2000: Anderson Runs for 195 Yards as Broncos Defeat Seahawks

The Denver Broncos were at 7-4, having won three straight games – the last two in dramatic fashion – as they faced the Seattle Seahawks on November 26, 2000. Head Coach Mike Shanahan’s team was without injured starting QB Brian Griese, and backup QB Gus Frerotte was taking his place. RB Mike Anderson (pictured above), a 27-year-old rookie, was proving to be a welcome surprise, especially with former star RB Terrell Davis struggling after sustaining a major knee injury the previous year.

Seattle, coached by Mike Holmgren, had a 4-7 record after having lost five straight games at one point, although they had won their last two. While 31-year-old RB Ricky Watters was still very productive, the team had problems at quarterback, where Brock Huard couldn’t stay healthy and Jon Kitna was not showing the consistency to be a successful starter.  The defense had some good individual performers but otherwise was poor against both the run and pass.

There were 68,661 fans in attendance at Husky Stadium and they saw a scoreless first quarter. Brock Huard started behind center for the Seahawks, but went down early in the second quarter after completing three of six passes for 48 yards and was replaced by Jon Kitna.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Seattle DE Michael Sinclair recovered a Frerotte fumble and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown and, with Rian Lindell adding the extra point, the home team was ahead by 7-0. The Broncos responded with a 10-play drive that covered 59 yards. Gus Frerotte converted a third-and-one with a nine-yard run and completed passes to TE Dwayne Carswell for 20 yards and WR Rod Smith for 22 yards to the Seattle 19. The series ended with Jason Elam kicking a 35-yard field goal.

The Seahawks came back with an 81-yard scoring possession in nine plays. In a third-and-10 situation deep in his own territory, Kitna connected with Ricky Watters for 13 yards. Two plays later, Watters broke away for a 55-yard run to the Denver 13. Watters remained the prime mover as, facing third-and-seven, he caught a pass from Kitna for nine yards to set up his carry for the last yard and a TD. Lindell added the PAT and Seattle was up by 14-3.

With time running down in the first half, the Broncos came back and struck quickly, going 66 yards in five plays. Frerotte passed to Smith for 25 yards and then followed up with a throw to TE Desmond Clark for a 43-yard touchdown. Elam added the extra point and the score was 14-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter, FS Eric Brown recovered a fumble by Seattle WR Darrell Jackson and the Broncos went 77 yards in nine plays. Along the way, Frerotte threw to Clark for a 25-yard gain and Mike Anderson ran the last 15 yards for a TD. Elam put the visitors up by three points at 17-14.

It seemed as though the Seahawks would move back in front as they drove into Denver territory, but a Kitna pass into the end zone was picked off by Eric Brown. However, Seattle’s defense came through with another big play, this time when Anderson fumbled and LB Chad Brown picked it up and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Lindell converted and the Seahawks were back in front at 21-17.

Yet another fumble by the Broncos, this time by CB Deltha O’Neal on the ensuing kickoff, gave Seattle an opportunity late in the period. LB Isaiah Kacyvenski recovered at the Denver 31 and four plays later Lindell kicked a 42-yard field goal. The Seahawks took a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter.

A Frerotte pass was intercepted by CB Shawn Springs to give Seattle the ball at the Denver 37, but the Seahawks came up empty when, attempting to convert a fourth-and-one situation at the 28, rookie RB Shaun Alexander was stopped for no gain.

The Broncos responded with a 72-yard drive in six plays. Anderson ran for 11 yards and, on a third-and-ten play, Frerotte connected with WR Ed McCaffrey for 11 yards to midfield. Smith then took off on an end-around play for a 50-yard touchdown and, adding Elam’s extra point, the score was knotted at 24-24.

A big play on defense put Denver ahead when CB Jimmy Spencer, starting in place of the injured Ray Crockett, intercepted a pass and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown with the clock showing less than six minutes remaining to play. But the Seahawks came back with an 86-yard series that took just six plays. Kitna completed a pass to Watters in a third-and-20 situation that covered 59 yards to the Denver eight, and from there WR Sean Dawkins pulled in a touchdown pass. With Lindell’s PAT, the score was again tied at 31-31.

It didn’t stay tied for long when, two plays into the next series, Anderson headed around left end and broke away for an 80-yard touchdown, slowing down to avoid two defenders at the ten before proceeding to the end zone. There was still 3:46 remaining, but the game ended with Kitna throwing four incomplete passes after reaching the Denver 40 and the Broncos held on to win by a final score of 38-31.

Denver had the edge in total yards (538 to 354), with 301 yards of that total coming on the ground. The Broncos also led in first downs (25 to 17), although they hurt themselves with five turnovers, to three suffered by the Seahawks.

Mike Anderson rushed for 195 yards on 30 carries that included two touchdowns. Gus Frerotte (pictured at left) completed 15 of 31 passes for 244 yards and a TD, but with two intercepted. Rod Smith had four catches for 82 yards and, with the big scoring run on the reverse, gained 78 yards on three rushing attempts.

For the Seahawks, Ricky Watters was highly productive with 77 yards on 16 carries that included a TD and 9 pass receptions for 126 yards. Jon Kitna was successful on 20 of 42 throws for 226 yards and a touchdown as well as two interceptions. Sean Dawkins contributed 7 catches for 54 yards and a score.

“I come out every weekend and when they give me a chance to play, I play my hardest,” said Anderson. “I know at times I’m going to make mistakes but at the same time, I need to keep playing as hard as I can.”

The Broncos won their next two games, including a rematch with the Seahawks in Denver, and finished up the regular season with an 11-5 record. That placed them second in the AFC West and qualified for a Wild Card playoff spot, where they lost to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens in the first round. Seattle ended up fourth in the division at 6-10.

Mike Anderson’s 195-yard rushing total was not his season high – the next week he gained 251 yards at New Orleans. He ended up with 1487 yards on 297 carries with 15 touchdowns. Anderson had spent four years in the military and didn’t play football until he entered college. Chosen by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, he made the most of the opportunity presented to him when injuries depleted the backfield and was a key to Denver’s playoff run.

Ricky Watters (pictured at right) rushed for 1242 yards on 278 attempts (4.5 avg.) and caught 63 passes for 613 yards while scoring a team-leading total of nine touchdowns. It was his sixth straight thousand-yard rushing total and seventh overall in a career that started with the 49ers. It was his last year as a full-time starter as Shaun Alexander supplanted him in 2001, his final season.

1999: Elway Caps Career as Broncos Beat Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII

The Denver Broncos, winners of the Super Bowl following the 1997 season, were even stronger in 1998 as they topped the AFC West with a 14-2 record and breezed past the Dolphins and Jets in the playoffs to again earn another conference title. On January 31, 1999 they faced the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII to defend their crown.

Coached by Mike Shanahan for the fourth season, the Broncos had regained the services of 38-year-old star QB John Elway (pictured above) for another year after he had considered retirement in the previous offseason. It was widely anticipated that this would be his finale for sure. RB Terrell Davis was a vital cog in the offense as he rushed for 2008 yards. Wide receivers Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey both gained over a thousand receiving yards and TE Shannon Sharpe added 64 catches for 768 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The NFC Champion Falcons were coached for the second year by Dan Reeves, the longtime mentor in Denver who had led the Broncos to three AFC titles (and as many Super Bowl defeats), and had been forced to leave the club for a time in the late season due to heart bypass surgery. They had also gone 14-2, but were not as highly regarded as the defending champs, having won a close Divisional playoff game against the 49ers and then stunning the Minnesota Vikings in overtime for the NFC title. Atlanta featured a strong running attack led by RB Jamal Anderson (1846 yards) while 33-year-old veteran QB Chris Chandler, often injured and cast aside by five teams thus far in his career, stayed healthy and performed capably with his accurate passing. The opportunistic defense, anchored by MLB Jessie Tuggle, led the league with 44 takeaways and a +20 turnover differential. However, they received a jolt when Pro Bowl FS Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting a prostitute the night before the game, providing an unneeded distraction.

Still, the Falcons got off to a fast start before 74,803 fans at Miami’s Pro Player Stadium plus the mammoth television audience. Jamal Anderson gained 13 yards on his first carry and, with the help of a pass interference penalty, they reached the Denver eight yard line. However, on third down Chandler was sacked by LB Bill Romanowski for a seven-yard loss and Atlanta settled for a 32-yard Morten Andersen field goal to take the early 3-0 lead.

Denver came right back with a scoring drive that was highlighted by an Elway throw to Rod Smith that gained 41 yards on a third-and-seven play. Following a 14-yard Elway completion to Shannon Sharpe, FB Howard Griffith, who only carried the ball four times during the regular season, gained the last yard of the series for a touchdown (pictured below).

Late in the opening period, Atlanta got a break when an Elway pass bounced off the hands of Sharpe and was intercepted by CB Ronnie Bradford at the Denver 35. After advancing to the 26, in the first play of the second quarter Anderson was stopped for no gain in a third-and-one situation. Rather than go for the field goal, the Falcons tried to convert the fourth down and Anderson, taking a pitch from Chandler, was thrown for a two-yard loss.

Denver proceeded to put together a long 11-play drive that ended with Jason Elam kicking a 26-yard field goal that increased the lead to 10-3. Again the Falcons reached Denver territory in the following series but a field goal try by Morten Andersen from 26 yards flew wide to the right – likely not helped by a high snap from center. On the next play, Elway went deep for Rod Smith who beat Eugene Robinson and went all the way for an 80-yard touchdown.

Aided by a 42-yard kickoff return by WR Tim Dwight, Atlanta finally scored again before halftime, but it was a case of settling for a field goal of 28 yards by Andersen and they were down 11 points going into the intermission.

The Broncos failed to add to their lead when Elam missed two field goal attempts in the third quarter, from 38 and 48 yards. The first came at the end of the opening series of the second half in which Elway completed four passes in a 13-play possession. The second followed an interception by CB Darrius Johnson that gave the Broncos the ball at the Atlanta 42.

The Falcons were unable to capitalize on the missed field goals, although after the second they mounted a drive that carried to the Denver 21 – a touchdown could have put them very much back in the game. However, Chandler’s pass intended for an open TE O.J. Santiago was deflected at the line by DE Keith Traylor and CB Darrien Gordon (pictured below) intercepted and returned it 58 yards before he was brought down by the pursuing quarterback at the Atlanta 24.

The Broncos took full advantage of the break as Elway threw to WR Ed McCaffrey for a 15-yard gain and Griffith scored a TD, again from a yard out to start the fourth quarter, expanding Denver’s lead to 24-6.

The Falcons once more advanced into Denver territory but, after reaching the 26 yard line, a poorly-thrown pass by Chandler was picked off by Gordon and returned 50 yards to the Atlanta 48. Elway threw short for Terrell Davis, who gained 39 yards, and two plays later Elway ran for a three-yard TD on a quarterback draw that made it 31-6 with 11:20 left in the game.

Dwight returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a TD, but the Broncos responded by driving 34 yards in seven plays that concluded with Elam kicking a 37-yard field goal. A long possession yielded one more touchdown for the Falcons, on a three-yard Chandler pass to WR Terance Mathis, which was followed by an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt as well as an onside kick that the Broncos recovered. With two minutes remaining, however, the result was not in doubt. Denver repeated as NFL Champion by a score of 34-19.

The Broncos had the edge in total yards (457 to 337) and first downs (22 to 21). The Falcons turned the ball over four times, however, to one by Denver and all in all did poorly at taking advantage of scoring opportunities.

John Elway, the MVP of the game, completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards with a touchdown and an interception and also had the short rushing TD. Rod Smith (pictured below) was the receiving star with 5 catches for 152 yards and a TD. Terrell Davis gained 102 yards on 25 carries and added 50 more yards on two pass receptions. Howard Griffith, who with four rushes matched his total for the entire season, gained just nine yards but had the two short touchdowns. Darrien Gordon’s two interception returns that totaled 108 yards set a Super Bowl record.

For the Falcons, Chris Chandler was successful on 19 of 35 throws for 219 yards and a TD but also with three interceptions. Jamal Anderson ran the ball 18 times for 96 yards. Terance Mathis caught 7 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown and WR Tony Martin added 79 yards on 5 receptions.

“We just didn’t play well,” summed up Dan Reeves. “We just couldn’t get it done. We missed the field goal, missed the fourth down attempt, settled for two field goals, threw two interceptions. You can’t win if you don’t get it in the end zone.”

“I don’t know if it’s John’s last game,” said Mike Shanahan. “I think it’s a good chance it could be. If you’re going to go out, what a way to go out.”

While there was speculation that John Elway would come back once more with the opportunity to win a third straight championship, he did indeed retire. For his 16-season career, he completed 4123 passes for 51,475 yards, which both ranked second all-time at that point, and 300 touchdowns, which ranked third, and was selected to the Pro Bowl on nine occasions. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

With inexperienced Brian Griese at quarterback and Terrell Davis limited to 67 carries due to injury, the Broncos sank to 6-10 in 1999. They did return to the postseason in 2000. Atlanta, with Jamal Anderson also being lost for most of the year due to injury, dropped to 5-11. The Falcons would not post a winning record or make a playoff appearance again until 2002. 

2002: Tomlinson Rushes for 220 Yards as Chargers Beat Broncos in Overtime

The San Diego Chargers got off to a 6-1 start in the 2002 NFL season but then lost three of four before hosting the Denver Broncos on December 1. Coached by Marty Schottenheimer, the team featured RB LaDainian Tomlinson (pictured at right) on offense, already a star in his second year, and another second-year player, QB Drew Brees, had moved into the starting lineup with good results.

Denver, under eighth-year Head Coach Mike Shanahan, was at 7-4 and had beaten the Chargers earlier in the season. The Broncos had a star running back of their own in rookie Clinton Portis. But QB Brian Griese had been struggling with his consistency and 37-year-old backup Steve Beuerlein was starting.  He had seasoned wide receivers to throw to in Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey.

There were 66,682 fans in attendance at Qualcomm Stadium. The teams traded punts until the Broncos put together a seven-play scoring drive midway through the first quarter. Beuerlein tossed back-to-back completions to Rod Smith for 23 and 13 yards and Jason Elam kicked a 54-yard field goal.

The Chargers came back with a 56-yard possession, but following a third-down pass from Drew Brees to WR Eric Parker that picked up 30 yards to the Denver 24, San Diego could move no farther and Steve Christie’s 42-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.

Denver wasted no time in scoring again as Beuerlein threw to Ed McCaffrey for 17 yards, Clinton Portis ran for 8, and on the third play of the series Portis carried again for a 43-yard touchdown run up the middle. The successful extra point made it 10-0 in favor of San Diego. However, now it was San Diego’s turn to strike quickly. On the first play following the kickoff, LaDainian Tomlinson took off around left end on a 76 yard run to the Denver six yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Tomlinson rushed for a three-yard TD.

Following a punt by the Broncos that put the Chargers in good field position, Tomlinson again set the tone with a 24-yard carry and four plays later he reached the end zone from a yard out. San Diego had the lead for the first time at 14-10.

Denver turned the ball over on a fumble on its next series and once more it was Tomlinson scoring a touchdown to cap the ensuing possession, this time running in from five yards out. Down by 11 points, the Broncos struck fast as Beuerlein threw to McCaffrey for a 47-yard gain and, two plays later, Portis scored a touchdown on an eight-yard run.

The Chargers put together another scoring drive prior to the end of the half. Brees completed four passes and, with ten seconds left on the clock at the Denver two yard line, Christie booted a 20-yard field goal. San Diego took a 24-17 lead into halftime.

Denver started off the third quarter by driving to the tying score in ten plays. Portis rushed for 39 yards, including 18 on the first play, and caught a pass for 13. The series ended with Beuerlein tossing a 22-yard touchdown pass to RB Reuben Droughns and Elam added the extra point that made it 24-24.

Neither team was able to score during the remainder of the period, but the fourth quarter started with CB Alex Molden intercepting a Beuerlein pass to give San Diego possession at the Denver 30. Four plays later Christie kicked a 40-yard field goal that again put the Chargers in the lead by 27-24.

San Diego had a chance to add more points but Christie was wide on a 49-yard field goal attempt. Denver responded by driving to the Chargers’ seven yard line in 11 plays and Elam made good on a 24-yard field goal try that again knotted the score.

That was how it stood at the end of regulation. The Broncos had the first possession in overtime but had to punt. In a series that included a 25-yard run by Tomlinson the Chargers advanced to the Denver 19 but Christie’s 38-yard field goal attempt was blocked by DE Trevor Pryce. Beuerlein threw to TE Dwayne Carswell for a 19-yard gain as Denver moved into San Diego territory, and this time Elam was unsuccessful on a long three-point try from 53 yards.

Once again the Chargers drove into scoring position, with Tomlinson carrying the ball six times and Brees completing a pass to TE Stephen Alexander for 20 yards. With just over three minutes remaining in the extra period, Christie, who had a difficult day on field goal attempts, won the game with a 27-yard boot – his ninth career overtime field goal. San Diego ended up on top by a score of 30-27.

The Chargers had the edge in both total yards (434 to 417) and first downs (25 to 20). They also sacked Steve Beuerlein four times and didn’t turn the ball over at all, while Denver did so three times. The Broncos also committed nine penalties to just one flag thrown on San Diego.

LaDainian Tomlinson had the biggest performance, rushing for 220 yards on 37 carries with three touchdowns. Tomlinson’s rushing total included 10 carries for 57 yards in overtime. He broke his own club record of 217, which he shared with Gary Anderson, and was well on pace to break the team’s season rushing record held by Natrone Means (Tomlinson would exceed his single-game and season rushing records in subsequent years). With 11 pass receptions for 51 more yards, he gained 271 yards of total offense.

Drew Brees completed 27 of 41 passes for 217 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. While Tomlinson was well ahead in leading the Chargers in pass receptions, his 51 receiving yards were three ahead of Eric Parker’s 48 on three catches.

For the Broncos, Clinton Portis (pictured below) gained 159 yards on 23 carries and scored two TDs – a fine performance that was overshadowed by Tomlinson’s. Steve Beuerlein was successful on 22 of 39 throws for 288 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Ed McCaffrey topped the receivers with 7 catches for 126 yards.

The overtime win improved San Diego’s record to 8-4, but they didn’t win again, losing four straight to close out the year at 8-8 and third in the AFC West. The Broncos recovered to win two of their last four games to place second in the division at 9-7, just missing the playoffs.

LaDainian Tomlinson finished second in the league in rushing with 1683 yards on 372 carries (4.5 avg.) and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 79 passes for 489 yards and another TD. His 2172 total yards ranked fourth in the NFL and he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of an eventual five times.

2010: McNabb Leads Redskins to Overtime Win Over Packers

The Washington Redskins were off to a 2-2 start as they hosted the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field on October 10, 2010. The team had undergone a transformation following a miserable 4-12 record in ’09, bringing in GM Bruce Allen, Head Coach Mike Shanahan, and a new veteran quarterback in 33-year-old ex-Eagle Donovan McNabb (pictured above).

Green Bay, under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, was 3-1 and following up on an 11-5 record in 2009 that had put them in the playoffs. A young team, the Packers were retooling well, particularly at quarterback where Aaron Rodgers was proving to be a worthy successor to long-time star Brett Favre.

The Packers had possession first, but following a short kickoff return they turned the ball over on the second play from scrimmage. Rodgers passed to TE Donald Lee for 17 yards, but the tight end fumbled and safety Kareem Moore recovered and advanced 13 yards to the Green Bay 21. However, the Redskins moved backward rather than forward and ultimately were forced to punt from their 44.

Starting at their own 10, the Packers made a big play immediately as RB Brandon Jackson ran for a 71-yard gain to the Washington 19. Five plays later Rodgers threw to Lee for a five-yard touchdown and the early lead.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period, although a 35-yard pass from Rodgers to WR James Jones had the ball in Washington territory to start the second quarter. But after reaching the one yard line, the defense stopped two running plays and a Rodgers pass into the end zone was broken up on fourth down.

The Redskins advanced to their own 33 before being forced to punt and Hunter Smith’s kick was returned 52 yards by CB Tramon Williams right back to the line of scrimmage. Mason Crosby kicked a 52-yard field goal four plays later to make it 10-0.

After another exchange of punts, the Redskins appeared to be trapped back in their own territory before McNabb completed a pass to WR Santana Moss for 52 yards on third-and-18. Two carries by RB Ryan Torain gave the Redskins another first down at the Green Bay 25 and a McNabb shuttle pass to Moss gained nine more yards to the 16. A throw to TE Chris Cooley moved the ball inside the 10 and, with the clock down to 13 seconds, Graham Gano kicked a 26-yard field goal to conclude the 12-play, 78-yard drive and make the score 10-3 at halftime.

The Packers put together a 70-yard series in 9 plays in their first possession of the third quarter that featured a Rodgers pass to WR Donald Driver for 34 yards. Crosby was successful with a 36-yard field goal that put Green Bay back in front by ten points.

Following a short Washington possession, the Packers moved to the Redskins’ 29 in eight plays but Crosby missed a 48-yard field goal. The score remained 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams again exchanged punts until the Redskins, who had largely been dominated by Green Bay’s defense, struck quickly as McNabb went deep down the middle to WR Anthony Armstrong for a 48-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, Washington was just three points down with plenty of time on the clock.

After the Packers punted on their next series, McNabb went to Armstrong (pictured at right) on the first play for a 23-yard gain. When the drive stalled at the Green Bay 47, it was McNabb to Armstrong again for 13 yards and a first down on a third-and-10 play. But the Redskins could gain nothing further and Gano’s field goal attempt from 51 yards was wide to the right.

Green Bay failed to move the ball and punted back to the Redskins with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. With McNabb completing three passes, including 30 yards to Cooley, Washington went 53 yards in seven plays and this time Gano connected on a 45-yard field goal to make it a tie game at 13-13.

The Packers took over at their 21 with 1:07 on the clock and in three plays made it to the Washington 35, but Crosby’s 53-yard attempt at a game-winning field goal hit the upright and bounced away. There was time for one more play from the Washington 43 and a long pass by McNabb was intercepted by Tramon Williams at the goal line and returned 64 yards. The game went into overtime.

Characteristic of much of the game, the teams traded punts to start the extra period and then Rodgers was intercepted by diving safety LaRon Landry to give Washington the ball at the Green Bay 39. The Redskins advanced to the 15 with the help of two defensive penalties and Gano finished the contest with a 33-yard field goal to give them a 16-13 win at 6:54 into overtime.

Green Bay had more total yards than the Redskins (427 to 373), who punted on seven of their first eight possessions. Washington had the edge in first downs (21 to 17) as the Packers had difficulty moving the ball in the second half. Green Bay’s defense sacked McNabb five times, to four sacks of Rodgers by the Redskins, while the Packers turned the ball over twice – the last time fatally - to one suffered by Washington. In addition, Green Bay was penalized 9 times at a cost of 63 yards (to four for 28 yards on the Redskins).

Donovan McNabb completed 26 of 49 passes for 357 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Santana Moss caught 7 of those passes for 118 yards while Anthony Armstrong added 84 yards on three receptions that included the long TD. Chris Cooley also had 7 pass receptions, for 69 yards. The running game was mediocre for the Redskins, accumulating just 51 yards, and Ryan Torain led the way with 40 yards on 16 attempts.

For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers was successful on 27 of 46 throws for 293 yards with a TD and one intercepted; he also rushed for 30 yards on four attempts. With the long gain in the first quarter, Brandon Jackson rushed for 115 yards on just 10 carries and also led the team with 5 pass receptions that gained an additional 25 yards. James Jones had 65 yards on four catches and Donald Driver was right behind with 58 yards on his four receptions.

It was the second overtime win of the year for Washington, and the Redskins were now 3-2. However, after reaching 4-3 to match their win total of 2009, they lost seven of their last nine games to finish at the bottom of the NFC East with a disappointing 6-10 record.

It proved to be an especially disappointing season for Donovan McNabb, who ultimately clashed with Coach Shanahan, lost the starting job, and left after one year. He passed for 3377 yards with 14 touchdowns but also 15 interceptions.

The Packers moved in the opposite direction. Several players had to leave the game against the Redskins due to injuries, a chronic problem early on, and afterward it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers had suffered a concussion. But he and the team recovered and, following a sluggish start, Green Bay went 7-3 to close out the regular season, good for second place in the NFC North and a Wild Card slot in the postseason. They won four straight playoff games on the road, including the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aaron Rodgers performed ably, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3922 yards with 28 TDs against just 11 interceptions. His 101.2 passer rating led the NFC, as did his 8.3 yards per attempt.

2000: Warner Passes for 441 Yards as Rams Overcome Broncos

The St. Louis Rams began the defense of their surprising 1999 NFL title in a Monday night game on September 4, 2000 at home against the Denver Broncos. QB Kurt Warner (pictured at right), who had gone from unknown backup to league MVP in ’99, was back and had an outstanding stable of receivers that featured savvy veteran WR Isaac Bruce as well as second-year players Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. The Rams also had the highly productive Marshall Faulk at running back, who became just the second NFL player to reach over a thousand yards each in rushing and pass receiving in 1999. St. Louis did have a new head coach in Mike Martz, elevated from offensive coordinator to replace the retired Dick Vermeil, as well as new uniforms of navy blue and old gold.

The visiting Broncos, coached by Mike Shanahan, had been the NFL Champions in 1997 and ’98. However, they dropped precipitously to 6-10 in 1999, having lost star QB John Elway to retirement and 2000-yard RB Terrell Davis for most of the year due to injury. QB Brian Griese, son of Miami’s former Hall of Famer Bob Griese, had suffered through a difficult year in place of Elway and the defense was in a state of flux.

There were 65,596 in attendance at the Trans World Dome. The Rams started quietly, going three-and-out in their first possession - although they would not punt again for the remainder of the contest. Denver put together a 59-yard drive in six plays, the last of which was an eight-yard bootleg by Griese for a touchdown.

St. Louis came back to advance into Denver territory, but LB Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass at his own seven to end the threat. However, late in the first quarter Az-Zahir Hakim returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, which (with the successful extra point) tied the score and seemed to bring the Rams alive.

The Broncos moved back in front by 10-7 following a 32-yard field goal by Jason Elam. St. Louis responded with a five-yard touchdown run by Faulk with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. The teams traded touchdowns during the remainder of the second quarter, with Griese throwing to WR Rod Smith for a 25-yard TD and Warner connecting with WR Ricky Proehl from seven yards out in the final minute before halftime. The Rams led by 21-17 at the intermission.

Denver started off the third quarter with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that concluded with a 38-yard field goal by Elam to make it a one-point game. But the Rams struck quickly when a short pass from Warner to Faulk turned into a 72-yard touchdown.

The next time St. Louis got the ball, it was another quick score on a short throw by Warner that Hakim, breaking a tackle by former Rams safety Billy Jenkins at the line of scrimmage, went 80 yards with for a TD. Just two short tosses had gained a total of 152 yards and two touchdowns, put the home crowd in a frenzy, and given the Rams a 35-20 lead. But the Broncos were far from done.

For the second time, Al Wilson intercepted a Warner pass and the Broncos took advantage as Griese completed a seven-yard TD pass to TE Desmond Clark to close the margin to 35-27. Heading into the fourth quarter, an Elam field goal from 36 yards made it a five-point game.

St. Louis fell behind after a Warner pass intended for Torry Holt was picked off by CB Terrell Buckley, who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown and, although an attempt to add a two-point conversion failed, Denver had a 36-35 lead with 6:35 remaining on the clock.

The Rams rallied, however, putting together a 75-yard drive that featured Faulk running for a 30-yard gain to the Denver one. RB Robert Holcombe gained the last yard with just under three minutes to play, although the try for two points was unsuccessful. Still, the defending champs were back in front by five points.

Denver had a chance in the last two minutes, but the Rams defense, which had seemed so vulnerable throughout the contest, came alive and managed to sack Griese twice. Finally, on a fourth-and-33 play, Griese was hit by DE Grant Wistrom and he tossed an errant throw that fell incomplete to clinch the 41-36 win for St. Louis.

With several big plays, the Rams outgained Denver by 433 yards to 274, but the Broncos led in first downs by 25 to 23. St. Louis was nearly done in by three turnovers, as opposed to none surrendered by Denver.

Kurt Warner, who spread the ball around to seven different receivers, completed 25 of 35 passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns, although he also gave up the three interceptions. Marshall Faulk rushed for 78 yards and a TD in 14 carries and added 100 yards and another score on four pass receptions. Indeed, the Rams had three hundred-yard receivers in the same game for the first time since 1951 as Az-Zahir Hakim gained 116 yards on his 5 catches and Torry Holt pulled in 6 passes for 103 yards. It was a highly productive game for the often-overlooked Hakim, who, with the long punt return for a TD, accumulated 202 total yards.

For the Broncos, Brian Griese (pictured below) had great success picking apart the St. Louis defense, going to the air 29 times and completing 19 for 307 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. WR Ed McCaffrey led the receivers with 7 catches for 115 yards and Rod Smith gained 88 yards on his three receptions that included a touchdown. RB Olandis Gary paced the club with 80 yards on 13 attempts. Terrell Davis gained 34 yards on 9 carries before leaving the contest with a twisted ankle suffered in the first quarter.

“That’s the name of our game,” said Kurt Warner afterward. “That’s what we do around here, we spread it around and get it to everybody and take advantage of what defenses are doing to us.”

“This was a game that if you like offense, it was fun to watch,” said Mike Shanahan. “If you like defense, you picked the wrong one to go to.”

The exciting win over Denver set the stage for the Rams to get off to a 6-0 start, but they faltered during the second half of the season to finish at 10-6 and, due to tiebreakers, second in the NFC West. While they still made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, the Rams fell to New Orleans in the first round. Still an extremely potent offensive team, as the contest against the Broncos showed, St. Louis was leaky on defense. Denver bounced back to return to the postseason, also as a Wild Card with an 11-5 record. The Broncos lost in the first round as well, to the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens.

Kurt Warner missed five games due to injury, but still passed for 3429 yards (averaging 311.7 per game) and 21 touchdowns, and was again selected to the Pro Bowl. Marshall Faulk, while out for two contests, was again prolific as he ran for 1359 yards and 18 TDs and caught 81 passes for another 830 yards and eight scores, giving him 2189 yards from scrimmage and a then-record 26 touchdowns scored.

Az-Zahir Hakim remained productive as the number three wide receiver and primary punt returner, although nagging injuries wore him down as well. He had 53 catches for 734 yards (13.8 avg.) and four touchdowns and averaged 15.3 yards on his 32 punt returns.

Brian Griese, who received much praise for his improved performance against the Rams, had a Pro Bowl year, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 2688 yards and 19 TDs against just four interceptions. 

1998: Broncos Beat Chiefs in Hard-Fought Divisional Playoff

The AFC Divisional playoff matchup on January 4, 1998 featured two AFC West rivals, the visiting Denver Broncos, a 12-4 wild card entrant, and the host Kansas City Chiefs, the top-seeded club in the conference at 13-3.

The Broncos, under Head Coach Mike Shanahan, were built around 37-year-old veteran QB John Elway and RB Terrell Davis (pictured above), the AFC’s top rusher with 1750 yards. Shannon Sharpe was a highly-productive receiver from the tight end position and unheralded wide receivers Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey benefited from his presence. Key defensive players included DE Neil Smith, who was picked for the Pro Bowl; LB John Mobley, who received All-Pro recognition; and seasoned veterans LB Bill Romanowski, CB Ray Crockett, and FS Steve Atwater.

Kansas City, coached by Marty Schottenheimer for the ninth year, was in the postseason for the seventh time during that period but had yet to make it to the Super Bowl. QB Elvis Grbac suffered a broken collarbone during the season but was back for the playoff game. 37-year-old RB Marcus Allen may have been past his prime, but he was still outstanding in short yardage situations, as attested to by his 11 rushing touchdowns. WR Andre Rison had revived his career in Kansas City, earning a Pro Bowl slot with 72 catches for 1092 yards. On defense, both of the starting cornerbacks, Dale Carter and James Hasty, were Pro Bowlers and the linebacker corps led by Derrick Thomas was outstanding.

The Broncos easily dispatched Jacksonville by a score of 42-17 in the Wild Card playoff round while Kansas City had a bye week. There were 76,965 in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium on an overcast day.

The first quarter was scoreless as the Broncos had two long possessions into Kansas City territory that resulted in punts and the Chiefs went three-and-out in between and had the ball on a series that extended into the second quarter and made it to the Denver 47 before also resulting in a punt. The Broncos again kicked and Tom Rouen’s second punt (following a penalty) went just 25 yards and gave Kansas City good field position at the Denver 30. But Pete Stoyanovich’s successful 34-yard field goal attempt was taken away by a ten-yard holding penalty, and his second try from 44 yards was no good when it bounced off the crossbar.

The Broncos proceeded to drive 65 yards in eight plays highlighted by Elway completions of 26 yards to TE Dwayne Carswell and 17 yards to Rod Smith on a third-and-seven play to the Kansas City four yard line. Just after the two-minute warning, Terrell Davis ran one yard for a touchdown and Denver took a 7-0 lead into halftime (it was the first rushing TD the Chiefs defense had allowed at home since the 1996 regular season, a string of 42 quarters).

The Chiefs received the second half kickoff and drove 67 yards in 11 plays. Grbac started off with a completion to Rison for 34 yards and there were two third-down conversions along the way. Two runs by Grbac got the ball down to the six and on third-and-goal from the three, a pass into the end zone was pulled down by rookie TE Tony Gonzalez, but he was unable to keep both feet inbounds. Stoyanovich kicked a 20-yard field goal to narrow the score to 7-3.

It appeared that the Broncos would add to their lead when, on the third play following the ensuing kickoff, Davis took off on a 41-yard run to the KC 11. However, RB Derek Loville fumbled two plays later and safety Reggie Tongue recovered for the Chiefs. The teams traded punts before Grbac threw to WR Joe Horn for a 50-yard gain to the Denver 15. A 12-yard scoring pass to Gonzalez put Kansas City in front by 10-7 going into the fourth quarter.

The Broncos wasted little time regaining the lead as, early in the final period, Elway connected with McCaffrey for a 43-yard completion to the Kansas City one. From there, and after being stopped twice for no gain, Davis scored his second short TD of the day. With Jason Elam’s successful point after, Denver led by four.

There were still over twelve minutes remaining in the game and the Chiefs responded with Grbac throwing to Rison for a 23-yard gain and Marcus Allen carrying for 14 to the Denver 35. The drive stalled and, on fourth-and-six they lined up for 48-yard field goal attempt. However, it was a fake as holder Louie Aguiar took off and ran, but he was stopped by CB Darrien Gordon after picking up only three yards. The teams traded punts, neither able to sustain a drive until Kansas City got the ball back at its 17 yard line with just over four minutes remaining.

A 29-yard pass interference penalty on the Broncos moved the ball to the KC 46, but a 10-yard call for tripping on the Chiefs took it back to the 36. An 11-yard completion to Gonzalez gained some of the yardage back, but after two incomplete passes, it was fourth-and-nine. Grbac kept the drive – and his team’s hopes – alive with a pass to WR Lake Dawson that gained 12 yards.

DE Alfred Williams sacked Grbac for a 10-yard loss, but a completion to Rison was good for 23 yards and another first down at the Denver 28. With no timeouts left, Grbac completed three passes that totaled eight yards. A fourth-and-two throw intended for Dawson in the end zone was deflected by Gordon and fell incomplete. That was the last gasp for the Chiefs as Denver held on for the 14-10 win.

Kansas City had the edge both in total yards (303 to 272) and first downs (18 to 16). The Chiefs suffered no turnovers while Denver gave up the ball twice on fumbles. However, Grbac was sacked four times (as opposed to Elway being dumped once). Untimely penalties (one of which took three points off the board), the failure on the fake field goal, and, ultimately, the inability to reach paydirt on the final drive made a difference in the closely-fought contest.

Terrell Davis rushed for 101 yards on 25 carries and had the two short touchdowns. John Elway completed just 10 of 19 passes for 170 yards with no TDs but also none intercepted. Ed McCaffrey led the team’s receivers with 3 catches for 56 yards.

For the Chiefs, Elvis Grbac was successful on 24 of 37 throws for 260 yards and a touchdown, also with none intercepted; he also ran the ball four times for 22 yards. While nine different receivers caught passes, Andre Rison (pictured below) stood out with his 8 for 110 yards. Marcus Allen, in the last game of his Hall of Fame career, ran for 37 yards on 12 carries.


“This was one of the best football games I've ever been involved in,” summed up Mike Shanahan. “It was hard hitting on both sides of the ball. I was really pleased with the way we hung in there and came up with big plays. I'm really pleased with the character of our team.”

“I'm disappointed,” said Marty Schottenheimer, after another failure to advance in the playoffs. “I told our football team that I have no words of wisdom that are meaningful to them at this point. Without a doubt, the men in that room gave everything to this organization that one could ever ask.”

The Broncos went on to defeat Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game and the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. It was the first win for an AFC club at that level since the 1983 season and was the first of two straight for Denver. Kansas City collapsed to 7-9 in 1998, marking the end of Schottenheimer’s coaching tenure, and did not reappear in the postseason until 2003.

2006: Steelers Beat Broncos for AFC Title with Third Straight Road Win

The AFC Championship game on January 22, 2006 at INVESCO Field at Mile High featured the host Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC West with a 13-3 record, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an 11-5 wild card team that had finished second to the Bengals in the AFC North.

The Broncos, under Head Coach Mike Shanahan, did well in 2005 with veteran Jake Plummer at quarterback, who in his third year with the club had thrown for 3366 yards and 18 touchdowns and, most notably for the often-erratic passer, tied his career low with just seven interceptions (he had led the NFL with 20 in ’04). Denver had become best known for its ground game during the Shanahan era, and running backs Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell combined for a total of 1935 yards and 20 touchdowns. 35-year-old Pro Bowl WR Rod Smith caught 85 passes for 1105 yards. MLB Al Wilson, CB Champ Bailey, and FS John Lynch were among the best in the league at their positions.

Pittsburgh, led by Head Coach Bill Cowher for the 14th year, had dropped from 15-1 in 2004, suffering during the ’05 season when second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) missed time due to injury. But they won their last four games to close out the regular season and then went on the road to beat division-rival Cincinnati in the Wild Card round and the Colts at the Divisional level, thus eliminating the third and first seeds, respectively, in the AFC postseason. While 33-year-old RB Jerome Bettis was fading in his last year, RB Willie Parker ran for 1202 yards. Reliable WR Hines Ward caught 69 passes for 975 yards and 11 TDs. C Jeff Hartings and G Alan Faneca were Pro Bowlers on the offensive line, and NT Casey Hampton, LB Joey Porter, and SS Troy Polamalu were feature players on the tough defense.

The Broncos had the game’s first possession and punted. Pittsburgh put together a long, 12-play drive that included a Roethlisberger pass to WR Antwaan Randle-El for 20 yards, a pass to Ward on a third-and-three play that was nearly intercepted by Bailey but picked up seven yards instead, and a successful challenge of what was initially ruled a fumble by Parker to keep the drive going. After all that, Jeff Reed kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Steelers the early 3-0 lead.

On the third play of Denver’s next possession, Plummer fumbled when sacked by Porter and Hampton recovered for Pittsburgh at the Broncos’ 39 yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Roethlisberger threw to WR Cedrick Wilson in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.

Reed kicked out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff to give the Broncos the ball on their own 40 and they moved 55 yards in 12 plays that resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Jason Elam to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-3.

However, the Steelers again put together a long drive of 80 yards in 14 plays, converting three third downs along the way. Bettis finished it with a three-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the half. Plummer was immediately intercepted on their next play from scrimmage by CB Ike Taylor to give Pittsburgh another possession at the Denver 38. The Steelers made the most of it with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Ward and had a formidable 24-3 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, the Broncos put together a scoring drive of 80 yards in five plays, featuring a Plummer pass to Smith for 32 yards. Plummer completed a 30-yard touchdown throw to WR Ashley Lelie and the Pittsburgh lead was cut to 24-10.

The Steelers drove to a 42-yard Reed field goal early in the fourth quarter, and once again Plummer was intercepted on Denver’s next play following a 47-yard kickoff return by WR Charlie Adams. Pittsburgh went three-and-out and this time the Broncos drove 80 yards, with Plummer completing a pass to Lelie for 38 of that total, and RB Mike Anderson ran for a three-yard touchdown. Denver was down by ten at 27-17 with under eight minutes to play.

Pittsburgh again went three-and-out, but the Broncos couldn’t move when they got the ball back and on a fourth-and-ten play, Plummer fumbled when sacked and DE Travis Kirschke recovered for the Steelers at the Denver 17. Five plays later, Roethlisberger ran the ball in himself for a four yard touchdown that provided the final score of 34-17.

The statistics seemed closer than the score as the Steelers led in total yardage (358 yards to 308) and first downs (20 to 16). However, while Pittsburgh didn’t turn the ball over, the Broncos did four times, and all directly attributable to Plummer, who fumbled twice and was intercepted twice - three of those turnovers directly led to scores by the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and of course wasn’t intercepted. Cedrick Wilson caught 5 passes for 92 yards and a TD and Hines Ward also had 5 receptions, for 59 yards and a score. Jerome Bettis gained 39 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown and Willie Parker contributed 35 yards on 14 attempts.


For Denver, Jake Plummer (pictured at left), beyond the turnovers, was successful on 18 of 30 passes for 223 yards and a TD against the two interceptions; he also ran for 30 yards on 7 attempts. Rod Smith and TE Jeb Putzier caught 4 passes apiece, for 61 and 55 yards respectively, while Ashley Lelie gained 68 yards on his two receptions. Mike Anderson was the team’s leading rusher, gaining 36 yards on 9 carries that included a TD, and Tatum Bell added 31 yards on five attempts.

“We did not complete the mission and it's frustrating,” said Denver LB Ian Gold. “But anytime you make it to the AFC championship game and you lose, you hope to lose to a team like that.”

In beating the Broncos in Denver, the Steelers became the first team to win three playoff games on the road since the New England Patriots in 1985, and defeated each of the top three seeded clubs in the conference in doing so.

“If you look at our ownership, Mr. (Dan) Rooney is a football guy and he understands how hard it is to do this,” Bill Cowher said. “Nothing would be more satisfying to me than to hand him the Vince Lombardi trophy in two weeks.”

Coach Cowher got his wish as the Steelers went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl, which also gave them a fifth Super Bowl victory (still well short of Green Bay’s record of 12 NFL championships, going back to 1920).

For Jake Plummer, the turnover-filled loss in the AFC title game was the beginning of the end for both his tenure in Denver and career. He was benched in favor of rookie Jay Cutler during the 2006 season and was dealt to Tampa Bay, choosing to retire instead. While he could be an exciting performer, his erratic tendencies ultimately curtailed his effectiveness.