Tweet
One of the most exciting games I've ever seen was the AFC championship game in January 1978 between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. Here is a recap from Top Stories on the front page here:
-----
Broncos-Raiders Flashback: 1978
Denver vs. Oakland
Jan. 1, 1978
Mile High Stadium
Weather: Sunny, 18 degrees
DENVER -- It was a day when the Broncos became champions for the first time -- and did so by ending the previous champions' reign.
The Broncos rang in 1978 with perhaps their biggest win to that point in the franchise's history, knocking off the Oakland Raiders 20-17 to win the first of the team's six AFC championships and advance to Super Bowl XII in Red Miller's first season as head coach.
The Broncos and Raiders had split the season series in 1977 and met in a game that featured six future Hall of Famers in silver and black and eight eventual Ring of Famers in orange and blue.
The day began with the Broncos on offense and unable to move, punting and giving the Raiders the football in prime position near midfield. The Orange Crush defense forced a three-and-out, but the Raiders got a reprieve when wide receiver John Schultz was flagged for roughing the kicker. Oakland capitalized, driving downfield to a 20-yard field goal by Errol Mann and a 3-0 lead.
That lead lasted just 27 seconds.
Quarterback Craig Morton dropped back, located Haven Moses on a slant and watched as the wide receiver turned the short pass into a 74-yard touchdown and a 7-3 Denver lead.
Oakland replied by using passes from Ken Stabler to Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff to advance deep into Broncos territory as the second period began. But the Broncos held, and Mann's 19-yard field-goal attempt slammed off an upright, keeping the Broncos' lead intact.
Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos drove to the Oakland 23, but it was Jim Turner's turn to miss, as a 40-yard field-goal try missed wide left, keeping the score at 7-3 as intermission arrived.
Oakland began the second half with a bang when Carl Garrett returned the opening kickoff 62 yards to the Denver 33, but the Raiders advanced no further and punted. Denver's offense replied with a 41-yard Morton-to-Moses strike, but another Turner miss kept the lead at four points.
One play later, Oakland running back Clarence Davis fumbled. Brison Manor recovered, and the Broncos capitalized four plays later with a 1-yard Jon Keyworth touchdown run -- a play that generated controversy after several instant replays, and one that is still debated in bars to this day. But in 1978, any form of instant-replay review was still eight and a half years away, and the Broncos increased their lead to 14-3 following the extra point.
The Orange Crush defense again forced an Oakland punt on the next possession, but the offense was unable to get a first down. Oakland's Garrett muffed the ensuing punt, allowing Larry Evans to recover for Denver at the Oakland 27, but the Broncos couldn't capitalize as Turner missed another field-goal try.
After a 26-yard pass from Stabler to tight end Dave Casper, Oakland found itself on the Denver 6 entering the final quarter. Stabler then found Casper again for a 6-yard pass to narrow Denver's lead to four points.
Denver's offense began to chew up some clock on its next possession and drove the ball down to the Oakland 20, but after a Moses end around lost 10 yards, Morton threw his first and only interception of the game. The Broncos responded in kind, as Bob Swenson picked off Stabler and returned it 14 yards to the Oakland 17-yard-line. Two plays later, Morton hit Moses for a 12-yard touchdown strike, but the extra-point snap was fumbled, forcing an errant pass that kept Denver's lead at 20-10.
Oakland did manage to score one more time when Stabler slipped a pass through the Denver defense to Casper for a 17-yard touchdown, but the Broncos subsequently ran out the final 3:08 of the game to clinch the triumph.
Moses was the star of the day, finishing with five receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
-----
-----
Broncos-Raiders Flashback: 1978
Denver vs. Oakland
Jan. 1, 1978
Mile High Stadium
Weather: Sunny, 18 degrees
DENVER -- It was a day when the Broncos became champions for the first time -- and did so by ending the previous champions' reign.
The Broncos rang in 1978 with perhaps their biggest win to that point in the franchise's history, knocking off the Oakland Raiders 20-17 to win the first of the team's six AFC championships and advance to Super Bowl XII in Red Miller's first season as head coach.
The Broncos and Raiders had split the season series in 1977 and met in a game that featured six future Hall of Famers in silver and black and eight eventual Ring of Famers in orange and blue.
The day began with the Broncos on offense and unable to move, punting and giving the Raiders the football in prime position near midfield. The Orange Crush defense forced a three-and-out, but the Raiders got a reprieve when wide receiver John Schultz was flagged for roughing the kicker. Oakland capitalized, driving downfield to a 20-yard field goal by Errol Mann and a 3-0 lead.
That lead lasted just 27 seconds.
Quarterback Craig Morton dropped back, located Haven Moses on a slant and watched as the wide receiver turned the short pass into a 74-yard touchdown and a 7-3 Denver lead.
Oakland replied by using passes from Ken Stabler to Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff to advance deep into Broncos territory as the second period began. But the Broncos held, and Mann's 19-yard field-goal attempt slammed off an upright, keeping the Broncos' lead intact.
Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos drove to the Oakland 23, but it was Jim Turner's turn to miss, as a 40-yard field-goal try missed wide left, keeping the score at 7-3 as intermission arrived.
Oakland began the second half with a bang when Carl Garrett returned the opening kickoff 62 yards to the Denver 33, but the Raiders advanced no further and punted. Denver's offense replied with a 41-yard Morton-to-Moses strike, but another Turner miss kept the lead at four points.
One play later, Oakland running back Clarence Davis fumbled. Brison Manor recovered, and the Broncos capitalized four plays later with a 1-yard Jon Keyworth touchdown run -- a play that generated controversy after several instant replays, and one that is still debated in bars to this day. But in 1978, any form of instant-replay review was still eight and a half years away, and the Broncos increased their lead to 14-3 following the extra point.
The Orange Crush defense again forced an Oakland punt on the next possession, but the offense was unable to get a first down. Oakland's Garrett muffed the ensuing punt, allowing Larry Evans to recover for Denver at the Oakland 27, but the Broncos couldn't capitalize as Turner missed another field-goal try.
After a 26-yard pass from Stabler to tight end Dave Casper, Oakland found itself on the Denver 6 entering the final quarter. Stabler then found Casper again for a 6-yard pass to narrow Denver's lead to four points.
Denver's offense began to chew up some clock on its next possession and drove the ball down to the Oakland 20, but after a Moses end around lost 10 yards, Morton threw his first and only interception of the game. The Broncos responded in kind, as Bob Swenson picked off Stabler and returned it 14 yards to the Oakland 17-yard-line. Two plays later, Morton hit Moses for a 12-yard touchdown strike, but the extra-point snap was fumbled, forcing an errant pass that kept Denver's lead at 20-10.
Oakland did manage to score one more time when Stabler slipped a pass through the Denver defense to Casper for a 17-yard touchdown, but the Broncos subsequently ran out the final 3:08 of the game to clinch the triumph.
Moses was the star of the day, finishing with five receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
-----
Comment