PRO FOOTBALL: DAILY REPORT : THE PLAYOFFS : Broncos Improvised to the Very End

The ball came in low, actually rolling, and holder Gary Kubiak thought he was in trouble again.

But after quarterback John Elway’s 87-yard drive took the Denver Broncos to the Houston Oilers’ 11 Saturday, Kubiak took Keith Kartz’s bad snap, managed to get the ball upright, and left the rest to kicker David Treadwell.

Treadwell, who missed an extra point during the first quarter when another bad snap went awry, didn’t miss.

“I think the term is ‘double-clutching’ it,” Treadwell said. “I hit it, and it felt incredible. He just put it there, and I just hit it.”

The ball passed over the crossbar slightly to the left of the right upright with 16 seconds to play, and the Broncos went ahead for the first time in the game, 26-24.

“I don’t know what happened. I just smothered it and put it down after trapping it,” said Kubiak, 30, who announced his retirement Sunday. “Keith couldn’t play . . . he could barely bend over, but he thought he could make the snap. I didn’t look up once David started with his foot. But I saw it once it went through.”

Kubiak thought for a moment.

“This has got to be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. Everything we did was improvising, once John started on the final drive. He’s something. I’m just glad he’s on my side.”

Kubiak said he was aware of the pressure on the kicking game after Treadwell’s extra-point try wobbled wide to the left during the first period. “I thought about just standing up and spiking the ball on that final try if the ball had come in wrong. But (referee) Johnny Grier said, ‘No, you can’t do it, Gary.’ ”

Kubiak said he would like to get into coaching after his retirement.

The Oilers have reached the NFL playoffs five consecutive years, but haven’t advanced past the second round.

“This is the worst feeling you can have,” said wide receiver Haywood Jeffires, who dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone during the third quarter against Denver. “It’s one of those games that you’ll never forget.

The Oilers led, 21-6, during the second quarter.

“I wish I could have played defensive back or linebacker or something like that,” Oiler quarterback Warren Moon said of the Broncos’ winning drive. “It was very tough, watching.”

The Oilers were 7-1 but finished the regular season 4-4 and, despite beating the New York Jets, 17-10, in a first-round playoff game, didn’t regain their early-season efficiency.

“It’s both mental and physical,” Coach Jack Pardee said. “In a 16-game schedule you’ve got to win 12, 13, 14 games. You can’t just be a good team and be a Super Bowl team. We certainly haven’t shown we’re a super team.”

The Washington Redskins gained 162 yards on the ground during their 24-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, led by rookie Ricky Ervins’ 23-carry, 104-yard effort.

“The offensive line really controlled the line of scrimmage,” said Ervins, a former USC standout. “Last time, their defense controlled the line of scrimmage.”

Offensive guard Mark Schlereth said that rain actually helped the ground game.

“It was wet and sloshy out there, and we kept the game plan really simple,” Schlereth said. “We wanted to control the ball and control the clock. That seemed to work.”

The Redskins frequently ran its counter-gap play and routine off-tackle plays.

“It was too sloppy to try turning the corner much,” Ervins said.

“I wouldn’t want to have to get ready for us,” quarterback Mark Rypien said. “Sometimes, preparing for us is a nightmare. We have three, four, five formations, and now we have this quick offense.”