AFL – Game – 7. Denver at Miami
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Tag Archives: Denver Broncos
AFL – Game 5. Denver at Oakland
AFL – Game 1. Boston at Denver
Game 191. Denver at Chicago
1997 Game 250 – AFC Championship – Denver at Kansas City
Chiefs blowout the Broncos to set up a rematch of Super Bowl I
The Kansas City Chiefs were the best team in the AFC all season long and they proved it in the AFC Championship game Sunday afternoon in Arrowhead as they beat the Denver Broncos, 40-16, to set up a rematch with the Green Bay Packers of the first Super Bowl.
The Chiefs got to Super Bowl XXXII thanks to their defense, who were opportunistic today as they have been all season. The Chiefs sacked Bronco QB John Elway six times and picked him off four times. Erik McMillan and Darren Anderson returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns. McMillan’s was a 100-yard return, which iced the game for the Chiefs.
QB Elvis Grbac didn’t have to do much today, but when he did, he took advantage of the Broncos aggressiveness. Grbac hooked up with FG Kimble Anders for two big pass plays. Anders caught a 27-yard wheel route to score the game’s first touchdown. Then late in the first half, Anders caught another pass and raced 52-yards for another touchdown. On the day, Anders rushed the ball seven times for 36 yards and then caught three passes for 87 yards and the two touchdowns.
Elway had a rough day. He threw for 264 yards and a TD, but threw four costly interceptions. RB Terrell Davis rushed for 87 yards on 21 carries, while WR Rod Smith caught 7 passes for 138 yards.
The Chiefs and the Packers will matchup for Super Bowl XXXII. They were the two best teams in their conferences. The Packers finished 15-1, while the Chiefs finished 14-2 on the season.
1997 Game 245 – AFC Divisional – Denver at New England
Defense takes Broncos to AFC Title game!
Strong Safety Steve Atwater made the play of the season so far for the Denver Broncos. His second quarter interception and 94-yard return for a touchdown lifted the Broncos to the AFC Championship game next weekend.
The Bronco defense was dominant. They forced the Patriots into a one-dimensional team. The Patriots were without All-Pro running back Curtis Martin and could not run the ball. The Patriots rushed for 30 yards on the day and that forced Bledsoe to make plays in the passing game; however, the Broncos were relentless. They sacked Bledsoe six times on the day (Alfred Williams had 3 of them) and forced him to throw two interceptions.
With the defense dominating, the Bronco offense focused on the running game. RB Terrell Davis had 137 yards on the ground on 25 carries. QB John Elway didn’t make any mistakes. He was 13 of 23 passing with 135 yards and no interceptions but could not get the Broncos in the end zone.
Because the Bronco offense was forced to kick two field goals, the Patriots still had an opportunity to win the game. Bledsoe led a drive for a field goal early in the 4th quarter and then hooked up with WR Shawn Jefferson on a 13-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 13-10 with 1:30 left in the game. The Broncos shut the door on the game when they recovered the ensuing onside kick.
The Broncos will now go to the AFC Championship game. They will have to wait to find out who and where that will take place. The Chiefs host the Seahawks in the other Division Round game. If KC wins, the game will take place at Arrowhead, but if the Seahawks spring the upset, the title game will be played in Mile High in Denver.
1997 Game 242 – AFC Wildcard – Pittsburgh at Denver
Denver holds on to win a wild and crazy game!
The most anticipated Wildcard game of the weekend occurred in Mile High Stadium in Denver as the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Denver Broncos on Saturday. When you think of these two teams, you think of the stars like John Elway, Kordell Stewart, Terrell Davis, Jerome Bettis, Shannon Sharpe and Yancy Thigpen. Although the superstars showed out, but the stars of the game were two unheralded players… the Broncos Darian Gordon and the Steelers Will Blackwell.
Gordon made the biggest impact in the game as he gave the Broncos are near insurmountable lead. With the game tied at 7, Gordon caught a line-drive punt from Steeler punter Josh Miller and raced through the Steeler coverage team for a 53-yard touchdown to give the Broncos a 14-7 lead that they never relinquished. Then in the second quarter, Gordon picked off a Kordell Stewart pass and zig-zagged through Steeler offensive players for a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown. That gave the Broncos a 24-10 lead going into halftime.
On the Steeler side, Will Blackwell caught the kickoff 1-yd deep in his end zone. He blazed through the Bronco coverage unit and returned the kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. Blackwell cut the Bronco lead to 24-17 15 seconds into the second half.
With the Broncos leading 27-23, the Steelers went on a drive to possibly steal a win. Stewart hit Yancy Thigpen on a huge 3rd down for 30 yards to put the Steelers inside the Broncos’ 20-yd line. Then Stewart drilled a pass to Blackwell to set the Steelers up at the Bronco 11-yard line. On the next play, the Steelers handed off to Bettis. He plunged through the Bronco defense, but as he stretched for more yardage, he was drilled and fumbled. Bronco linebacker John Mobley secured the fumble and secured the Bronco victory!
Game 178. Kansas City at Denver
1997 Game 238 (Week 17) San Diego at Denver
Broncos stomp the Chargers
The Denver Broncos are going to be a force in the AFC playoffs. They blew out the San Diego Chargers on the final day of the 1997 season, 31-7, at Mile High Stadium and finished with a 12-4 record. The Bronco defense is punishing opponents, and they have a top tier running game behind the sensational Terrell Davis.
Davis rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries on Sunday with three touchdowns. He finished first in the AFC in rushing with 1,746 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. He also caught 37 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown.
QB John Elway didn’t have one of his spectacular seasons but did just enough to make the Broncos dangerous. On Sunday, Elway threw for 204 yards on 17 of 28 passing with two interceptions. With 1997 complete, Elway threw for 3,462 yards with 21 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The Bronco defense is what they are going to rely on in the playoffs. On Sunday, they shut the Chargers down to 212 yards of total offense. The Broncos intercepted QB Criag Whelihan three times and sacked him three times. LB John Mobley picked him off in the third quarter and raced 51 yards for a touchdown to blow the game open.
The Bronco defense is at or near the top in just about every defensive category. They limited opponents to 277 total yards and intercepted them 22 times. DB Ray Crockett had ten interceptions on the season.
The Chargers finished at a league-low 1-15. They will receive the first overall pick in the draft. (Peyton Manning?)
