Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 5, 1992 TAG: 9201050184
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: DENVER LENGTH: Long
ELWAY ENGINEERS DENVER COMEBACK
Trailing 24-23 and backed up at his 2-yard line with 2:07 left and no timeouts remaining, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway had the Houston Oilers right where he wanted them.Elway converted twice on fourth down, including a 44-yard pass to Vance Johnson on fourth-and-10, to set up David Treadwell's 28-yard field goal with 16 seconds left that gave the Broncos an improbable 26-24 AFC semifinal victory over the stunned Oilers on Saturday.
"I tell you, John has done this over and over again," Denver coach Dan Reeves said. "Because of John, our guys believe we're never out of a game if there's any time left on the clock. To go 98 yards without any timeouts was something. I'm numb."
But, then, Elway had done it before.
Saturday's desperation march brought back memories of another Elway-inspired drive that started on the Denver 2. The Broncos tied Cleveland with that drive, known since as "The Drive," and went on to win the AFC championship game five years ago.
On this one, Elway got the Broncos out of the hole quickly by passing 22 yards to Michael Young. On fourth-and-six, he scrambled for a 7-yard gain. With 59 seconds left and facing fourth-and-10, he scrambled left, caused hesitation on the part of the Oilers' secondary and fired a 20-yard pass to Johnson, wide open along the sideline. Johnson ran another 24 yards to the Houston 21 with 50 seconds left.
After Steve Sewell's 10-yard run, Treadwell converted the clincher, atoning for a missed extra point in the first quarter.
"I guess it's only fitting to say, `Wow!' " Elway said. "I was thinking of [former Broncos lineman] Keith Bishop and the remark he made back in Cleveland when we started that drive the last time, that we've got them right where we want them.
"It was the first play that got us off the [2-yard line] that was really critical. You don't have time to think in a situation like that. The game is going by about eight times faster than it normally does."
Elway had explanations for both fourth-down plays:
Of his scramble: "I just saw air and I tried to get there."
On the heave to Johnson: "I think the defensive back was concerned about me running and he took his eyes off Vance. Vance did a good job of turning it upfield."
It overcame a brilliant performance by Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, who staked his team to a 21-6 lead by throwing touchdown passes to three different receivers on its first three possessions.
The Broncos (13-4) advance to the AFC championship game for the fourth time in six years, where they will play the winner of today's Kansas City-Buffalo game.
"We had the opportunities. We just couldn't make the big play," Houston coach Jack Pardee said. "Elway's scrambling ability was terrific. Warren Moon couldn't have played any better than he did. With Elway and Moon on the field, you couldn't ask for a much better battle of quarterbacks.
"Our coverage broke down on the pass to Vance Johnson."
Cornerback Richard Johnson had the coverage.
"Vance came across the field, and the first time I saw him is when he caught the ball," he said. "I was going for the quarterback."
Denver scored on its last three possessions, but the final one looked hopeless after Greg Montgomery's punt was downed at the 2 with the Broncos trailing 24-23.
Elway kept the fans in their seats, and Treadwell, whose missed extra point in the first quarter on a mishandled snap had been the difference until that point, then made the 28-yarder.
Denver rallied from the 21-6 deficit on a pair of short-yardage touchdown runs by Greg Lewis and two kicks by Treadwell.
Moon completed 27 of 36 passes for 325 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 15 yards to Haywood Jeffires, 9 yards to Drew Hill and 6 yards to Curtis Duncan.
Given good pass protection most of the day, Moon was consistently on target. When rushed, he proved remarkably adept at escaping. He was not sacked.
Elway was not sacked either, and he completed 19 of 33 passes for 257 yards.
Moon wasted no time testing the Denver defense. He went deep on the game's first play from scrimmage, hitting Jeffires for 49 yards, then finding Jeffires diving for a 15-yard touchdown catch less than two minutes into the game.
After the Broncos were stymied by tripping and personal-foul penalties on their first series and had to punt, Houston (12-6) drove 63 yards for another score.
Moon scrambled for a 15-yard gain to start the march, and he passed 26 yards to Ernest Givins on third-and-14 to keep it alive. Beating the blitz, Moon hit Hill from 9 yards out for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 5:16 left in the opening quarter.
Denver then showed signs of life. Gaston Green ran for 12 yards to start a 65-yard scoring drive. A personal-foul penalty on Richard Johnson moved Denver to the Oilers' 17, and Elway threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Vance Johnson. Kubiak bobbled the snap on the extra-point attempt and Denver trailed 14-6.
Moon and Givins hooked up an a 28-yard pass on the second play of the second quarter to highlight the Oilers' third scoring drive. Denver safety Steve Atwater intercepted Moon's pass and returned it to the Houston 35, but the interception was nullified when linebacker Jeff Mills was called for roughing the passer. That gave Houston a first down at the Denver 15, and Moon found Duncan on the right side for a 6-yard touchdown pass that made it 21-6 with 10:55 left in the half.
Later in the quarter, an Atwater interception at the Denver 12 started the Broncos on an 88-yard drive that pulled them to 21-13. Elway passed 23 yards to Ricky Nattiel and 20 yards to Derek Russell, and Greg Lewis slammed 1 yard up the middle for the touchdown.
Both teams squandered scoring opportunities early in the third quarter, the Broncos on an interception and the Oilers on a missed field-goal attempt.
Michael Young's 32-yard over-the-shoulder catch helped set up Treadwell's 49-yard field goal later in the quarter.
The Oilers countered with a field goal to make it 24-16 early in the fourth before Elway drove the Broncos 80 yards to get to 24-23.
That drive was vintage Elway, too, highlighted by his 26-yard pass to Young on fourth-and-four. Lewis' 1-yard run came with 6:53 left. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL