Oilers Hit Dead End in Rockies : Elway Gives Broncos Right of Way, 34-10

For the Houston Oilers, Denver was supposed to be merely a way station on the road to the Super Bowl, according to Oiler Coach Jerry Glanville. Instead, they got waylaid, done in by their own mistakes and a road warrior named John Elway.

Elway threw two touchdown passes to tight end Clarence Kay and ran for a third score, and the Bronco defense contributed two key interceptions en route to a 34-10 rout Sunday in a divisional playoff game.

The Broncos advanced to the AFC championship game, where they will play the Cleveland Browns for the second straight season--this time in Denver, next Sunday. The Browns beat Indianapolis, 38-21, on Saturday.

Under heavy pressure from the Oiler pass rush most of the day, Elway nonetheless deftly found single coverage and the open receiver in Houston’s secondary.

“They were coming at him all the time, but John still made some great throws,” Denver Coach Dan Reeves said. “And Clarence did an excellent job. He had two great catches. He’s become a complete football player.

“They (the Oilers) played a lot of man-to-man, and we felt we could get our tight ends open. It worked out well for us.”

Said Elway: “Clarence is three times the receiver he was when he came here. He’s doing a good job of getting open and catching the ball, which makes him a big weapon for us.”

Elway also credited the Denver defense, which he said “took the wind out of their sails and made it easy for us.”

Denver safety Tony Lilly said Sunday’s defensive performance was “as aggressive as we’ve played all year.”

The Oilers squandered two scoring opportunities in the first three periods on interceptions by Bronco linebacker Karl Mecklenburg and cornerback Mark Haynes deep in Denver territory. By then, Denver had a 27-3 lead.

The defensive performance was all the more remarkable because Denver’s injury-riddled secondary suffered another blow early in the game, losing strong safety Mike Harden with a broken arm.

“We lost one of our top three players on the first (defensive) play,” said Reeves, “but Bruce Plummer came in and played several series and then Tyrone Braxton finished it up and did a great job. That’s been the history of this team all year.”

Braxton and Plummer are both rookies who have had limited playing experience this year.

The outcome may have turned on Houston’s second play from scrimmage, a lateral from Warren Moon to Mike Rozier which Rozier fumbled away at the Houston one-yard line.

“If he’d have caught the ball, it’s a big play,” Houston Coach Jerry Glanville said. “He had three big blockers in front of him.”

Glanville said Elway “is truly one of the great quarterbacks in the game.”

The Oilers were undone by their three turnovers and 10 penalties for 73 yards.

“We played a bad game, we didn’t deserve to win,” Rozier said.

Rozier’s fumble occurred after Bronco punter Mike Horan punted out of bounds at the Houston five. Denver got a quick score on Gene Lang’s run, and Elway’s touchdown passes of 1 and 27 yards to Kay helped lift Denver to a 24-3 halftime lead.

In the first three quarters, Houston blew several scoring chances, converting only once on Tony Zendejas’ 46-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Other threats ended on Mecklenburg’s interception at the Denver 10 and on Mark Haynes’ theft and 57-yard return from the end zone.

Houston cornerback Patrick Allen intercepted Elway’s pass in the final period, setting up the Oilers’ lone touchdown. Warren Moon passed 19 yards to Ernest Givins for the score with 8:22 left.

But Elway countered with a touchdown four minutes later, skirting the right side for a three-yard scoring run.

The victory underscored Denver’s near invincibility at home. Not counting strike games, the Broncos have lost only one game at home the last two seasons.

Horan’s punt at the end of the game’s first series kicked sideways out of bounds at the Houston five. After a one-yard loss on a running play, the Oilers, operating without a huddle, tried a quick pass to Rozier in the left flat. He was behind the line of scrimmage, however, and dropped the ball. Denver cornerback Steve Wilson recovered the fumble.

Mecklenburg thwarted Houston on the Oilers’ next series with his interception, returning it 18 yards to the Denver 28. Elway took Denver the 72 yards in six plays, starting the march with a 29-yarder to Kay and hitting the tight end for the 27-yard score moments later.

After an exchange of second-quarter field goals, Elway drove the Broncos 80 yards in nine plays for another touchdown, highlighted by a 55-yard pass to a wide-open Vance Johnson. Elway rolled right and threw back over the middle to an open Kay for a one-yard scoring play.

Elway’s 31-yard pass to Johnson, with a personal-foul penalty tacked on, set up Karlis’ field goal less than three minutes into the third quarter, putting the Broncos up, 27-3.

Moon completed six passes on the Oilers’ next series as they reached the Denver seven, but his pass for Drew Hill was picked off in the end zone by Haynes, who ran it back past midfield.

Houston later mounted a time-consuming drive that reached the Denver 11 early in the final period. Moon hit Hill on passes of 24 and 21 yards, but a fourth-down pass was broken up by Jeremiah Castille.

Allen’s interception, at the Denver 48, was followed three plays later by Houston’s touchdown. Moon passed 17 yards to Hill, 12 yards to Curtis Duncan and the final 19 yards to Givins.

The ensuing onside kick failed, and Elway passed 25 yards to Lang before running for the final score himself.

Denver’s run on injuries this season continued. The Broncos lost Harden, and Johnson did not return after suffering a groin injury.