Broncos Repeat As NFL Champs

January 31, 1999 / 10:22 PM EST / CBS/AP

In what might have been his last Super Bowl, John Elway gave everyone a game to remember. In their first Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons played a game to forget.

Riding the brilliance of Elway, the Denver Broncos established the AFC's first dynasty in 20 years by repeating as champions with a 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.

The first quarterback to start five Super Bowls finally played a great game on the sport's greatest stage. He threw for 336 yards and a touchdown and snuck in for the clinching score early in the fourth quarter, earning Most Valuable Player honors.

Last year, Elway rode the running of Terrell Davis to his first Super Bowl title. He contemplated retirement but decided to return for a chance to repeat, and that is just what Denver did.

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"This is what we play for, to have this opportunity," Elway said. "To be able to do it two years in a row is unbelievable. I have been around for 16 years, and the last two is the only time I have ever been able to get to win the Super Bowl."

The Broncos became the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls since the Dallas Cowboys in 1992-93. The last AFC team to win back-to-back Super Bowls was the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978-79.

Elway completed 18-of-29 passes with one interception, a perfect pass that bounced out of the hands of trash-talking tight end Shannon Sharpe and into the hands of Ronnie Bradford in the first quarter.

But that drive died when Atlanta's Jamal Anderson was stopped for a two-yard loss on 4th-and-1, setting a tone of futility for the Falcons. Atlanta had seven drives travel inside the Denver 25 but did not convert any into a touchdown until the two-minute warning.

All through their magical season, the Falcons prided themselves on taking care of the football. They led the NFL in turnover margin and reached the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise's 33-year history primarily by not beating themselves. But they committed four turnovers, many at inopportune times.

The frustration of missed field goals, interceptions and blown chances showed on the face of Falcons coach Dan Reeves, who lost his fourth Super Bowl in as many tries. The first three came with the Broncos, with Elway at the controls.

"We just didn't play well and I knew if we didn't play well, we would get beat," Reeves said. "We just didn't get the job done."

Returning from quadruple bypass surgery six weeks ago, Reeves was unable to write the storybook ending. He was beaten by nemesis Mike Shanahan, his former offensive coordinator with the Broncos whom he claimed undermined his relationship with Elway.

"I think it's special for everyone in the organization," said Shanahan. "One guy doesn't do it. A head coach doesn't do it. A quarterback doesn't do it. You have a lot of people going in the same direction. That's the only way you win championships."

Bill Romanowski and the Broncos sacked the Dirty Birds. (AP)

The legendary Elway did have plenty of help. Davis ran for 102 yards on 25 carries, setting a record with his seventh straight 100-yard postseason game. Rod Smith caught five passes for 152 yards, including a demoralizing 80-yard TD reception behind beleaguered safety Eugene Robinson after Morten Andersen missed a 26-yard field goal. And fullback Howard Griffith ran for two short touchdowns.

Cornerback Darrien Gordon had two drive-killing interceptions as Denver's defense forced Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler into a poor performance. Playing in his first Super Bowl, Chandler was 18-of-35 for 225 yards and three interceptions.

"We just went out and the D-line did a great job with the pressure to force Chandler into some bad decisions," Gordon said. "And I was in the right place at the right time."

Falcons running back Jamal Anderson nearly matched Davis with 96 yards on 18 carries. But he was never the factor the Falcons had hoped.