Cowboys fall from top spot to 4th
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos, with a Hall of Fame quarterback calling the shots as the team's top football executive and a future Hall of Famer behind center in Peyton Manning, are the new America's Team.
That's according to The Harris Poll, which surveyed 2,543 adults (1,275 of whom said they followed professional football). The nationwide poll was taken from Sept. 10-17.
The Broncos replaced the Dallas Cowboys, who had finished in The Harris Poll's top spot for each of the previous six years as the "favorite team" of adults who follow professional football. The New York Giants finished as the No. 2 team with the Green Bay Packers at No. 3, the Cowboys at No. 4 and Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 5.
The Seattle Seahawks, who routed the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII this past February, came in at No. 6. The San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints rounded out the top 10.
Earlier this season, Broncos coach John Fox said, "I think when you coach here or play here, you kind of realize the reach of the team. You always knew this was a tough place to play if you've ever had to compete here in a game, but the reach is something you see when you're around it every day."
The Broncos are currently 4-1, with Manning poised to break Brett Favre's NFL mark for career touchdown passes (508). Manning has thrown 506 touchdown passes in his career.
The Broncos have the NFL's second-longest home sellout streak -- trailing only the Washington Redskins. The Broncos have sold out every home game since the start of the 1970 season.
