Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos 
OPPONENT SPOTLIGHT Updated · Matchup record through
Meet the Denver Broncos
One team brings a thundering horse. The other sails under a pirate flag. Somewhere between the Rocky Mountains and Tampa Bay, Captain Booty has decided that a saddle is simply a very uncomfortable captain’s chair.
Welcome to the Mile High chapter of our opponent archive: every regular-season meeting, the Buccaneers’ hard-earned victories, and the people, places and traditions that make Denver unmistakably Broncos Country.
Denver leads the completed series 8–3. Tampa Bay’s three wins came in 1993, 1999 and 2020; the most recent meeting ended Broncos 26, Buccaneers 7 on September 22, 2024. Every score below is shown with Tampa Bay first.
11 regular-season games
Buccaneers’ home record
Buccaneers’ road record
No playoff matchup
Sources: Sports Reference: complete head-to-head record · Game-by-game dates and home/away results · Buccaneers: September 22, 2024 recap.
TEAM BRIEFING — KNOW BRONCOS COUNTRY
- Franchise granted
- August 14, 1959 · Charter member of the AFL
- First season
- 1960
- NFL entry
- 1970, with the AFL–NFL merger
- Division
- AFC West
- Home field
- Empower Field at Mile High · Denver, Colorado
- Colors
- Orange, navy blue and white
- Fan identity
- Broncos Country
- Mascots
- Thunder, the live horse tradition, and Miles
- Championships
- Super Bowls XXXII, XXXIII and 50
- First Bucs meeting
- November 7, 1976 · Mile High Stadium · Tampa Bay lost 13–48
The 2026 chapter
Sean Payton leads the Broncos, and the club announced a new contract in June 2026 running through the 2030 season. Greg Penner serves as Owner and Chief Executive Officer for the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group, which acquired the franchise in 2022.
Denver’s modern chapter includes a return to the playoffs in 2024 and a 14–3 regular season, AFC West championship and AFC Championship Game appearance in the 2025 season. These are dated milestones—not a live weekly standings feed.
Captain Booty: “Five thousand two hundred and eighty? Finally, a proper treasure count!”
The Parrot: “That’s the elevation, Captain. Put the calculator down.”
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame: Broncos team facts · Broncos: current coaching staff · Broncos: Sean Payton contract announcement, June 2026 · Broncos: Greg Penner and the ownership group · Empower Field: stadium facts and opening date.
ALL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES — THE COMPLETE LEDGER
Scores always show Tampa Bay first. Home and Away are from the Buccaneers’ perspective. All completed meetings remain listed, whether or not a GameDay report was published. A dash means no report link is supplied; it is not a missing game.
11 regular-season games: Tampa Bay 3 wins, 8 losses. No postseason meetings.
| Game date | Bucs location | Result | TB | DEN | GameDay report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AwayMile High Stadium | LOSS | 13 | 48 | GameDay archive | |
| HomeTampa Stadium | LOSS | 7 | 24 | GameDay archive | |
| AwayMile High Stadium | WIN | 17 | 10 | GameDay archive | |
| AwayMile High Stadium | LOSS | 23 | 27 | GameDay archive | |
| HomeRaymond James Stadium | WIN | 13 | 10 | GameDay archive | |
| HomeRaymond James Stadium | LOSS | 13 | 16 | GameDay archive | |
| AwayINVESCO Field at Mile High | LOSS | 13 | 16 | GameDay archive | |
| AwaySports Authority Field at Mile High | LOSS | 23 | 31 | GameDay archive | |
| HomeRaymond James Stadium | LOSS | 7 | 27 | GameDay archive | |
| AwayEmpower Field at Mile High | WIN | 28 | 10 | — | |
| HomeRaymond James Stadium | LOSS | 7 | 26 | — |
The original Mile High Stadium and the stadium opened in 2001 are different buildings. INVESCO Field, Sports Authority Field and Empower Field refer to successive names of the newer venue. Swipe or scroll inside the table on a narrow screen.
Sources: Sports Reference: complete head-to-head record · Game-by-game dates and home/away results · Buccaneers: historical series review · Buccaneers: September 27, 2020 recap · Buccaneers: September 22, 2024 recap.
LATEST MEETING — A TOUGH AFTERNOON IN TAMPA
September 22, 2024 · Raymond James Stadium
Denver Broncos 26 · Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7
Denver interrupted Tampa Bay’s 2–0 start with a fast opening and a defense that kept the Buccaneers chasing the game. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix earned his first NFL victory, and the Broncos carried a 20–7 lead into halftime before keeping Tampa Bay scoreless after the break.
Baker Mayfield was sacked seven times. Chris Godwin supplied Tampa Bay’s touchdown, while rookie running back Bucky Irving gained 70 yards on nine carries, including a 32-yard burst that helped spark the scoring drive.
The result belongs in the historical record even without a corresponding BuccaneersFan.com GameDay report. The Captain would prefer a happier ending; the Parrot insists that an honest ledger includes the difficult voyages, too.
Sources: Buccaneers: September 22, 2024 recap · Buccaneers: 2024 scoring and key plays · Buccaneers: Bucky Irving in the 2024 meeting.
BUCS VICTORIES — THREE HAULS OF MILE HIGH TREASURE
The first breakthrough
The Buccaneers’ first win over Denver came on the road at the original Mile High Stadium. After losses in the first two meetings, Tampa Bay finally had a winning entry to bring home.
Open the 1993 archive →Toppling the defending champions
Denver arrived as the winner of the previous two Super Bowls. Tampa Bay held the Broncos to ten points and claimed a three-point victory at Raymond James Stadium—the Bucs’ first home win in the series.
Open the 1999 archive →Brady, Barrett and a road payday
Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, including two to Mike Evans. Former Bronco Shaq Barrett contributed two sacks, one for a safety, as Tampa Bay’s defense collected six sacks. The win was the largest Buccaneers victory in this series.
Game details retained; no GameDay report linked.
Sources: Buccaneers: historical series review · Buccaneers: September 27, 2020 recap · Sports Reference: complete head-to-head record.
POSTSEASON — NO MEETING YET
The Buccaneers and Broncos have not met in a postseason game. Their eleven completed meetings listed above are all regular-season contests. Preseason exhibitions are not counted in this series record.
There is no empty playoff table to mistake for an unfinished archive, and no invented championship encounter. The Parrot has left that page of the logbook blank on purpose.
FRANCHISE HISTORY — FROM AFL BEGINNINGS TO LOMBARDI TROPHIES
1960s: establishing the foothold
Denver began play in 1960 as an original AFL club. The early Broncos faced difficult seasons, but the franchise became a lasting part of professional football in the Rocky Mountain region. Floyd Little emerged as one of its defining early figures, helping build the connection between the team and its supporters.
1970s: the Orange Crush arrives
The Broncos recorded their first winning season in 1973. In 1977, Red Miller’s team, quarterback Craig Morton and the Orange Crush defense carried Denver to its first Super Bowl. Dallas won that championship game, but Broncos Country had entered a different era.
Original Getty image embed preserved from this page. The image remains served by Getty Images.
1983–1998: Elway, Shanahan and the breakthrough
John Elway’s arrival in 1983 transformed the franchise’s identity. Denver reached three Super Bowls during the 1980s before finally winning back-to-back titles after the 1997 and 1998 seasons under Mike Shanahan. Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, Rod Smith and a powerful running game helped turn repeated contention into championships.
2000s–2015: new quarterbacks, another championship
The years after Elway included Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler and Kyle Orton, followed by Tim Tebow’s dramatic 2011 playoff season. Peyton Manning arrived in 2012. His era delivered another pair of Super Bowl appearances, culminating in the defense-led Super Bowl 50 victory after the 2015 season.
These earlier eras are condensed from this site’s existing historical archive. Championship seasons are cross-checked against the Pro Football Hall of Fame; the dated modern additions below draw on current team reporting.
| NFL season | Championship | Opponent | Denver score first |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Super Bowl XXXII | Green Bay Packers | 31–24 |
| 1998 | Super Bowl XXXIII | Atlanta Falcons | 34–19 |
| 2015 | Super Bowl 50 | Carolina Panthers | 24–10 |
2022–2026: new ownership and a new chapter
The Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group took over in 2022, and Sean Payton became head coach in 2023. A playoff return in 2024 was followed by Denver’s AFC West-winning 2025 season. In 2026, Payton’s new contract and the organization’s facility investments marked further steps in that rebuilding chapter.
The Broncos’ history includes both difficult stretches and championship teams. Older claims that the franchise had experienced only a handful of losing seasons are not used here as present-day facts.
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame: Broncos team facts · Broncos: Greg Penner and the ownership group · Broncos: Sean Payton contract announcement, June 2026.
TAMPA CONNECTIONS — FAMILIAR NAMES ON DIFFERENT SHORES
John Lynch
A foundation piece of Tampa Bay’s championship defense, Lynch played for the Buccaneers from 1993–2003 before four Pro Bowl seasons in Denver from 2004–07. Both franchises honored him in 2016, and he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Shaq Barrett
Barrett entered the NFL with Denver in 2014 and later became one of Tampa Bay’s most productive free-agent additions. His first Buccaneers season in 2019 produced a franchise-record 19.5 sacks. His return to Denver in 2020 included two sacks and a safety.
Brian Griese
Drafted by Denver in 1998, Griese later quarterbacked Tampa Bay in 2004–05 and returned in 2008. His route through both cities gives these otherwise infrequent opponents another familiar name in their shared football history.
Sources: Broncos: John Lynch Ring of Fame biography · Buccaneers: Shaq Barrett career retrospective · Buccaneers: September 27, 2020 recap · Buccaneers: Brian Griese career and return to Tampa.
Captain Booty: “A few of their finest sailors have already signed our ship’s register.”
The Parrot: “Football players, Captain. And ye still can’t expense a saddle as marine equipment.”
MASCOTS, FANS & TRADITIONS — HEAR THE THUNDER
Thunder: a living game-day tradition
The sight of a white horse galloping across the field has been part of Denver’s identity since Thunder’s debut in 1993. The name represents a continuing mascot tradition, not one horse whose career lasted for decades.
2026 update: The long-serving Thunder Spirit team, led by Sharon Magness Blake, Ernie Blake and rider Ann Judge, announced its retirement in August. The Broncos documented the handover to the new Thunder team at the September 20 home opener, continuing the tradition.
Miles: an orange-maned favorite
Miles joined the Broncos’ game-day experience in 2001. His community appearances and stadium antics complement Thunder’s live-horse role. In August 2026, the Broncos announced his election to the Mascot Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
The Captain has proposed an equally prestigious honor for the Parrot. The nomination paperwork currently consists of a napkin reading, “Excellent eyesight. Terrible at sharing crackers.”
Sources: Broncos: Thunder Spirit team transition, August 2026 · Broncos: Thunder handover at the September 2026 home opener · Broncos: Miles elected to the Mascot Hall of Fame.
Broncos Country knows how to make itself heard
The Mile High Salute, associated with Terrell Davis, celebrates touchdowns with the crowd. The familiar “IN-COM-PLETE!” response greets an opponent’s unsuccessful pass. Fans also stamp their feet to create Mile High Thunder—a tradition carried from the old stadium into its successor.
Cheerleaders and the Barrelman legacy
The Denver Broncos Cheerleaders are recognizable for their western-inspired uniforms, including their signature chaps. Another enduring image belongs to the late superfan known as Barrelman, whose cowboy hat, boots and barrel became part of Denver’s fan folklore.
Captain Booty respects any fan willing to bring a barrel to a football game. The Parrot has been forced to explain, repeatedly, that this particular barrel was an outfit—not the concession department.
Sources: Broncos: official game-day traditions · Denver Broncos Cheerleaders.
LOGOS & UNIFORMS — FROM STRIPED SOCKS TO MOUNTAIN PEAKS
The early look and the Orange Crush years
The original Broncos wore mustard yellow and brown, complete with vertically striped socks. Orange and blue arrived in the early 1960s; the familiar horse emerging from a large “D” followed later in that decade. Those looks became part of the visual memory of the Orange Crush era.
The 1997 identity
Denver introduced the horse-head logo and a navy-based redesign in 1997, the same season that ended with its first Super Bowl title. Orange later returned to primary-jersey prominence. The horse-head identity carried into the club’s next major uniform redesign.
Original historical Getty embed retained. Uniform-era discussion does not assign an unverified date to this photograph.
2024 onward: the Mile High Collection
Unveiled on April 22, 2024, the Mile High Collection replaced the previous primary uniform system. Sunset Orange, Summit White and Midnight Navy options incorporate mountain-inspired sleeve shapes, triangular details and references to Denver’s 5,280-foot elevation.
The collection also includes a separate 1977-inspired throwback with an orange jersey and Legacy Blue “D” helmet, honoring Denver’s first Super Bowl season. Historic and modern looks are presented here as distinct eras, rather than treating the 1997 uniform as unchanged forever.
Sources: Broncos: Mile High Collection, April 2024 · Broncos: 1977 Orange Crush throwback.
STADIUMS — TWO MILE HIGH HOMES, A FUTURE VISION
1960–2000: the original Mile High Stadium
The Broncos’ original home began as Bears Stadium, a baseball venue, and grew with the football franchise. Renamed Mile High Stadium, it hosted Denver through the 2000 season. Tampa Bay’s visits in 1976, 1993 and 1996 were played in that original building.
2001 onward: Empower Field at Mile High
The successor stadium opened on August 11, 2001. Its names have included INVESCO Field at Mile High, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Broncos Stadium at Mile High and Empower Field at Mile High. Different sponsorship names do not make them different stadiums.
The venue lists 76,125 seats and an elevation of 5,280 feet. Tampa Bay’s 2008, 2012 and 2020 road games belong to this newer stadium’s history, not the original Mile High building.
Sources: Empower Field: stadium facts and opening date · Buccaneers: historical series review · Buccaneers: September 27, 2020 recap.
Original Getty archive embed preserved in the stadium-and-history section.
Burnham Yard: a proposal, not the current stadium
Denver’s official stadium project identifies Burnham Yard as the preferred site for a retractable-roof stadium and mixed-use neighborhood. The project’s August 2026 update describes preliminary plans that continue to evolve with community input. It is kept separate from the existing home field and from the venues in the game ledger.
Sources: Broncos: Burnham Yard project and August 2026 update.
Captain Booty: “A retractable roof? Parrot, fetch the X-marked treasure bag. We’re studying the competition.”
The Parrot: “Study all ye like. Your stadium-roof fund still cannot afford the sample door hinge.”
SOURCES & ARCHIVE NOTES
This update combines the original BuccaneersFan.com opponent archive and its retained photographs with independently checked matchup records, official team reporting and venue information. Historical game totals are explicitly dated through September 22, 2024; profile research was checked on October 26, 2026.
GameDay archive links are retained only for the nine matching dates in the supplied site records. The 2020 and 2024 results are intentionally unlinked in the report column. Source citations below the sections are research references, not substitute BuccaneersFan.com GameDay reports.
The first Broncos meeting was November 7, 1976. It was a game during Tampa Bay’s inaugural season—not the franchise’s first game. Current ownership, coaching, stadium and mascot information is distinguished from the older archive. Captain Booty and Parrot dialogue is fictional fan commentary.
Sources: Sports Reference: complete head-to-head record · Buccaneers: historical series review · Pro Football Hall of Fame: Broncos team facts · Broncos: current coaching staff · Broncos: Greg Penner and the ownership group.
Mile High or sea level, the flag stays raised. GO BUCS!