16 for '16: Best photos of the year
Take a look back through an incredible 2016, from the AFC Championship against New England, to Super Bowl 50, to the trip to the White House, to Justin Simmons and Will Parks' thrilling two-point play in New Orleans.
After a comeback victory in their playoff opener against the Steelers in the Divisional Round, the Broncos continued their magical run in the AFC Championship Game. Two early touchdowns provided a cushion, and the defense stopped the Patriots in the final moments to send the Broncos to Super Bowl 50.
As the on-field celebration following the AFC Championship Game wound down, Peyton Manning began to head to the locker room. In the middle of dozens of media members, he waved to fans in the stands as he left the field in Denver one last time as a player.
The day before Super Bowl 50, Peyton Manning sits in front of his locker and looks up at the nameplate above his locker. It would be his final game as a player.
In the AFC Championship, Von Miller hinted at the level he was playing at. But no one — especially not the Panthers — knew what he had in store for Super Bowl 50. He was nothing short of dominant. He changed the course of the game in the first quarter with a strip-sack forced fumble that Malik Jackson recovered in the end zone, and continued to frustrate the Panthers all night.
Corey Nelson's expression with the Lombardi Trophy sums up all of Broncos Country's emotions during the Super Bowl 50 celebration.
Eighteen years after Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen said, "This one's for John!" after he and the Broncos won their first Super Bowl, Elway returned the gesture in kind from the podium at Levi's Stadium.
Over a million Broncos fans descended upon downtown Denver for the championship parade and rally two days after Super Bowl 50.
With an emotional speech, Peyton Manning announced his retirement from football a month after Super Bowl 50, his final game.
The Broncos received their rings at a special private ceremony at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
The Broncos' visit to the White House was a day to remember. Before meeting the president, Von Miller joined Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, John Elway and Gary Kubiak on the South Lawn to meet a group of Wounded Warriors.
In his press conference celebrating the Broncos' Super Bowl victory, president Barack Obama shares a laugh with the team before receiving a helmet signed by every member of the team and a personalized jersey presented by the Broncos.
In a rare Super Bowl rematch to begin the season, Denver faced a Panthers team that likely wished for a little bit of vengeance in taking on the team that beat them in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos put together a fourth-quarter comeback to take the lead and then hung on in the waning moments when a Graham Gano field goal missed wide left.
Denver's defense came up big in Week 2, forcing Andrew Luck into two game-changing turnovers to ensure a win. Talib took one interception to the house, and then Von Miller and Shane Ray shut the door with 1:42 left in the game when Miller strip-sacked Luck and Ray returned the fumble for the score.
After winning a tough quarterback competition in the offseason, Trevor Siemian had a breakthrough game in Cincinnati against the Bengals with 312 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. For his performance, he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
With incredible awareness, Bradley Roby got the Broncos defense back in its groove with a tip-drill interception returned for a touchdown on Philip Rivers to help even the series against San Diego.
Denver's two rookie safeties didn't come up with a bigger play than this one in 2016. Justin Simmons perfectly timed a leap over the long snapper to block a New Orleans extra-point attempt that would have given them the lead in the last two minutes of the game. Then Will Parks picked up the ball and took it the distance for the game-winning score.
