1997 Wild Card - Jacksonville at Denver

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) at Denver Broncos (12-4)
December 27, 1997
Weather: 27 degrees, relative humidity 50%, wind 21 mph, wind chill 13
Line: Broncos -6.5
Over/Under: 45.5
Network: ABC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf
Starting QBs: Mark Brunell (Jac), John Elway (Den)

[@shanetrimble9265]

Still a great era for NFL Football.

[@EdmacZ]

The good old days when you didn't have to win your division to get a home playoff game. The 1997 Broncos finished 12-4 behind 13-3 Kansas City.

[@tomcollins5112]

That was back when the conferences were divided into three divisions.

[@colejohnson6053]

It was way better for sure.

[@gabeguzman9478]

It was in Denver because they had a better record than the Jags, higher seed. Like how it is now

[@redmustangredmustang]

From 96 to 98 the Broncos only lost 1 home game and that was to the Jaguars the year before in the divisional round.

[@johnhoffman2761]

The start ofDenver's" revenge tour" The good old days

[@gabrielguzman6018]

Yeah they got revenge but remember your city was talking shit about the jags last year so it was karma

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@gabrielguzman6018, well- delayed...ahem.."karma".. From 1997 to 2021..that is some "karma". How many times has DENVER lost to JVILLE since 1997? How many wins vs JV FOR DENVER? I thought karma was so close to the catalytic event, that folks could actually get the idea that " HEY, THAT'S KARMA."..not that prolonged gap where most folks long ago forgot about "karma," lol.. So, it was karma when KC beat GREEN BAY in 2021 because LOMBARDI after SUPE ONE said KC in '1966-67 was not up to the quality of the NFL teams? Lol..Right? "Yeah, that is payback..PAYBACK, YOU HEAR ME!"..54 years later.. And, with DEN VS JV..24 years later..practically a quarter century.. ROFL..

[@robertsprouse9282]

Yes, the immediate revenge tour, the following season, not 24 years later like our JVILLE responder's "karma".

[@markvincent1011]

@@gabrielguzman6018 Um, what?

[@lindseysummers5351]

​@gabrielguzman6018 Jacksonville played at their peak in 1996 while Denver most decidedly didn't. Denver still lost only by a field goal. Denver has won four Lamar Hunt Trophies and three Vince Lombardi Trophies since that day. Jacksonville's biggest moment in franchise history was winning a divisional playoffs game. Let me know when y'all come up with something worth talking about.

[@realKevinRichter]

The Golden Era of the Broncos! Love me some Terrell Davis & John Elway!!! 🐴 🏈💙🧡

[@chrisorr4902]

John Elway's last Wildcard Playoff game ever

[@lindseysummers5351]

Actually it was his third Wild Card game. He relieved Steve DeBerg in 1983 and started the game in 1993. This, however, would be his first Wild Card win.

[@CKWolf-kq5wz]

@@lindseysummers5351 You're so full of it Lindsey Summers INFORMATION...I MEAN!!!

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@lindseysummers5351, did Chris Orr NOT SAY LAST..wildcard game, not first?

[@letsrevieweverything144]

thank you very much for posting this. fantastic memories of the greatest team in Denver history.

[@carlogambino8752]

Jaguars led at halftime in 96. Broncos led at halftime in 97. The dynamics and circumstances were completely different.

[@boothguru807]

TD had an Earl Campbell type workload in this game.

[@lmswentzeljr]

The last game Frank Gifford ever broadcasted.

[@89G]

Didn't know that! Thanks for sharing this.

[@evanhullinger2900]

Frank Fifford? Lol. Its Frank Gifford

[@lmswentzeljr]

@@evanhullinger2900 sorry typing on my phone fast didnt notice it.

[@CKWolf-kq5wz]

@@lmswentzeljr You should be soffy becacause mistakkkkes are uneksepptable...on utube!!!

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@CKWolf-kq5wz, you can poorly spell..errrrr..say that, again.

[@alexortiz1838]

Excellent quality! Thank you for posting this!

[@donovanwilson1039]

Key Plays: 11:20 DEN: McCaffrey 25-yd rec from Elway 17:50 DEN: Terrell Davis 2-yd rush TD 24:15 JAX: Stewart 17-yd rec from Brunell 32:00 DEN: R. Smith 43-yd rec TD from Elway 41:35 DEN: R. Smith 40-yd rec from Elway 43:45 DEN: Green 22-yd rec from Elway 48:00 DEN: Terrell Davis 5-yd rush TD 56:15 JAX: Means 1-yd rush TD 1:48:25 JAX: Barlow 58-yd kick ret 1:58:10 JAX: Travis Davis 29-yd blocked punt ret TD 2:00:05 DEN: Hebron 51-yd kick ret 2:06:35 JAX: Wynn fumble recovery 2:09:05 JAX: Jones 37-yd rec from Brunell 2:09:50 DEN: Aldridge fumble recovery 2:13:40 DEN: Terrell Davis 59-yd rush 2:17:15 JAX: Thomas fumble recovery 2:22:30 DEN: Sharpe 23-yd rec from Elway 2:23:20 DEN: Loville 25-yd rush TD 2:30:40 DEN: Gordon INT 2:32:05 DEN: Loville 44-yd rush 2:42:10 DEN: Loville 8-yd rush TD 2:52:30 DEN: Hebron 6-yd rush TD 2:59:30 JAX: McCardell 20-yd rec from Brunell 2:59:50 JAX: Stewart 26-yd rec from Brunell Key Stats: JAX: Mark Brunell 18/32 pass, 203 yds, 1 INT Natrone Means 10 car, 40 yds, 1 TD Jimmy Smith 6 rec (10 targets), 55 yds Keenan McCardell 6 rec (11 targets), 55 yds Travis Davis 8 tackles, 1 blocked punt ret TD DEN: John Elway 16/24 pass, 223 yds, 1 TD Terrell Davis 31 car, 184 yds, 2 TD Derek Loville 11 car, 103 yds, 2 TD Rod Smith 3 rec, 99 yds, 1 TD Darrien Gordon 1 INT, 1 sack, 4 tackles

[@superbowl32]

At the time this was the 5th most rushing yardage by a playoff team. 310 yards

[@chrisuncleahmad]

Remarkably it wasn’t even the most rushing yardage by a playoff team in the 90s (Buffalo had 341 in a 95 game)

[@jasonhurt2356]

Broncos should have won Superbowl 31 as well. They looked past the Jags and lost as a result. The team that went to that Superbowl (Patriots) got blown out in New England by the Broncos that season...

[@ryanevans8566]

Broncos fan here, but I think the Packers were the best team in '96. The '96 Broncos were definitely a better team than the Pats, but of course we never found out, because their defense couldn't get Brunell and Means off the field in the divisional game. Oh, and their special teams (looking at you, Michael Dean Perry).

[@paulfowler4351]

I still remember this!! My late spouse and I were and are huge Broncos fans!!

[@crztrn1]

so nice seeing this game again😄

[@michaelcrockette8694]

boy am I getting OLD. I sorta didn’t realize Jacksonville has been around that long.😀 (and that 1997 was over 25 years ago).

[@RalphReagan]

Hate Jacksonville to this day.

[@CKWolf-kq5wz]

Oh well Ralph "You're No Ronald" Reagan The feelings mutual.

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@CKWolf-kq5wz, Jax fans, the few that are left, hate them more. Time to move the franchise to ST. LOUIS.

[@christianstoneroussesu4584]

@@robertsprouse9282 stop. Jacksonville loves this team. we hate the front office decisions, but the city absolutely loves this team. we are a football town. were in the deep south for crying out loud. football is a way of life here. if the jaguars become a winning franchise, the city will light on fire. were a sleeping giant. the "jags have no fans and need to relocate" hyperbole is so stupid

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@christianstoneroussesu4584, you are a football town? No, you are a market that attends games BUT ONLY IF THEY ARE WINNING. Your game attending fans do not live in JVILLE; they live in a 40 mile away radius. You have had to cover thousands of seats with tarp that you do not sell unless your team is winning and you showup in "overflowing" numbers. No, you are not a football town. The people who can afford your tickets live 40 miles away. The JVILLE citizenry don't have that kind of jack. What size is your TV market inside the city limits only? JAX has the largest population for the smallest land mass area in a metro among cities with 500,000 or more, in the U.S., and few of them, mostly poor minorities go to the games because they cannot afford the tickets. When you are not winning in a sport that is played one day a week, you do not draw. One day a week.. Why do you think that you play homegames in LONDON? You are not big league. How many other big league franchises do you have? None.. ST. LOUIS should have that team. Sorry.. MOVE IT TO ST. LOUIS, NFL.

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@christianstoneroussesu4584, you are a football town? No, you are a market that attends games BUT ONLY IF THEY ARE WINNING. Your game attending fans do not live in JVILLE; they live in a 40 mile away radius. You have had to cover thousands of seats with tarp that you do not sell unless your team is winning and you showup in "overflowing" numbers. No, you are not a football town. The people who can afford your tickets live 40 miles away. The JVILLE citizenry don't have that kind of jack. What size is your TV market inside the city limits only? JAX has the largest population for the smallest land mass area in a metro among cities with 500,000 or more, in the U.S., and few of them=they're mostly poor minorities=can go to the games= because they cannot afford the tickets. When you are not winning in a sport, that is played one day a week, you folks do not draw. One day a week.. Why do you think that you play homegames in LONDON? You are not big league. How many other big league franchises do you have? None.. ST. LOUIS should have that team. Sorry.. MOVE IT TO ST. LOUIS, NFL.

[@ReinhardVonSiegfried]

I wonder if the Broncos would have won the '96-'97 SuperBowl if they had beaten the Jags.

[@lindseysummers5351]

Lovely thought, but I very much doubt it. They were a very good team but not an elite team in 1996. Granted it was against their reserves, but Green Bay pounded the Broncos in December 1996. They just didn't have "it" to win a championship in 1996. Losing to Jacksonville was a blessing in disguise.

[@BrianReno-qy9wk]

I still think they could have pulled it out. But they were much better in 97 to 99

[@BrianReno-qy9wk]

Losing Davis in 99 really did them in . And losing elway

[@fredthompson4568]

1st year of this Denver logo and Uniform. I hope they switch back to the original look. Not a Broncos fan , but it looked good. Blue helmet a D logo with the bright orange.

[@MarklovesJoan]

Thank you SO much for ALL your uploads! Would you happen to have 1995 Raiders AT Denver...Broncos won 17-0. I used to have it but the hard drive crashed and I hadn't made a backup copy.

[@richardlazenby7749]

Getting back at those Damm jaguars

[@jameslisle7775]

After the upset the year before, the Broncos got their payback!

[@williameichenberger]

A two-time Super Bowl champion, Smith’s numbers (849 receptions for 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns) are similar to those of Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irving (750/11,904/65).

[@nicholaseaster58]

Terrell Davis was a monster those two years.

[@paulfowler2378]

I am so glad they have done away with the forward progress thing.

[@jadianderson3775]

Mnf. 2008

[@mrtnt3462]

DID, WE WANT VENGEANCE, ON JACKSONVILLE...YOU DAMN SKIPPY HIPPY!!

[@markvincent1011]

@38:45 " . . . the highest reg.season percentage by any NFL head coach who is winless in post-season immediately prior to winning his next seven post-season games in a row . . . . "

[@stevenjoyce5541]

The uniforms that changed it all for Denver ! 3superbowls wins so far ….

[@jorgegaytan3012]

Same goes to the patriots,changed uniforms and the rest is history

[@stevenjoyce5541]

@@jorgegaytan3012 no , they got lucky drafting Tom Brady !

[@williameichenberger]

why is Rod Smith not in the HOF yet? Ridiculous!

[@OptmiusPrime114]

1:31 Wild Card intro

[@jameshenderson3238]

How interesting to watch not only the phenomenal Terrell Davis run, but also to watch the oustanding offensive line of the Broncos compared to such worthless offensive lines the Broncos now have.

[@RetroreviewsPlus]

Was still good are of football, as a Broncos fan this game and year was bittersweet, love that we had another good year beat Jacksonville and went on to win the Super Bowl..... But my gosh those navy blue uniforms S U C K! Whoever came up with that design needs to be committed. Pat bowlen's biggest blunder for allowing it. Broncos HAD the best uniforms then they went to this crap it's like oh gosh gag me with a spoon 🤢🤮 the 🍊 crush unis with royal blue helmet with D logo just pops on a sunny day 🌞 the navy blue is dull,drab, blah..... BORING! BRING Back the 🍊 crush

[@davidburke9596]

The Media refused to treat Jags like Cinderellas. We were the bunch of nobodies that ruined poor John Elway's season. Too bad. Jax has never had top tier adult entertainment like Tampa & Atlanta so ESPN & others never wanted to come here to interview our players.

[@JANE_ESTER]

9:27 MUDO 🔇 🙉 🙂💭Sabe... quando é um monte de homens que não param de FALAR ao mesmo tempo.

[@scottlocke8935]

How the 90s were so much better then now!! Hands down!! Sports now 2024 is a Joke!! 💩💩🤡🤡