LONDON – It’s been 12 years since the Denver Broncos last played in London. Twelve years since a trip that shrouded the franchise in controversy and became “a professional nightmare,” according to Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey.

“I believe it was the start of a dark chapter in Broncos history,’’ Bailey said. “I mean, we were accused of cheating, our head coach was fired, even my own career was uncertain with my contract being up.’’

On Oct. 31, 2010, a then 2-5 Broncos team moved to 2-6 with a 24-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in historic Wembley Stadium. In the weeks that followed, a “Spygate II” scandal from the trip would come to light, head coach Josh McDaniels would be fired three games later and the team would finish 4-12.

Late owner Pat Bowlen once called it “the low point’’ of his three-decade tenure during which the team went to more Super Bowls than it had losing seasons.

It was the first ugly domino in all that have fallen since -- a run of more playoff misses (seven) than playoff trips (five) as the current six-season playoff drought is the franchise's longest since the 1970s.

Watch live on Oct. 30: Broncos vs. Jaguars in London, only on ESPN+

Asked if the franchise, in some ways, was still feeling the impact as it returns to Wembley for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+), Bailey said “absolutely.’’

What were the Broncos accused of in Spygate II?

McDaniels, a first-time head coach, and Steve Scarnecchia, the Broncos director of video operations, had both previously worked for the New England Patriots, Scarnecchia between 2001 and 2005, and McDaniels between 2001 and 2009. In 2007, the Patriots were found to have videotaped New York Jets coaches sending in signals during a game between the two teams. After McDaniels was hired by the Broncos in 2009, he brought on Scarnecchia to run video operations.

The NFL’s 2009 investigation into the Broncos found Scarnecchia videotaped a portion of the 49ers’ walkthrough at Wembley the day before the game.

“What good did [videotaping] do? They lost,’’ said Vic Lombardi, host of a morning radio show in Denver and a long-time television and radio broadcaster in the city. “The Broncos are a proud organization [and] they were embarrassed.’’

The NFL fined the Broncos and McDaniels $50,000 each. Scarnecchia was fired. McDaniels was fired three games later, after a loss to the St. Louis Rams.

The season dissolved quickly that year, as an overmatched, poorly constructed roster closed out the year 1-4 after McDaniels’ firing. The season was the Broncos' first four-win affair in a non-strike year since 1971.

What’s happened since the 2010 scandal?

The Broncos had an 8-8 season in 2011 with quarterback Tim Tebow operating in an option-based offense in coach John Fox's first season as McDaniels' replacement to go with the 50-win extravaganza in Manning’s four seasons with two Super Bowl trips to go with the Super Bowl 50 win to close out the 2015 season.

But the bumpy ride in the last six seasons, with spotty quarterback play and playoff misses have brought the Broncos back to London with a 2-6 record, plenty of questions and plenty of fan angst.

However, the Broncos see themselves on the front side of a problem they can deal with rather than a mess to clean up. General manager George Paton referred to “a lot of newness’’ this week. He is in his second season on the job, coach Nathaniel Hackett as well as most of his assistants, are in their first year with the franchise and quarterback Russell Wilson arrived in one of the biggest trades in league history this past March.

The Broncos also have a new ownership group for the first time since 1984, headed by Walmart heir Rob Walton. The $4.65 billion purchase of the Broncos was approved by the NFL in August.

Denver will take the field at Wembley Sunday with the league’s lowest-scoring offense (14.3 points per game) and a four-game losing streak. Paton, however, says he sees things from a different angle and the current Broncos “are a work in progress.’’

“Obviously, the results aren’t there,’’ Paton said. “[It’s] not good enough at 2-5. We all need to get better, and it starts with me. I do believe in this football team, and I do believe in the people in our building.’’

In the end, from the time Bowlen purchased the team in John Elway’s second season of his Hall of Fame playing career until the 2010 season, the Broncos essentially won more than they lost. Even “down’’ years were of the 8-8, 7-9 variety.

But since the ill-fated jaunt across the Atlantic, the team has missed the playoffs more often than they’ve made it. The “down’’ seasons since have been of the three-, four- and five-win variety and cost the two head coaches who came before Hackett – Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio – their jobs.

Elway closed out his tenure as the team’s top football decision-maker with Paton’s hire in 2021 and Wilson is the 11th different quarterback to start a game since Manning retired. The only player inside the Broncos locker room these days to have worn the team's uniform in a postseason game is kicker Brandon McManus, the last holdover from the Super Bowl 50 team.

“I think that’s it, really,’’ Bailey said. “Just no continuity at quarterback then and not until (Wilson) got there. But in my mind, I’m willing to give this staff and this quarterback some time.’’

“I want to see growth, I want to see wins,’’ is how Paton put it standing outside a centuries-old school where the Broncos practiced this week.

“[We’re] all in this to win, we’re all here to win, it’s great to be here [in London] but we all want to win.’’