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.
'84 Broncos discussion
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GameBeforeTheMoney
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Re: '84 Broncos discussion
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.
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.
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Re: '84 Broncos discussion
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.GameBeforeTheMoney wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2024 10:00 am 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.
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LeonardRachiele
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Re: '84 Broncos discussion
That win was one of the best playoff games for the Steelers. The Steelers were 9-7 and Denver was 13-3.
Re: '84 Broncos discussion
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
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JohnTurney
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74_75_78_79_
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Re: '84 Broncos discussion
Watching the NBC (NFL '84) pre-game show of the very Pit@Den divisional rounder right now (as da next-year's Super Bowl-Shufflers are wrapping things up in RFK, 23-19). Hearing Axthelm's take on how he sees this showdown turning out simply cracks me up! Costas always busting his chops! Beginning of the program, Bob said, "And Pete Axthelm will have his pick on the game. And as you know by now, throughout the playoffs, when Ax talks, only masochists listen."
Later, right before Pete's take (but not before such an amazing segment on the Chief, himself...Art Rooney), Costas introducing, "If you follow this program at all this year, you know that on occasion, Pete Axthelm's perspective can be...well,skewed. So as you take a look at the Broncos and Steelers, you might see it as a match-up between Elway and Malone, or a battle of wits between Reeves and Noll, but according to Ax, you're missing the point. Bigger issues are at work here."
Then Pete went on his rant into the segment. First he said that the ownership of both teams is a contrast, pointing out that Bowlen is a tri-athlete and that Steelers' patriarch, Art Rooney's, idea of a triathlon is to extend a firm handshake, light up a good cigar, and cash a bet on a race. Wait, wasn't the Chief an amazing bad-ass athlete in HIS day? Football and boxing to say the absolute least?
It concluded with Pete saying, he now being seen in the studio with everyone (segment over), "I should say that when Bob Costas made an unkind remark earlier in the show, about my playoff losing streak, it was meant in just that ("fun") spirit (segment ended asking what franchise is having more "fun"; Beach Boys' "Fun, Fun, Fun" being played). Unfortunately, I find it malicious and downright cruel." "Perhaps that's how it was meant." "In any case, lets break the losing streak."
He picked Denver minus 5 and a half (hmm, I guess it went UP to that just before kickoff). His logic being "the Steve DeBerg Factor"! Big D cuts him, they go to the SB "the next year" (actually, that VERY year). Cut by San Fran, then they go to the SB the next year. "Traded by Denver. Does that mean Denver goes?"
Then he says, "Let's consider Scott Brunner. The New York Giants have traded these quarterbacks over the years...Earl Morrall, Fran Tarkenton, Craig Morton, and Joe Pisarcik. What do they have in common?" "What DO they have in common, Ax?" "I know, it was on the tip of your tongue, Bob, within two years, every one was in the Super Bowl! Brunner was traded this year, will he go?"
"Well...I have one last stat of the year to give you. In the four years when the Steelers have ended their season in California, and made the playoffs, the home team has won that first playoff game (YEP! '72@SD, '73@SF, '75@LA, and '77@SD)! Denver's at home, Denver's the choice. Minus 5 and a half, Bob!" "This is the most amazing set of calculations I've ever encountered! You've exceeded...even yourself today!"
Fun stuff/nostalgia! I also, among many other things of his, love Ax's segment on that infamous '81 finale 'toilet bowl', he interviewing patrons at a dive-bar in Baltimore. Most of those WK#16 picks of his were wrong as well, lol.
Even a Steeler-fan like myself cringes, a bit, of lumping Malone with...Elway! The Steeler-fan in me would have liked to have seen a 'Burgh guy like Kelly or Marino win a SB instead. But, got to admit (and said this before), Elway to me was actually better than both. That old thread, what three players would you want to add to a bad team to build from scratch? Yes, I think Montana is better, but I picked John instead as one of those three players (OJ & Deacon, I believe, were the other two).
PS - I forgot about Gleem toothpaste. Not sure if I ever, actually, brushed with it! I think I actually did. I think.
Later, right before Pete's take (but not before such an amazing segment on the Chief, himself...Art Rooney), Costas introducing, "If you follow this program at all this year, you know that on occasion, Pete Axthelm's perspective can be...well,skewed. So as you take a look at the Broncos and Steelers, you might see it as a match-up between Elway and Malone, or a battle of wits between Reeves and Noll, but according to Ax, you're missing the point. Bigger issues are at work here."
Then Pete went on his rant into the segment. First he said that the ownership of both teams is a contrast, pointing out that Bowlen is a tri-athlete and that Steelers' patriarch, Art Rooney's, idea of a triathlon is to extend a firm handshake, light up a good cigar, and cash a bet on a race. Wait, wasn't the Chief an amazing bad-ass athlete in HIS day? Football and boxing to say the absolute least?
It concluded with Pete saying, he now being seen in the studio with everyone (segment over), "I should say that when Bob Costas made an unkind remark earlier in the show, about my playoff losing streak, it was meant in just that ("fun") spirit (segment ended asking what franchise is having more "fun"; Beach Boys' "Fun, Fun, Fun" being played). Unfortunately, I find it malicious and downright cruel." "Perhaps that's how it was meant." "In any case, lets break the losing streak."
He picked Denver minus 5 and a half (hmm, I guess it went UP to that just before kickoff). His logic being "the Steve DeBerg Factor"! Big D cuts him, they go to the SB "the next year" (actually, that VERY year). Cut by San Fran, then they go to the SB the next year. "Traded by Denver. Does that mean Denver goes?"
Then he says, "Let's consider Scott Brunner. The New York Giants have traded these quarterbacks over the years...Earl Morrall, Fran Tarkenton, Craig Morton, and Joe Pisarcik. What do they have in common?" "What DO they have in common, Ax?" "I know, it was on the tip of your tongue, Bob, within two years, every one was in the Super Bowl! Brunner was traded this year, will he go?"
"Well...I have one last stat of the year to give you. In the four years when the Steelers have ended their season in California, and made the playoffs, the home team has won that first playoff game (YEP! '72@SD, '73@SF, '75@LA, and '77@SD)! Denver's at home, Denver's the choice. Minus 5 and a half, Bob!" "This is the most amazing set of calculations I've ever encountered! You've exceeded...even yourself today!"
Fun stuff/nostalgia! I also, among many other things of his, love Ax's segment on that infamous '81 finale 'toilet bowl', he interviewing patrons at a dive-bar in Baltimore. Most of those WK#16 picks of his were wrong as well, lol.
Even a Steeler-fan like myself cringes, a bit, of lumping Malone with...Elway! The Steeler-fan in me would have liked to have seen a 'Burgh guy like Kelly or Marino win a SB instead. But, got to admit (and said this before), Elway to me was actually better than both. That old thread, what three players would you want to add to a bad team to build from scratch? Yes, I think Montana is better, but I picked John instead as one of those three players (OJ & Deacon, I believe, were the other two).
PS - I forgot about Gleem toothpaste. Not sure if I ever, actually, brushed with it! I think I actually did. I think.