1977: Broncos Defeat Steelers in AFC Divisional Playoff

The AFC Divisional playoff game on December 24, 1977 featured the Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC West at 12-2 and newcomers to the postseason, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, AFC Central champs for the fourth straight year with a 9-5 record.

The Broncos, coached by Red Miller, were appearing in the postseason for the first time in a franchise history dating back to 1960 in the American Football League. They had made it with a conservative offense directed by QB Craig Morton (pictured above), who was new to Denver but a 35-year-old veteran previously with Dallas and the Giants. The key to success was the rugged “Orange Crush” defense that included DE Lyle Alzado, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson, CB Louis Wright, and SS Bill Thompson.

Pittsburgh had enjoyed great success under Head Coach Chuck Noll, winning back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1974 and ’75 seasons and reaching the AFC title game in 1976. However, there had been off-field turmoil heading into the 1977 season and the team was uncharacteristically turnover-prone on offense and less dominating on defense, and they lost to Denver during the regular season. Still, the nucleus of QB Terry Bradshaw, FB Franco Harris, and wide receivers Lynn Swann on offense and DT “Mean Joe” Greene, linebackers Jack Lambert and Jack Ham, and CB Mel Blount on defense was intact.

It was a sunny day at Mile High Stadium with over 75,000 fans in attendance and they saw the teams exchange punts to start the game. The Steelers had to punt again following their second possession but the kick by Rick Engles was blocked by WR John Schultz and Denver had the ball at the Pittsburgh 17. HB Rob Lytle carried four straight times, the last for a seven-yard touchdown, and Jim Turner added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The clubs resumed trading punts as the game moved into the second quarter. The Steelers finally mounted a scoring drive that covered 56 yards in 11 plays. Terry Bradshaw converted a third-and-nine situation with a pass to TE Bennie Cunningham that covered 19 yards and Franco Harris (pictured below) ran effectively, including a 14-yard run on a fourth-and-one play at the Denver 27. Two carries by HB Rocky Bleier and a Bradshaw throw to Lynn Swann had the visitors facing first-and-goal at the two, and while it took three plays, the Steelers got a TD when Bradshaw leaped into the end zone from just inches away. Roy Gerela converted to tie the score.

The Broncos had to punt again and the Steelers advanced to their 45 before Harris fumbled after being hit by DE Lyle Alzado and LB Tom Jackson recovered and returned it 30 yards. On the next play, HB Otis Armstrong ran 10 yards for a touchdown and, with Turner’s point after, the home team was back on top by 14-7.

The Steelers started their next series with 4:04 remaining in the first half and drove 65 yards in nine plays. Bradshaw completed four passes, the longest to John Stallworth for 21 yards, and just after the two-minute warning Harris took a handoff, started to his right, and then reversed field for a 20-yard gain to the Denver two. Two plays later, Harris ran to the right for a one-yard TD and, with Gerela’s kick, the score was once more knotted at 14-14, and that was the tally at the half. The Steelers had outgained Denver by 183 yards to 44, but the ability of the Broncos to capitalize on the blocked punt and fumble to stay even on the scoreboard.

The teams again exchanged punts to start the third quarter. Denver advanced deep into Pittsburgh territory on its second series, with the big plays passes by Craig Morton to WR Haven Moses for 27 yards and TE Jim Jensen for 29. That gave the Broncos a first-and-goal at the two, but the Steelers kept them out of the end zone as Armstrong ran for a yard, Morton had a pass batted down, and Lytle was stopped three inches short of the goal. Jensen gained nothing on a fourth down run and the Broncos turned the ball over on downs.

The Steelers were pinned back at their one and the resulting short possession led to a punt that gave the ball back to Denver at the Pittsburgh 41. Four plays later, Morton passed to TE Riley Odoms, who gathered the ball in at the six and ran the remaining distance for a 30-yard touchdown. Turner converted and the Broncos again had a seven-point lead at 21-14.

Pittsburgh had to punt on the last play of the period and Denver’s first series of the fourth quarter resulted in a punt as well. WR Jim Smith returned the kick 17 yards to the Pittsburgh 39 and, following a short run by Bleier, Bradshaw fired passes to Cunningham for 11 yards and Stallworth for 48 yards to the Denver one. From there on the next play, Bradshaw threw to Larry Brown, a tackle lined up at end, for a TD. Gerela kicked the extra point and the score again was tied.

The Broncos responded with a 39-yard drive in seven plays. Morton threw to Armstrong for a nine-yard gain and followed with a pass to Moses for 18 yards to the Pittsburgh 36. Lytle ran for three yards and a Morton bootleg picked up six. While a third-and-one pass was tipped and fell incomplete, Turner kicked a 44-yard field goal that staked Denver to a 24-21 lead.

Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to give the Steelers good starting field position at their 40, but on their second play a Bradshaw pass was intercepted by Jackson, who returned it 32 yards to the nine yard line. The Broncos couldn’t reach the end zone from there but came away with another Turner field goal, this time from 25 yards, to extend the lead to 27-21.

Pittsburgh took over again on offense with just over five minutes to play and Bradshaw came out throwing. He had four completions, one to Cunningham for 12 yards to convert a third down and another to Bleier for seven yards in a third-and-six situation. But his next pass was picked off at midfield by Jackson, making yet another big play on defense, and the linebacker ran it back 17 yards. Two plays later, with the defense anticipating that the Broncos would keep the ball on the ground, Morton fired long to WR Jack Dolbin (pictured at right) in the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown. While the Steelers had one more possession, the game was effectively over. Denver won by a final score of 34-21.

The Steelers had more total yards (304 to 258) and first downs (18 to 15), but also turned the ball over four times, to one by Denver. Pittsburgh also was hurt by 10 penalties, at a cost of 67 yards, to three flags for 20 yards thrown on the Broncos.

Craig Morton completed 11 of 23 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Otis Armstrong topped the Broncos with 44 rushing yards on 11 carries that included a TD and Rob Lytle contributed 26 yards and a score on his 12 attempts. Riley Odoms had 5 catches for 43 yards and a touchdown and Haven Moses gained 45 yards on his two pass receptions. Tom Jackson (pictured below) was the defensive star with the two big interceptions plus a fumble recovery.

For the Steelers, Terry Bradshaw was successful on 19 of 37 throws for 177 yards and a TD, but gave up three interceptions. Franco Harris gained 92 yards on 28 carries that included a touchdown and also caught four passes for another 20 yards. John Stallworth also had four receptions, for a team-leading 80 yards.

Denver, having achieved its first playoff victory, went on to defeat the division-rival Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship but was dominated in the Super Bowl by the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers, with many commentators suggesting that they were a fading club following the disappointing 1977 season, bounced back to win the next two Super Bowls and defeated the Broncos at the Divisional level in ’78.

1983: Stars Hold Off Gold in USFL Debut

Two of the new United States Football League’s teams, the Philadelphia Stars and Denver Gold, made their debut at Denver’s Mile High Stadium on March 6, 1983. The Gold had remained true to the USFL’s original plan of keeping player costs low and lacked high-priced talent on the roster, but Head Coach Red Miller was a popular figure among Denver football fans, having led the NFL Broncos to a Super Bowl appearance. QB Jeff Knapple was out of Northern Colorado and played briefly for the Broncos and RB Bo Matthews had spent eight seasons in the NFL, primarily with San Diego. Moreover, the Gold sold more season tickets than any other USFL team coming into the inaugural season, some 33,000, and there were 45,102 enthusiastic fans in attendance for the opening contest.

The visiting Stars faced many questions entering their first season. Head Coach Jim Mora, a former assistant coach with New England in the NFL, had only been hired in January after George Perles, originally signed to coach the team, quit to take the head coaching job at Michigan State. The defense had come in for considerable criticism in the media following a disastrous preseason scrimmage against the Tampa Bay Bandits. The biggest name on offense was rookie RB Kelvin Bryant out of North Carolina, while the quarterback was Chuck Fusina (pictured calling signals above), formerly of Penn State and a little-used backup in the NFL. 

The field at Mile High Stadium had been covered by a tarp and was in good condition while piles of snow ringed the sidelines from a major storm the previous day, but the weather was pleasant for the game. The Gold had the first possession and Jeff Knapple completed two passes to TE Bob Niziolek, but after reaching their own 45, another throw was intercepted by SS Scott Woerner.

The teams exchanged punts, with the Stars pinning the Gold inside their 20 and starting their second possession of the game in Denver territory at the 42. The visitors moved methodically down the field and scored on a two-yard bootleg by Chuck Fusina. David Trout added the extra point.

Neither team was able to move effectively for the remainder of the opening period, again trading punts. Philadelphia’s maligned defense was particularly effective, utilizing stunts and blitzes to keep Denver’s offense in check (and that hadn’t been utilized in the preseason).

In the second quarter, Philadelphia advanced into Denver territory but a 36-yard field goal attempt by Trout was blocked. The Gold were still unable to generate offense and a third-down sack had them punting from their own end zone. The Stars again moved well but a fumble by Kelvin Bryant was recovered by FS Tom Sullivan at the Denver 18.

Shortly thereafter, a long pass by Knapple was intercepted by CB Roger Jackson and the Stars advanced effectively, but a botched field goal attempt kept them from potentially adding to their lead with 21 seconds left in the first half. However, on the next play RB Harry Sydney fumbled the ball away after catching a short pass, giving the Stars one last shot in the dwindling seconds. Trout finished off the half with a 50-yard field goal and the score was 10-0 at halftime.

The Stars were forced to punt following the first series of the third quarter and the Gold had good field position just inside Philadelphia territory. However, a sack on third down by LB Glenn Howard cost 13 yards and forced Denver to kick the ball away. Another punt was followed by a diving Howard intercepting a Knapple pass at his own 43, but the visitors were again stifled by the tough Denver defense and punted.

The next possession for the Gold ended with Knapple fumbling the ball away on a bootleg, giving the Stars the ball at the Denver 34. Philadelphia capitalized when Trout kicked a 29-yard field goal in the last minute of the period and the visitors took a 13-0 lead into the fourth quarter.

The home fans booed the ineffective Knapple as he returned to the field for the next Denver series, which ended with yet another turnover, this time an interception by LB Jon Brooks. Following a 47-yard field goal attempt by the Stars that had to be aborted due to a bad snap, the Gold took over with favorable field position and it was Ken Johnson, a veteran with five years of CFL experience, at quarterback. He threaded a pass to WR Vic James on a third-and-15 play to get the ball to the Philadelphia 20 and another throw rifled to Niziolek picked up another 17 yards to the three. Three running plays had the Gold facing fourth-and-inches and Johnson kept the ball himself, running wide for a touchdown to cap the nine-play, 54-yard series. Speelman added the extra point to make it a six-point contest with 6:30 to play.

The fired-up Denver defense forced the Stars to punt and the Gold took over at their 35. With the Stars blitzing on every play and the crowd roaring, the Gold advanced into Philadelphia territory on a possession highlighted by a 23-yard carry by Sydney and a Johnson pass to James to get to the nine. Sydney plowed for four yards to the five but, with their backs to the wall and time running out, the Stars stopped two running plays and a lob by Johnson into the end zone on fourth down was beyond FB Larry Canada’s grasp. Philadelphia held on for a 13-7 win.

In a game dominated by the defenses, the Stars led in total yards (232 to 215) while Denver had the edge in first downs (15 to 13). However, the Gold turned the ball over six times, to one suffered by Philadelphia. The Stars also were penalized nine times while four flags were thrown on Denver.

Chuck Fusina completed 16 of 29 passes for 137 yards and gave up no interceptions while running for Philadelphia’s lone touchdown as part of his 25 yards on 7 rushing attempts. Kelvin Bryant had a modest debut with 51 yards on 18 carries but led the Stars with 6 catches, for 34 yards. WR Scott Fitzkee gained 46 yards on his three pass receptions.

For the Gold, Jeff Knapple was successful on 11 of 23 throws for just 70 yards while giving up four interceptions. Ken Johnson was 6 of 10 in relief for 66 yards and had none intercepted. Harry Sydney ran for 50 yards on 9 carries. Larry Canada, in addition to running the ball 7 times for 20 yards, led the team with five pass receptions, for 27 yards, while Vic James gained 38 yards on his two catches and Bob Niziolek accumulated 34 yards on his three receptions.

“I can’t say enough about them,” said Coach Jim Mora of his team’s defense. “They’ve been taking a lot of – I don’t want to say crap – but they had something to prove today.”

The Philadelphia defense kept doing the job for the remainder of the season, and the offense improved with Bryant as the key performer. The Stars went 15-3 and advanced to the USFL Championship game, where they lost a close contest to the Michigan Panthers. Denver’s defense also continued to play well, but the offense remained a problem and neither Coach Miller nor QB Knapple made it to the end of the season. Miller was fired with the team’s record at 4-7, to be replaced by Craig Morton, the quarterback of the 1977 AFC Champion Broncos. Knapple was waived and picked up by the New Jersey Generals on the way to leading the league by giving up 19 interceptions (while tossing just three TD passes). Denver placed third in the Pacific Division with a 7-11 record but remained popular with the fans and led the USFL in attendance.

1978: Dallas Defense Dominates Broncos in Super Bowl XII

Super Bowl XII on January 15, 1978 featured two 12-2 teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, appearing in the first Super Bowl to be held in an indoor venue, the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. There was a crowd of 75,583 fans on hand in addition to a huge television audience.

The Cowboys, coached by Tom Landry, were used to contending, having made it to the postseason for the 11^th time in 12 years in 1977, and were just two years removed from their most recent of three Super Bowl appearances (a loss to the Steelers). 35-year-old QB Roger Staubach led the NFC in passing and All-Pro WR Drew Pearson led a solid group of receivers. Rookie HB Tony Dorsett didn’t move into the starting lineup until halfway through the season yet still rushed for 1007 yards and 12 TDs. The retooled defense was outstanding, particularly on the line that contained pass-rushing ends Harvey Martin, a consensus first-team All-Pro, and Ed “Too Tall” Jones and DT Randy White, successor to the great Bob Lilly and a Pro Bowl selectee in his first year starting. After handily topping the NFC East, the Cowboys defeated the Bears in the Divisional playoff round and Minnesota for the conference championship, outscoring their opponents by a combined 60-13.

Denver, on the other hand, had never been to the playoffs previously. Under first-year Head Coach Red Miller, the Broncos benefited from the strong “Orange Crush” defense that featured DE Lyle Alzado, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson, CB Louis Wright, and SS Bill Thompson. The offense was conservative. QB Craig Morton, a 13^th-year veteran who spent his first nine full seasons with Dallas, had joined the team in ’77 and provided steady guidance, if not statistical brilliance. The group of running backs was unspectacular while TE Riley Odoms led the club with 37 receptions and WR Haven Moses was the leading deep threat. After beating out the Raiders in the AFC West, the Broncos defeated Pittsburgh in their Divisional game and narrowly defeated Oakland for the AFC title.   

Dallas had the game’s first possession and punted, narrowly averting disaster on the first play from scrimmage when Tony Dorsett and WR Butch Johnson muffed an exchange on an attempted reverse, but Denver was unable to recover the loose ball. On their first series, the Broncos converted a third-and-12 play when Craig Morton completed a pass to Haven Moses for 21 yards to the Dallas 34. But following a short carry by HB Otis Armstrong, Morton’s next pass was batted down and he was then sacked for a loss of 11 yards by Randy White (pictured at right) to force a punt.

The Cowboys, who were pinned back at their one after WR Tony Hill muffed Denver’s punt and fell on the ball, were no more proficient on offense and again had to punt, but three plays later a poorly-thrown pass by Morton, who was trying to avoid being sacked, was intercepted by safety Randy Hughes to give Dallas the ball at the Denver 25. Staubach threw a swing pass to TE Billy Joe Dupree for 13 yards and, following a two-yard carry by FB Robert Newhouse, Dorsett ran the ball three straight times, the last for a three-yard touchdown. Efren Herrera added the extra point and the Cowboys held a 7-0 lead.

On the second play of Denver’s next possession, Morton threw another interception. The pass was tipped by LB Bob Breunig and CB Aaron Kyle grabbed the ball and returned 19 yards to the Broncos’ 35. A nine-yard run by Newhouse was followed by Dorsett picking up 18 yards around end. The series bogged down at that point and Lyle Alzado’s sack of Staubach on third down forced the Cowboys to settle for a 35-yard Herrera field goal. Dallas took a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.

Denver again had to punt after a short series capped by DE “Too Tall” Jones tossing FB Lonnie Perrin for a seven-yard loss after catching a screen pass. Starting from their 43, the Cowboys advanced 32 yards in seven plays. Staubach threw to HB Preston Pearson on a screen pass for 11 yards and to DuPree for 19. Herrera kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it a 13-0 game.

Dallas again got the ball back in short order when Morton’s underthrown pass intended for Moses was picked off by CB Benny Barnes. A penalty and a sack moved the Cowboys back and they punted, but WR John Schultz muffed the kick and LB Bruce Huther recovered for Dallas at the Denver 40. Dorsett gained 19 yards on a sweep, but the Broncos stiffened on defense and Staubach’s throw into the end zone was batted away by Louis Wright. The Cowboys came up empty when Herrera tried for a 43-yard field goal and was wide to the left.

Once again the Broncos turned the ball over when Morton completed a pass to WR Jack Dolbin for 15 yards, but the receiver fumbled and Hughes recovered, returning it 19 yards to the Denver 27. Dorsett ran for eight yards and Newhouse for 10 to the nine yard line, but a swing pass to Newhouse lost seven yards at the two-minute warning and two more throws netted a gain of a yard. Herrera missed another try for a field goal, this time from 32 yards.

The teams exchanged back-to-back turnovers on first-play fumbles by the tight ends and, with time running out in the first half, Morton threw another interception that CB Mark Washington returned 27 yards to the Denver 35. A short pass from Staubach to Preston Pearson set up a 44-yard field goal attempt by Herrera, but it was wide to the left and the score remained unchanged heading into halftime. Dallas failed to generate further points on turnovers by the Broncos while controlling the ball nearly twice as long in the first thirty minutes.

The Broncos had the ball first in the third quarter and, while Armstrong gained 18 yards on a sweep, the drive stalled at the Denver 41. A fake punt failed when Bucky Dilts was sacked for a four-yard loss, but the Cowboys were penalized for having twelve players on the field to nevertheless keep the series alive. After reaching the Dallas 30, Jim Turner kicked a 47-yard field goal and the Dallas lead was narrowed to 13-3.

The teams exchanged punts before the Cowboys advanced 58 yards in five plays. Staubach completed a pass to Drew Pearson for 13 yards on a second-and-ten play and, following a run for no gain and an incomplete pass, Staubach threw long for Butch Johnson, who made a diving catch for a 45-yard touchdown (pictured below). Herrera added the point after and Dallas was up by 20-3.

The Broncos got a break when WR Rick Upchurch returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards to the Dallas 26. Morton nearly threw another interception on first down and backup QB Norris Weese, who was more mobile, came into the game. HB Rob Lytle ran for four yards, Weese threw to FB Jim Jensen for five, and on fourth-and-one, Jensen ran for 16 yards. Lytle ran for the last yard and a TD and Turner converted to again make it a ten-point contest.

The Cowboys finished out the period with a time-consuming drive. Staubach completed all five of his passes, the longest to DuPree for 18 yards, but on the second play of the fourth quarter he fumbled when sacked by LB Tom Jackson and NT Rubin Carter recovered at the Denver 45.

A facemask penalty on the Cowboys negated a loss and gave the Broncos another first down, Weese threw to Upchurch for nine yards, and Armstrong ran for three to reach the Dallas 46. But that was as far as Denver could get. Weese’s next three passes were incomplete and the Broncos punted.

Staubach was sidelined with a broken finger on his throwing hand and Danny White came in at quarterback for Dallas. The backup completed a pass and gained 13 yards on a draw play. While Staubach returned before the series was over, the Cowboys had to punt. Three plays later, a sack by Harvey Martin (pictured at top) forced Weese to fumble and Kyle recovered at the Denver 29. On the next play, Newhouse threw an option pass that WR Golden Richards caught in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown. Herrera added the point after and, with seven minutes to play, the Cowboys had an insurmountable 17-point lead.

Denver had the ball once more and reached the Dallas 24 before Weese’s incomplete pass on a fourth-and-23 play effectively ended the season for the Broncos. Dallas won by a final score of 27-10.    

The Cowboys easily outgained Denver (325 yards to 156) and had more first downs (17 to 11). The Broncos managed just 35 net passing yards and turned the ball over eight times, four apiece by interceptions and fumbles. While the Cowboys stifled Denver on defense, the offense wasn’t as dominating, fumbling six times but losing just two of them, their only turnovers of the game. Dallas also missed three field goals and set a Super Bowl record by being penalized 12 times (tied by Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII), to eight flags thrown on the Broncos.

Roger Staubach completed 17 of 25 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Tony Dorsett (pictured below), who left the game in the third quarter with a twisted knee, ran for 66 yards on 15 carries that included a TD and Robert Newhouse added 55 yards on 14 attempts in addition to throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass. Preston Pearson had five catches for 37 yards while Billy Joe DuPree gained 66 yards on his four pass receptions. On defense, Harvey Martin was unofficially credited with two sacks and shared MVP honors with Randy White, who had one in addition to helping to apply tremendous pressure on the Broncos.

For the Broncos, Craig Morton was successful on just four of 15 throws, giving up four interceptions, and Norris Weese was four-of-10 for 22 yards but was not picked off. Weese also ran for 26 yards on three carries. Rob Lytle led the club with 35 yards on 10 rushing attempts that included the only Denver touchdown. Jack Dolbin and Riley Odoms caught two passes apiece, for 24 and 9 yards, respectively. Haven Moses gained 21 yards on his only reception, which came early in the contest.

“The number one plan was to pressure Craig Morton,” said Coach Tom Landry. “The front four played great. We just rushed the heck out of him.”

“They took away everything we had,” said Morton in defeat. “We tried to get something started, but…We’ve come a long way. Nobody expected us to be here.”

“I thought we were still in the game when it was 20-10,” said Coach Red Miller. “Then Norris (Weese) fumbled and they scored on that halfback pass, and that was it.”

“We played well defensively, but we had too many turnovers,” added Lyle Alzado. “I’m giving Dallas credit. When we make mistakes, the other team should capitalize. I’m a bit embarrassed.”

The Cowboys returned to the Super Bowl in 1978, losing a close contest to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They would not win another until the 1992 season. Denver again topped the AFC West in ’78 but lost in the Divisional playoff round. The Broncos next appeared in the Super Bowl following the 1986 season.

1978: Broncos Pull Out Win Over Seahawks in Overtime

The Denver Broncos, defending champions of the American Football Conference, were 5-3 as they traveled to Seattle to take on the up-and-coming Seahawks on October 29, 1978, a team they had beaten handily four weeks earlier at home. A season after reaching the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Head Coach Red Miller’s team was still heavily dependent on the “Orange Crush” defense. The conservative offense was again directed by QB Craig Morton and he had fine receivers available in WR Haven Moses and TE Riley Odoms. The ground game operated with a six-member running-back-by-committee arrangement.

Seattle, in its third year of existence and coached by the stoical Jack Patera, was at 4-4 and coming off a big win over the Raiders the previous week. The offense was led by the mobile lefthanded QB Jim Zorn and included WR Steve Largent and RB Sherman Smith as other key components. The defense included talented newcomers in LB Keith Butler and FS John Harris.

There were 62,948 fans on hand at the Kingdome. The Broncos took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards. Craig Morton completed a pass to Riley Odoms for 26 yards to the Seattle 38 and fullbacks Lonnie Perrin (pictured above) and Jon Keyworth and HB Otis Armstrong all ran effectively. Jim Turner kicked a 34-yard field goal to give Denver the early lead.

Seattle responded with a five-play, 66-yard drive of its own, culminating in a pass from Jim Zorn to WR Sam McCullum that resulted in a 44-yard touchdown. Efren Herrera added the extra point and the home team was in front by 7-3.

Denver put together another methodical series, utilizing more members of the running back corps, with FB Larry Canada carrying three times for 22 yards and HB Rob Lytle contributing 15 yards on two attempts. The drive stalled at the Seattle 17 and Turner missed on another 34-yard field goal attempt.

The Seahawks punted following their next possession but got the ball back two plays later when WR Jack Dolbin fumbled after catching a short pass and DE Ernie Price recovered at the Denver 16. In a series that extended into the second quarter, Seattle scored in seven plays, the last a four-yard run by Zorn on a quarterback draw for a TD. Herrera kicked the point after and the Seattle lead grew to 14-3.

The teams traded punts until the Broncos again drove into Seattle territory, but a fake field goal attempt failed. Shortly thereafter, LB Randy Gradishar intercepted a pass to give Denver the ball at the Seattle 34. It took just two plays to score, with Morton rolling out and throwing to WR Rick Upchurch for a 29-yard touchdown. Turner added the PAT and the Broncos had closed to 14-10, which remained the score at halftime.

Heading into the third quarter, both offenses were having difficulty mounting drives, and passing was especially problematic. Midway through the period the Broncos got the ball at the Seattle nine following a fumbled snap by Zorn and Perrin ran for a one-yard touchdown. Turner converted and the visitors were in front by 17-14.

In the fourth quarter, a tipped pass intended for Steve Largent was intercepted by LB Bob Swenson to give the Broncos the ball at the Seattle 45. They picked up 12 yards before having to punt. The teams exchanged punts once more before the Seahawks, with Steve Myer now at quarterback, put together a series that involved an interception that, thanks to a fumbled lateral by Gradishar on the return, ended up giving the ball back to Seattle. Myer completed three passes and ran twice for ten yards and Herrera kicked a 37-yard field goal with 56 seconds remaining to tie the score and send the game into overtime.

The Broncos had first possession in the extra period and punted. A short series by the Seahawks also resulted in a punt, but after HB Dave Preston ran for 16 yards, Perrin fumbled and SS Autry Beamon recovered for Seattle at his 41. Zorn was back behind center, but his first down pass was deflected and picked off by CB Steve Foley (pictured at left), who returned it 30 yards to the Seattle 36. Keeping the ball on the ground, the Broncos reached the Seattle one and Turner came in to kick an 18-yard field goal. The first try was wide to the left after Morton, the holder, barely fielded a bad snap, but the 15-year veteran placekicker got a reprieve when the Seahawks were penalized for having twelve men on the field, and given another shot he was successful. Denver came away with a 20-17 win at 12:59 into overtime.

The Broncos significantly outgained Seattle (423 yards to 258), with the six Denver running backs totaling 278 rushing yards, and had the edge in first downs (25 to 19). The Seahawks turned the ball over five times to three suffered by Denver, while the Broncos committed 12 penalties, at a cost of 103 yards, to 9 flags thrown on Seattle, for 61 yards, although the last penalty on the Seahawks was ultimately the most costly.

Jon Keyworth led the strong Denver running attack with 70 yards on eight carries, followed by Larry Canada’s 68 yards on 15 attempts and Lonnie Perrin gaining 57 yards on 15 tries that included a touchdown. Craig Morton completed just 11 of 28 passes for 155 yards and a TD, although he had none intercepted. Haven Moses caught three of those passes for 60 yards while Rick Upchurch added 42 yards and a score on two receptions and also returned three punts for 61 yards.

For the Seahawks, Jim Zorn also had a rough passing performance as he was successful on only 9 of 29 throws for 110 yards and a touchdown while giving up three interceptions. In his relief stint, Steve Myer was 6 of 11 for 38 yards and was picked off once. Sherman Smith ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and caught four passes for another 21 yards. Sam McCullum (pictured at right) gained 57 yards on his three pass receptions that included a TD.

“On the first attempt, the snap was high,” explained Jim Turner of the miss on the first try for the winning field goal in overtime. “I don’t know how Craig (Morton) caught the ball.”

The overtime win for the Broncos marked the third (and last) time they went into OT during the season, and was the second time they came out on top. They lost to the Jets the following week but then won four of five on the way to finishing with a 10-6 record and topping the AFC West for the second straight year. They did not get deep into the playoffs this time, however, losing to Pittsburgh in the Divisional round. Seattle recovered to win five of its last seven contests and post the first winning record in the young franchise’s history at 9-7, which ranked third in the highly-competitive division.

1978: Danmeier Kicks 4th FG & Vikings Beat Broncos in Overtime

The Minnesota Vikings were 0-1 after losing in a sloppy performance at New Orleans as they hosted the Denver Broncos on September 11, 1978. Head Coach Bud Grant’s team had dominated the NFC Central with 9 division titles over the previous 10 years, but had not won a Super Bowl and star QB Fran Tarkenton was giving indications that this would be his last season.

The Broncos were AFC Champions in 1977, although they lost badly to Dallas in the Super Bowl. Coached by Red Miller, they were carried by their tough “Orange Crush” defense while veteran QB Craig Morton guided the conservative offense. Denver started off in Week 1 with a win over the division-rival Raiders.

There were 45,508 fans in attendance for the nationally-televised Monday night game at Metropolitan Stadium. What they saw was dominance by both defenses. An early series by the Broncos ended with the Vikings recovering a lateral that went awry at the Denver 23. The Vikings converted a fourth down at the 13 but three plays later WR Sammy White dropped a pass in the end zone and Minnesota settled for a 24-yard field goal by Rick Danmeier, a nondescript placekicker who had spent the ’77 season on injured reserve. He was filling the shoes of Fred Cox, who retired following 15 productive years in Minnesota.

The defenses dominated the rest of the half. The closest scoring opportunity came when Denver drove into Minnesota territory and, as the game headed into the second quarter, reached the 10 yard line. However, a third-down pass was picked off in the end zone to end the threat. The turnover-prone Broncos could not move the ball effectively and the Vikings were plagued by dropped passes. The score remained 3-0 at halftime.

Minnesota took the second half kickoff and drove to another Danmeier field goal, this time from 46 yards. CB Nate Wright intercepted a Morton pass on the next series and the Vikings drove inside the Denver five but the Broncos stiffened and Danmeier booted a 21-yard field goal.

Down 9-0, backup QB Norris Weese (pictured below) relieved Morton for the Broncos. Early in the fourth quarter, DE Lyle Alzado blocked a Minnesota punt to give Denver the ball at midfield. The big special teams play brought the Broncos to life on offense and they drove to a one-yard touchdown carry by FB Jon Keyworth, although DT Alan Page blocked the extra point attempt to keep it a three-point game.

A short series by the Vikings resulted in a punt, but a good return by WR Rick Upchurch was nullified by a penalty and Weese threw a long interception. Minnesota ran time off the clock and punted, with the Broncos regaining possession with a little less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

Weese directed Denver on a 37-yard drive to the Minnesota five, but the clock was down to 11 seconds left and the Broncos were out of timeouts. Weese rolled out to his right, was unable to find a receiver, and was tackled for the loss of a yard. The officials stopped the clock with three seconds remaining, ruling that it was a sack and not a running play.

An infuriated Coach Bud Grant, showing uncharacteristic emotion, ran onto the field to argue the stopping of the clock with the referee and was restrained by Page. Both he and Tarkenton insisted that Weese had left the pocket and was thus a runner. The Broncos were able to get the kicking team onto the field before the last seconds ticked off and Jim Turner booted a 25-yard field goal to tie the score at 9-9 and send the game into overtime.

With Tarkenton nursing a hand injury, Grant put second-year backup QB Tommy Kramer into the game for the overtime period. The Vikings won the toss to gain first possession, and that was all they would need. The winning drive in overtime went 56 yards in 10 plays. Key events along the way were Kramer running for a first down, completing a pass to HB Robert Miller that gained 14 yards, and a 15-yard personal foul penalty called on Denver nose tackle Don Latimer.

At just under three minutes into the extra period, Danmeier kicked a 44-yard field goal – his fourth with no misses – to win the game for the Vikings by a score of 12-9.

In a contest that featured two tough defenses, the Broncos had the edge in total yards (231 to 206) and first downs (18 to 13). However, they also turned the ball over six times, to three by the Vikings, and Denver quarterbacks were sacked six times.

Fran Tarkenton completed 13 of 27 passes for just 98 yards with no TDs and three interceptions. In the overtime period, Tommy Kramer went two-of-seven for 22 yards. RB Chuck Foreman rushed for 59 yards on 22 carries and caught four passes for 28 more yards. Robert Miller had the most receiving yards for the Vikings with 31 on his three receptions. Rick Danmeier was the scoring star with his first four NFL field goals.

For the Broncos, Craig Morton was successful on 9 of 21 throws for 90 yards with two intercepted before giving way to Norris Weese, who completed 6 of 11 for 81 yards and had one picked off. HB Otis Armstrong had 64 rushing yards on 14 attempts. Jon Keyworth gained just 13 yards on 6 carries, but one was for a TD and he led the team with four pass receptions, for 27 yards. WR Haven Moses had 53 yards on three catches. 

“With three seconds to go, how can you put a ball in play and get the kicking team on the field?” asked Bud Grant of the key official timeout that allowed the Broncos to kick a field goal at the end of regulation. “There is no explanation, to my way of thinking.”

“It was the famous quarterback rollout and if I can’t pass to someone I throw it away,” explained Norris Weese. “I couldn’t find anyone open and was lucky enough to be ruled as being sacked after trying to pass the ball. If the officials ruled I was stopped on a running play, time would have run out and we wouldn’t have got the field goal.”

The Vikings went on to once again win the NFC Central, but with a mediocre 8-7-1 record. They lost handily to the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. Denver recovered to win its next three games and topped the AFC West at 10-6. The Broncos also lost in the Divisional round, to Pittsburgh.

Rick Danmeier had a respectable season as he was successful on 12 of his 19 field goal attempts and 36 of 37 extra point conversions. One of the last straight-ahead placekickers, he played for six years with the Vikings, through 1982. Overall, he kicked 70 field goals and scored 364 points.

1983: Gold Beat Blitz in Wintry Conditions

Coming into the inaugural season of the United States Football League, the Chicago Blitz were widely viewed as the team to beat. They had the league’s best-known head coach in George Allen and many players with plenty of pro football experience, most notably QB Greg Landry and LB Stan White, and had managed to sign two highly-regarded rookies in WR Trumaine Johnson and RB Tim Spencer. They easily overcame the Washington Federals in their opening contest but had been stunned the next week by a late comeback on the part of the Arizona Wranglers.

On March 20, 1983 the Blitz hosted the Denver Gold for their home debut in Chicago. The Gold had far fewer known quantities on the roster but were coached by Red Miller, who had guided the NFL Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance and remained popular among the city’s football fans. They did have a veteran pro quarterback in Ken Johnson, who had spent the previous five seasons in the Canadian Football League. Denver was 0-2 coming into the game at Chicago.

The weather was not cooperative. There was an announced attendance of 29,178 at Soldier Field (likely closer to 22,600) in the snow and wind as temperatures were in the 20s with a wind chill that was far lower. The Blitz made the most of having a 20 mph wind at their back in the first quarter. The Gold had the first possession of the game and punted. The home team then went 51 yards in 11 plays, mostly runs by RB Kevin Long, who gained 29 yards on 6 carries, ending with John Roveto’s 27-yard field goal.

Once again Denver punted and this time it took the Blitz just four plays to go 48 yards and put more points on the board. On a third-and-16 play, Greg Landry threw to WR Lenny Willis for a 42-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT, a 10-0 lead.

However, just before the opening period ended and following a 36-yard run by RB Harry Sydney, the Gold got on the board when Brian Speelman kicked a 39-yard field goal. A few minutes later, and now in the second quarter, Denver got a break when Chicago’s recently-signed punter, Frank Garcia, fumbled while fielding the snap and the visitors got the ball in good field position (both Garcia and Roveto were covering for the injured all-purpose kicker Frank Corral). The Gold capitalized when Sydney swept to his right for another long gain, this time a 30-yard touchdown carry.

The score remained 10-10 at the half and neither team was able to move the ball effectively on the icy field during the third quarter. A little over three minutes into the final period, the Blitz finally broke the deadlock when Roveto kicked a 38-yard field goal with the benefit of the wind to conclude a six-play, 38-yard series.

The teams traded punts, with the Blitz holding onto a 13-10 margin. The climactic drive by the Gold started at the Denver 30 and was aided on the second play when Ken Johnson rolled out and kept the ball for a 12-yard gain to near midfield. However, it seemed as though the visitors would come up short as they faced a third-and-22 situation from their own 48. Johnson overthrew WR Lonnell Phea but a pass interference call on CB Maurice Tyler gave the Gold a first down at the Chicago 37 with 3:06 left on the clock.

Four plays that included a lateral from Johnson to TE Bob Niziolek that, combined, picked up 16 yards and a pass to Niziolek for 13 more yards gave Denver a first-and-goal at the Chicago three. Sydney ran for two yards on first down, but an incomplete pass followed by a carry by RB Larry Canada that gained nothing set up a fourth down play. Going for the win rather than a potentially game-tying field goal attempt, Johnson rolled out to his left and ran for a touchdown, sliding into the end zone with 18 seconds left on the clock. The extra point attempt was missed but the Gold came away with a 16-13 win.

Chicago easily outgained the Gold (263 yards to 160), had more first downs (16 to 7), and dominated the time of possession (35:06 to 23:54). Denver turned the ball over three times to one by the Blitz. But Chicago simply wasn’t able to translate time with the ball into points on the board and, for the second straight week, failed to nail down a win in the final seconds.

Ken Johnson threw only six passes and completed three of them for 25 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, although he ran for the winning score. Harry Sydney, who had the two big carries in the first half, gained 79 yards on 9 rushing attempts that included a TD. He also caught one of the three completed passes, for three yards, but tossed an interception in one throwing attempt. TE Bob Niziolek had the longest catch of the day for the Gold, of 13 yards, and had another six yards on a lateral.

For the Blitz, Greg Landry completed 7 of 17 throws for 114 yards and a touchdown while also tossing his first interception of the young season. Tim Spencer ran for 82 yards on 20 carries and was closely followed by Kevin Long (pictured below), who had 80 yards on his 23 attempts. Trumaine Johnson caught 4 passes for 58 yards.

 “I feel like the doctor who did everything right only to have the patient die,” said a disappointed George Allen. “I guess you could say it was a tough loss.”

Holding on to late leads would become a chronic problem for the Blitz, although they finished with a healthy 12-6 record and secured a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. They lost to the Philadelphia Stars in the first round – appropriately enough, due to the failure to maintain a late lead. Denver struggled to a 7-11 record, placing third in the Pacific Division, and Coach Miller was dismissed along the way. But the Gold had the best fan support of any of the USFL teams that first year, averaging 41,736 fans per home game in comparison to Chicago’s disappointing 18,133. 

1983: Stars Defeat Gold in Lowest-Scoring USFL Game

The Philadelphia Stars had the United States Football League’s best record at 8-1 and were sporting a five-game winning streak as they hosted the Denver Gold on May 8, 1983. Head Coach Jim Mora’s team utilized a conservative, ball-control offense that featured rookie RB Kelvin Bryant and had QB Chuck Fusina behind center. The “Doghouse Defense” was the new league’s best against the run and had also given up the fewest points thus far (83).

The Gold had hosted the Stars in the first week of the regular season, a low-scoring 13-7 win by Philadelphia. It had been a tough road since for Denver, coached by former Broncos Head Coach Red Miller. While the defense kept the club competitive, the offense had difficulty putting points on the board. But while the team’s record was a mediocre 4-5, it matched the other three clubs in the Pacific Division and thus placed the Gold very much in the thick of the race in the USFL’s weakest grouping.

There were 14,306 fans in attendance at Veterans Stadium, and they sat through a scoreless first quarter. It didn’t look like it would be when the Stars went 72 yards in 10 plays on their opening possession, but after reaching the six yard line they were backed up by two penalties and David Trout’s 32-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright.

Brian Speelman finally kicked a 23-yard field goal for Denver to cap a 53-yard drive with 9:39 remaining in the first half. Philadelphia, unable to move the ball effectively after the opening series, responded with a 53-yard field goal by Trout and the game was tied 3-3 at the half.

The Stars, in a third quarter possession that stretched into the first minute of the final period, drove to the Denver one. However, Fusina threw an incomplete pass intended for RB Jeff Rodenberger on third down and Trout kicked another field goal, this time from 18 yards.

Mistakes by the Gold prevented a possible tie or win during the remainder of the fourth quarter. A fumble at the Philadelphia 46 was recovered by safety Mike Lush with 7:31 remaining, snuffing out a potential threat. Denver had another chance to tie late. A drive stalled at the Philadelphia six yard line when Lush and LB Sam Mills stopped a running play on third down, but with 2:07 left a bad snap on the resulting field goal attempt flew to the right of QB Ken Johnson, also the holder on placekicks, and was recovered by the Stars to clinch the 6-3 win.

Philadelphia outgained the Gold (227 yards to 174), had more first downs (16 to 12), and held onto the ball longer (32:53 to 27:07). Both clubs suffered two turnovers and four sacks apiece. The Stars had eight penalties, at a cost of 65 yards, to just three flags thrown on Denver.

Kelvin Bryant, as usual, was the key to the Philadelphia offense, rushing for 94 yards on 23 carries and catching 6 passes for another 50 yards. Chuck Fusina completed just 15 of 29 throws for 135 yards with no TDs and one intercepted. Only four passes were completed to wide receivers, for 43 yards, while TE Steve Folsom had three receptions for 31 yards. In a game dominated by defense, Mike Lush was the standout with an interception that set up the team’s first field goal, a fumble recovery, and a hand in the big third-down stop that set up the Gold’s ill-fated three-point try.

For Denver, 32-year-old CFL veteran Ken Johnson went to the air 24 times and had 11 completions for 107 yards and was intercepted once. Tellingly, Johnson was also the team’s leading rusher with 35 yards on three carries. Harry Sydney had the most yards among the stable of running backs, with 21 on 8 attempts. Running backs Terry Miller and Larry Canada each caught four passes, for 37 and 29 yards, respectively, and two completions went to wide receivers.

The nine total points scored proved to be the lowest over the three years that the USFL existed. There were three ten-point games (two in 1984, one in ’85), with the last one also involving the Stars.

The low offensive output did not presage trouble for the Stars, who bounced back with 24 points in a convincing win at Arizona the following week on the way to topping the Atlantic Division with a 15-3 record. They advanced to the USFL Championship game, losing a close 24-22 decision to the Michigan Panthers.

Offensive problems continued to plague Denver, however, and after scoring just nine points in a loss to Boston in the next contest, Red Miller became the new league’s first coaching casualty. Owner Ron Blanding replaced him with ex-Broncos QB Craig Morton and the Gold ultimately finished third in the Pacific Division at 7-11.

1978: Broncos Edge Raiders for AFC Championship

For the first 17 years of their existence, the Denver Broncos had been perennial also-rans. It had taken them from 1960 until 1973 just to post a winning record, and they had not yet appeared in the postseason. That all ended in 1977 in their first year under Head Coach Red Miller. The team featured the “Orange Crush” defense that included DE Lyle Alzado, linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson, CB Louis Wright, and SS Bill Thompson. The offense was conservative but took advantage of opportunities and kept mistakes to a minimum. QB Craig Morton (pictured at right), a 34-year-old veteran who had been obtained from the Giants, revived his career in Denver. The Broncos won the AFC West with a 12-2 record and defeated Pittsburgh in the Divisional playoff round.

On January 1, 1978 the upstart Broncos hosted the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship. The defending NFL Champions were used to winning under Head Coach John Madden and had finished atop the AFC West in all but one season since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970 and prior to ’77. Losing decisively to the Broncos at Oakland in Week 5 had been a key event in Denver’s ascent, but the Raiders had returned the favor two weeks later with a 24-14 win in the rematch (indeed, the Raiders had not lost in Denver since 1962, although the clubs tied twice). QB Ken “the Snake” Stabler was not as outstanding as in ’76, but could not be taken lightly in a big game and still had outstanding targets in wide receivers Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch and TE Dave Casper. FB Mark van Eeghen paced the ground game with 1273 yards. The defense might also have lost a bit, especially with an early season-ending injury to LB Phil Villapiano, but it was still a tough and seasoned outfit. Oakland went 11-3 in securing a wild card slot in the postseason and beat the Colts the previous week in an overtime thriller at Baltimore.

Mile High Stadium was largely a sea of orange with 74,982 in attendance. The Raiders scored first with a 54-yard drive in the opening period that ended with Errol Mann kicking a 20-yard field goal. Denver responded quickly as Morton connected with WR Haven Moses for a 74-yard touchdown on a second-and-15 play. The fleet wide receiver eluded SS Skip Thomas on the way to the end zone.

There was no further scoring in the first half. Mann missed a 30-yard field goal attempt that hit the right upright and Jim Turner was wide to the left on a 40-yard attempt for the Broncos. In addition, the Raiders lost Biletnikoff to a dislocated shoulder. The score remained 7-3.

Early in the third quarter, the Broncos had another scoring opportunity as Moses caught a pass for a 41-yard gain, but Turner again missed a field goal attempt, from 31 yards after a bad snap.

However, on the next play Raiders HB Clarence Davis fumbled a handoff and Denver DE Brison Manor recovered at the Oakland 17. Following a short carry by FB Jon Keyworth and a 13-yard Morton pass to TE Riley Odoms, Denver was at the two yard line and on first-and-goal, HB Rob Lytle dove over the top and was hit by FS Jack Tatum, with the ball squirting loose. Raiders NT Mike McCoy recovered and the Oakland players began celebrating, but the officials (chiefly head linesman Ed Marion) ruled that Lytle’s forward progress had been stopped prior to the fumble and it was still Denver’s ball (moved to the one after a vehement protest by LB Floyd Rice resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty). FB Jon Keyworth took a pitchout on the next play and ran in for the touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

The Raiders were far from dead and, late in the third quarter, they drove 48 yards in a series that extended into the fourth quarter. Stabler threw to Casper who spun into the end zone in front of LB Joe Rizzo for a seven-yard TD.

Denver responded with a long drive, but Rice intercepted for the Raiders at the Oakland 11 and returned it to the 22. Possession changed again when Denver LB Bob Swenson picked Stabler off at the 31 and returned it to the Oakland 17. Two plays later, Morton threw to Moses, who made a sliding catch in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Although Turner missed the extra point, it was still a 20-10 lead for the Broncos.

Oakland moved the ball effectively once more, with Stabler throwing short passes. An eight-play, 74-yard drive ended with Casper catching another TD pass, leaping to pull it down in the back of the end zone.

It was a three-point game with 3:16 remaining, but the Broncos were able to run out the clock and win by a score of 20-17. The jubilant crowd tore down the goal posts and celebrated long afterward.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the score as Denver outgained the Raiders by ten yards (308 to 298) while Oakland had the edge in first downs (20 to 16). Both clubs had difficulty running the ball against the other (the Raiders gained 94 yards on 36 carries and Denver had 91 on 37 attempts). Oakland suffered three turnovers, to one by the Broncos, although Denver had more penalties (8, at a cost of 46 yards, to just two, for six yards, on the Raiders).

The Broncos typically capitalized on scoring opportunities during the season, but had difficulty against Oakland. 14th-year veteran Jim Turner missed three field goal attempts (from 40, 31, and 44 yards) and an extra point and Denver’s one turnover was a Morton interception in the red zone. Meanwhile, Oakland had won the previous meeting by running effectively behind OT Art Shell, but Denver’s swarming defense played aggressively and was able to neutralize the ground game.

Craig Morton was successful on 10 of 20 passes, compiling 224 yards with two touchdowns against the one interception. Haven Moses (pictured below) had a spectacular performance with 5 catches for 168 yards and two scores. FB Lonnie Perrin was the team’s leading rusher with 42 yards on 11 carries.


For Oakland, Ken Stabler completed 17 of 35 throws for 215 yards with two TDs and one picked off. Dave Casper pulled in 5 receptions for 71 yards and the two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Mark van Eeghen rushed for 71 yards on 20 attempts.

“It was especially nice to beat the defending world champions,” summed up Red Miller. “The game went just about the way we hoped. We didn't give up the ball in our end. We scored fast and played great defense. Our line did a terrific job, easily the best of the year.”

The Cinderella drive to the Super Bowl ended for the Broncos with a 27-10 beating at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. Denver would come back to win the AFC West in 1978, but didn’t make it past the Divisional round in the postseason. Oakland missed the playoffs in 1978 and ’79 with back-to-back 9-7 records, but bounced back to win the Super Bowl in 1980.

(Denver's "Orange Crush" defensive unit pictured below, including #43 Steve Foley, #57 Tom Jackson, #36 Bill Thompson, #63 John Grant, #20 Louis Wright, #53 Randy Gradishar)

1977: Broncos Intercept Stabler 7 Times and End Raiders Winning Streak

In the seven seasons following the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1970, the Oakland Raiders had pretty much dominated the AFC West. Under Head Coach John Madden, they won the division title in six of those seven years through 1976, and finished a strong second in 1971. Most recently, in ’76, they had gone 13-1 on the way to winning the Super Bowl for the first time. Four weeks into the 1977 season, the Raiders were 4-0 and in the midst of a 17-game winning streak, counting the postseason.

The club they faced on October 16, 1977 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was the Denver Broncos, also off to a 4-0 start. As successful as the Raiders had been for over a decade (going back to the late-60s American Football League), the Broncos were a team new to being a contender. After never posting a winning record in any AFL season, Denver finally went over .500 in 1973 and ’74 under Head Coach John Ralston, and was a franchise-best 9-5 in 1976.

Ralston, who had relinquished the post of general manager, was forced to resign as head coach by his successor, Fred Gehrke. It was a controversial move, following the improvement in record, but Ralston had bred a great deal of dissension among the players along the way. Hired to replace him was Red Miller, most recently the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots (Ralston had also taken criticism for running an uninspiring offense). The other major offseason move occurred when mediocre QB Steve Ramsey was dealt to the New York Giants for 34-year-old QB Craig Morton (pictured above). Morton, who had lost out in the competition for the starting job with Roger Staubach in Dallas at the beginning of the decade, had been a disappointment with the Giants but was nevertheless a big improvement over Ramsey.

The game against Oakland was a major test for the rising Broncos, and one they had been anticipating since long before the season began. However, the Raiders started off with a 70-yard scoring drive that culminated in a nine-yard touchdown pass from QB Ken Stabler to TE Dave Casper.

But on the second Oakland possession, a Stabler pass intended for WR Cliff Branch was tipped by the receiver to LB Joe Rizzo for an interception. From the Raiders’ 29 yard line, the Broncos drove to the tying score on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Morton to TE Riley Odoms.

Midway through the second quarter, Denver punter Bucky Dilts pinned the Raiders down with a kick to the one yard line. Oakland couldn’t advance and had to punt, giving the Broncos good field position at the Raiders’ 42. Seven plays later, HB Lonnie Perrin ran for a 16-yard touchdown to put the Broncos ahead, 14-7. Along the way, Morton connected with Odoms for a 14-yard gain on a third-and-nine play to keep the drive going.


Rizzo intercepted two more of Stabler’s passes and LB Randy Gradishar one. Following the Gradishar pickoff, and with about a minute to go in the half, the Broncos had the ball at the Oakland 32. Unable to gain ground, they lined up for a 42-yard field goal attempt, but faked the kick. Backup QB Norris Weese, the holder, first looked for Odoms but then fired to wide-open PK Jim Turner at the 16 who lumbered the rest of the way for a 25-yard touchdown. It was the only touchdown ever scored by the 36-year-old placekicker, in the 14th of an eventual 16 seasons with the Jets and Broncos (Turner pictured kicking at left). Denver took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

The Raiders put together a good drive in the third quarter, but on third-and-one at the Denver 45 LB Tom Jackson stuffed FB Mark van Eeghen for no gain and Oakland punted. On the next Oakland series, Stabler hit Branch for a 44-yard gain, but on the following play at the Denver 20, RB Pete Banaszak fumbled and Denver DE Lyle Alzado recovered to end the threat.

Again a Dilts punt pinned the Raiders deep in their own territory, at the four yard line, and CB Louis Wright intercepted a Stabler pass shortly thereafter and returned it for an 18-yard touchdown. Turner missed the extra point, but the Denver lead was now an insurmountable 27-7.

One last time the Raiders drove into Denver territory, but Banaszak was stopped decisively for no gain on a fourth-and-one play by Jackson and safety Bill Thompson.

Before it was over, Stabler threw his seventh interception of the game, to DE Paul Smith. The Broncos had the ball at the Oakland 16 but settled for a 32-yard field goal by Turner with just over seven minutes left to play. That provided the stunning final score of 30-7.

The Raiders outgained the Broncos, 326 yards to 200, and accumulated 21 first downs to Denver’s eight. However, Oakland also turned the ball over eight times, to none by the Broncos.

Craig Morton completed just 7 of 16 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, with none intercepted; Norris Weese, of course, added the 25-yard TD pass on the fake field goal attempt. Only two Denver receivers caught as many as two passes, with the star tight end Riley Odoms (pictured below) gaining 24 yards with a TD on his pair (RB Rob Lytle caught two passes for 18 yards; WR Jack Dolbin had one 34-yard reception and was the leader in receiving yardage for the club). Staying conservative offensively, the Broncos ran 37 times for 102 yards and Lonnie Perrin was the leading rusher with 37 yards on 10 attempts, including a TD.


Ken Stabler was forced to go to the air often and completed 20 of 40 passes for 274 yards with one touchdown and the seven interceptions. Ten of Stabler’s passes hit receivers in the hands and bounced away, accounting for three of the pickoffs. The lefthander had thrown just five interceptions in all of the preceding games.

Dave Casper caught six passes for 58 yards and the lone TD, while Cliff Branch gained 92 yards on his four receptions. Mark van Eeghen was the leading rusher with 61 yards on 20 carries.

Denver’s “Orange Crush” defense had largely controlled the game (as would be the case throughout most of the season). Joe Rizzo accounted for three of the interceptions of Stabler. They also sacked Stabler four times (Morton was sacked five times).

Said Denver’s Randy Gradishar afterward “We’ve been playing together a long time now and we’re getting good coverage and good pressure. Stabler’s not used to getting pressure. Sometimes he’ll just throw the ball out there and hope somebody comes up with it. Today wasn’t his day.”

“There’ll be another day,” said Oakland’s All-Pro guard Gene Upshaw after the game, “and we don’t have to wait a month. It’s just in two weeks.”

Oakland did indeed beat the Broncos in Denver two weeks later, but the Broncos didn’t lose again until the season finale. They finished atop the AFC West with a 12-2 record while the Raiders came in second at 11-3 and qualified for a wild card spot. The teams met one more time, in the AFC Championship game, and Denver won at home, 20-17. However, the Broncos’ dream season turned into a nightmare in the Super Bowl loss to Dallas.

As the game against the Broncos exemplified, Ken Stabler had a down season (by his previous standards), but was still among the league leaders in touchdown passes (20 – matching his interception total), completion percentage (57.5), and percentage of TD passes (6.8) and was selected for the Pro Bowl for the fourth (and last) time. Craig Morton, operating in a conservative offense, didn’t have overwhelming numbers but provided steady leadership, minimized mistakes (his 3.1 interception percentage was second lowest in the conference), and came away with an AFC title.