1993: Backup QB Evans Rallies Raiders in Second Half to Defeat Jets

The Los Angeles Raiders were coming off of two losses after a 2-0 start as they hosted the New York Jets on October 10, 1993. Coached by Art Shell, the Raiders had a new starting quarterback in Jeff Hostetler, formerly of the Giants, although he was bothered by a sprained ankle. The wide receiver corps was a good one with WR Tim Brown providing a steady target and unheralded rookie WR James Jett combining with Alexander Wright and Raghib “Rocket” Ismail to provide ample speed. The situation at running back was more of a concern.

The Jets were also 2-2 and had lost the previous week in a game in which they blew a two-touchdown lead against Philadelphia. Head Coach Bruce Coslet’s team also had a new quarterback in Boomer Esiason, a solid tenth-year veteran obtained from the Bengals, and RB Johnny Johnson had been acquired from the Cardinals to boost the ground game.

It was a hazy afternoon at the Memorial Coliseum with 41,627 fans in attendance. Starting from their own 20 after the opening kickoff, the Jets drove into Los Angeles territory. Boomer Esiason converted a third-and-11 play with a pass to WR Terance Mathis for 11 yards and a completion to WR Rob Moore picked up 39 yards to the LA 31. The advance finally stopped at the 12 yard line, but the visitors came up empty when punter/holder Louie Aguiar threw a pass that was intercepted by FS Eddie Anderson and returned 27 yards.

Now it was the turn of the Raiders to put together a methodical series. Jeff Hostetler ran effectively and completed a third-and-10 pass to TE Ethan Horton for 11 yards. Another third down throw was complete to WR Tim Brown for 21 yards to the New York 12 but, after being backed up by a holding penalty, Hostetler’s pass intended for Horton was picked off by SS Brian Washington.

The Jets had to punt on the final play of the first quarter, and Aguiar’s kick traveled 45 yards and went out of bounds at the LA 11. Hostetler fumbled on the next play and ex-Raider DT Bill Pickel recovered for New York. RB Blair Thomas ran for a six-yard touchdown and, with Cary Blanchard adding the extra point, the Jets were up by 7-0 at 11 seconds into the second quarter.

Both teams went three-and-out and punted on their next possessions but an 18-yard Hostetler-to-Brown completion had the Raiders in New York territory. However, Hostetler’s next pass was intercepted by Washington and he returned it 62 yards for another TD for the Jets. Blanchard converted to put the visitors ahead by 14-0.

38-year-old Vince Evans (pictured at top), who had started in the previous week’s loss, relieved Hostetler at quarterback and it got no better for the Raiders when, on the next series, RB Greg Robinson fumbled and Pickel recovered at the LA 49. The Jets went 41 yards in seven plays as Esiason threw to Johnny Johnson for 16 yards and the Raiders were penalized for tripping. Blanchard kicked a 25-yard field goal.

Down by 17-0 with 4:41 left in the first half, the Raiders drove 80 yards in six plays. RB Nick Bell carried three straight times for 18 yards and Evans threw to TE Andrew Glover for 20 more. Another pass was incomplete, but then Evans connected with James Jett for a 42-yard touchdown. Jeff Jaeger added the point and the halftime score was 17-7 as a Blanchard field goal attempt in the final seconds was blocked by Anderson.

The Raiders had the first possession of the third quarter and it took them only two plays to narrow the margin further. Following a short run by Robinson, Evans threw to WR Alexander Wright on a play that covered 68 yards for a TD. Jaeger’s PAT made it a three-point game.

On the next series, Esiason fumbled the ball away and LB Joe Kelly recovered at the New York 19. The Raiders lost yardage on the resulting short possession but Jaeger booted a field goal from 42 yards to tie the score.

The teams exchanged punts and the Raiders moved from their 23 to the New York 14. Evans threw to Jett for 21 yards and carried the ball himself for 14. A short completion to WR Raghib Ismail followed by two Bell carries for 14 yards had the home team in the red zone, but LB Bobby Houston intercepted an Evans pass to end the threat.

The score remained unchanged as the game headed into the fourth quarter and the Jets advanced just past midfield before having to punt. The Raiders punted in turn and New York methodically drove 56 yards in 13 plays. Esiason completed four passes, two of them to TE Johnny Mitchell and the longest covering 19 yards. But after getting a first-and-goal at the six, the visitors couldn’t reach the end zone and Blanchard kicked a 20-yard field goal that put them up by 20-17.

Taking over on offense with 4:29 to play in regulation, Evans tossed two incomplete passes before connecting with Jett for 13 yards and a first down. Consecutive 14-yard completions to Ismail put the Raiders at the New York 31. A two-yard run by Bell was followed by an Evans throw to Jett for 10 yards and runs by Bell and Evans gained another 12 yards. Brown caught a pass for six yards and, with the clock down to seven seconds and LA having no more timeouts, the officials called a timeout to reset the clock, which had failed to run during the last play. Following the short break, Bell (pictured below) ran for the last yard in the 11-play, 72-yard drive for a touchdown. Jaeger’s extra point capped the 24-20 win for the Raiders.

Los Angeles led in total yards (414 to 286) and had the edge in first downs (22 to 21). But the Raiders also turned the ball over five times, to two by the Jets, and were penalized eight times at a cost of 89 yards to five flags for 25 yards on New York.

In his relief stint, Vince Evans completed 14 of 22 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Jeff Hostetler was pulled after going four-of 12 for 62 yards and two interceptions. Tim Brown had 5 catches for 66 yards and James Jett gained 86 yards on his four receptions that included a TD. Nick Bell topped the Raiders with 46 yards on 12 rushing attempts that included the game-winning score. Eddie Anderson accounted for an interception and a blocked kick on special teams.

For the Jets, Boomer Esiason was successful on 21 of 40 throws for 216 yards with no TDs or interceptions. Johnny Johnson rushed for 56 yards on 16 attempts and led the club with 6 catches for 60 yards as well. On defense, Brian Washington (pictured at left) intercepted two passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

“For me to sit here and say the clock operator lost the game for us, that’s ridiculous,“ said Boomer Esiason of the confusion with the time remaining at the end that effectively gave the Raiders an extra timeout. “Everybody had an opportunity. I can think of two balls that I overthrew, three balls that were dropped. I can think of a fumble, a missed block. I can think of enough for everybody to absorb some blame.”

The Raiders won the following week on the way to compiling a 10-6 record that placed second in the AFC West and qualified them for the postseason as a Wild Card. They defeated Denver in the first playoff round but lost at Buffalo in a Divisional contest. New York dropped to 2-4 before reeling off five straight wins, only to tail off late in the season. The Jets ended up at 8-8 and third in the AFC East.

Jeff Hostetler returned to form as the season progressed and had a good one, passing for 3242 yards and 14 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. Vince Evans returned to the bench and, for the year, was successful on 45 of 76 throws for 640 yards and three TDs. He spent another two seasons as a backup for the Raiders, finishing up his 15-year NFL career at age 40 in 1995 (Evans also played two seasons in the USFL).

1994: Raiders Rally to Beat Broncos in OT and Secure Playoff Spot

The Los Angeles Raiders had a 9-6 record and needed a win to make the postseason as they hosted the Denver Broncos in the season finale on January 2, 1994. Coached by Art Shell, the Raiders were lightly regarded coming into the season and, indeed, were an inconsistent team, capable of beating strong clubs and falling to far weaker ones. QB Jeff Hostetler, in his first year with the team, was a fine addition to the offense and he had a good receiving corps led by WR Tim Brown (pictured above). However, the running game was mediocre and while the defense had solid performers in DE Anthony Smith, DT Chester McGlockton, and CB Terry McDaniel, the unit was prone to giving up points.

Denver, in its first year under Head Coach Wade Phillips, also had trouble running the football but had outstanding 33-year-old QB John Elway and a rising talent in TE Shannon Sharpe. The defense featured a tremendous hybrid pass rushing DE/LB in Simon Fletcher, but was vulnerable against the pass. The Broncos were also 9-6 and had lost to the Raiders in Denver.

It was a hazy but sunny day at the LA Memorial Coliseum with 66,904 fans in attendance. Following a three-and-out possession by the Raiders to start the game, Denver drove 55 yards in 12 plays. John Elway threw to WR Arthur Marshall for 23 yards in a third-and-13 situation and Jason Elam put the Broncos on the board with a 52-yard field goal.

On the Raiders’ next series, RB Randy Jordan fumbled when hit by LB Mike Croel, who recovered at the LA 31. Three plays later, Elway passed to WR Cedric Tillman for a 27-yard touchdown and, with Elam adding the extra point, a 10-0 Denver lead.

Another short Los Angeles possession ended with a punt and the Broncos were driving as the first quarter ended with Elway running for 18 yards on a third-and-10 play. The 11-play series ended with Elam kicking another field goal, this time from 24 yards.

The Raiders put together a scoring series of 82 yards in eight plays. Jeff Hostetler (pictured above) completed four passes, the last to Tim Brown for a four-yard TD. RB Tyrone Montgomery ran the ball three times for 24 yards along the way. Jeff Jaeger added the extra point that cut Denver’s lead to 13-7.

However, the Broncos responded by going 83 yards in seven plays to score once again. Elway threw to Shannon Sharpe for a 54-yard touchdown and Elam added the PAT to again put the Raiders behind by 13 points.

Hostetler completed back-to-back passes to fleet rookie WR James Jett for 22 yards and to Brown for 24 yards to the Denver 31 as Los Angeles advanced 53 yards in eight plays. The series finally stalled at the 25 and Jaeger kicked a 43-yard field goal.

There was a minute remaining in the first half but the back-and-forth nature of the game continued as RB Robert Delpino returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to give the Broncos good field position at the LA 43, and they made the most of it. RB Glyn Milburn ran for 13 yards, Elway threw to Sharpe for another 28 yards, and three plays later he connected with Sharpe again from a yard out for a touchdown. Elam added the extra point. The Raiders, in the last 24 seconds, benefited from three Hostetler pass completions that set up a 50-yard Jaeger field goal. Denver led by 27-13 at halftime.

The Broncos took the second half kickoff and put together a nine-play, 71-yard drive to put more points on the board. Elway threw to Sharpe for 21 yards and to WR Kitrick Taylor for another 28. The series stalled at the LA 17 and Elam booted a 27-yard field goal to give the visitors an imposing 17-point lead.

The Raiders fought back as Hostetler completed three passes to Brown that highlighted an 82-yard drive. The first was good for 26 yards to the Denver 45, the second gained 15 yards on a second-and-11 play, and the third covered 24 yards and scored a touchdown. Jaeger’s extra point made it a ten-point game at 30-20.

The Broncos reached the LA 44 before having to punt on their next series. The Raiders opened the fourth quarter with a 52-yard Jeff Gossett punt that pinned the Broncos back at their 15. Denver punted in turn and, with LA getting the better of the field position battle, the Raiders started off at their 49 and advanced 31 yards in seven plays, the biggest of which was a Hostetler to Brown completion that picked up 25 yards. Jaeger kicked a 39-yard field goal and Denver’s lead was down to seven points.

The Broncos had to punt following their next possession and Tom Rouen’s kick was blocked, but the Raiders were unable to move the ball on offense and had to punt it back. Another short series ending with a punt gave the ball to the Raiders at their 30 with just under three minutes left in regulation.

With Montgomery both running and catching the ball, the Raiders reached the Denver 40. Hostetler completed two passes of 13 yards apiece to Brown to reach the 14, and two more short throws picked up another 10 yards. Two more passes fell incomplete, but with eight seconds left Hostetler connected with WR Alexander Wright, who had gotten open when defending CB Charles Dimry fell, for a four-yard touchdown on the 13^th play of the series. Jaeger successfully added the all-important extra point, and the fourth quarter ended with the teams tied at 30-30.

The Broncos had the first possession in overtime, and it appeared that they would prevail. Elway threw to Tillman twice, for 20 and 30 yards, and having reached the LA 22, Elam came in to attempt a 40-yard field goal. However, the rookie’s kick sailed wide to the left to give the Raiders a reprieve.

A short carry by Montgomery was followed by Hostetler taking off for a 19-yard gain and, after RB Napoleon McCallum ran for four yards, Hostetler completed a pass to TE Ethan Horton for 20 yards to the Denver 32. Two more runs netted three yards and, after a Hostetler pass was incomplete, Jaeger came in and kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 33-30 win at 7:10 into the extra period.

Denver had more total yards (471 to 398) while Los Angeles had the edge in first downs (24 to 22). The Raiders gave up the only turnover of the contest and the Broncos recorded three sacks, to none by LA.

Jeff Hostetler completed 25 of 41 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns with none intercepted, and he also ran for 26 yards on two carries. Tim Brown had a big day with 11 catches for 173 yards and two TDs. Tyrone Montgomery (pictured below) paced the ground game with 44 yards on 13 attempts.

For the Broncos, John Elway was successful on 25 of 36 throws for 361 yards, also with three TDs and no interceptions. Shannon Sharpe caught 6 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns and Cedric Tillman contributed 5 receptions for 91 yards and a score. Robert Delpino ran for 66 yards on 20 carries.

“There have been a lot of great comeback victories in Raider history, and I’ve been involved in a lot of them,” said Coach Art Shell. “But this one stacks up with the best.”

With the win, the Raiders finished second in the AFC West with a 10-6 record, grabbing the first Wild Card spot in the postseason. Denver, at 9-7, ended up third in the division and, thanks to advantageous tiebreakers, also qualified as a Wild Card team. Thus, the two teams met again at the same venue the following week in the Wild Card playoff round and the Raiders again won, this time by a more convincing tally of 42-24. LA lost to Buffalo at the Divisional level.

Tim Brown caught 80 passes for 1180 yards (his first of nine straight thousand-yard receiving seasons) and seven touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

John Elway led the NFL in pass attempts (551), completions (348), and yards (4030) and he topped the AFC in passing (92.8 rating), TD passes (25), and completion percentage (63.2). He also received Pro Bowl recognition. Shannon Sharpe (pictured at right) caught 81 passes for 995 yards and nine touchdowns, not only gaining selection to the Pro Bowl but receiving consensus first-team All-NFL honors for the first time as well.

1991: Bills Mount 4th Quarter Rally, Defeat Raiders in OT

The Buffalo Bills, reigning AFC Champions, were 11-2 and had clinched the AFC East title but needed a win to assure home field advantage in the playoffs as they faced the Los Angeles Raiders on December 8, 1991. Head Coach Marv Levy’s team excelled with a quick-striking, no-huddle offense developed by offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda and directed by QB Jim Kelly (pictured above). Other key players on offense were highly-dependable WR Andre Reed and RB Thurman Thomas, an outstanding all-purpose back. Star DE Bruce Smith missed most of the season with a bad knee but the linebackers and backfield were strengths.

The Raiders, coached by Art Shell, had won four straight games and were contending in the AFC West with a 9-4 record. As usual, the roster was loaded with veterans. QB Jay Schroeder was inconsistent but third-year WR Tim Brown was a rising talent. The defense benefited from the addition of 32-year-old SS Ronnie Lott.

There was a big crowd of 85,081 at the cavernous LA Memorial Coliseum. The teams traded punts before the Raiders, starting at the Buffalo 32, drove to a score in seven plays. RB Marcus Allen ran the ball six times and Jeff Jaeger kicked a 19-yard field goal.

The Bills reached midfield before having to punt and the Raiders started with possession at their seven yard line. However, they took just four plays to advance 93 yards. RB Roger Craig ran twice for 17 yards and, after a short pass to FB Steve Smith lost two yards, Jay Schroeder threw to Tim Brown, who charged down the right sideline for a 78-yard touchdown. Jaeger added the extra point and Los Angeles was ahead by 10-0. The ten-point margin didn’t last long, however, as WR Al Edwards took the ensuing kickoff all the way back for a 91-yard TD. Scott Norwood’s extra point made it a three-point game in short order.

The Raiders had the ball as the contest moved into the second quarter and put together an 80-yard series in 13 plays. Schroeder completed a third-and-four pass to Allen for 21 yards and, after running plays moved the ball to the Buffalo 40, to TE Ethan Horton for a 17-yard gain on third-and-eight. A run by Allen on third-and-10 got the ball to the 14 and Schroeder kept the ball himself for a two-yard gain to convert fourth down. That set up a 12-yard touchdown carry by RB Nick Bell and, with Jaeger’s successful point after, the Raiders were up by 17-7.

The teams again exchanged punts before the Bills, starting at their nine, drove into LA territory. After a roughing-the-passer penalty on first down, Jim Kelly completed four straight passes to start things off, gaining 32 yards to the LA 48. However, facing fourth-and-one shortly thereafter, FB Carwell Gardner was stopped short.

As the half came down to the last two minutes, the Raiders punted and CB Clifford Hicks returned it 59 yards to the LA 33. Three plays later, Kelly threw to TE Keith McKeller for a nine-yard TD and Norwood added the PAT that made it a three-point game once again. But the first half scoring wasn’t yet over as the Raiders drove to the Buffalo 11 in the last minute. The big plays were Schroeder passes to WR Mervyn Fernandez for 16 yards and to Tim Brown for 28 yards. Jaeger kicked a 28-yard field goal and the Raiders were ahead by 20-14 at halftime.

The Bills had first possession in the third quarter and were forced to punt. Los Angeles added to its lead with a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The big play was a Schroeder pass to Fernandez that gained 59 yards to the Buffalo 13. An apparent Schroeder touchdown on a fourth down play was reversed upon review of the replay, but five plays later, and with the help of two penalties on the Bills, Allen ran for a TD from a yard out and Jaeger’s extra point made the score 27-14.

Kelly went to the air often in the next series, but after reaching the LA 17 he was sacked by DE Greg Townsend for a nine-yard loss and a false start moved the Bills five yards farther back. Norwood’s 49-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right.

The Raiders punted following their next possession and, in a drive that extended into the fourth quarter, the Bills again penetrated deep into Los Angeles territory. Kelly had completions to WR James Lofton for 19 and 16 yards and to Andre Reed (pictured at left) for 12 and 11 yards. But Buffalo once again came up empty when Norwood missed another field goal, this time hitting the right upright from 32 yards away.

The teams traded turnovers when Schroeder fumbled and LB Darryl Talley recovered for the Bills at the LA 28, but two plays later Ronnie Lott intercepted a Kelly pass. The resulting short series for the Raiders that ended with a punt and this time Buffalo did not falter. With Kelly firing exclusively out of the shotgun, the Bills reached the LA three and, on his third attempt, RB Kenneth Davis reached the end zone from a yard out. The snake-bitten Norwood shanked the extra point try, however, and the score remained 27-20 in favor of the Raiders with just over four minutes remaining in regulation.

Playing conservatively, the Raiders ran the ball three times and punted. The Bills took over at their 36 and went 64 yards in eight plays. Kelly started off with back-to-back 13-yard completions to Thurman Thomas but tossed three incomplete passes, with a 10-yard holding penalty interspersed, to face a third-and-20 situation from the LA 48. A pass to Thomas gained 19 yards and, on fourth-and-one, Kelly threw to Reed for a 20-yard gain. Two plays later, Kelly connected with Lofton for a nine-yard TD and, with Norwood coming through with the all-important extra point, the score was tied at 27-27. There was no further scoring in the last minute and the contest headed into overtime.

The Raiders had the first possession in the extra period, but a long Schroeder pass was intercepted by FS Mark Kelso. Starting from their own 36, the Bills struck quickly as Kelly connected with Reed for a 31-yard gain to the LA 33. Thomas ran the ball three times and then Norwood came through with a 42-yard field goal to win the game for Buffalo at 2:34 into overtime by a score of 30-27.

The Bills had the edge in total yards (409 to 386) and first downs (25 to 18). However, they were also penalized 10 times, to five flags thrown on the Raiders. While Scott Norwood’s three missed field goals and one extra point also were a handicap, the Bills benefited from 195 yards in combined kick returns, including a touchdown on a kickoff and a long punt return to set up another score. Los Angeles turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Buffalo, and the offense faltered badly in the crucial fourth quarter.

Jim Kelly completed 33 of 52 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Thurman Thomas was held to 57 yards on 15 carries but also had 7 catches for 76 yards. Keith McKeller caught 10 passes for 57 yards and a TD and Andre Reed gained 107 yards on his 8 pass receptions.

For the Raiders, Jay Schroeder was successful on 11 of 21 throws for 252 yards and a TD with two intercepted. Tim Brown (pictured below) gained 106 yards on just two catches thanks to his one long scoring reception. Marcus Allen ran for 57 yards on 16 attempts that included a touchdown and also had three catches for 38 yards. Mervyn Fernandez contributed two receptions for 75 yards.

The win assured that Buffalo would be top seed in the AFC for the postseason. Finishing with a 13-3 record, the Bills advanced to the Super Bowl for the second straight year, but lost to the Washington Redskins. The Raiders fell out of a tie for first in the AFC West with Denver and lost their remaining games to end up third in the AFC West at 9-7, but still secured a playoff spot. With rookie QB Todd Marinovich replacing Jay Schroeder, they lost in the Wild Card round to the Chiefs.

Jim Kelly led the league in TD passes with 33 and the AFC in overall passing with a 97.6 rating. He received consensus first-team All-NFL honors and was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. Thurman Thomas topped the NFL with 2038 all-purpose yards and was the AFC rushing leader with 1407 yards. He was the consensus league MVP. Andre Reed was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year after catching 81 passes for 1113 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns.

Scott Norwood’s placekicking inconsistency was indicative of a season in which he was successful on 18 of 29 field goal attempts, but only 10 of 20 from 30 yards or more. He had missed a potential game-winning field goal try from 47 yards at the conclusion of the previous year’s Super Bowl against the Giants, and it all set the stage for his departure from the Bills after seven years.

1990: Bo Jackson Spurs Raiders to Win Over Late-Surging Broncos

Following four straight seasons of not rising above .500, the Los Angeles Raiders had gotten off to a 6-1 start in 1990. However, Head Coach Art Shell’s team had then lost three of four prior to facing the Denver Broncos on December 2. Sixth-year QB Jay Schroeder was showing great improvement under the guidance of assistant coach Mike White and the offense featured an outstanding running attack. Due to the contractual arrangement that allowed him to join the Raiders after the major league baseball season was completed, RB Bo Jackson (pictured above) had been increasing his workload as he split time with veteran RB Marcus Allen in the five previous games.

The Denver Broncos, under Head Coach Dan Reeves, were at just 3-8 a year after winning the AFC title and being decimated by the 49ers in the Super Bowl. 30-year-old QB John Elway was the key to the offense and had a talented group of receivers for his passes. Second-year RB Bobby Humphrey was highly productive. But the defense was prone to giving up too many points, particularly in the second half of games.

It was a sunny and bitterly cold day at Mile High Stadium with wind chills in the teens. The Broncos had first possession and drove 45 yards in eight plays with Humphey running for 38 yards and David Treadwell kicking a 45-yard field goal. Los Angeles responded with a long 13-play drive that covered 73 yards and used up over nine minutes. Marcus Allen handled the running and Jay Schroeder completed four passes to WR Willie Gault, the longest two of which covered 22 and 19 yards. Schroeder finished off the series with a four-yard TD pass to RB Steve Smith and, with Jeff Jaeger’s successful extra point, the Raiders were ahead by 7-3.

Heading into the second quarter, the teams traded punts. Taking over at their own four yard line, the Broncos put together a long drive of their own. Along the way Elway threw to WR Mike Young for 14 yards on a third-and-five play and ran 19 yards for a first down in a third-and-15 situation. Denver took 12 plays to go 96 yards and regained the lead when Elway completed a 21-yard scoring pass to WR Vance Johnson. It was 10-7 at the half.

The Raiders had the ball first in the third quarter and punted, but they regained possession two plays later when CB Terry McDaniel intercepted a poorly-thrown Elway pass and returned it to the Denver 28. Schroeder threw to Gault for 17 yards and Bo Jackson, who had carried just twice at the end of the first half, ran for an 11-yard TD. LA was back in front by 14-10.

Once again the Broncos put together a long series that extended into the fourth quarter. And again Elway made big plays on third down, most notably hitting WR Ricky Nattiel for a 19-yard gain on third-and-12. But after getting a first down at the LA 9, Denver had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Treadwell to complete the 17-play, 73-yard drive and make it a one-point contest.

The clubs traded punts with the Raiders taking over at their 38 yard line and striking quickly as Jackson took off down the left side for a 62-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was blocked afterward – an occurrence that would factor into the game’s outcome.  But it seemed inconsequential when a three-and-out series by the Broncos led to a methodical scoring possession by Los Angeles and Jaeger booted a 46-yard field goal to extend the margin to ten points with 4:18 left on the clock.

Operating exclusively out of the shotgun, Elway and the Broncos came out throwing. Young caught four passes, including the last one of the series for an eight-yard TD. The successful PAT made it a three-point contest and Denver had one more shot after a short LA series and punt. Taking over at their 40, the Broncos got a break when a catch originally ruled out of bounds was overturned on review and became a 27-yard Elway completion to Johnson. Advancing to the Los Angeles 24, it seemed as though the contest was about to go into overtime. But with ten seconds on the clock, the snap was high for Treadwell’s  41-yard field goal try and the kick was deflected. The Raiders won by a score of 23-20.

The Broncos had more total yards (357 to 293) and first downs (20 to 17). They also surrendered the only turnover of the game – which led to Denver points – and were more heavily penalized (8 for 54 yards to LA being flagged four times at a cost of 30 yards).

Bo Jackson, despite not appearing until late in the second quarter and splitting time with Marcus Allen, rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns in just 13 carries. Allen was held to 22 yards in 11 attempts. Jay Schroeder completed 16 of 23 passes for 164 yards with no TDs or interceptions. Willie Gault led the LA receivers with 9 catches for 99 yards.

For Denver, John Elway was successful on 20 of 31 throws for 231 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 52 yards on 7 carries. Bobby Humphrey was the top ground-gainer with 88 yards on 20 rushes. Mike Young caught 6 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.

“Bo Jackson is a great runner,” summed up Dan Reeves for the Broncos. “I’m not taking anything away from him when I say we did not tackle well. He certainly had three or four outstanding runs. We had people trying to hit him with shoulder pads and helmets. We have to develop better fundamentals in tackling, especially when you face a 240-pound running back with that kind of talent.”

The win allowed the Raiders to retain a share of first place in the AFC West and they went on to win the remainder of their regular season games and finish atop the division with a 12-4 record. After beating Cincinnati in the Divisional round of the playoffs, they were humiliated by Buffalo in the AFC Championship game by a lopsided score of 51-3. Denver split its remaining contests to place last in the division at 5-11.

Despite playing in just 10 games, Bo Jackson led the Raiders in rushing with 698 yards on 125 carries to average 5.6 yards per attempt. He was selected to the Pro Bowl, but a hip injury suffered in the postseason proved to be career-ending. 

John Elway, immensely talented but prone to inconsistency, was among the league leaders in pass attempts (502), completions (294), and yards (3526) but tossed just 15 touchdown passes – the fewest since his rookie year in 1983 – and was intercepted 14 times. Bobby Humphrey rushed for 1202 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl, but a contract holdout virtually wiped out his ’91 season and he was dealt to Miami.

1993: Testaverde Comes Off Bench to Rally Browns Past Raiders

The Cleveland Browns came into the 1993 NFL season after having endured three straight losing records. Under third-year Head Coach Bill Belichick, the Browns were showing signs of steady improvement and were active in signing free agents during the offseason. One of those newcomers was QB Vinny Testaverde, once a first-overall draft choice who had spent six uneven years in Tampa Bay. He was brought in to back up the team’s popular but brittle star quarterback, Bernie Kosar, who oddly enough Testaverde had understudied for two years at the University of Miami. With a healthy Kosar behind center, Cleveland had gotten off to a 2-0 start in ’93.

On September 19 the Browns took on the Raiders at Los Angeles. The Raiders were also 2-0 under Head Coach Art Shell. They were coming off a disappointing 7-9 record in 1992 after having been a playoff team the prior two years and had also brought in a new free agent quarterback, ex-Giant Jeff Hostetler. The veteran club had many aging players, but DE Howie Long was still outstanding and WR Tim Brown and CB Terry McDaniel were solid talents.

There were 48,617 fans in attendance at the Memorial Coliseum. The Raiders started off with an 80-yard drive that took eight plays and benefited from a 26-yard gain on a pass to WR Alexander Wright in a third-and-ten situation from 38-year-old backup QB Vince Evans, who came into the game when Hostetler was injured while being sacked. Hostetler returned and finished off the series with a two-yard touchdown throw to TE Andrew Glover.

The teams traded punts until late in the opening period when Kosar was intercepted by DT Chester McGlockton, giving the Raiders the ball at the Browns’ 7. They weren’t able to punch in for a TD, however, and settled for a 24-yard field goal by Jeff Jaeger to make it 10-0.

Following another Kosar interception on the last play of the first quarter, LA added another Jaeger field goal, this time from 27 yards. That was it for the first half scoring as Cleveland was only able to generate 37 net yards and three first downs while the Raiders failed to put more points on the board when they had opportunities. McGlockton and Howie Long dominated the line of scrimmage and harassed Kosar throughout the first thirty minutes.

Neither offense was effective in the third quarter until Cleveland RB Tommy Vardell took off for a 54-yard gain to the LA 24 yard line. But the Browns moved backward rather than forward as Kosar was sacked for a nine-yard loss, Vardell lost two yards on a running play, and Kosar fumbled and lost three more yards on the recovery. Cleveland was forced to punt.

Late in the period, and following another punt by the Raiders, the Browns moved into Los Angeles territory again thanks to a pass to Vardell that gained 21 yards, but the fourth quarter opened with Kosar, under heavy pressure, being intercepted on a pass at the goal line by Terry McDaniel.

When the Browns got the ball back after another three-and-out possession by the Raiders, Testaverde was in to relieve Kosar. Taking over at his 33, the ex-Heisman Trophy winner completed passes of 11 yards to TE Brian Kinchen, 18 yards to WR Lawyer Tillman on a third-and-seven play, and 15 yards to WR Mark Carrier, who had been a teammate previously with the Bucs. The drive stalled at the LA 14, but Matt Stover kicked a 32-yard field goal and Cleveland was finally on the board.

Once again the Raiders failed to move the ball on offense, but two plays after Jeff Gossett’s punt, CB James Trapp intercepted a Testaverde pass to once more put LA in possession in Cleveland territory at the 38. Three plays netted three yards, but Jaeger kicked his third field goal of the game from 53 yards to give the Raiders a seemingly-secure 16-3 lead with five minutes remaining in the game.

It seemed even worse for the Browns when RB Eric Metcalf fumbled the kickoff and, while he recovered, the offense had to start at its own 10 yard line. However, Testaverde again began completing passes – 17 yards to Carrier on first down, 13 yards to RB Leroy Hoard on a second-and-ten play, 22 yards to Metcalf for a big third-down conversion, and 18 yards to WR Michael Jackson. Testaverde was sacked after Cleveland got inside the LA 10, but responded with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Tillman that capped the 12-play, 90-yard series. With Stover’s successful extra point, the Browns were down by 16-10 with 2:26 remaining on the clock.

The Raiders took possession following the ensuing kickoff deep inside their own territory and, following an outstanding play by Cleveland LB Pepper Johnson to prevent Hostetler from completing a third-down pass to Glover, Gossett ran out of the end zone from punt formation to take an intentional safety.

Metcalf returned the free kick for 37 yards to give the Browns good field position at the LA 45. Vardell ran for eight yards and, after Testaverde’s pass intended for Jackson was incomplete, three more yards and a first down. Testaverde threw to Carrier for 16 yards to the 18 yard line and, after spiking the ball to stop the clock, passed again to Carrier for 17 more yards to put the ball on the one with 11 seconds remaining. The Browns used their last time out and Testaverde tossed an incompletion. On second down, Metcalf took a pitch and ran around end for a touchdown and the Browns could celebrate. Cleveland came away with a dramatic 19-16 win.

“I’m physically and emotionally shocked,” said a disappointed Howie Long afterward.

In a game dominated by defense, the Browns outgained the Raiders (316 yards to 156), who only had 85 net passing yards. Cleveland also had more first downs (20 to 11). However, the Browns turned the ball over four times, to none by Los Angeles. Cleveland recorded six quarterback sacks to LA’s five and the teams combined for a total of 14 punts.

Bernie Kosar had been dismal, completing 8 of 17 passes for 71 yards and tossing three interceptions. Vinny Testaverde, in less than a quarter of play, was successful on 10 of 22 throws for 159 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception. Tommy Vardell rushed for 104 yards on 14 carries – noteworthy because it was the first hundred-yard rushing performance by a Brown in 70 games, covering five years. Mark Carrier caught 5 passes for 73 yards.

For the Raiders, Jeff Hostetler went to the air 25 times and completed just 11 for 94 yards and a TD, although with none picked off. RB Greg Robinson was the top ground-gainer with 59 yards on 18 carries. FB Steve Smith paced the club with 4 catches for 42 yards.

While all the right assurances were made in the immediate aftermath that Bernie Kosar was still the starting quarterback, he was soon supplanted by Testaverde and, in a shocking move, was waived at midseason – especially shocking because Testaverde was injured at the time and third-stringer Todd Philcox had to step in. The Browns, after having gotten out to a 5-2 start, ended up on the wrong side of .500 again at 7-9, but Testaverde finished up as the starting quarterback with his best year to date in the NFL. He completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 1797 yards and, for the first time, tossed more touchdown passes (14) than interceptions (9). The stage was set for improvement in 1994.

Eric Metcalf (pictured below) was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection as he gained a league-leading 1932 total yards (611 rushing, 539 receiving, 464 returning punts, and 318 returning kickoffs). Tommy Vardell rushed for 644 yards on 171 carries (3.8 avg.) – the 104-yard game against the Raiders was the only hundred-yard rushing performance of his career.

The Raiders recovered to go 10-6, finishing second in the AFC West but earning a spot in the postseason as a Wild Card. They made it to the Divisional round before losing to Buffalo.

1993: Raiders Overcome Elway Heroics to Beat Broncos on Long FG

The Monday Night Football matchup on October 18, 1993 featured two NFC West rivals, the host Denver Broncos and visiting Los Angeles Raiders. Both teams were at 3-2 coming into the key contest.

Not much had been expected of the Raiders, under Head Coach Art Shell, coming into the ’93 season - they had been a mediocre 7-9 in 1992. The signing of free agent QB Jeff Hostetler (pictured at right) made a difference (one of the losses came in a game he missed due to injury), and he had dependable WR Tim Brown to throw to, as well as the speedy trio of James Jett, Alexander Wright, and Raghib “Rocket” Ismail. However, the running game and defense were suspect.

Denver had a new head coach in Wade Phillips, who had replaced Dan Reeves, the team’s mentor for 12 years. While Reeves had led the club to six playoff appearances in that time, including three AFC Championships, the Broncos had dropped to 8-8 in 1992. Reeves moved on to the Giants while Phillips was elevated from defensive coordinator. To be sure, John Elway (pictured below) remained at quarterback, and his importance to the team had been evidenced by the 0-4 record when he was out with an injury in ‘92. Jim Fassel, his college quarterback coach, was hired as offensive coordinator. TE Shannon Sharpe had emerged as Elway’s go-to receiver but, like the Raiders, the running game had been questionable thus far.


There were 75,712 fans in attendance at Mile High Stadium as the Broncos took the opening kickoff and drove from their 20 to the LA 11 yard line, but an Elway pass was intercepted by SS Derrick Hoskins in the end zone and returned 14 yards. The Raiders made the most of it, although initially the resulting possession appeared to have run out of gas at the LA 36. However, Denver was offside on a punt, allowing Los Angeles to maintain the drive, and then Hostetler threw to Brown for a 45-yard gain to the Broncos’ 19. Three plays later, Hostetler threw to Wright for an 11-yard touchdown.

Following a three-and-out possession by Denver, Brown returned the resulting punt 32 yards and, five plays afterward, Jeff Jaeger kicked a 32-yard field goal. The Raiders led by 10-0 after one quarter of play.

Los Angeles scored again early in the second quarter on a 49-yard Jaeger field goal. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the half, although an aborted kick by Denver’s Tom Rouen led to the Raiders getting the ball with good field position at the Broncos’ 38 with 1:15 remaining on the clock. However, another 49-yard three-point attempt by Jaeger was nullified by a holding penalty and LA was forced to punt. The Raiders went into halftime with a 13-0 lead.

Denver got a break in the third quarter when, after a sack that knocked Hostetler briefly out of the game, LA’s backup QB Vince Evans was intercepted by SS Dennis Smith, giving the Broncos the ball at the Raiders’ 39. With RB Rod Bernstine carrying the ball five times and Elway throwing to Sharpe for a 12-yard gain, Denver got to the LA six, but a delay of game penalty and 14-yard loss on a sack created a fourth-and-25 situation. Jason Elam’s 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked by DE Howie Long, but once again a penalty on a special teams play hurt the Raiders as CB James Trapp was called for running into the kicker. With a second chance, Elam was successful from 40 yards to put Denver on the board.

Following a short possession by the Raiders, the Broncos drove into scoring position again on a series highlighted by a pass from Elway to WR Derek Russell that gained 33 yards. But Denver came up empty when Elam was wide on a 42-yard field goal attempt, and the score remained 13-3 entering the fourth quarter.

The Broncos started off the final period with a 55-yard drive in seven plays that ended with Elway throwing to WR Arthur Marshall for a 27-yard touchdown that, with the successful extra point, brought them within a field goal of the Raiders. They scored again in short order when, on the first play of LA’s ensuing possession, Hostetler fumbled and NT Greg Kragen recovered for Denver at the Raiders’ five. Two plays later, Elway hit TE Reggie Johnson with a two-yard scoring pass and the Broncos had a 17-13 lead. It appeared that the star quarterback was once again working his come-from-behind magic.

The Raiders wasted no time regaining the lead, however. Hostetler threw to Jett for a 74-yard touchdown on the first play after the kickoff and once again Los Angeles held a three-point lead at 20-17. Denver got the ball with 10:25 to play and put together an 11-play, 62-yard drive highlighted by a 43-yard gain on a pass from Elway to Russell to the Raiders’ 46. Another pass to Russell, for 11 yards, allowed the Broncos to convert a third-and-eight situation and the possession ended with Elam kicking a 37-yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20.

The teams traded punts, and with 2:37 on the clock, the Raiders took over at their 39. Hostetler threw to Brown for 20 yards on a third-and-six play and LA was able to run the clock down to 21 seconds, at which point Jaeger booted a 53-yard field goal that just made it successfully. Time ran out on the Broncos at their 18 yard line, and the Raiders came away with a 23-20 win.

Los Angeles outgained the Broncos with 308 total yards to 253, although Denver had 18 first downs to LA’s 12. The Raiders ran the ball poorly, gaining just 53 yards on 23 attempts, but had 308 net passing yards – Denver, by comparison, rushed for 132 yards and had 253 through the air. Elway was sacked seven times by the Raiders (three by DE Greg Townsend) who, characteristically, were also penalized 13 times.


Jeff Hostetler, who was sacked just twice, connected on 15 of his 24 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns and none intercepted. Tim Brown (pictured at right) led the receivers with 6 catches for 116 yards; John Jett’s 74-yard scoring catch was his lone reception of the game, and the combination of Jett, Alexander Wright, and Raghib Ismail contributed 7 receptions for 136 yards and two scores. RB Greg Robinson led what there was of a running game with 27 yards on nine carries.

For the Broncos, John Elway, who performed so well in the fourth quarter, was successful on 16 of 30 throws for 188 yards with two TDs against one interception. Derek Russell (pictured below) caught 5 of those passes for 111 yards. Rod Bernstine rushed for 101 yards on 23 carries.

“It was an ugly kick,” said Jeff Jaeger of his game-winning field goal. “It was so low. But it went through, and that's all that counts. Let it be as ugly as can be if it goes through the uprights.”


The Raiders defeated Denver again at home in the season finale and ended up second in the AFC West with a 10-6 record, good enough for a wild card spot and fourth seed in the playoffs. The Broncos were right behind at 9-7 and also made the postseason as a wild card. The two teams met for a third time in the first round and the Raiders won their most convincing victory of the three encounters by a 42-24 score. LA lost to Buffalo at the Divisional level.

Elway had a Pro Bowl year as he led the league in pass attempts (551), completions (348), and yards (4030), ranked second in touchdown passes (25), and third in completion percentage (63.2) and passing (92.8 rating).

Jeff Hostetler threw for 3242 yards and placed fourth in yards per attempt (7.7) and second in yards per completion (13.7). Tim Brown continued to be his leading target as he caught 80 passes for 1180 yards and seven TDs and placed fifth in the league in all-purpose yards with 1652.