Monday, April 5, 2010

Greatest All Time Bronco Plays, #3 Jim Turner Scores Against The Raiders

#3 on my list of Greatest All Time Bronco Plays:

Jim Turner, high tops and all, scores a surprise touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in what I rate as the most important regular season win in Bronco history.

Going into this game the two teams were each 4-0. The Raiders were coming off a Super Bowl Championship and were at their peak. "I don't think anyone can beat the Raiders right now," veteran sportscaster Charlie Jones said before this matchup.

The Raiders scored on their first possession of the game, but Denver battled back to take a 14-7 lead. Just before halftime the Broncos lined up for a long field goal when they pulled off the key play of the miracle 1977 season:



This play, and this game, changed the Oakland/Denver rivalry forever. The Broncos humiliated the Raiders this day. The Broncos laughed at them. "It's all over fat man!" Tom Jackson taunted Raider Coach John Madden as the Broncos won 30-7.

As a long time Raider hater this play is my favorite in the Denver/Oakland rivalry, and that's why I rate it so high on my list. The headline in the Denver Post tells the story of how big a victory this was for the Broncos:



Next: The only play on my list from the 1960's, and my 2nd best Bronco play ever at that.

2 comments:

  1. I loved that Weese-to-Turner play! Besides Tommy Jackson shouting "It's all over fat man," at John Madden, I liked what Woody Paige wrote about the play: "Turner runs the hundred yard dash in about three days."

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  2. The Weese-to-Turner TD was a great play. I enjoyed seeing Jim lumbering into the end zone in his high top shoes.

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