NFL Recap (Denver-Seattle)
Posted: Sun October 11, 1998 at 10:14 p.m. EDT
DENVER 21, SEATTLE 16
SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Terrell Davis continued
his assault on nearly every team rushing record with 208 yards and a
touchdown as the Denver
Broncos remained unbeaten with a 21-16 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
While the game featured two of the three top passers in NFL history --
John Elway of Denver and
Warren Moon of Seattle --
it was the rushing of the fourth-year back that sealed Denver's sixth
straight victory. With the Broncos nursing a 14-10 lead early in the
fourth quarter, Davis plunged in from two yards out. The touchdown was
Davis' 44th as a Bronco, breaking Floyd Little's club record.
It was the third career 200-yard game for Davis, who rushed for a
career-high 215 yards against Cincinnati on September 21, 1997.
Seattle drew within 21-16 and was driving for the go-ahead score late
in the fourth quarter when linebacker Glenn Cadrez picked off an
errant John Friesz pass
at the Denver 27. After two runs netted Davis seven yards, he broke around
left end and rumbled 70 yards to the Seattle five, all but ending the
contest.
Davis has five straight 100-yard games against the Seahawks and in
those five games he has rushed for a total of 633 yards. He has an
NFL-high 865 yards and leads the league in scoring with 54 points. Davis
also set a club record with five straight 100-yard games.
"Coming in here (Kingdome), we knew it wasn't going to be a typical
regular-season game," said Davis. "It somewhat had playoff implications.
"When I came into this game, I knew it was going to be tough yards. I
had my mind set to come in here and try and run hard. Eventually, we felt
we could have some breakouts."
Denver's Rod Smith
had eight receptions for 136 yards, his seventh career 100-yard game and
first this season.
"Rod is a great receiver and does a lot of good things. Today was his
day," said Elway.
Denver won its franchise-record 11th straight game, including last
year's playoff run, and posted its second straight 6-0 start. Additionally,
the Broncos matched the 1986 Chicago Bears for the
second-best start by a defending Super Bowl champion. The San Francisco 49ers opened
their Super Bowl defense in 1990 with 10 straight wins.
"I was really pleased with the effort of our football team," said
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. "I really thought the special teams stepped up
and played a heck of a football game. Defensively, we played extremely hard
throughout the whole football game. To be a championship team, that's what
you've got to do."
"I think we're good enough in all aspects," Elway said. "If we're
struggling offensively a little bit, the defense seems to pick it up and
vice versa. We're very happy to be 6-0, but we've got a long way to go."
Moon, playing with cracked ribs made a go of it, but was forced to
leave the game after three quarters. He completed 15-of-32 passes for 154
yards before giving way to Friesz. Seattle's backup completed his first
five passes, including a 50-yard scoring strike to Mike Pritchard.
"I just couldn't move anymore," said Moon. "I couldn't function. I
probably stayed in a series too long. I got hit right on my rib right
before the half."
The Broncos have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the Seahawks
(3-3), who have dropped three straight after opening the season with three
wins.
Denver looked like it would make a rout of the key divisional tilt
early. Elway, who was 13-of-27 for 185 yards, capped an 88-yard drive by
finding Smith with a bomb down the right hashmark for a 7-0 lead midway
through the opening quarter.
After a couple of empty possessions, Denver seized a 14-0 advantage.
Darrien Gordon returned
a punt by Jeff Feagles
36 yards to the Seattle 19 and on the first play from scrimage, Elway found
tight end Shannon Sharpe
for a 14-0 lead with 2:07 left in the quarter.
But Seattle didn't fold. After a drive stalled and punt pinned Denver
deep in its own territory, linebacker Darrin Smith stepped in
front of pass intended for Smith and raced 23 yards down the left sideline
for a touchdown.
The game remained 14-7 until midway through the third quarter when Todd Peterson converted a
23-yard field goal attempt. Seattle drove to the Broncos 5 but saw the
drive stall on a couple of short runs and an incomplete pass by Moon.
After Davis' two-yard scoring run extended the Denver advantage to
21-10, Seattle answered on its next possession. Ricky Watters, who
finished with 76 yards rushing, ran for a couple of first downs to get the
Seahawks to midfield, where Friesz threaded a pass in the slot to former
Bronco Mike Pritchard, who cut it up the field for a 50-yard touchdown
reception.
Seattle went for two but Watters run off right tackle went nowhere and
the Seahawks trailed 21-16. Denver was able to chew up some clock on its
next possession and Seattle had one final shot taking over at its own 23
with 5:34 to go.
Friesz found Pritchard for 13 yards and Joey Galloway for 14. On
2nd-and-15 from midfield, Friesz completed a 13-yard pass to Christian Fauria. Watters
then carried for eight yards to the Denver 29. But a run by Watters netted
nothing and a reverse to Galloway gained just one. On 3rd-and-9 from the
28 Denver blitzed and Friesz did not see Cadrez, who made the easy
interception to end the threat.
Seattle committed 12 penalties for 93 yards.
"I don't know why we're not doing what we did last year," Friesz said.
"We were a very potent offense last year and we're not playing up to it.
There's somebody all the time, sometimes doing something wrong."
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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