For the first time since 2010, the Denver Broncos were dealt a road loss from an AFC West opponent, snapping an NFL-record 15-game winning streak on the road against divisional opponents. They lost to the San Diego Chargers in Week 6, falling 21-13 on Thursday Night Football.
Broncos’ record divisional road win streak ends at 15
The Broncos hadn’t lost to an AFC West team on the road in nearly six years.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The Broncos snagged the record with a wacky victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the 2015 season, in which Denver scored two touchdowns in a nine-second span to take a 31-24 lead with 27 seconds remaining. Not many of the wins over the 15-game streak were that close, though, as the Broncos earned AFC West titles in each of the last five seasons and a Super Bowl title last season.
The last team in the AFC West to host the Broncos and win prior to 2016 was the Raiders in 2010, when they dealt Denver a 39-23 loss in Week 15. The loss dropped the Broncos to 3-11 and came shortly after Josh McDaniels was fired as the team's head coach.
Prior to Denver's 15-game hot streak on the road, the record for road dominance of divisional opponents belonged to the San Francisco 49ers, who rattled off 12 straight road wins over divisional opponents from 1987-90.
The full list of road wins for the Broncos during the streak is as follows:
| Year | Week | Team | Score |
| 2011 | 9 | Raiders | 38-24 |
| 2011 | 10 | Chiefs | 17-10 |
| 2011 | 12 | Chargers | 16-13 (OT) |
| 2012 | 6 | Chargers | 35-24 |
| 2012 | 12 | Chiefs | 17-9 |
| 2012 | 14 | Raiders | 26-13 |
| 2013 | 10 | Chargers | 28-20 |
| 2013 | 13 | Chiefs | 35-28 |
| 2013 | 17 | Raiders | 34-14 |
| 2014 | 10 | Raiders | 41-17 |
| 2014 | 13 | Chiefs | 29-16 |
| 2014 | 15 | Chargers | 22-10 |
| 2015 | 2 | Chiefs | 31-24 |
| 2015 | 5 | Raiders | 16-10 |
| 2015 | 13 | Chargers | 17-3 |
It’s hard to believe that the streak started back in 2011, when now-Super Bowl MVP Von Miller was just a rookie. In that span, Tim Tebow had also taken over for Kyle Orton at quarterback, Peyton Manning became their quarterback and retired, and Gary Kubiak took over as head coach.
On Thursday night, Kubiak wasn’t on the sidelines after suffering a “complex migraine” on Sunday. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis filled in as head coach for the game. First-year starter Trevor Siemian was under center after sitting out Week 5 due to a shoulder injury.
With the loss to the Chargers, Denver drops to 4-2 on the season, and they will next play the Houston Texans at home in Week 7.
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