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Denver Broncos, 1986-1998
Championships: 2
Playoff wins: 14
Record: 128-78-1 (2nd in NFL during that span)
Biggest dynasty obstacles: 49ers, Cowboys, three Super Bowl losses
John Elway and the Broncos did manage to win two Super Bowls at the end of Elway’s career, but one was a shocking upset and the other was the Hall of Fame quarterback’s swan song. That isn’t dynasty-type stuff, but it did at least prevent Denver from becoming another version of Kelly’s Bills.
Denver lost three Super Bowls between 1986 and 1989 before falling into a slump during which the team won just a single playoff game in seven years. During that lull, they rebuilt around Elway, even making a pair of coaching changes. Dan Reeves coached them during those first three Super Bowl losses, while Mike Shanahan ran things during those last-ditch victories over Green Bay and Atlanta.
Had Denver won even one of those Super Bowls against the Giants, Redskins and 49ers in the late-1980s, they’d have a chance to be considered a dynasty. But it wasn’t as close as that sounds, because they lost those three championship games by a combined score of 136-40.
Like the Bills, the Broncos were a dynasty within the AFC during a time in which the NFC was significantly stronger.
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