NFL Recap (Kansas City-Denver)
Posted: Sun December 6, 1998 at 9:49 p.m. EST
DENVER 35, KANSAS CITY 31
DENVER (Ticker) -- The Denver Broncos were far
from perfect but fought off their most stubborn challenge and kept their
perfect season intact.
Denver rallied for two touchdowns in the final seven minutes for a
35-31 victory over the revenge-minded Kansas City Chiefs,
becoming only the third team in NFL history to open a season with 13
straight victories. The 1934 Chicago Bears went 13-0
before losing in the NFL Championship game, while the 1972 Miami Dolphins capped a
17-0 season with a win in Super Bowl VII.
"That was one of those great football games. It was one of those
games you enjoy coaching," Denver's Mike Shanahan said. "For a while there,
things didn't look too good. But it showed me the character of our
football team, the way they hung in there for 60 minutes. They found a way
to win."
The Broncos' pursuit of history continues next week against the New York Giants. Denver
faces the Dolphins in Miami on December 21st and hosts Seattle in the
season finale the following week.
The Broncos (13-0) extended their winning streak to 18 games,
including last year's playoffs, and clinched home-field advantage
throughout the AFC playoffs. But they never led until John Elway hit tight end Shannon Sharpe with a
24-yard touchdown pass with 3:34 remaining.
It was the only reception of the game for Sharpe, who became the first
tight end in NFL history with seven straight 50-catch seasons. Rod Smith was Elway's
favorite target with eight receptions for 165 yards. Ed McCaffrey added six for
103.
"All the games are tough," Smith said. "We don't like the close ones,
but you have no control over that. They were emotionally charged. They
brought it to us and gave us everything they had."
Elway completed 22-of-32 passes for 400 yards -- his first 400-yard
effort since December 20th, 1985 -- with two touchdowns and an
interception. Terrell
Davis rushed for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries to help
Denver extend its regular-season home winning streak to 23 games.
"We weren't overconfident," Davis insisted. "They made some big plays
and had us back on our heels a little bit. It's scary to me down that many
points, but we didn't panic.
"I'm not always going to run for 100 yards each week. When I go out
there I just have to do my thing. I don't feel like 75 yards is a bad
game, especially if I do my assignments, catch the ball and run hard.
That's a good game for me."
The Chiefs (5-8) nearly pulled off the upset after a humiliating 30-7
home loss to the Broncos on November 16th. Rich Gannon was 27-for-43
for 240 yards and three touchdowns but was sacked by defensive end Alfred Williams on fourth
down at the Denver 41 with 1:54 left.
The loss clinched Kansas City's first losing season in Marty
Schottenheimer's 10 years as a coach.
"We had our opportunities," he said. "The discussion will be about
comebacks and Schottenheimer and Elway, but that's not the story. The
story is a group of guys in the locker room that had nothing to play for
but their pride. They did everything in their power to try and win a
football game. I told them there are no losers in that locker room."
The Broncos erased a 14-point deficit with a pair of touchdowns in the
second quarter. But Gannon threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Joe Horn with 3:40 to go
in the third period to put Kansas City back in front, 28-21.
Denver took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Chiefs 19. But Jason Elam, who was
19-for-19 this season, had his 37-yard field goal attempt blocked by Leslie O'Neal with just
under 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Kansas City answered with an 11-play drive that consumed 5:23 and
stretched its lead to 31-21 on a 20-yard field goal by Pete Stoyanovich.
Vaughn Hebron
returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Broncos 46 and Elway -- the
master of fourth-quarter comebacks -- needed only 97 seconds to get Denver
back within three points.
Facing a 3rd-and-7 at his own 49, Elway found Willie Green, who broke a
tackle and rambled 50 yards to the Kansas City 1. Davis went off left
guard on the next play for his 59th career TD, one more than all-time
leader Marcus Allen had in his first four NFL seasons.
The Broncos nearly got the ball back immediately but officials ruled
that Donnell Bennett
never had control of Gannon's pass. After two more incompletions, Darrien Gordon's 14-yard
punt return set up Elway at midfield.
Davis did most of the early work on the drive, carrying three times
for 14 yards and catching a 12-yard pass before Elway hit Sharpe for the
go-ahead score.
Three weeks ago, the Chiefs committed five personal fouls in a
nationally televised loss to Denver. Linebacker Derrick Thomas committed
three of the infractions and was suspended for one game by coach Marty
Schottenheimer, while linebacker Wayne Simmons was released
after the debacle.
"This is the NFL. Anybody is beatable on any given day," Kansas City
cornerback Mark
McMillian. "I'm sure a lot of people thought we'd come in, lay down
and take the loss. I guarantee in the other locker room they're breathing
a sigh of relief right now."
But Kansas City came out inspired in the first quarter, racing to a
14-0 lead as Gannon threw TD passes of 26 yards to Andre Rison and 11 yards to
Kimble Anders. Rison's
score came immediately after Greg Manusky recovered
punter Tom Rouen's
fumble.
Gannon was sacked four times and the Chiefs were held to 44 rushing
yards while yielding 476 yards in total offense.
"Coming in, we felt like we could score points," Gannon said.
"Obviously, we got off to a good start. We never thought we had it won, we
knew we had to keep working. Obviously, they took advantage of the field
position and just made the plays when they had to to win."
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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