1998 Roster
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14 - 2
(7 September 1998) Monday Night Football at Mile High! It doesn't get any better
than this! The Broncos and Patriots at it again and with the same results, Denver WINS! Having been there at the game
I can tell you first hand that the crowd was in it 110%. Now as for the team goes, that is another story. Elway as well
as Davis, Smith, Sharpe and McCaffrey were looking good as usual but our SPECIAL TEAMS and defense need
some more work if they expect to do well against Dallas. Granted, New England showed the 8-man front a lot and were blitzing
on almost every other down, but our boys are going to have to be ready for that this season because every team they face
is going to be doing the same thing. I know it is the 1st game and it's going to take a little time for them to gell so
I'm not worried. Mike knows how to get the boys on track and believe me he's going to be working on just that all this week
in preparation for Sunday's game against Dallas. All in all it was a well fought battle and we managed to overcome our
miscues where New England could not. Congrats to the Broncos on their 1st victory for the 1998 season and may there be
many more to come. Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 27 - NEW ENGLAND 21.
(13 September 1998) Mile High MADNESS!! That's all I can say as our Denver Broncos
took it to the Dallas Cowboys in no uncertain terms! Elway looked superb, throwing two TDs to Sharpe and running one in himself. Davis,
what can I say, two 60+ yard TD runs and a short power drive for his third! The receiving corps of Sharpe, Smith and McCaffrey were hard
to cover and didn't drop anything catachable! A truely superb performance by the offense!! The Defense did give up some big yardage and
had a few miscues on coverage but all and all looked a lot better this week. Special Teams play was a bit better and did not leave Dallas
with too many long returns on punts and kickoffs (still need some more work though)! All in all it was another good game for the Broncos
who must now get ready for the failing but always surprising Raiders next week in their own backyard!
Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures.Your final score: DENVER 42 - DALLAS 23.
(20 September 1998) Bubby you are the man! Along with the entire DEFENSE, they really stepped it up a
couple of notches from the last two games and took it to the Raiders in their backyard! John looked good for the short time he was in but
why did they call that same play again? Mike???? The men who really pulled this game together for us were (in no special order) Romanowski,
Crockett, Brister, McCaffrey, Smith and of course Terrell Davis who has finally gotten a 100+ yard game against the Raiders! Did you also
pick up on the better coverage on the Special Teams? They too are getting it together. We need to stay healthy and we are in for another VERY
promising year ahead. All in all an excellent game... Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score:
DENVER 34 - OAKLAND 17.
(27 September 1998) Who needs Elway right now, Bubby can handle it. But of course he does need the help from
the rest of the team. Terrell Davis, another 100+ yard game, McCaffery, Sharpe, Smith all making great catches! Once again the DEFENSE played a good
strong game with one exception near the end (when it didn't matter), they really have gotten better as the season progresses. Let's hope John is feeling
better next week but would like another week of rest so he can be ready to clean Seattle's clock. I think Bubby showed he can handle the Eagles without
to much of a sweat. Now the boys head back home for another MILE HIGH party! Go Broncos! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures.
Your final score: DENVER 38 - WASHINGTON 16.
(4 October 1998) WOW! Did you see that 1st half? The 1st quarter? If not then you missed the most impressive
display of pure offensive FIRE-POWER in the NFL today! Granted it was against a team that has yet to muster up one in the WIN column but even still it was great to
watch! Brister spread the ball all around rather well, going 1st to Davis for a rushing TD, then to Smith for a passing TD, then to Sharpe for another passing TD
and finally another rushing TD by Terrell Davis. And that was just the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter he slowed a bit and only hit McCaffrey for one TD pass, his
fourth of the day. Bubby's final stats were 203 yards for four TDs in three quarters! Go Bubby! The Defense was all over the Eagles, it's a good thing they are on the
ENDANGERED SPECIES list or there would have been more feathers left on the field.... By halftime the game was a wrap and Davis came out with a total of 168 yards and
in so doing broke the 5,000 yard mark in 5 years. He now sits atop the NFL as the rushing leader! Way to go Terrell! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures.
Your final score: DENVER 41 - PHILADELPHIA 16.
(11 October 1998) Well as most of us thought, the Seattle Seahawks were going to be our first real test this season and we were not
wrong. Our well-oiled Offense started out great but it looked like John lost a little as the game went on (two weeks off will do that to you) and the Seahawks defense
is for real, playing us very tough! John did manage two 1st quarter TD's to Smith and Sharpe, ending up with 185 yards on the day but his two picks put the Seahawks back
in the game. Thankfully our mighy DEFENSE rose to the occasion and kept Warren Moon and his offense off balance and out of the endzone. The REAL hero of this game was of
course Terrell Davis who rumbled for 208 yards on the day and scored one TD. He also became the Broncos rushing TD leader with his 44th! Go Terrell! Right now he is on
a pace to hit the 2,000 yard mark! We now head into the BYE Week at 6-0 and with some things to work on before we take on the Jags at home on the 25th.
Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 21 - SEATTLE 16.
(25 October 1998) Where do I start? I guess saying 7-0 for the first time in Bronco history sure feels good! The entire team was outstanding
in their play against the Jacksonville Jaguars! There were of course some noteable individuals! Firstly, can anyone disagree that Jason Elam is the best kicker in the NFL?
He hits a 63-yard field goal to tie a 28 year old record and makes it look easy! Congrats Jason and keep it up! Then there is Terrell Davis who goes for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns
AND broke the 1,000 yard mark in 7 games becoming only the third running back in NFL history to do so! Terrell you are the GREATEST, keep on trucking! John Elway has an excellent
day, completing 21-of-35 passes for 295 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a 40+ yard pass from Brunell, too bad it didn't count for an INT! The Defense was simply AWESOME, they
put Brunell on his backside 7 times and never let him really get his passing game going until after the game was well in hand. They stuffed the run well and just did an all around
great job! The linebackers are HOT, no doubt in my mind! I have a really good feeling about this year, let's see how far the team can take it. My guess is a return to the big show
in Miami on Jan. 31st! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 37 - JACKSONVILLE 24.
(1 November 1998) What happened to us in the 1st half? Did we think this was going to be a cakewalk? After giving the Jaguars a beating last week
we let the Bengals almost take one away? The Bengals played more like the Broncos than they did! The offense struggled from the start, why they went to the pass so often is beyond me
when Terrell was doing just fine against them. John ended up with some pretty fair numbers for the day (15-of-26 passes for 213 yards) but he sure was off the mark on those two passes
to McCaffrey in the endzone. This one was a nail-biter from beginning to end and I'm sure Mike has a few things to discuss with the team, both on offense and defense! We also need some
real work on those kickoff returns, that last one almost cost us the game. Some highlights of the game were Terrell Davis continuing to run rampant with 149 yards and two touchdowns,
including the game-winning score with 58 seconds to play AND Ed McCaffrey caught seven passes for a career-high 143 yards. All in all WE ARE THE ONLY UNDEFEATED team in the NFL! At 8-0,
Go Broncos!! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures.Your final score: DENVER 33 - CINCINNATI 26.
(8 November 1998) 9-0, how's that for an opening line! This was a strange game from the opening kick-off! Having been at the game, we did not hear anything
about Elway getting injured until they announced Brister as the starting QB. As usual Bubby did a bang-up job for us after John finally had to leave the game ( I actually saw him get in his car
and be driven off during half-time and he didn't look to be feeling to well at all). Big ED was again in super form as well as Sharpe, both of them making some great catches for good yardage.
The San Diego defense was tough against Terrell though but that was their main focus and really opened up the passing game. Terrell still ended up with 69 yards on the day and two TDs. So much
for their game plan to keep him out of the endzone. The defense played superb and didn't let the Chargers past their own 42 yard line the entire 1st half. It that isn't tough then I don't know
what is! It was kinda boring in the 3rd-4th quarters as the game was well in hand but I'll tell ya the crowd was with them to the end! Your Superbowl Champs are now 3 games ahead of everyone in
the division and we next head to Arrowhead for what could be a very interesting game. Let's hope John is back by then but if not that Bubby can do as well or better than he did today and that
Terrell can run all over the hapless Chiefs!! GO BRONCOS!! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 27 - SAN DIEGO 10.
(16 November 1998) 10-0 and still taking them one at a time! Tonights game was SUPERB! Not only did the offense get off to a fantastic start (Brister running
a bootleg for a 38-yard TOUCHDOWN), but then Terrell turns around on the next drive and scampers in for a 41-yard TOUCHDOWN! That took the crowd out of the game and made the rest of the show
very interesting, for the Bronco fans, sorry Chief lovers... Jason Elam was a perfect 3 for 3 on Field Goals and even Derrick Loville punched one in for a TOUCHDOWN on what had to be the poorest
showing of sportsmanship by the Chiefs defense that I've ever seen. Derrick Thomas' behavior was deplorable and had I been a referee, I would have ejected him from the game. On a brighter note,
Bubby had a good showing with 13-of-23 for 180 yards and Davis, who leads the NFL in rushing, carried 18 times for 111 yards, maintaining his pace for a 2,000 yard season. The Defense had their
best game of the year and held the Chiefs to 31 yards total on the ground! Now we look forward to meeting Oakland at Mile High but this is a much improved team from the last time we met them. They
have shown sparks of solid play but looked poor against Seattle. It could be an interesting game as Oakland always plays us tough. Once again, great job BRONCOS and let's go get another one! Who
cares what Pat Bowlen says! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 30 - KANSAS CITY 7.
(22 November 1998) 11-0 and moving steadily forward! Sundays game was a blast! Sittings in the northwest corner of Mile High, it just doesn't get any better! We
had the place rockin' and caused two delay of game calls against the Raiders... as if the Broncos really needed our help. They came out gunning for the Raiders and didn't quit until the final gun
sounded. I truely think this is the first game where the Offense and Defense had to play all four quarters! Elway as expected, came out a bit rusty on his first couple of passing attempts but warmed
up quickly. His overall numbers on the day were not fantastic (17 of 25 for 197 yards and three TDs) but hey, he surpassed that 50,000 yard mark, becoming only the 2nd Quarterback in NFL history to
do so. Congrats Johnny Legend! Terrell Davis had a great game, 31 carries for 162 yards and a TD, keeping on pace for that 2,000+ yard season! Keep on truckin' Terrell! Our Defense had to have played
their best game so far with three INTs in the fourth quarter when the Raiders tried to make a game of it coming back to make the score 17-14 late in the 3rd quarter. No only did the Defense do a great
job in the 4th quarter but the Offense made the most of every turnover the Defense forced and slowly blew the Raiders out of the game. Well played, well coached and warming up for the home stretch.
Now it's off to San Diego, let's see if the O-line can take on the challenge this time and spring Terrell for over 100 yards on this very tight running defense of the Chargers! I think they can!
Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 40 - OAKLAND 14.
(29 November 1998) 1998 AFC West Champions!! 12-0 and getting closer... but man was that a BAD game!! First play of the game and Elway doesn't get the snap and fumbles
away the ball. Then he tops it off with 3 INTs during the game, matching his season record in one night. Thank GOODness he made up for it with 4 TD passes, 2 to Ed McCaffrey (my Player of the Week) and one each
to Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith. Terrell had a hard time again as the Chargers brought their #1 defense to the game. It's a good thing our defense was also playing tough and didn't let the Chargers take advantage
of our turnovers (with the exception of the Field-Goal in the opening few minutes). As I watched the game I kept wondering why they wanted to always run Terrell up the gut when he had much more success going
off-tackle or even around the end. When he ran like that, it took UGLY Seau out of the play for the most part. Mike are you listening?? If this is the way we plan to play against the Chiefs next week and then
take a two week road trip to the NY Giants and then to MIAMI, we are we in for some tough times. Let's hope this was ANOTHER learning game for everyone. Let's go BRONCOS, let's step it up a notch and show the world
how real Champions play! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 31 - SAN DIEGO 16.
(6 December 1998) 1998 AFC West Champions!! 13-0 the HARD WAY!! Where were our Champions in the 1st quarter, 1st half? Did you think I was kidding when I said they had to pick it
up a notch or two! The Chiefs came into Mile High looking for a kill and we did just about everything in this game wrong that could possibly be done. Let's see there was a INT at the Goal Line, A flubled Punt, a Fumble at
the Goal Line and a Blocked Field Goal, did I miss anything. Then again perhaps Mike just wanted to let John get another come from behind victory against Marty (GRIN). Honestly though, we came out playing very flat on Offense
and soft on Defense. Sitting in the stands you could feel there was something different about this game from the opening kickoff. It wasn't very soon before all of us forgot about the cold weather and started wondering about
the team. I was totally astounded when at the half we had managed to at least tie it up at 21 all. It should have been 28-21 or at least 24-21 because I was looking for us to pound it in for a TD going into the half, but no,
we gave it away on a INT. The second half didn't start out much better as we allowed them 10 more unanswered points to run it up to 31-21. The crowd was getting louder as the game progressed and by the start of the 4th quarter
I couldn't even hear my son talking to me in the next seat. I think all that noise finally got our guys out of their collective shells and started them on the road to victory. It wasn't all bad, there were a lot of great plays
and players. Again, a TEAM effort pulled this one out but you have to admit that Rod Smith and Ed McCaffery had superb games, Willie Green made a fantastic play in the 4th quarter, Elway was HOT at the end when we needed it most
and passed for 400 yards total! I can't say Terrell had a great running game but he did his part on blocking, receiving and setting up the play-action so Elway could do his magic, Terrell did get 3 TOUCHDOWNS and broke yet another
record! I would be remiss if I did not mention Shannon Sharpe and how he kept quiet and just went about the task at hand. It payed off for him too with the game winning TOUCHDOWN with 2:39 on the clock and our Defense in stop'em
dead mode. I think we needed this test right now to see just how we would react. We've never been behind for so long or so late into a game this season and the guys showed they had the fight and desire to go after their dream of
staying UNDEFEATED! I would consider the last three games to be all out wars too, as New York, Miami and Seattle are all going to give us their best shots. We can't let down now guys! Let's get tough and stay tough! After all, you
ARE the Defending World Champions!! GO BRONCOS!! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 35 - KANSAS CITY 31.
(13 December 1998) 1998 AFC West Champions!! 13-1 and ending the undefeated streak of the season! Well it was bound to happen with the way the Broncos have been playing the last three
weeks and the Giants were up to the task. The once all-powerful Offense struggled all game long and produced the fewest points in any game this season, the Defense played tough at times but gave up too many big plays at the worst
possible times. They had a good opportunity to turn the game around with the fumble forced by Tyrone Braxton but didn't. They also gave up another good chance to halt the Giants but were called for offsides on a fumble recovery in
the endzone. The only real positive aspect of the game was Terrell Davis running for 147 yards (keeping him close to the pace needed to reach 2,000 yards on the season) and scoring the only TOUCHDOWN. Hopefully this loss will get
the team back on track as the season winds down and the playoffs quickly approach. It's better to lose one now than in January. Although my comments seem harsh, I am still and always will be a DIE-HARD fan, I just try to state my
opinion on how I saw the game played and where we need to improve our game. Let's hope Mike can gather a lot of good info from this loss and use it to our advantage for the rest of the season and all the way to the big-game in late
January. Let's GO BRONCOS! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 16 - NY GIANTS 20.
(21 December 1998) 1998 AFC West Champions!! 13-2 and looking like they are in for a tough Post-Season! There isn't much to say about this game except that Miami was loaded for Bear and
ended up killing Broncos instead. Granted we have everything all wrapped up but it would be nice to see them close out the season in a winning fashion instead of back-to-back losses. If the Broncos plan to have a long Post-Season
this year then they better start to make things happen or we will be in for a repeat of the 1996 season (Heaven Forbid!) For a matchup between two great quarterbacks, John sure didn't show his stuff. Speaking of stuff, did you see
how they stuffed Terrell? So much for a 2,000 yard season this year unless he runs all over Seattle in the season closer. Once again the Offense struggled all game long, the Defense played tough but again, gave up too many big plays
at the worst possible times. They had too many penalties (Miami had NONE)!! Turnovers, way too many! The single highlight of the game was when Vaughn Hebron ran the kickoff return for 95-yards and a TOUCHDOWN! CONGRATS Vaughn Hebron,
that was a super effort!! My question is this: Will THIS loss get the team back on track for the Post-Season? We'll just have to wait and see how they play against Seattle on Sunday. I'll be there yelling my lungs out so come on guys,
let's get it done! Mike if you happen to read this, I really think you need to take a good look at the Offense and Defense as a whole, the other teams have learned all of your old tricks, time for something new and exciting!
Let's GO BRONCOS! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures. Your final score: DENVER 21 - MIAMI 31.
(27 December 1998) 1998 AFC West Champions!! 14-2 and closing out the regular season in style and with a new franchise season record! After John played a sub-par game against Miami last Monday, he
showed his stuff against Seattle, throwing for (4) TOUCHDOWNS and becoming only the third Quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 or more TDs! Congrats Johnny Legend! Of course the biggest story of the game was Terrell Davis breaking the
2,000 yard mark in a season as he becomes only the 4th Running Back in NFL history to do so. Can you say MVP! The Offense struggled a bit in the 1st quarter but then started to fire on all cylinders as they rang up 28 unanswered point
in the 2nd and 3rd quarters! The Defense played very tough until late in the 4th quarter and gave up some yards but managed to keep Seattle out of the game most of the time. They appeared to have their old spark back, now can they keep their
EDGE during the bye week and come out against whomever and take care of business? We'll just have to wait and see. I'm sure that Mike is working on a whole new set of formations and plays just for the playoffs, kinda like the two-man
pass rush he used last night against Seattle. It really made it difficult for Kitna to find anyone open when we did that. Let's GO BRONCOS! We all know you can REPEAT THE FEAT!! Click on the Bronco LOGO to view some pictures.
Your final score: DENVER 28 - SEATTLE 21.
If you have any comments or feedback feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you thought of the game, players
or whatever. Send it to Rabid Bronco Fan:
[email protected]
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