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1978 Denver Broncos
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Record: 10-6-0, Finished 1st in AFC West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 282 points (17.6/g), 15th of 28 in the NFL.
Allowed 198 points (12.4/g), 2nd.
Differential of 84 points (5.2/g), 4th.
Expected W-L: 11.2-4.8.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +10 (0.6/g), 2nd.
Coached by Red Miller (10-6-0)
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1978 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Craig Morton | 35 | 13 | 13 | 146 for 267, 1,802 yards, 11 td, 8 int, & 17 rushes for 71 yards and 0 td | Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 5th pick / 1965 |
| RB | Otis Armstrong | 28 | 5 | 9 | 112 rushes for 381 yards, 1 td, & 12 catches for 98 yards and 1 td | Denver Broncos / 1st / 9th pick / 1973 |
| RB | Rob Lytle | 24 | 1 | 7 | 81 rushes for 341 yards, 2 td, & 6 catches for 37 yards and 0 td | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 45th pick / 1977 |
| FB | Jon Keyworth | 28 | 4 | 16 | 112 rushes for 444 yards, 3 td, & 21 catches for 166 yards and 1 td | Washington Redskins / 6th / 144th pick / 1974 |
| WR | Jack Dolbin | 30 | 3 | 14 | 24 catches for 284 yards, 0 td | |
| WR | Haven Moses | 32 | 10 | 16 | 37 catches for 744 yards, 5 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 9th pick / 1968 |
| TE | Riley Odoms* | 28 | 6 | 16 | 54 catches for 829 yards, 6 td, & 2 rushes for 5 yards and 0 td | Denver Broncos / 1st / 5th pick / 1972 |
| LT | Claudie Minor | 27 | 4 | 16 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 68th pick / 1974 |
|
| LG | Tom Glassic | 24 | 2 | 10 | 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 1st / 15th pick / 1976 |
| C | Bill Bryan | 23 | 1 | 12 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 101st pick / 1977 |
|
| C | Bobby Maples | 36 | 13 | 5 | 1 fumble recovered | Houston Oilers / 4th / 26th pick / 1965 |
| RG | Paul Howard | 28 | 5 | 13 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 54th pick / 1973 |
|
| RT | Tom Neville | 35 | 13 | 15 | Boston Patriots / 7th / 55th pick / 1965 |
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| RT | Glenn Hyde | 27 | 2 | 5 | ||
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Barney Chavous | 27 | 5 | 16 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 36th pick / 1973 |
|
| NT | Rubin Carter | 26 | 3 | 16 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 5th / 121st pick / 1975 |
| RDE | Lyle Alzado* | 29 | 7 | 16 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 79th pick / 1971 |
|
| LOLB | Bob Swenson | 25 | 3 | 15 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | |
| LILB | Joe Rizzo | 28 | 4 | 14 | 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Buffalo Bills / 15th / 369th pick / 1973 |
| RILB | Randy Gradishar*+ | 26 | 4 | 16 | 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 1st / 14th pick / 1974 |
| ROLB | Tom Jackson* | 27 | 5 | 16 | 3 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 4th / 88th pick / 1973 |
| LCB | Louis Wright*+ | 25 | 3 | 16 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 1st / 17th pick / 1975 |
| RCB | Steve Foley | 25 | 2 | 16 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 8th / 199th pick / 1975 |
| SS | Bill Thompson* | 32 | 9 | 16 | 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 61st pick / 1969 |
| FS | Bernard Jackson | 28 | 6 | 16 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Cincinnati Bengals / 4th / 81st pick / 1972 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Jim Turner | 37 | 14 | 0 | 11 of 22 field goals & 31 of 35 extra points | Washington Redskins / 19th / 259th pick / 1963 |
| P | Bucky Dilts | 25 | 1 | 0 | 96 punts for a 36.4 average, 0 blocked | |
| PR | Rick Upchurch*+ | 26 | 3 | 0 | 36 punt returns for a 13.7 average and 1 td | Denver Broncos / 4th / 95th pick / 1975 |
| KR | Lonnie Perrin | 26 | 2 | 0 | 12 kick returns for a 21.3 average and 0 td | Denver Broncos / 5th / 139th pick / 1976 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyle Alzado* | 29 | DE-DT | 16 | 16 | 255 | 6-3 | Yankton | 4/3/1949 | 7 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 79th pick / 1971 |
| Otis Armstrong | 28 | RB | 16 | 9 | 196 | 5-10 | Purdue | 11/15/1950 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 9th pick / 1973 |
| Bill Bain | 26 | T-G | 1 | 1 | 279 | 6-4 | Colorado,USC | 8/9/1952 | 3 | Green Bay Packers / 2nd / 47th pick / 1975 |
| Bill Bryan | 23 | C-G | 13 | 12 | 251 | 6-2 | Duke | 6/21/1955 | 1 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 101st pick / 1977 |
| Larry Canada | 24 | RB | 16 | 0 | 233 | 6-2 | Wisconsin | 12/16/1954 | Rook | |
| Rubin Carter | 26 | NT-DT | 16 | 16 | 256 | 6-0 | Miami (FL) | 12/12/1952 | 3 | Denver Broncos / 5th / 121st pick / 1975 |
| Barney Chavous | 27 | DE-DT | 16 | 16 | 252 | 6-3 | South Carolina State | 3/22/1951 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 36th pick / 1973 |
| Bucky Dilts | 25 | P | 16 | 0 | 185 | 5-9 | Georgia | 12/6/1953 | 1 | |
| Jack Dolbin | 30 | WR | 16 | 14 | 180 | 5-10 | Wake Forest | 10/12/1948 | 3 | |
| Ron Egloff | 23 | TE | 8 | 0 | 230 | 6-5 | Wisconsin | 10/3/1955 | 1 | |
| Larry Evans | 25 | LB | 16 | 0 | 216 | 6-2 | Mississippi College | 7/11/1953 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 14th / 390th pick / 1976 |
| Steve Foley | 25 | DB | 16 | 16 | 189 | 6-2 | Tulane | 11/11/1953 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 8th / 199th pick / 1975 |
| Tom Glassic | 24 | G | 11 | 10 | 254 | 6-3 | Virginia | 4/17/1954 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 15th pick / 1976 |
| Randy Gradishar*+ | 26 | LB | 16 | 16 | 233 | 6-3 | Ohio State | 3/3/1952 | 4 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 14th pick / 1974 |
| John Grant | 28 | DT-DE-NT | 16 | 0 | 241 | 6-3 | USC | 6/28/1950 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 7th / 166th pick / 1973 |
| Maurice Harvey | 22 | DB | 16 | 0 | 190 | 5-10 | Ball State | 1/14/1956 | Rook | Oakland Raiders / 4th / 86th pick / 1978 |
| Paul Howard | 28 | G | 13 | 13 | 260 | 6-3 | BYU | 9/12/1950 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 54th pick / 1973 |
| Glenn Hyde | 27 | T-G-C | 15 | 5 | 253 | 6-3 | Pittsburgh | 3/14/1951 | 2 | |
| Bernard Jackson | 28 | DB | 16 | 16 | 178 | 6-0 | Washington State | 8/24/1950 | 6 | Cincinnati Bengals / 4th / 81st pick / 1972 |
| Tom Jackson* | 27 | LB | 16 | 16 | 220 | 5-11 | Louisville | 4/4/1951 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 88th pick / 1973 |
| Jon Keyworth | 28 | RB | 16 | 16 | 230 | 6-3 | Colorado | 12/15/1950 | 4 | Washington Redskins / 6th / 144th pick / 1974 |
| Vince Kinney | 22 | WR | 8 | 0 | 190 | 6-2 | Maryland | 3/17/1956 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 10th / 277th pick / 1978 |
| Don Latimer | 23 | NT | 14 | 0 | 259 | 6-3 | Miami (FL) | 3/1/1955 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 1st / 27th pick / 1978 |
| Rob Lytle | 24 | RB | 13 | 7 | 198 | 6-1 | Michigan | 11/12/1954 | 1 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 45th pick / 1977 |
| Brison Manor | 26 | DE | 16 | 0 | 247 | 6-4 | Arkansas | 8/10/1952 | 1 | New York Jets / 15th / 380th pick / 1975 |
| Bobby Maples | 36 | C-LB | 16 | 5 | 250 | 6-3 | Baylor | 12/28/1942 | 13 | Houston Oilers / 4th / 26th pick / 1965 |
| Claudie Minor | 27 | T | 16 | 16 | 280 | 6-4 | San Diego State | 4/21/1951 | 4 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 68th pick / 1974 |
| Bob Moore | 29 | TE | 8 | 2 | 220 | 6-3 | Stanford | 2/12/1949 | 7 | Oakland Raiders / 5th / 123rd pick / 1971 |
| Craig Morton | 35 | QB | 14 | 13 | 214 | 6-4 | California | 2/5/1943 | 13 | Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 5th pick / 1965 |
| Haven Moses | 32 | WR-SE | 16 | 16 | 208 | 6-2 | San Diego State | 7/27/1946 | 10 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 9th pick / 1968 |
| Rob Nairne | 24 | LB | 16 | 1 | 223 | 6-4 | Oregon State | 3/24/1954 | 1 | |
| Tom Neville | 35 | T | 16 | 15 | 260 | 6-4 | Mississippi State | 8/12/1943 | 13 | Boston Patriots / 7th / 55th pick / 1965 |
| Riley Odoms* | 28 | TE | 16 | 16 | 230 | 6-4 | Houston | 3/1/1950 | 6 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 5th pick / 1972 |
| Chris Pane | 25 | DB | 5 | 0 | 184 | 5-11 | Cal State-Chico,New Mexico | 5/19/1953 | 2 | |
| Craig Penrose | 25 | QB | 4 | 2 | 211 | 6-3 | Colorado,San Diego State | 7/25/1953 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 107th pick / 1976 |
| Lonnie Perrin | 26 | RB | 16 | 0 | 222 | 6-1 | Illinois | 2/3/1952 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 5th / 139th pick / 1976 |
| Dave Preston | 23 | RB | 16 | 0 | 195 | 5-10 | Bowling Green | 5/29/1955 | Rook | New England Patriots / 12th / 333rd pick / 1977 |
| Joe Rizzo | 28 | LB | 14 | 14 | 220 | 6-1 | Kings Point | 12/17/1950 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 15th / 369th pick / 1973 |
| Steve Schindler | 24 | G | 14 | 3 | 256 | 6-3 | Boston College | 7/24/1954 | 1 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 18th pick / 1977 |
| John Schultz | 25 | WR | 4 | 0 | 182 | 5-10 | Maryland | 6/10/1953 | 2 | |
| Paul Smith | 33 | DT-DE | 11 | 0 | 256 | 6-3 | New Mexico | 8/13/1945 | 10 | Denver Broncos / 9th / 222nd pick / 1968 |
| Bob Swenson | 25 | LB | 16 | 15 | 225 | 6-3 | California | 7/1/1953 | 3 | |
| Bill Thompson* | 32 | DB | 16 | 16 | 201 | 6-1 | Md-Eastern Shore | 10/10/1946 | 9 | Denver Broncos / 3rd / 61st pick / 1969 |
| Godwin Turk | 28 | LB | 16 | 1 | 230 | 6-3 | California,Southern | 10/15/1950 | 3 | New York Jets / 3rd / 58th pick / 1974 |
| Jim Turner | 37 | K | 16 | 0 | 205 | 6-2 | Utah State | 3/28/1941 | 14 | Washington Redskins / 19th / 259th pick / 1963 |
| Rick Upchurch*+ | 26 | WR | 12 | 0 | 175 | 5-10 | Minnesota | 5/20/1952 | 3 | Denver Broncos / 4th / 95th pick / 1975 |
| Norris Weese | 27 | QB-P | 13 | 1 | 195 | 6-1 | Mississippi | 8/12/1951 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 4th / 99th pick / 1974 |
| Charlie West | 32 | DB | 16 | 0 | 197 | 6-1 | Angelo State (TX),Texas-El Paso | 8/31/1946 | 10 | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968 |
| Louis Wright*+ | 25 | DB | 16 | 16 | 200 | 6-2 | Arizona State,San Jose State | 1/31/1953 | 3 | Denver Broncos / 1st / 17th pick / 1975 |
| Team Total | 27.2 | 16 | 222.7 | 6-1.8 | 4.2 |