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As the day grew long at
Cleveland Stadium, Brown fans were sure that this time it was
their turn - they would go to the Super Bowl for the first
time in franchise history. The offense was led by the wildly
popular Bernie Kosar, who had passed for 489 yards in a 23-20
overtime win against the Jets in the previous game. The tense
title game was tied 10-10 at halftime and 13-13 midway through
the fourth quarter. But the Browns broke it open with 5:43
left in regulation time, when Kosar hit wide receiver Brian
Brennan for a sudden 48-yard touchdown pass.
The Broncos flubbed the
ensuing kickoff, and so began the most important possession of
their season inside their 2-yard line with 5:32 left, trailing
20-13.
The 14-play
sequence now known as "The Drive" began innocuously enough -
the first four plays were pass-run-run-run, all to Sammy
Winder, for a total of 12 yards.
On the next play, Elway dropped back on second down and found
his primary receivers covered. He stepped up to avoid the
rush, took off to his left, and gained 11 yards to the 26. The
Browns would spend much of the rest of The Drive in a
three-man rush, hoping to contain Elway. In retrospect,
perhaps they should have created more pressure, because on the
next play he hit the versatile Steve Sewell for a big 22-yard
completion, and then Elway hit wide receiver Steve Watson for
a 12-yard completion to get to the Cleveland 40.
After an incomplete pass,
backup nose tackle Dave Puzzuoli wrapped up Elway for an
8-yard sack. Now came the jewel of The Drive - it was third-and-18 from the Cleveland 48,
and Elway was limping noticeably on a sprained left ankle. Caught up in the noise
and excitement, Elway mistimed two visual cues while lined up
in shotgun formation - he pointed to Watson (to get him in
motion) and he stomped his heel (the signal for a silent
cadence to begin). The problem was, he was supposed to point
first. He did both at the same time, and Watson was directly
behind center Bill Bryan when the ball was snapped. The ball
glanced off Watson and hit the ground; but an alert Elway
picked the ball off the ground and fired a pass to wide
receiver Mark Jackson. It was good for 20 yards, and a first
down at the Cleveland 28.
The Broncos now
scrapped their huddle and went into a jet-set offense. Elway
threw incomplete to Watson, hit Sewell on a 14-yard screen
lob, missed Watson again, then ran 9 yards on a quarterback
draw. It was third-and-1 from the Browns' 5, with only 39
seconds left. Two teams and one game clock all were about to
collide on a frozen goal line.
Chip Banks,
Cleveland's Pro Bowl linebacker, came hard on a blitz. Elway
was backing up as he delivered. The pass was "low and
hot," according to Jackson, who went to the turf to make
the fateful catch. The Broncos tied the game.
The Browns won the
overtime coin flip, but Denver linebacker Karl Mecklenburg
made a big tackle to force a punt. The Broncos got the ball on
the Denver 25, and the ensuing drive was anticlimactic, almost
by-the-numbers. Elway hit tight end Orson Mobley for passes of
22 and 28 yards, positioning Rich Karlis for the winning
33-yard field goal.
Any given Sunday ... a
legend is born, or a city will lay in ruins.
The
Drive - play by play:
Play
No. 1 - First and 10, Denver 2-yard line. Elway faked a handoff
to Gerald Willhite, then passed to Sammy Winder for five yards.
Play
No. 2 - Second and 5, Denver 7-yard line. Winder, on a pitchout,
ran for three yards.
Play
No. 3 - Third and 2, Denver 10-yard line. Denver calls time out.
Winder ran over left guard for two-yard gain and a first down.
Play
No. 4 - First and 10, Denver 12-yard line. Winder carried over
left tackle for three yards.
Play
No. 5 - Second and seven, Denver 15-yard line. Forced out of the
pocket, Elway scrambled for 11 yards and a first down on the Denver
26.
Play
No. 6 - First and ten, Denver 26-yard line. Elway completed
22-yard pass to Steve Sewell for a first down on the Denver 48.
Play
No. 7 - First and ten, Denver 48-yard line. Elway completed pass
to Steve Watson for a 12-yard gain and a first down at the Cleveland
40.
Two-minute
warning
Play
No. 8 - First and ten, Cleveland 40-yard line (1:59 remaining).
Elway's pass intended for Vance Johnson is incomplete.
Play
No. 9 - Second and ten, Cleveland 40-yard line (1:52 remaining).
Elway sacked for 8-yard loss by Dave Puzzuoli.
Play
No. 10 - Third and 18, Cleveland 48-yard line (1:47 remaining).
Elway completed pass to Jackson for 20-yard gain and first down to
the Cleveland 28.
Play
No. 11 - First and 10, Cleveland 28-yard line (1:19 remaining).
Elway pass intended for Watson is incomplete.
Play
No. 12 - Second and 10, Cleveland 28-yard line (1:10 remaining).
Elway pitched a strike to Sewell for 14 yards and a first down on
the Cleveland 14.
Play
No. 13 - First and ten, Cleveland 14-yard line (:57 remaining).
Elway pass intended for Watson is incomplete.
Play
No. 14 - Second and 10, Cleveland 14-yard line (:42 remaining).
Elway flushed from the pocket and ran nine yards to the Cleveland 5.
Play
No. 15 - Third and one, Cleveland 5-yard line (:39 remaining).
Elway went to the air for the ninth time in the drive and hit
Jackson for the tying touchdown. Rich Karlis adds PAT.
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