Broncos become first AFL team to beat NFL team | Aug. 5, 1967 | Colorado’s Top 150 Sports Moments
Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.
Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.
Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati and a committee of 10 compiled and will release the list every week until the No. 1 moment on July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.
No. 142
Aug. 5, 1967
The Broncos became the first AFL team to defeat an NFL team, downing the Detroit Lions, 13-7, at DU Stadium in what some called “The Little Super Bowl.” The Lions’ Alex Karras stated prior to the game there was no way Denver would win, and if it did, he’d walk back to Detroit. Did he? Of course not. And two weeks later, the Broncos beat Minnesota, 14-3, also at DU Stadium. It was the first year the two leagues began playing in the preseason ahead of the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Of the 15 preseason games that first year, the AFL won three, two by the Broncos.
—Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian
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