1992: Fumble Recovery Propels Redskins to Defeat of Cowboys

Two bitter NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, faced off at RFK Stadium on December 13, 1992. The Redskins, coached by Joe Gibbs for the twelfth season, were the defending NFL Champions but finding the going more difficult the year after winning the Super Bowl. Following a 5-2 start, they lost three of four games and were at 8-5. QB Mark Rypien was not performing up to his level of the season before and the vaunted offensive line was injury-riddled. However, 30-year-old RB Earnest Byner was still dependable, the receiving corps led by WR Gary Clark was a good one, and the defense remained tough.

Dallas was the up-and-coming team under Head Coach Jimmy Johnson and came into Washington with an 11-2 record, including a win in the season-opening contest with the Redskins. The offense had a solid nucleus with QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith, and WR Michael Irvin and the defense was outstanding. The Cowboys had been a Wild Card team in 1991 and were looking to top the NFC East for the first time since 1985.   

There were 56,437 enthusiastic fans in attendance on a cloudy and breezy day. The teams traded punts to start the game before SS Kenneth Gant intercepted a Mark Rypien pass that was bobbled by TE Terry Orr at midfield and returned it to the Washington 42. The Cowboys advanced 37 yards in 10 plays, the biggest a throw from Troy Aikman to WR Alvin Harper for 21 yards. Emmitt Smith gained the necessary yardage to convert a fourth-and-one situation at the 10 yard line, but the Cowboys couldn’t reach the end zone and Lin Elliott kicked a 23-yard field goal.

The teams returned to exchanging punts for the remainder of the opening period and into the second quarter. Taking possession at their own 47 after a Kelly Woodburn shanked punt traveled 30 yards and went out of bounds, the Cowboys drove 53 yards in six plays. Facing third-and-nine, Aikman connected with Michael Irvin for 40 yards to the Washington 12 and then completed two passes to TE Jay Novacek, the second for five yards and a touchdown. Elliott added the extra point and the visitors were up by 10-0.

The Redskins again had to punt following their next series, which saw the home crowd boo Rypien for twice missing makeable throws intended for Gary Clark, but got a break when WR Kelvin Martin slipped and muffed the kick and center Guy Bingham recovered for Washington at the Dallas 41. On the next play, RB Earnest Byner (pictured at left), faking a sweep to the right that successfully fooled the defense, threw an option pass to Orr for a 41-yard TD and, with Chip Lohmiller’s conversion, the Dallas lead was narrowed to 10-7.

The Cowboys advanced into Washington territory on the next possession, helped along by Smith’s 17-yard run to the Redskins’ 41. However, following a short carry by Smith, Aikman threw three incomplete passes, the second of which was broken up in the end zone and the third nearly intercepted by LB Wilber Marshall. Dallas was forced to punt and pinned the Redskins inside their 20, which ultimately resulted in a 50-yard line-drive punt by Goodburn that Martin returned for 18 yards to the Washington 42.

Taking over on offense with 2:06 remaining in the first half, it took seven plays for the Cowboys to score again. Aikman completed passes to Harper for 12 yards and Martin for nine, but a holding penalty backed Dallas up. However, a pass interference call on the Redskins gave the visitors a first down at the Washington 11 and, three plays later, it was Aikman to Novacek once again for a five-yard touchdown. Elliott added the point after and Dallas took a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The Cowboys had the first possession in the third quarter and punted from midfield. Washington put together a 12-play, 68-yard series in response. Byner ran effectively and Rypien completed four passes, the longest to WR Ricky Sanders for 29 yards. But after finding themselves with first-and-goal at the one, the Redskins lost yardage and had to settle for a 32-yard Lohmiller field goal.

Dallas was on the move as the game headed into the fourth quarter, helped along by a fake punt in which FB Daryl Johnston ran for 13 yards in a fourth-and-six situation to the Washington 38. Smith ran for 18 and 14 yards on the next two plays and the Cowboys had first-and-goal at the six. But following two more carries by Smith, Aikman passed on third down and LB Andre Collins intercepted and returned it 59 yards to the Dallas 42. Rypien had completions to Clark for 16 yards and Sanders for 13 as the Redskins drove to a 22-yard Lohmiller field goal. Instead of Dallas potentially scoring a game-clinching touchdown, Washington had now made it a four-point contest at 17-13.

On the third play of the next Dallas series, Irvin fumbled when hit by CB Darrell Green after gaining 20 yards on a pass from Aikman. SS Danny Copeland recovered and returned it 15 yards to give the Redskins the ball at the Dallas 24. Rypien passed to Clark for 13 yards and Byner had a four-yard run, but the home team found itself facing fourth-and-one at the Dallas two and Rypien’s pass intended for Clark was overthrown.

The clock was down to 3:33 to play as the Cowboys took possession. Johnston ran up the middle for two yards, but on second down Aikman fumbled while being sacked in the end zone by DE Jason Buck, who overwhelmed center Mark Stepnoski and got a hand on the ball just as the quarterback was about to go into his throwing motion (television replays were inconclusive as to whether Aikman had already begun to move his arm forward before losing the ball). Smith picked the loose ball up for Dallas, but he was hit by Collins and Copeland and tried to toss the ball out of the end zone. Copeland managed to recover for Washington for a touchdown, but the resolution of the play added to the bizarre situation as the safety had already left the pileup with ball in hand and run to midfield to celebrate while the officials were still sorting out who had possession, and he had to return to the end zone. Lohmiller converted and the Redskins were ahead by three points.

There was still time for Dallas, and with the crowd in a frenzy, Aikman threw back-to-back 14-yard completions to Martin and Irvin. Another throw to Martin was good for 10 yards to the Washington 38, but Aikman was then sacked by Collins for a loss of seven yards. A toss to Smith regained the yardage, but on third-and-10, Aikman was sacked once again, this time by LB Monte Coleman. Aikman threw for Harper on fourth-and-17, the pass was incomplete, and Washington came away with a 20-17 win.

The Cowboys had the edge in total yards (342 to 246) and first downs (22 to 14). However, the Redskins recorded four sacks, to two by Dallas, and the Cowboys turned the ball over four times, one leading directly to the winning touchdown, to one suffered by Washington.

Mark Rypien had a mediocre performance as he completed 12 of 29 passes for 144 yards and gave up an interception. Earnest Byner rushed for 69 yards on 19 carries and also tossed a touchdown pass. Gary Clark caught four passes for 50 yards and Ricky Sanders gained 53 yards on his three receptions.

For the Cowboys, Troy Aikman was successful on 23 of 35 throws for 245 yards and two TDs with one picked off. Emmitt Smith (pictured at right) gained 99 yards on 25 rushing attempts and caught five passes for 16 yards. Michael Irvin also had five pass receptions, for 105 yards, while Jay Novacek scored two TDs among his five catches for 25 yards.

“It was one of the hardest-fought games I’ve ever been in,” summed up Coach Gibbs of the Redskins. “Everyone laid it on the line out there. This was one of the most emotional games I’ve been in, and it’s one I’ll always remember. There were a lot of great plays back and forth. This was two great teams and had everything wrapped into it.”

“The Redskins gave a great effort and we gave a great effort,” said Jimmy Johnson of the Cowboys. “They are to be commended.  Our guys will be all right. We came up short against a good football team on the road.”

The loss proved to be the last of the season for Dallas. The Cowboys won their remaining two games to place first in the NFC East at 13-3 and continued on in the postseason to a Super Bowl triumph over Buffalo. The Redskins lost two close contests to finish out the schedule with a 9-7 record that placed third in the division but still qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card. They defeated Minnesota in the Wild Card round but lost to the 49ers at the Divisional level.

The decisive fumble recovery by Danny Copeland was one of three for the year and resulted in his only career touchdown. Earnest Byners touchdown pass was his only completion of the season, out of three attempts, and his third career scoring toss. He rushed for 998 yards on 262 carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 39 passes for another 338 yards (8.7 avg.), compiling a total of seven TDs.

1996: Ravens Defeat Raiders as NFL Returns to Baltimore

The National Football League returned to Baltimore on September 1, 1996 as the newly-relocated Ravens hosted the Oakland Raiders in the season-opening game for both teams. It was the first NFL regular season game played in Baltimore in 13 years, since the Colts vacated for Indianapolis.

The Ravens were in actuality the former Cleveland Browns franchise. As part of a deal between the NFL and Cleveland, the team renounced its history, name, and colors, to transfer to a future expansion franchise.  The club also made changes to the front office and had a new head coach in Ted Marchibroda, once coach of the Baltimore Colts, replacing Bill Belichick, under whom the team dropped to 7-9 in its final lackluster year in Cleveland (not helped by long-time owner Art Modell announcing midway through the season that the franchise would be moving in ’96). While much was new, there were still lingering problems from the previous year. There were concerns regarding the running game, and 32-year-old QB Vinny Testaverde was prone to inconsistency and throwing interceptions. The defense was in need of retooling, but there were high hopes for rookie LB Ray Lewis.

The Raiders, coached by Mike White, had returned to Oakland the previous season after a 13-year hiatus in Los Angeles. Getting off to an 8-2 start, they lost their last six games to finish at .500. An injury to QB Jeff Hostetler was a key factor in the collapse, and he was out again for the start of the ’96 season. Backup QB Billy Joe Hobert was taking his place.  WR Tim Brown was the most consistent receiver and it was hoped that rookie TE Rickey Dudley would have an impact.

There were 64,124 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium on a pleasant and sunny day and several ex-Colts stars took part in the pre-game festivities, including Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas and DT Art Donovan. The teams traded punts to start the game before the Ravens drove 85 yards in eight plays. Vinny Testaverde completed three passes, including one to WR Derrick Alexander that covered 48 yards to get the ball into Oakland territory, and the veteran quarterback finished off the series by running up the middle for a nine-yard touchdown (pictured at top). Matt Stover added the extra point, and with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter the home team was ahead by 7-0.

The Raiders started off the second quarter by going 79 yards in nine plays. Billy Joe Hobert (pictured below) threw to WR James Jett for a 33-yard gain to the Baltimore 34 on the first play and Hobert converted a third-and-two situation with a pass to WR Daryl Hobbs for 15 yards to the 11. Three plays later, Tim Brown pulled in a toss from Hobert for a seven-yard TD and Cole Ford tied the score with the point after.

Oakland appeared to get a major break on the ensuing kickoff when RB Earnest Hunter fumbled and safety Dan Land recovered for the Raiders at the Baltimore 19. But on the next play, Hobert’s throw intended for Brown in the end zone was instead intercepted by Ray Lewis for a touchback.

A short possession in which Testaverde was sacked for a 19-yard loss resulted in a punt and, taking over with good field position at the Baltimore 47, the Raiders did not come up empty. After two short runs, Hobert connected with Jett for nine yards and then to Rickey Dudley for a 30-yard gain. RB Harvey Williams covered the last five yards for a touchdown and, with Ford’s PAT, the visitors were ahead by 14-7. That remained the score at the half as the teams exchanged punts for the remainder of the period.

The Raiders had the ball first in the third quarter but Hobert again was picked off, this time by CB Antonio Langham who returned it 28 yards to the Oakland 25. The Ravens were unable to move from there, and following a third-down sack, punted. But the visitors remained bottled up deep in their own territory and, after Jeff Gossett’s 43-yard punt that was returned for nine yards by WR Jermaine Lewis, Baltimore started its next series at the Oakland 45. Utilizing a no-huddle offense, Testaverde completed three passes, including one to WR Michael Jackson that picked up 21 yards, but the drive stalled inside the ten. Still, the Ravens got points on a 25-yard Stover field goal to narrow the score to 14-10.

The Raiders again had to punt following their next series and Baltimore responded by advancing 56 yards in seven plays. Testaverde completed two passes to TE Brian Kinchen, one of which gained 29 yards to the Oakland 26, and while a reverse by Alexander lost 13 yards, two more completions got the home team back into field goal range. Stover was successful from 37 yards and it was a one-point game at 14-13 after three quarters.

Another possession by the Raiders ended with a punt. Starting from their 17, the Ravens moved quickly as Testaverde connected on passes to Jackson for 27 yards and Earnest Hunter for 25 to reach the Oakland 31. FB Carwell Gardner picked up nine yards on three carries and Testaverde ran around end for 12 yards to get inside the ten. Finally, on the eighth play of the 83-yard possession, RB Earnest Byner reached the end zone from a yard out and, while the try for a two-point conversion failed, the Ravens were ahead by five points.

That proved to be all the home team needed. The Raiders had two more possessions but went three-and-out both times and Baltimore was able to control the ball for the last 4:47 of the contest to come away with a 19-14 win.

The Ravens led in total yards (314 to 238), first downs (21 to 13), and time of possession (34:38 to 25:22). Oakland turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Baltimore, and was hurt by 12 penalties, to just two called on the Ravens. Both teams recorded three sacks apiece.

Vinny Testaverde completed 19 of 33 passes for 254 yards, with no touchdowns but also no interceptions, and he ran for a score. Earnest Byner (pictured below) rushed for 43 yards on 14 carries that included the game-winning TD and caught four passes for 32 more yards. Brian Kinchen and Carwell Gardner also co-led the team with four pass receptions apiece, for 57 and 16 yards, respectively, while Michael Jackson was the yardage leader with 60 on his three catches.

For the Raiders, Billy Joe Hobert was successful on 17 of 26 throws for 192 yards and two TDs while being intercepted twice. James Jett topped the club with 65 yards on his four pass receptions and Tim Brown scored on two of his four catches, for 31 yards. Harvey Williams gained 39 yards on 13 rushing attempts. 

While the season started on a high note for the Ravens, they lost their next two games on the way to ending up at the bottom of the AFC Central with a 4-12 record. Oakland got Jeff Hostetler back into the lineup for 13 games but went 7-9 to finish in fourth place in the AFC West.

Vinny Testaverde had a big year for a mediocre team, achieving career highs with 4177 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, both of which were still single-season records for the Ravens through 2014. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1997: Rob Johnson Rallies Jaguars to Win Over Ravens in First Start

The Jacksonville Jaguars had gone from first-year expansion team to playoff participant, reaching the AFC Championship game, a year later in 1996. Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s club started slowly but came on strong in the second half of the season, with the NFL’s second-ranked offense (and first-ranked passing offense) leading the way. QB Mark Brunell and wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell distinguished themselves and veteran RB Natrone Means provided a vital spark during the playoff run.

On August 31, 1997 the Jaguars traveled to Baltimore to open their third season against the Ravens, a team they had twice beaten the previous year in closely-contested games. However, after taking all of the team’s snaps in ’96, Brunell suffered a preseason knee injury that made him unavailable for Week 1. In his place would be Rob Johnson (pictured above), a highly-regarded third-year backup who had performed very well in preseason games but, due to Brunell’s durability, had seen scant action during the regular season. He would be making his first pro start.

The Ravens, coached by Ted Marchibroda, were starting their second year in Baltimore following the move of the franchise from Cleveland. Like the Jaguars, they featured a strong passing game led by 33-year-old QB Vinny Testaverde, who was coming off a Pro Bowl season. However, the injury-plagued defense gave up 441 points and the team ended up with a 4-12 record.

There were 61,018 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium for the late-afternoon game. In the first series, the Jaguars drove 84 yards in eight plays. Rob Johnson completed all three of his passes, the longest to Keenan McCardell for 25 yards that moved the ball into Baltimore territory. Facing a third-and-three situation at the 25, Johnson ran the ball himself up the middle for a touchdown.

The Ravens went three-and-out on their ensuing possession although Greg Montgomery’s punt traveled 53 yards to the Jacksonville 7. LB Peter Boulware sacked Johnson for a three-yard loss on the first play but the young quarterback came right back with back-to-back completions to McCardell that gained a total of 20 yards and a first down. Johnson completed two more passes for sizeable gains as the Jaguars went 93 yards in 12 plays. A throw to TE Ty Hallock picked up 23 yards to the Baltimore 44 and a completion to RB James Stewart on a third-and-13 play was good for 31 yards to the one yard line. Three plays later Natrone Means gained the last yard for a TD and, with another successful Mike Hollis extra point, the score was 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Ravens had the ball as the second quarter started and their offense had come to life. On the last play of the opening period, Vinny Testaverde connected with RB Earnest Byner for a 17-yard gain to the Jacksonville 29. Four plays into the second quarter Testaverde threw to WR Jermaine Lewis for a 17-yard touchdown and, with Matt Stover’s extra point, it was a 14-7 game.

Now it was the Jaguars going three-and-out on offense and the Ravens regained possession at their 26 after the resulting punt. Converting two third downs along the way, Baltimore took eight plays to go 74 yards and score again. Testaverde completed seven passes, including the last one to Lewis that was good for a 42-yard TD. Stover tied the game at 14-14.

The teams traded punts until Jacksonville FS Chris Hudson intercepted a Testaverde pass and returned it 23 yards to the Baltimore 34. The Jaguars moved backward thanks to a sack and holding penalty, but facing second-and-19, Johnson hit Jimmy Smith (pictured at left) for a 22-yard gain. Two plays later he found Smith again for a 20-yard touchdown and, adding the successful PAT, Jacksonville was back in front by 21-14.

The Ravens got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff with just over a minute remaining in the half. Testaverde was successful on four passes, three of them to WR Michael Jackson, in getting the ball to the Jacksonville 14 and, on the last play before halftime, Stover booted a 33-yard field goal. The Jaguars were up by 21-17 at the midway point.

Jacksonville’s lead didn’t last long in the third quarter, however, as the Ravens struck quickly following a 42-yard return of the second half kickoff by Lewis. Three plays later Testaverde threw to Jackson for a 54-yard touchdown and, with the successful extra point, Baltimore was in front by 24-21.

On the third play of the ensuing series, Johnson, already gimpy, was injured after getting off a pass to Smith for a 20-yard gain. Steve Matthews came in at quarterback and completed three passes as the Jaguars reached the Baltimore 40 before having to punt. Bryan Barker’s kick was downed at the five.

Thanks to runs by Byner and Testaverde’s passing, the Ravens were able to move the ball to their 35 before CB Deon Figures intercepted a pass to give the Jaguars possession at their own 44. Johnson was back in at quarterback despite a sprained ankle and, with Means running effectively in addition to short pass completions, Jacksonville advanced to the Baltimore 24 before Means was dropped for a loss on a third-and-two play at the end of the period. Hollis missed a 43-yard field goal try to start the fourth quarter.

The Ravens again moved the ball well, this time going 60 yards in 13 plays and putting points on the board. Stover made a 25-yard field goal that stretched the home team’s lead to six points.

Starting at their 20 following a touchback on the kickoff, the Jaguars got 25 yards right away on a Johnson completion to McCardell. Four plays later they converted a third-and-six situation as Johnson connected with TE Pete Mitchell for 23 yards and then followed up with a Johnson-to-Smith pass play for a 28-yard touchdown. Hollis kicked the extra point that put the Jaguars back in front by a point with 5:47 left on the clock.

The Ravens had three more possessions but couldn’t regain the lead. The first series went three-and-out with a punt, the second lasted just two plays before Figures intercepted a Testaverde pass for the second time, and the last ended at midfield when a fourth-and-18 pass was ruled incomplete. The Jaguars came away with a 28-27 win.

Jacksonville outgained the Ravens (411 yards to 373) while Baltimore accumulated more first downs (22 to 19). The Ravens also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Jaguars, although Jacksonville was penalized 11 times to three flags thrown on the home team.

Rob Johnson had a fine performance as he completed 20 of 24 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Jimmy Smith had 6 catches for 106 yards and two TDs while Keenan McCardell contributed 6 receptions for 84 yards. Natrone Means ran for 67 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

For the Ravens, Vinny Testaverde was successful on 24 of 41 throws for 322 yards with three TDs but also three interceptions. Michael Jackson (pictured at right) caught 8 of those passes for 143 yards and a score. Jermaine Lewis had two TDs among his four catches for 73 yards and also added 118 yards on his four kickoff returns.  Earnest Byner had 63 yards on 14 rushing attempts.

The severe ankle injury kept Johnson out of the Week 2 contest and Brunell was back in action thereafter. Jacksonville went on to an 11-5 record, placing second in the AFC Central and again qualifying for the postseason. The Jaguars lost to Denver in the Wild Card round. The Ravens finished at the bottom of the division at 6-9-1.

Rob Johnson saw little action the rest of the way but his performance at Baltimore drew the interest of other teams. He was traded to Buffalo during the next offseason for first and fourth round draft choices, although he did not find much success as a full-time starting quarterback in a career that lasted until 2003.

1988: Broncos Win AFC Title as Browns Fumble Away Last Chance

On January 17, 1988 the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns met for the AFC Championship for the second consecutive year. In the previous season’s meeting at Cleveland, QB John Elway led the Broncos on a 98-yard drive to tie the game in the fourth quarter and Denver won in overtime. The rematch would be at Mile High Stadium this time, and the Browns were hoping to turn the tables.

In the strike-affected 1987 season (one week wiped out, three with the teams populated by replacement players), the Broncos again won the AFC West with a conference-best 10-4-1 record (2-1 in the replacement games). Coached by Dan Reeves for the seventh year, the key to the offense remained Elway, who passed for 3198 yards and 19 TDs and became even more formidable when the team began using a shotgun offense. Wide receivers Vance Johnson, Ricky Nattiel, and Mark Jackson, known as “The Three Amigos”, were all capable of making big plays (Johnson was out for the game against the Browns due to a groin injury). The defense had been overhauled but had outstanding players in DE Rulon Jones and LB Karl Mecklenburg. Denver defeated the Houston Oilers in the Divisional round to move once again to the conference title game.

Cleveland, under Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer, had won the AFC Central for the third straight year at 10-5 (also 2-1 in games with replacement playes). The run-oriented offense featured RB Earnest Byner and FB Kevin Mack, but also had the conference’s top-rated quarterback in Bernie Kosar (95.4 rating). Byner had the most pass receptions, but deep-threat WR Webster Slaughter, possession WR Brian Brennan, and TE Ozzie Newsome were a talented group. The most notable players on “the Dawg Defense” were LB Clay Matthews and cornerbacks Frank Minnifield and Hanford Dixon. The Browns had easily beaten the Colts in their Divisional game to advance.

It was sunny and in the 40s with 75,993 fans in attendance at Mile High Stadium. They saw the home team get an early break as DE Freddie Gilbert intercepted a deflected pass on the third play from scrimmage, giving the Broncos the ball at the Cleveland 18 yard line. RB Sammy Winder ran twice for 11 yards, lost one, and then Elway threw to Nattiel for an eight-yard touchdown.

The Browns turned the ball over again on their next possession as Mack fumbled when hit by FS Tony Lilly and CB Steve Wilson recovered for the Broncos at the Denver 40. Following a seven-yard scramble by Elway, RB Gene Lang broke away for a 42-yard gain to the Cleveland 11 and seven plays later, RB Steve Sewell ran for a touchdown from a yard out on a reverse. Two turnovers by the Browns had led to two TDs for Denver and it was 14-0 at just over 11 minutes into the game.

The Browns came back with a 13-play drive that covered 64 yards and stretched into the second quarter. Kosar threw to Newsome for a 25-yard gain on the first play and also hit for 19 yards to WR Clarence Weathers in a third-and-17 situation that moved the ball to the Denver 19. Cleveland got to the six yard line before having to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Matt Bahr, but had put together a good sustained drive and gotten on the board.


The Broncos responded with a scoring drive of their own, moving 80 yards in eleven plays. Elway (pictured at right) threw to Nattiel for 21 yards to the Cleveland one on a third-and-seven play and Lang went one yard up the middle to finish it off and, with Rich Karlis adding his third extra point, it was a formidable 21-3 margin for Denver.

Following a short three-and-out series for the Browns, the Broncos again drove into Cleveland territory. Elway again scrambled out of trouble along the way, taking off on an 11-yard run for a first down in a third-and-ten situation from his own 46. The drive stalled at the Browns’ 33 and a 50-yard field goal attempt by Karlis went wide to the left.

Mack started off the Cleveland series with a 13-yard run and Kosar threw to Slaughter for nine, but after moving into Denver territory, a 15-yard personal foul penalty moved the ball back to the Cleveland 42 and Brennan fumbled after catching a short pass and safety Randy Robbins recovered at the 48. Fortunately for the Browns, this time the Broncos came up empty on the takeaway and had to punt. Cleveland had a shot at putting three more points on the board after Kosar connected with Slaughter for 24 yards to the Denver 28, but Bahr’s 45-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half was no good.

It was the turn of the Browns to capitalize on a turnover when, on Denver’s initial possession of the third quarter, FS Felix Wright intercepted an Elway throw and returned it 13 yards to the Broncos’ 35. Three plays later, Kosar threw to WR Reggie Langhorne for an 18-yard touchdown and, with the successful conversion, it was a 21-10 contest.

Still, the Broncos came right back. In a third-and-ten situation at his own 20, a scrambling Elway tossed a short pass to Mark Jackson who proceeded to sprint down the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown. It seemed as though Denver had regained command, but the Browns put together an 80-yard drive of their own that took just five plays. The last three were pass completions by Kosar of 12 yards to Byner, 30 to Langhorne, and to Byner again for 32 yards and a TD. The score was 28-17 with just under seven minutes remaining in the period.


The Broncos had to punt following a short series and, starting from the Denver 42, Kosar (pictured at left) again passed the Browns down the field. This time it was nine yards to Mack (followed by a five-yard encroachment penalty on the Broncos), 16 to Slaughter, and eight once more to Mack before Byner ran up the middle for a four-yard touchdown. Suddenly, it was a four-point game in what had been an eventful third quarter.

The period wasn’t over yet and the Broncos went 59 yards in nine plays, highlighted by a 22-yard Elway completion to Jackson. Karlis was successful on a 38-yard field goal attempt and Denver led by 31-24 going into the final period.

Taking over at their own 14 following the kickoff return, the Browns put together an 86-yard drive in nine plays. The biggest along the way was a Kosar pass to Byner that gained 53 yards to the Denver 27. Three plays later, Mack ran for 14 yards to get the ball inside the ten and, on third-and-goal from the four, Kosar passed to Slaughter for a touchdown. Bahr added the extra point and the game that had seemed under control for the Broncos only a short time before was now tied at 31-31.

On the next possession, Elway came out passing and connected with Jackson for 23 yards, but the drive stalled at midfield. With fourth-and-one, the team lined up in shotgun formation but Elway punted, although his kick traveled only 18 yards. The Browns had to punt after their possession, giving the Broncos the ball at their own 25.

Elway threw to Nattiel for 26 yards and, after a three-yard carry by Winder and an incomplete pass, it was again to Nattiel for 26 more yards to the Cleveland 20. Following a time out, Elway passed to Winder three yards behind the line of scrimmage and the running back proceeded to go all the way to put the Broncos ahead by a touchdown.

With just under four minutes remaining on the clock, the Browns started at their own 25. Byner gained 16 yards up the middle and, after another short carry, Kosar threw to Brennan for 14 yards and again for 19, putting the ball at the Denver 24 at the two-minute warning. The Browns gained another five yards on an encroachment penalty and ran for six yards to the 13. Following an incomplete pass and another five-yard penalty on the Broncos, Byner took the ball and had a good gain with the end zone in sight before fumbling. DB Jeremiah Castille recovered for Denver at the three and, for all intents, it was all over (aftermath with Byner in foreground and pile untangling following the fumble pictured at top).

The Broncos ran the clock down with Elway maintaining possession all the way and punter Mike Horan took an intentional safety. After the free kick, Kosar’s last-gasp pass fell incomplete and the Denver Broncos were once again AFC Champions by a score of 38-33.

The Browns had the edge in total yards (464 to 412) and first downs (25 to 24). However, they also turned the ball over four times, including the play that came to be known simply as “The Fumble” at the end, while Denver had just one.

John Elway completed 14 of 26 passes for 281 yards with three touchdowns and an interception and also ran the ball 11 times for 36 yards. Ricky Nattiel caught 5 of those throws for 95 yards and a TD and Mark Jackson (pictured below) gained 134 yards on his 4 receptions that also included a score. Sammy Winder led the team in rushing with 72 yards on 20 carries while, with the one long run, Gene Lang added 51 yards on 5 attempts.


For the Browns, Bernie Kosar went to the air 41 times and completed 26 for 356 yards and three TDs with one picked off. Earnest Byner led the team in rushing with 67 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and also in receiving with 7 catches for 120 yards and a score - unfortunately, the fumble at the end overshadowed the rest. Kevin Mack also ran the ball 15 times and accumulated 61 yards.

“I’m enjoying it now that it’s over,” said Elway afterward. “It was a little nerve-wracking at the time.”

Said a dejected Earnest Byner, “We know that Denver practices stripping the ball every day. Every time you run the ball, they try to take it out of your hands. Maybe if I had pulled the ball in closer…well, I don’t know.”

“This football team would not have been in a position to win the game if it wasn't for Earnest Byner,” said Marty Schottenheimer in defense of his star running back. “I already told it to him. If it hadn't been for - for lack of a better word - Earnest's heroics, we wouldn't have been in the position to win.”

The Broncos went on to lose the Super Bowl to the Washington Redskins. They dipped to 8-8 in 1988 but won their third AFC title in four years in ’89. Unfortunately for them, they lost the Super Bowls in each instance. Cleveland again made it to the postseason in ’88, but as a wild card entry. They lost a close contest in the first round and Schottenheimer was forced to resign. Under Bud Carson in 1989, the Browns again advanced to the AFC Championship game, and again lost to Denver in a contest that was not as closely decided as the previous two between the clubs. The team faded from contention thereafter.