The Orange Crush: The Defense That Made the Broncos a Contender

The Broncos have brought back their Orange Crush-inspired throwbacks this season, and they'll wear them again in Week 18 against the Chargers. A lot of younger fans know the look. Fewer know the defense that gave it a name.

Here's the story of the Orange Crush, why it still matters in Denver, and what today's defense can take from it.

Where the name came from

The Broncos switched to a 3-4 defense during the 1976 season. Early in 1977, sportswriter and broadcaster Woody Paige helped popularize the nickname "Orange Crush," a nod to the team's orange home jerseys and the soft drink of the same name. That delighted the soft drink's makers, who were based in Illinois.

The people behind it

That 1977 offseason brought big change. Head coach John Ralston stepped down after his best season, and New England offensive line coach Red Miller took over. Miller, defensive coordinator Joe Collier and defensive line coach Stan Jones, a future Hall of Famer, built on a roster that already had talent.

The linebackers were the heart of it. Tom Jackson and Randy Gradishar, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who was elected in the class of 2024, anchored the middle. Bob Swenson and Joe Rizzo were also key linebackers. Up front were Paul Smith, Barney Chavous, Lyle Alzado and Rubin Carter. The secondary included Louis Wright, Billy Thompson, Steve Foley and Bernard Jackson.

The 1977 season

The Crush became famous fast. Denver started 6-0 and allowed 46 total points in those six games. The Broncos finished 12-2, won the AFC West and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The defense allowed just 10.6 points per game, third fewest in the league, and led the NFL against the run.

In the playoffs, Denver beat Pittsburgh 34-21 and Oakland 20-17 at home. Those two teams had won the previous three Super Bowls. The Broncos reached Super Bowl XII, where they lost to Dallas 27-10. Miller was named AP Coach of the Year, and Gradishar won AP Defensive Player of the Year the next season.

How the defense was built

The scheme switch is the underrated part of this story. Denver moved to the 3-4 in 1976, a year before the breakout. That season the Broncos went 9-5, their best record to that point, without making the playoffs. The 1977 jump to 12-2 came with the same core in its second year in the system and a new coaching staff. Fans sometimes want instant results from a change in scheme. The Crush is a reminder that the payoff can take a season.

Why it mattered so much

It's hard to overstate what that defense meant to this franchise. From 1960 through 1975, the Broncos never made the playoffs and had just two winning seasons. They were the only original AFL team that never had a winning season during the AFL's ten years. The Orange Crush era, from 1976 to 1981, was the first stretch with no losing seasons at all.

In other words, the Broncos didn't become a real contender because of a quarterback. They became one because of a defense.

The name came back

The term has resurfaced over the years, most notably for the 2015 defense that carried Denver to a win in Super Bowl 50. And the uniforms are back too. Since the Mile High Collection debuted in 2024, the Broncos had gone 5-0 in the throwbacks heading into the Seattle game, per DenverBroncos.com.

Our Take

The throwbacks are fun, but the Orange Crush is worth remembering for more than the look. That defense was built on great linebackers, smart coaching and a scheme change the year before it broke out. It turned a franchise with no playoff history into an AFC champion in a single season.

This year's defense has carried a struggling offense more than once. That's a very Orange Crush thing to do. The difference is that the 1977 team had help when it mattered. If Denver wants this season to feel like that one, the offense has to hold up its end.

Let's Ride.

Sources: Wikipedia, Orange Crush Defense, Wikipedia, List of Denver Broncos seasons, DenverBroncos.com, throwback uniforms