Rewatch: Broncos vs. Raiders 9/7/86

The 1986 season starts off with a blockbuster between the 1984 and 1985 AFC West champs -  the last three games between the rivals have been decided in overtime. The Broncos get a touchdown on the opening drive, but the Raiders otherwise dominate in the early going. They score just about every way you can - getting two touchdowns, a safety, and a field goal on the first play of the second quarter to take 19-7 lead. 

And then comes what is perhaps the iconic play of the Broncos’ 1986 regular season. They have third-and-five at the Raiders 23. Elway hands to Sewell, who starts right, pauses, and then throws back across the field to a wide-open Elway, who hauls in the pass and ambles the remaining 15 yards for the touchdown. I don't know how many times I've seen it replayed through the years. Dozens upon dozens.

Elway with first (and only) career receiving TD

Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy are on the broadcast for NBC. Criqui says we'll see it again and again (prophetic) but Trumpy kind of poops on it. The ball wasn’t very well thrown. It's six points but it's a trick play and you can't just keep doing that. He seemed really unhappy about it and his partner probably had to tell him to go for a walk during the commercial break.    

Raiders answer with a field goal to go up 22-14. The Broncos pull within a point right before the half on a 1-yard run by Gene Lang after getting a big break on the previous play. Stacey Toran of the Raiders was called for pass interference on third-and-long on a ball that was out of the reach of Clarence Kay. 

The broadcast highlights the Broncos third quarter struggles of the previous season, in which they were outscored 103-39. The Broncos do finally get a touchdown when Ken Woodard forces a Marcus Allen fumble and returns it for the score, but it’s sandwiched between a pair of Raiders touchdowns. After three quarters, it’s Los Angeles 36, Denver 28 and it kind of seems like it might just be the Raiders’ day.

The Broncos have managed to keep it close with a heavy dose of Mile High Magic. So far they have touchdowns off of a gadget play, a generous pass interference penalty, and a turnover. And as the fourth quarter begins, Rich Karlis comes on and boots a career-long 51 yarder after going 0-for-5 from 50 or more in 1985. Napoleon McCallum then fumbles the ensuing kickoff, setting up the Broncos with another opportunity.

Denver gets deep into Raider territory and they put up a quote where Elway said that the Raiders might have a better defense than the Bears. And then he promptly hits Lang for a TD, giving the Broncos 37 points on the day and probably ending further comparisons. 

There is still plenty of time left and the Broncos are holding a narrow 38-36 lead. The Raiders are threatening with three and a hlaf minutes to play. Marc Wilson connects with Dokie Williams for a first down at the Denver 10, but he fumbles, turning it back to Denver.

This recording leaves in a lot of the ads. Sometimes it’s fun to remember the world of the 1980s that we once lived in. Commercials for the Yugo sent me on a bit of a rabbit hole researching the worst imported car ever. There has even been a book written about it.  AT&T used to present “you make the call” where it would replay a game situation and ask you, the fan, what should happen if you were the coach or the referee. The one they show here is from the Patriots-Bengals game the previous season, perhaps not ironically the one that wound up sealing the Broncos’ fate. Do the Patriots go for it on 4th-and-1 holding a narrow lead and a playoff spot on the line?  If you said yes, you’re right, as Robert Weathers sprints all the way to the end zone to clinch the victory.

The Broncos are facing their own version of “you make the call” at the two-minute warning. They have a 3rd-and-9 at their own 22. Trumpy asks Criqui if the Broncos should run it and rely on the defense or throw and try to convert. Criqui says throw it. 

They do indeed throw it and Steve Watson hauls in Elway’s pass for 36 yards, which essentially clinches the game. Even though Denver winds up punting three plays later, the pass forced the Raiders to burn their final two timeouts and shifted field position, rendering the Raiders' last-gasp possession nearly useless. The Broncos win in what remains the highest scoring Broncos-Raiders game ever. The one that came the closest was the Raiders’ 59-14 win during the Josh McDaniels era. 

This was the sixth consecutive game between these two teams decided by three points or less. I miss these days when these games were not only competitive but also quite meaningful in deciding the division title.