The 2019 NFL season is still a couple months away from kicking off, so to help get through that last handful of weeks before we immerse ourselves in NFL football again, we are going to be reliving some of the best moments in Denver Broncos history.
And why not start right at the top?
Many fans consider the biggest win in team history to be its first Super Bowl victory, all the way back in Super Bowl XXXII over the Green Bay Packers. Well if that’s the biggest win, the biggest play in that game was made by the most beloved player in team history, John Elway.
Let’s rewind our clocks to 1997 and remember how these two teams reached the Super Bowl.
The Packers were the defending champs and won the NFC Central with a 13-3 regular season record. They waltzed through the NFC playoffs and onto the Super Bowl.
The Broncos took the much more difficult road, having to get to the Super Bowl as a Wild Card. As a result, the Packers came into the game favored by nearly two touchdowns.
But the Broncos kept it close throughout and with the game hanging in the balance, Elway made what was arguably the most iconic play in team history.
The play came with 2:16 left in the third quarter and the game tied 17-17. The Broncos faced a 3rd-and-6 from the Packers’ 12-yard line. Elway took the snap and dropped back to pass but when he didn’t have what he wanted he saw open field in front of him, so he took off.
Though Elway was always known for his scrambling ability, he was 37 years old at this point and his best days as a runner were behind him. That didn’t deter him. Nearing the first down marker, he launched himself into the air and was hit by three Packers defenders. His body spun through the air but when he landed, he had gained eight yards and a fresh set of downs.
Two plays later, Terrell Davis ran in a 1-yard touchdown to put the Broncos ahead, but the emotional charge it gave the team was incredible.
If you didn’t jump out of your seat when that play took place, you had either had one too many alcoholic beverages at the Super Bowl party or you were somehow asleep./
This play embodied Elway’s entire career. He showed grit, heart, determination and the will to finally win on the biggest stage. He was not to be denied on that night and as a result, this will likely always be considered the greatest play in Broncos history.
