos won another AFC West crown to finish as the best group in franchise history. The No. 1 offense, though, was only supported by the No. 22 defense—amounting to the No. 2 finish in the SRS rankings, overall. The Broncos toughed out playoff wins against the San Diego Chargers and the cheatin’ Patriots, nonetheless, before getting absolutely torched in the Super Bowl.

Manning (18 AV) was the confirmed league MVP after an amazing regular season, although guard Louis Vasquez (20) deserves a lot of credit, too. Overall, nine players reached double-digit AV. Denver held off San Diego’s comeback attempt first, 24-17, and then it did the same against cheatin’ New England, 26-16. There was no need for that in the Super Bowl, as the Broncos fell behind 36-0 in the third quarter. Yikes.