For my next rewatch, a huge game at Mile High with a playoff atmosphere. The 11-1 Broncos, riding a 10-game win streak, hosting the 10-2 Seattle Seahawks, with the winner gaining control of the AFC West with three games to go. For a game like this you would expect none other than Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen in the booth for NBC. And yet…it’s Marv Albert and John Brodie in the booth for NBC. I had to do a little research to find out that Dick and Merlin had done NBC’s Thanksgiving broadcast of the Patriots and Cowboys three days earlier and so were apparently off on Sunday. I feel like these days the networks make their top crews do double-duty.
Fortunately, Jerry Seeman was on hand as the referee, so that leant a little bit of gravity to the ensuing battle.
Air is already a precious resource at altitude, and the Seahawks quickly took what remained of it when Dave Krieg went deep to Daryl Turner on the game’s first play for an 80-yard touchdown. The 1984 Broncos had a lot of strengths but also a tendency to give up a lot of passing yards and that would be on full display in this game.
Marv and John highlighted during the broadcast that the Broncos were in a bit of a youth movement. Franchise legends Randy Gradishar, Riley Odoms, and Rick Upchurch had retired after the 1983 season. The 1984 Broncos featured a league-high 14 rookies. The rookie class of 1984 helped lay the foundation for the success enjoyed by the team throughout the rest of the 1980s. Andre Townsend, Clarence Kay, and Randy Robbins each played in three Super Bowls with the Broncos. Tony Lilly, Gene Lang, and Ricky Hunley each played in two. No Hall of Famers in that group, but it was a solid draft in terms of building depth.
Despite falling behind early, the Broncos kept it close thanks to their bend-but-don’t break defense, and managed to go into halftime with the score tied at 10.
In the third quarter, a Krieg hooked up with Steve Largent for a 65-yard completion which set up Seattle’s second touchdown of the day, but on Denver’s ensuing possession, a Gerald Willhite 63-yard catch-and-run set up a Gene Lang touchdown to make it 17-all.
Seattle put together a 70-yard touchdown drive that concluded early in the fourth quarter. Krieg got Steve Foley to bite on a fake and hit Largent for the go-ahead touchdown.
Seattle and Denver were the top two teams in the NFL in takeaways in 1984, but through three quarters of play there had been only one turnover.
That changed on the next possession. Elway dumped off a pass to Clarence Kay, and the ball slipped through his hands and fell to the ground. Anyone who is decently versed in the rules of football would immediately recognize this as an incomplete pass. Yet, somehow, the officials ruled it a FUMBLE. Without question, the call would have been overturned with instant replay. Unfortunately, that provision didn’t exist in 1984. The Seahawks quickly took advantage of their good fortune and converted the ill-gotten turnover into a field goal and a 10-point lead with seven minutes remaining.
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| Clarence Kay's phantom fumble |
The Broncos quickly responded, as Elway needed just two minutes to get the Broncos into the end zone, with Gene Lang again finding paydirt. Rich Karlis came on for the extra point. His kick was low and wobbly but made it just inside the left upright. 27-24, Seahawks.
The Broncos defense forced a Seahawks punt, and the Broncos take possession with three minutes remaining. Elway finds Willhite for 17 yards, and then again for 14. Then he hits Steve Watson for 22. After he scrambles for a a 13-yard gain, the Broncos find themselves at the Seattle 14 with 1:17 remaining. Plenty of time to get the winning touchdown, but they manage only the eight-yard line. Karlis comes on to attempt a tying 25-yard field goal. Should be a chip shot, right? Unfortunately, no. Karlis hits the right upright on the kick and it bounces back onto the field. The Seahawks take possession and run out the clock and head back to Seattle with an 11-2 record, tied atop the AFC West with the Broncos.
Karlis famously got the flak for missing the kick, but it’s hard to say that the blame for the loss falls on him. Seattle’s only had the three-point lead due to the atrocious officiating call just a few minutes earlier.
Uprights and officiating aside, it just wasn’t the Broncos day. The hallmark of the 1984 Broncos defense was takeaways, and they had none in this game. They got burned on the first play of the game. Dave Krieg passed for 404 yards and three touchdowns. Steve Largent had a career day, catching 12 passes for 191 yards.
Fortunately, the Broncos were going to get another crack at Seattle in week 16.
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