Rewatch: Patriots at Broncos 11/4/84

A fun activity when you are a fan of a bad team is to rewatch old games on YouTube. I first got into football back in 1984 when I was a third grader. I remember the outcomes of games but not many details. While I probably “watched” some of these games at the time, I didn’t totally understand everything that was going on and didn’t have the attention span to sit through an entire game. 

I just finished a rewatch of the Broncos and Patriots from November 4, 1984 which pitted John Elway against Tony Eason, both members of the famed quarterback draft class of 1983. The Broncos were clearly a team on the rise, coming into the game with an 8-1 record. The Patriots had just made a mid season coaching change, with Raymond Berry taking over the reins. It was mentioned on the broadcast that Berry believed the Patriots were ready to win now. And he proved to be right as the Patriots were in the Super Bowl the following season. Combined, these two teams won four of the final five AFC championships of the 1980s.

The Patriots dominated much of the first half and yet didn’t have much to show for it. Three trips into the red zone resulted in only three points. A goal line fumble and a missed field goal were missed opportunities. The game was tied 6-6 at halftime, even though the Patriots had 200 total yards to the Broncos 116, with most of the Broncos total coming on a single drive.

The two teams exchanged third quarter touchdowns, but the Patriots held a 13-12 lead after three quarters after Rich Karlis missed his second extra point of the game. The Patriots extended their lead to 19-12 on a pair of fourth-quarter field goal drives which were sandwiched around a Broncos possession which featured 8 passes and resulted in an interception after only 22 yards. Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy were on the broadcast for NBC and Trumpy was becoming increasingly incredulous about the inability of the Broncos to run the ball. For the game, the Broncos managed only 28 yards on 18 rushing attempts and failed to get a first down running the ball.

Even though the threat of the run was nonexistent, Elway’s passing arm could not be stopped. The Broncos took possession with just over eight minutes remaining and put together a 78-yard touchdown drive in which Elway was 5 of 6 passing and the ground attack yielded zero yards on two attempts. Elway found Butch Johnson for the touchdown, concluding the best day of Johnson’s 10-year career. He hauled in nine passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns that afternoon. 

The score was again tied, but the Patriots had the ball with four minutes remaining and the chance to move into position for the winning score. Two completed passes and two runs by Mosi Tatupu got them to the Broncos 37-yard line at the two-minute warning. They went back to Tatupu on the next play. The ball was punched loose by Steve Busick and Dennis Smith scooped it up and raced 66 yards for a touchdown.

Dennis Smith scores decisive touchdown

The Patriots had a final chance and again crossed midfield, but this time Steve Foley intercepted Tony Eason to clinch the victory.

The game was characteristic of many Broncos victories from that era. An offense which relied heavily on Elway’s arm (40 passing attempts netted 315 yards and three TDs) and a defense which bent-but-didn’t break (they gave up 484 yards of total offense but only yielded 19 points, held the Pats to three points on two goal-line stands, and forced three turnovers).