2010 Denver Broncos season
The off-season was marked by the draft selections of Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and All-American Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, as well as season-ending injuries to All-Pro linebacker Elvis Dumervil and free agent running back LenDale White.
On December 6, head coach Josh McDaniels was fired, one day after the team's 10–6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13.
The Broncos answered prior to halftime, as quarterback Kyle Orton found wide receiver Jabar Gaffney on an 8-yard touchdown pass.
Hoping to rebound from their season-opening loss to the Jaguars, the Broncos played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos increased their lead in the fourth quarter, when Orton threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
The Broncos responded, with Prater hitting a 34-yard field goal, but they trailed further in the fourth quarter, when Manning found Collie on a 23-yard touchdown pass, sealing the win for Indianapolis.
[109] Notes Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held for wide receiver Kenny McKinley, who died on September 20, with the team paying tribute to him by placing a No.
In the third quarter, the Broncos took the lead again, with another 36-yard field goal by Prater, but Titans' wide receiver Marc Mariani returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, putting Tennessee ahead 17–13.
In the fourth quarter, the Broncos pulled ahead, when Orton completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Correll Buckhalter.
Hoping to rebound from their loss at Baltimore, the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an AFC duel with the New York Jets.
However, following a pass-interference penalty on Broncos' cornerback Renaldo Hill near the goal line, the Jets pulled ahead, with a Tomlinson 2-yard touchdown run.
Hoping to rebound from their heartbreaking loss to the Jets, the Broncos remained on home ground for an AFC West rivalry match against the Oakland Raiders.
In the first quarter, the Broncos trailed early, as Raiders' quarterback Jason Campbell completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller.
Following their disastrous home loss to the Raiders, the Broncos flew to London, England, for an International Series contest with the San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium.
The Broncos tried to rally when quarterback Kyle Orton threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (with a blocked extra-point attempt), but San Francisco's defense stood their ground.
[114] Notes Less than a month later, the Broncos were subjected to a videotaping scandal involving the team's director of video operations that occurred during a 49ers' walkthrough practice, one day before the game.
Coming off their overseas trip to London and subsequent bye week, the Broncos donned their alternate orange jerseys and returned home for an AFC West duel against the Kansas City Chiefs, hoping to snap a 4-game losing streak.
The Chiefs responded, with Cassel throwing a pair of touchdown passes—an 11-yarder to wide receiver Chris Chambers, followed by a 22-yarder to Bowe (both with failed two-point conversion attempts), but the outcome had already been decided in the Broncos' favor.
Coming off their dominating win over the Chiefs, the Broncos traveled to Qualcomm Stadium for an AFC West duel with the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football.
The Broncos tried to rally, as quarterback Kyle Orton found wide receiver Brandon Lloyd on a 13-yard touchdown pass, but San Diego's lead was too much to overcome.
Following their Monday Night debacle in San Diego and subsequent videotaping scandal, the Broncos returned home for an interconference match against the St. Louis Rams.
Hoping to break a two-game losing streak, the Broncos traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC West rivalry rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Broncos cut into the lead with a 41-yard field goal by Prater, but Kansas City's defense prevented anything else from happening.
Hoping to snap a four-game losing streak, the Broncos traveled to the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, for an AFC West divisional rematch with the Oakland Raiders.
The Broncos responded, when quarterback Tim Tebow, starting in place of an injured Kyle Orton, scrambled for a 40-yard touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, the Raiders widened their lead, when quarterback Jason Campbell threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece.
The Broncos narrowed the lead, with a 45-yard field goal by Hauschka, but the Raiders pulled away, when linebacker Quentin Groves tackled running back Correll Buckhalter in the end zone for a safety, followed by a 1-yard touchdown by Bush.
[127] On November 27, one day before the team's 36–33 loss to the St. Louis Rams, media reports stated that the Broncos had come under investigation from the NFL, following a videotaping incident.
Scarnecchia told NFL investigators he acted alone and "knew it was wrong" to tape the walkthrough practice, after the rest of the Broncos' staff had left the stadium.
"A significant number" of Broncos' employees also certified in writing to the league that they were aware of no further incidents, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated that if any more accusations came to light, he would re-open the investigation.
