AFC Divisional Playoffs
Denver Broncos (12-2) vs.
Pittsburgh Steelers(9-5)
Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
For the first time in their history, the Denver Broncos advanced to the AFC playoffs, and they did so on the strength of their defense. "Orange Crush," as it was called, completely dominated teams throughout the season, allowing just 148 points the entire season. Meanwhile, veteran Craig Morton, long thrown away by the Dallas Cowboys, was looking to prove that he could still lead a team to the Super Bowl. That would be no easy task against the three time defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, though some of the luster had worn off this season. The once dominant defense struggled through the season, and poor outings by both Terry Bradshaw and Rocky Bleier during the season seemed to spell the end of the Steelers' reign.
In the first quarter, it appeared as if both teams would allow their defenses to set the tempo on this day. Neither team could move the ball for the greater part of the quarter, until Morton and the Broncos began to finally get going. Running back Otis Armstrong charged ahead for a 14 yard gain that put Denver into Pittsburgh territory and Morton did the rest, passing for 22 yards before the Broncos had to settle for a Jim Turner 44 yard kick and a 3-0 lead.
The Denver offense continued to find its stride as the game got older. On their next drive, Morton and Armstrong were in sync again, with Armstrong finishing the drive with a 20 yard touchdown that went right through the heart of the Pittsburgh defense. Later in the quarter, "Orange Crush" began to make their mark on Terry Bradshaw. With five minutes remaining in the half, the Steeler quarterback was intercepted by Louis Wright, who returned the pick back to the Pittsburgh 15 yard line. Five plays later, Rob Lytle punched into the end zone, putting the Broncos up 17-0 on the defending champs. On Pittsburgh's very next drive, Bradshaw was intercepted again, this time by Tom Jackson. That turnover set up a second Turner field goal, and the lead was now 20 points. Bradshaw was finally able to move the Steelers on their next drive, but they stalled inside the ten yard line, and Roy Gerela gave them their first points as the half expired.
Down by 17 points coming out of the half, most people expected the Steelers to be able to at least mount some kind of comeback. Instead, what they got was pure domination by the Denver defense. both Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier were held in check the entire game, with neither rushing for even 30 yards. Meanwhile, both Armstrong and backup running back Rob Lytle punished the Pittsburgh front, finally denting the "Steel Curtain" enough to break through. With the veteran Morton leading the way, Denver controlled the clock in the second half, while the defense kept pressure on Bradshaw, who was forced to throw more to make up the score. The two teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, and Pittsburgh's last gasp of a drive ended with Bradshaw's third interception of the game. It seemed impossible, but the Pittsburgh Steelers would not win the Super Bowl this year.
Final Score: Denver-23 Pittsburgh-6
Real Life Score: Denver-34 Pittsburgh-21
Baltimore Colts (10-4) vs.
Oakland Raiders (11-3)
Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD
By virtue of their AFC East championship, the Baltimore Colts were fortunate enough to host the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. While not as solid as last year, Baltimore quarterback Bert Jones had a good season, and Lydell Mitchell rushed for over 1,150 yards. Meanwhile, safety Lyle Blackwood was a dominant force in the secondary, leading the NFL wth 10 interceptions. For Oakland, they were led once again by Ken Stabler and the dual running attack of Mark Van Eeghen and Clarence Davis, as well as leading receiver Dave Casper.
As the game started, it became clear that Baltimore was going to try and force Stabler to beat them by stacking the line of scrimmage to take away Oakland's solid running game. It certainly worked, as on the first play of the game, Stabler was picked off by Lyle Blackwood. However, the Oakland defense stopped the Colts cold, and forced a punt. Stabler was able to move the ball down the field with short swing passes to his running backs, but the next time he looked deep for a pass on the next Oakland drive, Blackwood was there again for another interception. This time, the Colts were able to attack the Oakland front, using running back Lydell Mitchell in multiple roles. First, he gained 30 yards on a sweep, then caught a five yard touchdown pass out of the backfield to give Baltimore the early 7-0 lead.
With those two early interceptions still echoing in his mind, Ken Stabler decided that his best means of attacking the Baltimore defense would be to stick with the short passing game. This time around, it worked, with Clarence Davis picking up 26 yards on a short swing pass, followed by a 10 yard pass to Casper and a 16 yard touchdown to Fred Biletnikoff that tied the score at seven. Though Oakland still couldn't run on the Colts, Stabler had found a way to pass on them. The only problem with that was that head coach John Madden still wanted to run the football. In the second quarter, Oakland's running game proved ineffective, and led directly to ten Baltimore points. After one short drive consisting of nothing but running plays, Baltimore came back onto the field and used Bert Jones' arm to lead them to the end zone, finishing the 9 play drive with a 17 yard touchdown to Raymond Chester.
On the very next Oakland drive, Mark Van Eeghen fumbled the football back to the Colts, and after another Baltimore drive, Toni Linhart booted a 23 yard kick through to make the score 17-7. In just 10 minutes, Oakland's decision to run the football had put them into a hole that they would not escape from. As the first half came to a close, the Colts were brimming with confidence, while the Raiders looked beaten already.
Though the Raiders looked sullen walking off the field, as they got back on it in the third quarter, their defense was determined to keep Oakland in the game. On the second play of the half, Jones' pass was intercepted by Jack Tatum, who returned the ball to the Baltimore 30. Oakland made it down to the ten yard line, but then Stabler threw his third interception of the game, this one to Bruce Laird. When he was finally brought down at the Baltimore 41, all the air had been let out of the Raiders' balloon. Jones threw his third touchdown of the game on the Colts' drive, this one to Don McCauley, and from there, the game was never in doubt. Lydell Mitchell attacked the Raiders for the rest of the game, finishing with 151 yards and a rushing touchdown that he added late in the fourth quarter. Stabler would be picked off once again by Blackwood, and by the time the Raider running game got started, it was too little, too late, even with a Mark Van Eeghen touchdown run. The gun sounded, and it would be the Colts getting their shot at the upstart Broncos in the AFC Championship.
Final Score: Baltimore-31 Oakland-14
Real Life Score: Oakland-37 Baltimore-31/2 OT (Ghost to the Post Game)
AFC Championship Game
Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
Denver Broncos (12-2) vs.
Baltimore Colts (10-4)
In just their fourth winning season, the Denver Broncos not only found themselves one game away from the Super Bowl, but they were also hosting the game. Fortunately for them, they had a veteran quarterback in Craig Morton, along with one of the best defenses in football. The Baltimore Colts would not be intimidated, however, as they were able to counter with Bert Jones and Lydell Mitchell on offense, as well as Lyle Blackwood and his three interceptions against the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. As people began to fill Mile High Stadium, it was a common thought that the team that played more mistake free football would win the game.
Early on, it appeared as if that would certainly be the case. The Colts received the ball first, but Bert Jones missed a wide open Don McCauley on third down, and they were forced to punt. The Broncos would not waste time in moving down the field, with both Otis Armstrong and Rob Lytle playing huge parts in the opening drive. In fact, only the two of them would touch the ball on Denver's first drive, with each rushing into the Baltimore defense and catching passes out of the backfield. Armstrong finished the drive with a 1 yard touchdown up the middle, and the Broncos were up 7-0. After another Baltimore punt, the Broncos, knowing the Colts would be expecting running plays, used play action fakes to soften up the defense. From there, Morton was able to attack the Baltimore secondary, passing for 60 yards on the drive, including a six yard touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin that put the Broncos up 14-0 as the first quarter came to a close.
In the second quarter, it seemed as if the Colts had finally figured out how to at least make progress against the stingy Denver defense. Jones started using Mitchell out of the backfield, as well as utilizing shorter passes against the aggressive Denver linebackers. In doing so, the Colts moved downfield, with Mitchell's one yard touchdown run capping a 12 play, seven minute drive. However, the Broncos were quick to answer this time, as Morton hit Dolbin in stride for 49 yards on the second play of their next possession. That was followed on the next play by a Ron Egloff touchdown catch that once again made the Bronco lead 14 points. The Colts were forced to punt on their next drive, but then Morton made his first mistake of the game, as Nelson Munsey stepped in front of a pass and intercepted it. After a Bert Jones 26 yard pass to Roger Carr, Lydell Mitchell scored for the second time, making the score 21-14. Once again, the Broncos were able to respond, moving without a huddle and benefitting from an Armstrong 41 yard run, before settling for a Jim Turner field goal as the half expired to put them up 24-14.
Just 30 minutes from their first trip to the Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos came into the second half wanting to just play mistake free football, and they attempted to do just that by running the ball on almost every play. However, this was the same mistake that Oakland had made the week before against the Colts, and on their second drive of the half, the Colts made the Broncos pay. Backup running back Ronald Lee broke off a 51 yard run, then Lydell Mitchell added his third score of the game, this one from 15 yards against a tiring Denver defense to make the score 24-21 in favor of Denver. Unlike the Raiders, however, the Broncos were able to rely on their defense for the rest of the third quarter, and despite not gaining a single first down in 15 minutes, the Broncos took a three point lead into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter started with yet another Denver punt, and while they were able to stop the Colts once again, the Broncos were now losing in field postion on each drive, giving the Colts fewer and fewer yards to go for a score. The defense would make up for that, though, when Tom Jackson stripped Freddie Scott Jr. Bob Swenson recovered the fumble, and the Broncos were on the move. Their once stagnant running game came back to life, with Lonnie Perrin gaining 44 yards on a draw play. From there, the Colts held firm, forcing the Broncos to settle for a second Turner field goal, making the score 27-21 with just five minutes to play. Knowing time was important, Bert Jones came back onto the field and began moving the Colts toward the Denver end zone with drive and determination. Using both runs and passes to keep the Broncos off balance, the Colts soon found themselves at the Denver eight yard line.
On first down, Lydell Mitchell was able to gain two yards to the Denver six. Both second and third down were disrupted by a Denver pass rush that had once again found itself, and now the Colts were looking at a fourth and goal to go at the Denver seven yard line. Jones had some time, but his pass bounced off the fingertips of Glenn Doughty, ending the last chance that Baltimore would have. Morton and the Broncos ran out the clock, sending Denver to their very first Super Bowl.
Final Score: Denver-27 Baltimore-21
Real Life Score: Denver-20 Oakland-17