January, 11, 1987: On this day, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway led his team down the field against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game in one of the most famous moments in NFL history. It simply become known as "The Drive."
On the road, trailing the Browns 20-13 with 5:43 to play, Elway and the offense took over at their own two-yard line. What happened next was one of the most clutch series of plays the league has ever seen. Elway led the team on a 15-play, 98-yard drive culminated by a touchdown pass to receiver Mark Jackson with just 37 seconds in regulation, tying the game at 20.
You can watch every play:
More importantly, the Broncos would go on to win the game 23-20 in overtime and clinch a birth in Super Bowl XXI. The Broncos, however, would fall to the New York Giants, 39-20. It would be the first of Elway's three Super Bowl losses in a four-year span.
Unlike those Super Bowl performances, "The Drive" will forever be part of football lore. Here's to you John Elway and "The Drive."
