Broncos All-Time Best Thanksgiving Game Was A 2005 OT Thriller Against Dallas

Denver Broncos fans have a lot to be thankful for this season, but that hasn’t always been the case. According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN, the Broncos are just 4-7 when they play on Thanksgiving, and they haven’t played in a game on this holiday since 2009, although the networks would almost certainly love to have had them slotted them in this year.

Current history aside, the game Legwold chose as his Denver high point for Thanksgiving happened back in 2005 when the Broncos went on the road to meet the Dallas Cowboys in the late-afternoon time slot.

The Broncos were also 9-2 that year going into Thanksgiving, and they were led by quarterback Jake Plummer. Legwold’s pivotal moment involved bruising running back Ron Dayne, a Wisconsin product who played ten games for Denver that year. Dayne had a significant NFL career in which he used for 3,722 yards and scored 28 touchdowns, but his season with the Broncos wasn’t a marquee year in any way as he ended up with just 270 total yards rushing.

He did stand out in this particular game, though. It went to overtime tied at 21, and Dayne proceeded to break free for a 55-yard run on a second-and-three that set up the winning field goal by then-kicker Jason Elam. Dayne ended up with 98 yards on just seven carries to go with a touchdown. The Cowboys quarterback that day was none other than Drew Bledsoe , who had two touchdown passes along with two picks in the back-and-forth battle.

The Broncos ended up with a record of 13-3, and this was one of coach Mike Shanahan’s strongest teams. Future Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey spearheaded the defense, and the Broncos beat the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, 27-13, in the division round. They couldn’t finish off their incredible run, though, losing 34-17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went on to beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

This year’s campaign looks just as promising, and there is a significant holiday game that’s still on tap. The Broncos will play the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead on Christmas night, and while the Chiefs are just a game over .500 at 6-5, it feels like that game will still have some serious postseason implications.

The Broncos are currently in the hunt for the top seed in the AFC, though, and that’s their focus for the moment as they prepare to go on the road to meet the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.