It’s Thursday! You know what that means…Sports Throwback Thursday. In today’s post, I will talk about the 1997 Denver Broncos. A team that finished with a 12-4 record went all the way to win the Super Bowl against the defending champions, Green Bay Packers.
In the 1997 season, many believe that this was John Elway’s final chance to win a Super Bowl. John Elway, the Broncos quarterback, lost a shocking divisional game against the Jacksonville Jaguars the year prior. I wasn’t watching football yet during this team. However, I have seen highlights and footage of their season. I think that some people didn’t believe that Elway took what it takes to win it all. Well, in this ’97 season, he was on a mission to prove people wrong.
During the season, John threw for 3,635 yards. He also had help from running back Terrell Davis, who rushed for 1,750 yards. Broncos wide receivers Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey combined for 115 receptions and over 1,700 yards. Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe finished with 72 receptions for 1,107 yards. Kicker Jason Elam kicked 26 field goals out of 36 attempted. Five Bronco players made it to the Pro Bowl.
The 1997 Broncos were tenth in the league in total passing yards with 3,704 and fourth in the league in total rushing yards with 2,378. They finished with 6,082 total yards, first in the NFL. They were fourth in total yards given up with 4,969. They were also first in total points scored with 472. They were seventh in total points allowed with 287.
Broncos finished second in the AFC West. They got revenge on the Jaguars, defeating them in the Wild Card game, followed by the Chiefs in the Divisional round, and then the Steelers in the AFC Championship game.
In the Super Bowl against the Packers, my favorite highlight is when John Elway rushed to get some yards. Broncos won the game 31-24. Terrell Davis was named the Super Bowl MVP. I love the fact that Elway got put on a pedestal after he won the game. He finally got over the hump.
Broncos would go on to repeat the following year. They beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, the last game of John Elway’s career.
