'84 Broncos discussion

[Brian wolf]

Elway, like his hero, Roger Staubach, wanted the ball at the end of the game. If special teams, or the defense could keep them in it, he felt he could convince everyone they could pull the game out.
If a team could move easily on them and score points, he wasn't the type to lead a huge comeback, though he succeeded occasionally. The Broncos just didn't have enough playmakers for him. The receivers, like Watson or Johnson, could catch his bullets, but we're too small or slow, to be dynamic threats, though Watson helped their winning of close, low scoring games.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Steve Watson is a hugely underrated possession receiver from that era. Excellent hands, made a lot of important catches.

People tend to forget just how good the AFC West was in those days - mid to late 80s. SD still had Fouts and Coryell, 3 receivers over 700 yards, PLUS Kellen Wnslow at TE, Chuck Muncie - a very powerful offense. They were the only team to finish below .500 in that division that year. Their defense had lost its luster without Kelcher and Big Hands.

KC - great defensive line. Art Still, Bill Maas. Always had a great secondary - Albert Lewis, I think it was Deron Cherry by then but it might have been Gary Barbaro still. And another highly underrated receiver - Stephone Paige on their team. They finished second to last in that division at 8-8.

The Raiders had won the Super Bowl the previous year, Howie Long, Ray Guy, Marcus Allen, several HOF on that team. Seattle won 11 or 12 games that year. I mean, that division had HOFs and Pro Bowl players everywhere.

From top to bottom, it was the best division in football that year. It was probably the toughest or at least one of the toughest for probably most of the years the Broncos won in the 80s.

[7DnBrnc53]

Steve Watson is a hugely underrated possession receiver from that era. Excellent hands, made a lot of important catches.

People tend to forget just how good the AFC West was in those days - mid to late 80s. SD still had Fouts and Coryell, 3 receivers over 700 yards, PLUS Kellen Wnslow at TE, Chuck Muncie - a very powerful offense. They were the only team to finish below .500 in that division that year. Their defense had lost its luster without Kelcher and Big Hands.

KC - great defensive line. Art Still, Bill Maas. Always had a great secondary - Albert Lewis, I think it was Deron Cherry by then but it might have been Gary Barbaro still. And another highly underrated receiver - Stephone Paige on their team. They finished second to last in that division at 8-8.

The Raiders had won the Super Bowl the previous year, Howie Long, Ray Guy, Marcus Allen, several HOF on that team. Seattle won 11 or 12 games that year. I mean, that division had HOFs and Pro Bowl players everywhere.

From top to bottom, it was the best division in football that year. It was probably the toughest or at least one of the toughest for probably most of the years the Broncos won in the 80s.

PRO! Magazine did a feature in their December 1984 issue about how the AFC West was the best division in the NFL or something like that.

[LeonardRachiele]

That win was one of the best playoff games for the Steelers. The Steelers were 9-7 and Denver was 13-3.

[sheajets]

Was the wind a problem for that Broncos/Steelers playoff game in 1984? Karlis and Gary Anderson combined to go 2/7 on field goals

[JohnTurney]

Was the wind a problem for that Broncos/Steelers playoff game in 1984? Karlis and Gary Anderson combined to go 2/7 on field goals

No, not much wind at all ... not even that cold for a Denver -- beautiful day.