The Drive
Encyclopedia
The Drive refers to an offensive series in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game
played on January 11, 1987, between the Denver Broncos
and the Cleveland Browns
. Broncos quarterback John Elway
, in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. Denver won the game in overtime with a field goal, 23-20.
The 98-yard drive ranks as pro football's prototypical performance in the clutch. Elway and his team spanned almost all of the 100-yard football field. According to an article by Sports Illustrated
columnist and Colorado resident Rick Reilly
, when Elway started the drive, Broncos offensive guard Keith Bishop said of the Browns, "We got 'em right where we want 'em!" Of note is that the Browns could not force a fourth down against the Broncos.
1. - First down and 10, Denver 2-yard line. Sammy Winder
5-yard pass from Elway.
2. - Second down and 5, Denver 7-yard line. Winder 3-yard run.
3. - Third down and 2, Denver 10-yard line. Winder 2-yard run.
4. - First down and 10, Denver 12-yard line. Winder 3-yard run.
5. - Second down and 7, Denver 15-yard line. Elway 11-yard run.
6. - First down and 10, Denver 26-yard line. Steve Sewell
22-yard pass from Elway.
7. - First down and 10, Denver 48-yard line. Steve Watson
12-yard pass from Elway.
Two-minute warning
8. - First down and 10, Cleveland 40-yard line (1:59 remaining). Incomplete pass by Elway, intended for Vance Johnson
.
9. - Second down and 10, Cleveland 40-yard line (1:52 remaining). Dave Puzzuoli
sack of Elway, 8-yard loss.
10. - Third down and 18, Cleveland 48-yard line (1:47 remaining). Mark Jackson 20-yard pass from Elway.
11. - First down and 10, Cleveland 28-yard line (1:19 remaining). Incomplete pass by Elway, intended for Watson.
12. - Second down and 10, Cleveland 28-yard line (1:10 remaining). Steve Sewell 14-yard pass from Elway.
13. - First down and 10, Cleveland 14-yard line (:57 remaining). Incomplete pass by Elway, intended for Watson.
14. - Second down and 10, Cleveland 14-yard line (:42 remaining). John Elway 9-yard run (scramble).
15. - Third down and 1, Cleveland 5-yard line (:39 remaining). Mark Jackson 5 yard pass from Elway for the touchdown. Rich Karlis
then adds the extra point
to tie the game.
, but due to the butterfly effect
Jackson was distracted by a squirrel and failed to catch the pass and Cleveland went on to win the game. It was inaccurately portrayed as being in 1986 (the game was played January 1987). The movie implied that the game was played at night; however, when Karlis kicked the winning field goal, it was still daytime in Cleveland.
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
played on January 11, 1987, between the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Broncos quarterback John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. Denver won the game in overtime with a field goal, 23-20.
The 98-yard drive ranks as pro football's prototypical performance in the clutch. Elway and his team spanned almost all of the 100-yard football field. According to an article by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
columnist and Colorado resident Rick Reilly
Rick Reilly
Richard "Rick" Paul Reilly is an American sportswriter. Long known for being the "back page" columnist for Sports Illustrated, Reilly moved to ESPN on June 1, 2008 where he is a featured columnist for ESPN.com and wrote the back page column for ESPN the Magazine...
, when Elway started the drive, Broncos offensive guard Keith Bishop said of the Browns, "We got 'em right where we want 'em!" Of note is that the Browns could not force a fourth down against the Broncos.
Play-by-play
The Browns had jumped to a 20-13 lead and the Broncos had muffed the ensuing kickoff when Elway took over, first-and-10 on their own 2-yard line, with 5:32 to play in the game.1. - First down and 10, Denver 2-yard line. Sammy Winder
Sammy Winder
Sammy Winder is a former professional American football running back who spent his entire professional career playing for the Denver Broncos, from 1982 to 1990....
5-yard pass from Elway.
2. - Second down and 5, Denver 7-yard line. Winder 3-yard run.
3. - Third down and 2, Denver 10-yard line. Winder 2-yard run.
4. - First down and 10, Denver 12-yard line. Winder 3-yard run.
5. - Second down and 7, Denver 15-yard line. Elway 11-yard run.
6. - First down and 10, Denver 26-yard line. Steve Sewell
Steve Sewell
Steven Edward Sewell , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 1st round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 210-lb. running back from the University of Oklahoma, Sewell played his entire NFL career for the Broncos from 1985 to 1991...
22-yard pass from Elway.
7. - First down and 10, Denver 48-yard line. Steve Watson
Steve Watson (American football)
Steve Ross Watson is a former American football wide receiver and current wide receivers coach.After high school at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware, Watson attended Temple University and entered the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in 1979...
12-yard pass from Elway.
Two-minute warning
8. - First down and 10, Cleveland 40-yard line (1:59 remaining). Incomplete pass by Elway, intended for Vance Johnson
Vance Johnson
Vance Edward Johnson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 174 lb...
.
9. - Second down and 10, Cleveland 40-yard line (1:52 remaining). Dave Puzzuoli
Dave Puzzuoli
Phillip David "Dave" Puzzuoli is a former professional American football nose tackle in the National Football League. He played five seasons for the Cleveland Browns ....
sack of Elway, 8-yard loss.
10. - Third down and 18, Cleveland 48-yard line (1:47 remaining). Mark Jackson 20-yard pass from Elway.
11. - First down and 10, Cleveland 28-yard line (1:19 remaining). Incomplete pass by Elway, intended for Watson.
12. - Second down and 10, Cleveland 28-yard line (1:10 remaining). Steve Sewell 14-yard pass from Elway.
13. - First down and 10, Cleveland 14-yard line (:57 remaining). Incomplete pass by Elway, intended for Watson.
14. - Second down and 10, Cleveland 14-yard line (:42 remaining). John Elway 9-yard run (scramble).
15. - Third down and 1, Cleveland 5-yard line (:39 remaining). Mark Jackson 5 yard pass from Elway for the touchdown. Rich Karlis
Rich Karlis
Richard John Karlis is a former American Football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990...
then adds the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
to tie the game.
Officials
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- Umpire: Gordon Wells
- Head Linesman: Ed MarionEd MarionEd Marion was an American official in the National Football League. Marion was in the league from 1960 to 1987 and officiated in Super Bowl V, IX and XI. He wore the number 26 for the majority of his career .Marion is reviled by fans of the Minnesota Vikings for a call he made late in Super Bowl IX...
- Line Judge: Bill Reynolds
- Side Judge: Gary LaneGary Lane (American football)Gary Owen Lane was an American football quarterback and American football official.After graduating from East Alton-Wood River High School in Wood River, Illinois in 1961, Lane played college football at the University of Missouri from 1963 to 1966 and later in the National Football League for...
- Back Judge: Ben Tompkins
- Field Judge: Johnny GrierJohnny GrierJohnny Grier was an American football official for 23 years in the National Football League from 1981 to 2004. He began in the NFL as a field judge before becoming the first African-American referee in the history of the NFL with the start of the 1988 NFL season...
In popular culture
The Drive was featured in the movie Hot Tub Time MachineHot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American science fiction adult comedy film directed by Steve Pink. Four men, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their 1980s teen-hood, courtesy of a time-shifting hot tub. It stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Kellee Stewart, Rob...
, but due to the butterfly effect
Butterfly effect
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state...
Jackson was distracted by a squirrel and failed to catch the pass and Cleveland went on to win the game. It was inaccurately portrayed as being in 1986 (the game was played January 1987). The movie implied that the game was played at night; however, when Karlis kicked the winning field goal, it was still daytime in Cleveland.