Denver » There was The Drive, and about nine or 10 subsequent versions of Drive II.

There was the Immaculate Reception, and Brandon Stokley's Immaculate Deflection.

There was The Collapse of 2008 that resulted in the Great Upheaval at Dove Valley. And, forgive the local football followers if they are worried, even outraged, the Broncos could be on the brink of Collapse II, having lost three consecutive games.

Brian Dawkins understands the fright and nervousness. He was with the Eagles last season, not the Broncos, but he is familiar with how a city can emotionally attach itself to the local football team.

The Broncos' safety doesn't necessarily agree with such consternation because he believes this year's team will grow stronger from its recent travails.

"I have been through valleys like this before," he said. ''Everyone who's been in this league a while has.

"We've taken on some adversity. If you can get through adversity, it will strengthen you. It will form a thicker bond. I know we'll be fine, because I completely believe in the guys we have in that locker room."

Yet, with the Broncos playing San Diego on Sunday afternoon at Invesco Field at Mile High, there are too many coincidences between what happened last year, and what is happening now, for Broncos fans not to be concerned.

Starting with the Chargers. With three weeks left in the 2008 season, the Broncos were 8-5 and leading the 5-8 Chargers by three games.

The Broncos lost three in a row, the Chargers won their last three, and also claimed the tiebreaker, thereby winning the AFC West. The Broncos became the first team in NFL history to lose a three-game lead with three to play.

In the final game of those diametrically opposite streaks, the Chargers destroyed the Broncos, 52-21. Two days later, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired coach Mike Shanahan. Nothing at the team's Dove Valley headquarters would ever be the same.

Until the Broncos reached their bye week. After whipping the Chargers, 34-23 on Oct. 19, the Broncos were 6-0 with a 31/2-game lead on 2-3 San Diego in the AFC West.

Today, the Broncos are 6-3, having lost three in a row. The Chargers are 6-3, having won four straight.

And now, here come the Bolts again, salt shakers in hand, ready to rub those fresh Broncos wounds.

"A lot of guys here went through it last year," said Stokley, a veteran Broncos receiver. "I think we have the leadership on this team to not worry about what happened last year, but learn from it. And the guys who weren't here know that no NFL season is going to be perfect without any adversity or any kind of fall, or anything like that. If you think that's going to happen you're in the wrong business. It's not all roses and candy. It's going to have its ups and downs. Especially nowadays where it's a fine line between teams with good records and teams with not-so-good records."

The Broncos have 23 players on this year's team who endured The Collapse, including Ryan McBean, who was on the practice squad. The returnees, and the 29 new players on the Broncos' 53-man roster, don't expect to live through Collapse II.

"It's just a different team altogether," said Broncos backup quarterback Chris Simms.