When you think of John Elway, certain moments pop into your head.
The Drive.
The Helicopter.
“This one’s for John.”
Elway coming off the field in Super Bowl XXXIII for the last time – as Super Bowl champion.
All defining moments for one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever strap on pads. All moments that still produce chills for Broncos Country and tears for the people they happened against.
But there’s one that gets left off the list, and it makes no sense why. Perhaps Broncos Country and those across the NFL came to expect it. After all, this moment was five years after The Drive in Cleveland.
With the Broncos set to smash helmets in a meaningless preseason game on Saturday against the Houston Texans, Throwback Thursday takes a look at The Drive II. Yes, yes, that 26-24 come-from behind win happened against the Oilers, but still … Houston fans remember.
Broncos fans should as well.
It was Jan. 4, 1992 at Mile High Stadium.
The Denver defense finally forced Warren Moon (27 for 36 passing, 325 yards) and the Houston offense to punt. A feat the Broncos didn’t at all over the course of that AFC divisional playoff game until that last possession.
With the ball on his own 2-yardline, no timeouts with under 2 minutes remaining and trailing 24-23, Elway strolled onto the field with his customary pigeon-toed jaunt and confidence.
Michael Martinez of The New York Times takes it from there:
Elway’s two critically important plays came on fourth down, but there was also this: a 22-yard pass to Michael Young on the first play that moved the Broncos from deep in their own territory.
“The biggest play was the first one,” head coach Dan Reeves said. “It gave us breathing room.”
Next: On a fourth-and-six play from the Denver 28, Elway scrambled for 7 yards. Then: On a fourth-and-10 from the Bronco 35 with 59 seconds left, he avoided a rush, stepped forward and found Vance Johnson, who adjusted his route, for 44 yards to the Oilers’ 21.
“I was sitting in a zone defense,” Johnson recalled. “When John scrambled out of the pocket, I drifted to the right and they just lost me. They were concentrating on trying to stop John.”
From there, it almost looked easy. Steve Sewell ran for 10 yards to the 11, and (David) Treadwell, who kicked a season-best 49-yarder in the third quarter, kicked the winner. But he had to overcome a low snap from center to the holder, Gary Kubiak.
“It came in a little low,” said Treadwell. “Kube trapped it, then put it back up. I don’t know that I adjusted, but I may have double-clutched.”
It was yet another defining moment in a career that was full of them.
But what made this one just a little more special – it happened in Denver in front of Broncos Country at Mile High.
“I’m numb; that’s the biggest way to describe it,” Reeves said afterward. “To overcome what we overcame was amazing.
“When you’ve got No. 7, anything is possible.”
What’s amazing is fans and people in Denver still didn’t think he would win the Super Bowl. The fact he led three teams to the Super Bowl in four years that had no business being in the Super Bowl wasn’t enough.
The fact he just led his second 98-yard drive with under 2 minutes remaining to either tie or win the game, didn’t matter.
Of course, it took five more years for Elway to finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy in San Diego. Perhaps the biggest moment in his career. There’s no question it’s the best.
You also could make the argument for The Drive, The Helicopter and jogging off the field for the last time as a back-to-back Super Bowl champion.
With the Broncos set to play the current team from Houston, let’s not forget about The Drive II.
