Where Denver Broncos' 3 Super Bowl Winning Teams Rank by DVOA

Examining the DVOA rankings of the Broncos' three Super Bowl championship squads.

Feb. 10, 2026 at 11:23am

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A new ESPN analysis by Aaron Schatz has ranked all 60 Super Bowl winning teams by DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), a metric that evaluates a team's performance relative to the league average. The analysis reveals where the Denver Broncos' three Super Bowl winning teams - in 1997, 1998, and 2015 - stack up against the other champions.

Why it matters

The DVOA rankings provide valuable insight into the overall quality and dominance of the Broncos' championship teams, beyond just their win-loss records and Super Bowl titles. This analysis sheds light on how the Broncos' offenses, defenses, and special teams units performed compared to the rest of the league in their title-winning seasons.

The details

According to Schatz's rankings, the Broncos' 2015 Super Bowl 50 team ranks 50th overall with a 20% DVOA, making it the weakest of the three champions. The 1997 Super Bowl XXXII team ranks 20th with a 33.8% DVOA, while the 1998 Super Bowl XXXIII team ranks 11th with a 40% DVOA, making it the Broncos' best Super Bowl winning squad by this metric. The 1998 team was led by an elite offense spearheaded by running back Terrell Davis, who had a historic 2,000-yard rushing season. The 2015 team, meanwhile, was carried by its dominant "No Fly Zone" defense despite having the worst offense of the three champions.

  • The analysis was published on February 10, 2026.
  • The 2025 Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots was mentioned as the most recent championship game.

The players

Aaron Schatz

An ESPN analyst who ranked all 60 Super Bowl winning teams by DVOA.

Terrell Davis

The star running back of the Broncos' 1997 and 1998 Super Bowl winning teams, who had a historic 2,000-yard rushing season in 1998.

John Elway

The Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Broncos' offense in their 1997 and 1998 Super Bowl championship seasons.

Mike Shanahan

The head coach of the Broncos' 1997 and 1998 Super Bowl winning teams, known for his offensive expertise.

Von Miller

The star linebacker who was a key part of the Broncos' dominant "No Fly Zone" defense on their 2015 Super Bowl 50 championship team.

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What they’re saying

“Where do the Denver Broncos 3 Super Bowl winning teams rank by DVOA?”

— Rich Kurtzman, Author (milehighsports.com)

The takeaway

The DVOA rankings provide a more nuanced view of the Broncos' championship teams, highlighting how their 1998 squad was their most dominant overall, while the 2015 team relied more heavily on its historic defense. This analysis offers valuable context on the relative strengths and weaknesses of these title-winning Broncos teams.