1977 Denver Broncos season

American football team season December 2013 February 2026 Denver Broncos 1977 12–2 1st AFC West Red Miller Fred Gehrke Mile High Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Steelers) 34–21Won AFC Championship(vs. Raiders) 20–17Lost Super Bowl XII(vs. Cowboys) 10–27 Broncos seasons The 1977 Denver Broncos season (also known as the Broncomania season) was the team's 18th year in professional football and its eighth with the National Football League (NFL). The team had what was then by far its best season at 12–2, finishing first in the AFC West, and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Broncos earned home field advantage, and won its first two playoff games (over perennial AFC powerhouses Pittsburghhttps://www.si.com/vault/1978/01/02/822272/that-crushmas-spirit Sports Illustrated Marshall Joe That Crushmas spirit January 2, 1978 14 and Oakland). With the AFC Championship win over the defending Super Bowl champion Raiders on New Year's Day,https://www.si.com/vault/1978/01/09/822301/wholly-moses-for-denver-haven-moses-two-td-catches-led-denver-past-oakland-for-the-afc-title Sports Illustrated Jenkins Dan Dan Jenkins Wholly Moses for Denver January 9, 1978 14 Denver earned a berth in Super Bowl XII, but fell 27–10 to the NFC champion Dallas Cowboys.https://www.si.com/vault/1978/01/23/822326/doomsday-in-the-dome-that-ferocious-dallas-defense-forced-and-recovered-four-denver-fumbles-and-intercepted-four-passes-as-the-cowboys-belted-the-broncos-in-the-super-bowl Sports Illustrated Jenkins Dan Dan Jenkins Doomsday in the Dome January 23, 1978 16 Despite the defeat in the Super Bowl, 1977 was a major leap for the Broncos, who had never won more than nine games in a season. Coach Red Miller, in his first season as the Broncos' head coach, was named NFL Coach of the Year. Quarterback Craig Morton, age 34, was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. The Denver defense was known as the Orange Crush, which delighted the makers of the soft drink, based in Illinois.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q_YjAAAAIBAJ&pg=6380%2C5616318 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Broncos 'pay off' Crush January 15, 1978 D1 Denver's 1977 season is chronicled in Terry Frei's 2008 book, '77: Denver, the Broncos and a Coming of Age. The last remaining active member of the 1977 Denver Broncos was offensive lineman Billy Bryan, who retired after the 1989 season. Offseason NFL draft 1977 NFL draft 1977 Denver Broncos 1 18 Steve Schindler G Boston College yes 2 45 Rob Lytle RB Michigan yes 4 101 Billy Bryan C Duke yes 7 185 Larry Swider P Pittsburgh 8 212 Calvin Culliver RB Alabama 9 241 Charles Jackson DT Washington 10 268 Oren Middlebrook WR Arkansas State 11 297 Phil Heck LB California 12 324 Scott Levenhagen TE Western Illinois Personnel Staff 1977 Denver Broncos Chairman of the Board – Gerald Phipps President – Allan Phipps Vice President/General Manager – Fred Gehrke Director of Player Personnel – Carroll Hardy Director of Pro Scouting – Doc Urich Head Coach – Red Miller Quarterbacks – Babe Parilli Offensive Backfield – Paul Roach Wide Receivers – Fran Polsfoot Offensive Line – Ken Gray Defensive Coordinator – Joe Collier Defensive Line – Stan Jones Linebackers – Myrel Moore Defensive Backs – Bob Gambold Special Teams – Marv Braden Roster 1977 Denver Broncos  7 Craig Morton 12 Craig Penrose 14 Norris Weese 24 Otis Armstrong 30 Jim Jensen running back 32 Jon Keyworth 41 Rob Lytle y 35 Lonnie Perrin 82 Jack Dolbin 25 Haven Moses 86 John Schultz American football 80 Rick Upchurch 85 Ron Egloff y 88 Riley Odoms 73 Hank Allison G/T 62 Tom Glassic G 65 Glenn Hyde T 60 Paul Howard American football G 50 Bobby Maples C 74 Andy Maurer T 71 Claudie Minor T 52 Mike Montler C 67 Steve Schindler y T/G 77 Lyle Alzado DE 68 Rubin Carter American football NT 79 Barney Chavous DE 63 John Grant American football NT 66 Brison Manor DE 70 Paul Smith defensive end DE 56 Larry Evans American football OLB 53 Randy Gradishar ILB 57 Tom Jackson American football, born 1951 OLB 58 Rob Nairne OLB 59 Joe Rizzo American football ILB 51 Bob Swenson OLB 55 Godwin Turk ILB 43 Steve Foley defensive back CB 29 Bernard Jackson defensive back FS 21 Randy Poltl FS 40 Randy Rich CB/S 26 Larry Riley American football y CB 36 Bill Thompson American football SS 20 Louis Wright American football CB 10 Bucky Dilts y P 15 Jim Turner placekicker K 75 Bill Bain American football T IR 54 Rich Baska LB IR 64 Billy Bryan y C IR -- Randy Cozens DE IR -- Charles Jackson linebacker y LB IR 23 Chris Pane CB IR Regular season 1977 NFL season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 18 St. Louis Cardinals W 7–0 1–0 Mile High Stadium 75,002 2 September 25 Buffalo Bills W 26–6 2–0 Mile High Stadium 74,897 3 October 2 at Seattle Seahawks W 24–13 3–0 Kingdome 53,108 4 October 9 Kansas City Chiefs W 23–7 4–0 Mile High Stadium 74,878 5 October 16 at Oakland Raiders W 30–7 5–0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,616 6 October 23 at Cincinnati Bengals W 24–13 6–0 Riverfront Stadium 54,395 7 October 30 Oakland Raiders L 14–24 6–1 Mile High Stadium 75,007 8 November 6 Pittsburgh Steelers W 21–7 7–1 Mile High Stadium 74,967 9 November 13 at San Diego Chargers W 17–14 8–1 San Diego Stadium 45,211 10 November 20 at Kansas City Chiefs W 14–7 9–1 Arrowhead Stadium 54,050 11 November 27 Baltimore Colts W 27–13 10–1 Mile High Stadium 74,939 12 December 4 at Houston Oilers W 24–14 11–1 Astrodome 46,875 13 December 11 San Diego Chargers W 17–9 12–1 Mile High Stadium 74,905 14 December 18 at Dallas Cowboys L 6–14 12–2 Texas Stadium 63,752 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Season summary Week 1 Cardinals 0 0 0 0 Broncos 0 0 7 0 September 18 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 2:00 p.m. 60 F, wind 10 mph on Dick Jorgensen Don Criqui and Emerson Boozer CBS yes 3 DEN Otis Armstrong 10 yard run (Jim Turner kick) Broncos 7–0 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com Week 2 Bills 0 6 0 0 Broncos 3 7 13 3 September 25 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 4:00 p.m. EST 66 F; wind 11 mph on Fred Silva yes Q1 DEN Turner 48 yard field goal DEN 3–0 Q2 BUF Cornell 22 yard fumble return (kick failed) BUF 6–3 Q2 DEN Morton 5 yard run (Turner kick) DEN 10–6 Q3 DEN Armstrong 1 yard run (kick failed) DEN 16–6 Q3 DEN Odoms 1 yard pass from Morton (Turner kick) DEN 23–6 Q4 DEN Turner 26 yard field goal DEN 26–6 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Dec-25. Week 3 Broncos 10 0 14 0 Seahawks 7 0 6 0 October 2 Kingdome Indoors (dome) Jerry Markbreit Week 4 Chiefs 0 0 0 7 Broncos 10 6 7 0 October 9 Mile High Stadium Gordon McCarter Week 5 Broncos 7 14 6 3 Raiders 7 0 0 0 October 16 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Week 6 Broncos 7 10 0 7 Bengals 7 3 0 3 October 23 Riverfront Stadium Week 7 Raiders 7 10 7 0 Broncos 0 0 0 14 October 30 Mile High Stadium Week 8 Steelers 0 0 0 7 Broncos 14 7 0 0 November 6 Mile High Stadium Fred Wyant Week 9 Broncos 3 0 7 7 Chargers 7 7 0 0 November 13 San Diego Stadium Week 10 Broncos 0 7 0 7 Chiefs 0 7 0 0 November 20 Arrowhead Stadium Dick Jorgensen Week 11 Colts 0 3 10 0 Broncos 7 7 0 13 November 27 Mile High Stadium Jim Tunney Week 12 Broncos 0 14 3 7 Oilers 0 7 7 0 December 4 Houston Astrodome 1:00 p.m. EST 46,875 Indoors (dome) Chuck Heberling yes Q2 HOU Coleman 2 yard run (Fritsch kick) HOU 7–0 Q2 DEN Odoms 13 yard pass from Morton (Turner kick) Tie 7–7 Q2 DEN Upchurch 13 yard pass from Morton (Turner kick) DEN 14–7 Q3 DEN Turner 42 yard field goal DEN 17–7 Q3 HOU Burrough 29 yard pass from Pastorini (Fritsch kick) DEN 17–14 Q4 DEN Weese 5 yard run (Turner kick) DEN 24–14 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-Dec-10. Week 13 Chargers 3 3 3 0 Broncos 7 0 0 10 December 11 Mile High Stadium Red Cashion Week 14 1977 Dallas Cowboys season Broncos 0 0 3 3 Cowboys 7 0 7 0 December 18 Texas Stadium 1:00 pm 52 F; wind 10 mph on Jerry Markbreit Jack Buck and Len Dawson NBC yes Q1 DAL P. Pearson 22 yard pass from Staubach (Herrera kick) DAL 7–0 Q3 DAL Newhouse 7 yard pass from Staubach (Herrera kick) DAL 14–0 Q3 DEN Turner 22 yard field goal DAL 14–3 Q4 DEN Turner 37 yard field goal DAL 14–6 yes Box Score Standings Playoffs 1977–78 NFL playoffs Week Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance Divisional Playoffs December 24 Pittsburgh Steelers (3) W 34–21 1–0 Mile High Stadium 75,011 AFC Championship January 1, 1978 Oakland Raiders (4) W 20–17 2–0 Mile High Stadium 74,982 Super Bowl XII January 15, 1978 Dallas Cowboys (N1) L 10–27 2–1 Louisiana Superdome 76,400 Divisional Steelers 0 14 0 7 Broncos 7 7 7 13 December 24 Mile High Stadium • Denver, Colorado Gene Barth In Denver's first postseason football contest, linebacker Tom Jackson's 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery set up 17 points, 10 of them in the 4th quarter, as the Broncos defeated the Steelers for the first playoff win in their 18-year history. Denver scored first after Broncos receiver John Schultz blocked a punt from Rick Engles and recovered the ball on the Steelers 17-yard line to set up running back Rob Lytle's 7-yard rushing touchdown. Pittsburgh responded with a 56-yard drive, including a 19-yard reception by tight end Bennie Cunningham on 4th down and 1, to tie the score on quarterback Terry Bradshaw's 1-yard rushing touchdown. In the second quarter, Broncos defensive tackle Lyle Alzado forced a fumble from Franco Harris, which linebacker Randy Gradishar recovered and returned 5 yards before fumbling himself. The second fumble was recovered by Tom Jackson, who returned it 25 yards to the Pittsburgh 10-yard line. On the next play, running back Otis Armstrong ran the ball into the end zone to give the Broncos a 14–7 lead. However, Pittsburgh quickly struck back starting with Jim Smith's 28-yard kickoff return to the Steelers 34-yard line. Bradshaw then hit John Stallworth for a 21-yard completion and Harris ripped off a 20-yard burst before he finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with 1:41 left in the half. In the third quarter, the Broncos drove 52 yards to the Pittsburgh 1-yard line, only to lose the ball when Jim Jensen was stuffed for no gain by Jack Lambert and Jimmy Allen on 4th down. But after a punt, they drove 43 yards to go up 21–14 on Craig Morton's 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Riley Odoms. Early in the 4th quarter, Pittsburgh managed to tie the game with a 48-yard catch by Stallworth setting up Bradshaw's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Larry Brown. But this would be their last score as Denver soon took over the game. First, Jim Turner put the Broncos up 24–21 by kicking 44-yard field goal with 7:17 left on the clock. Then Jackson intercepted a pass from Bradshaw and returned it 32 yards to the Steelers 9-yard line, setting up Turner's 24-yard field goal to make the score 27–21. On Pittsburgh's ensuring drive, Jackson struck again, intercepting another pass and returning this one 17 yards to the Steelers 33. Rather than sitting on their one-score lead and trying to run out the clock with running plays, Denver took to the air, scoring the game clinching touchdown on Morton's 34-yard pass to Jack Dolbin with 1:44 left in the game. Harris finished the game with 92 rushing yards, 4 receptions for 20 yards, and a touchdown. Morton only completed 11 of 23 passes, but he threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. This was the first postseason meeting between the Steelers and Broncos. Source:https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=za1VAAAAIBAJ&pg=3794%2C8086415 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon wire service reports Denver becomes the stealers and triumphs December 25, 1977 3Chttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e5ZfAAAAIBAJ&pg=2703%2C8757578 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho (Washington Post) Brady Dave Morton leads Broncos December 25, 1977 1B Broncos win and go to the AFC Championship Game and win to the Oakland Raiders 20-17. But in Super Bowl XII lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10. Conference Championship Raiders 3 0 0 14 Broncos 7 0 7 6 January 1 Mile High Stadium • Denver, Colorado 12:00 p.m. MST 74,982 13 F • Wind 6 mph 0 on Chuck Heberling Dick Enberg and Len Dawson NBC yes 1 OAK Errol Mann 20 yard field goal Raiders 3–0 1 DEN Haven Moses 74 yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick) Broncos 7–3 3 DEN Jon Keyworth 1 yard run (Jim Turner kick) Broncos 14–3 4 OAK Dave Casper 7 yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick) Broncos 14–10 4 DEN Haven Moses 12 yard pass from Craig Morton (kick failed) Broncos 20–10 4 OAK Dave Casper 17 yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick) Broncos 20–17 yes Despite a poor day from veteran kicker Jim Turner, who missed three field goals and had an extra point blocked, Denver converted two second half turnovers into touchdowns to edge out the defending Super Bowl champion Raiders. Denver was forced to punt on their opening drive, and Bucky Dilts's kick went just 21 yards to the Oakland 43-yard line. Aided by two Broncos penalties, including a running into the punter call that enabled Oakland to avoid a three and out, the Raiders subsequently drove to the Denver 2-yard line and scored with Errol Mann's 20-yard field goal. But on the Broncos' second drive, quarterback Craig Morton threw a 74-yard touchdown to wide receiver Haven Moses, who caught the ball along the right sideline and managed to break through a tackle attempt by defensive back Skip Thomas and stay in bounds on the way to the end zone. The score would remain 7–3 for the rest of the half, with Mann hitting the uprights on a 30-yard field goal try and Turner missing a 40-yard attempt. The Raiders also suffered a major setback when receiver Fred Biletnikoff went down with a separated shoulder. Oakland's Carl Garrett returned the second half kickoff 62 yards to the Broncos 33-yard line. On first down, Ken Stabler tried to connect with Cliff Branch in the end zone, but defensive Steve Foley barely managed to deflect the pass away. Then running back Mark van Eeghen was held to a 1-yard gain, Stabler threw a third down incompletion, and the Raiders decided to punt rather than risk a 49-yard field goal. Denver took after and drove deep into Raiders territory, with Moses hauling in a 41-yard reception to give the Broncos another scoring chance, but following a bad snap, Turner missed another field goal, this one from 31 yards. On the next play, Oakland's Clarence Davis lost a fumble that defensive end Brison Manor recovered at the Oakland 17-yard line. A short carry from fullback Jon Keyworth and Morton's 13-yard completion then moved the ball to the 2. Then running back Rob Lytle was hit in mid-air while trying to dive over the line by Raiders safety Jack Tatum, and lost the ball. Oakland nose tackle Mike McCoy appeared to recover the fumble, but the play was blown dead by an official on the opposite side of the field. The officials (chiefly Ed Marion) ruled that Lytle's forward progress was stopped before the fumble, even though replays clearly showed the ball was knocked free at the moment of contact. Denver retained possession. The Raiders were then penalized half the distance to the goal for arguing the call, and Keyworth scored a Denver touchdown on the next play to give Denver a 14–3 lead. Later on, Denver recovered a muffed punt from Garrett on the Raiders 27-yard line. Right after the turnover, Morton appeared to throw a touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin, who made a rolling catch along the ground and then got up and headed for the end zone. However, officials ruled the ball had touched the ground before he secured the catch (replays appeared to contradict this) and it was called as an incompletion. Following two more incomplete passes, Turner missed his third field goal of the day, this time from 44 yards, and the Broncos came up empty. right|thumb|The Broncos, led by their famed Orange Crush Defense (pictured), defeated the Raiders in the AFC Championship Game to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl. Near the end of the third quarter, Oakland finally caught a break when Garrett returned Dilts' 38-yard punt 4 yards to the Broncos 48-yard line. On the next play, Van Eeghen rushed for 13 yards. Following an incompletion, Stabler fired a pass to tight end Dave Casper, who made a falling catch, got back up, and took off for a 26-yard gain to the Denver 9. Two plays later, Stabler finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Casper on the second play of the fourth quarter, cutting the score to 14–10. Denver responded by advancing the ball to the Raiders 11-yard line, only to have linebacker Floyd Rice intercept the ball from Morton and take it 11 yards back to the 22. Oakland now seemed primed to drive for a leading touchdown, but before they could get out of their own territory, Denver linebacker Bob Swenson made a clutch interception and returned the ball 14 yards to the Oakland 17-yard line. Two plays later, Moses made a sliding 12-yard catch of Morton's pass in the end zone, putting the Broncos ahead 20–10 after Turner's extra point was blocked. Oakland struck back with an 8-play, 74-yard drive to score on Casper's 17-yard touchdown catch to make it 20–17 with 3:16 left in regulation, but the Broncos' held the ball for the rest of the game and ran out the clock. Moses was responsible for most of Denver's 217 yards gained through the air, finishing the game with 5 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Morton completed 10/20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Stabler finished 17/35 for 215 yards and two touchdowns with one pick. Garrett returned 3 kickoffs for 111 yards and two punts for 5. With his two touchdown catches along with his three against the Colts, Casper set a single post-season record for touchdowns by a tight end (5) which still stands to this day. This was the first postseason meeting between the Raiders and Broncos. It was also Denver's first home victory over Oakland, either in regular season or post season, since 1962 (the two teams played to ties in 1964 and 1973). Source:https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qsYUAAAAIBAJ&pg=6254%2C424512 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon wire service reports Broncos turn a dream into Super reality January 2, 1978 1BPro-Football-Reference.comhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fYRfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3811%2C424022 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Howitt Bruce Denver and Dallas in Super shoot-out January 2, 1978 1B Broncos go to Super Bowl XII but lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10. Super Bowl Cowboys 10 3 7 7 Broncos 0 0 10 0 January 15 Louisiana Superdome 76,400 Indoors (dome) Jim Tunney Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier CBS Super Bowl XII thumb|right|The Broncos playing against the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII.Super Bowl XII did not start out well for the Cowboys, as they nearly turned over the ball three times on their first two possessions. On Dallas' first play from scrimmage, receiver Butch Johnson fumbled the handoff on a double reverse, but recovered the ball. Dallas was then forced to punt, and the Broncos advanced to the Cowboys' 33-yard line before quarterback Craig Morton was sacked for an 11-yard loss on third down. On the ensuing punt, Cowboys punt returner Tony Hill fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line, but managed to fall on the ball before any Denver players recovered it. A few plays later, Dallas running back Tony Dorsett fumbled on his own 19-yard line, but center John Fitzgerald quickly recovered the ball. On the Broncos' second drive of the game, Cowboys linemen Randy White and Harvey Martin forced Morton to hurry his throw, and defensive back Randy Hughes intercepted the rushed pass at the Broncos 25-yard line. 5 plays after the turnover, Dorsett scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. On the Broncos' next possession, Morton was intercepted again when his pass was tipped by linebacker Bob Breunig into the arms of defensive back Aaron Kyle, who then returned the ball 19 yards to Denver's 35-yard line. Dallas then drove to the 8-yard line, but Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach was sacked by Lyle Alzado for a 10-yard loss on third down, forcing them to settle for a 35-yard Efren Herrera field goal to increase their lead to 10-0. In the second quarter, Dallas advanced to Denver's 19-yard line, and once again barely avoided a turnover. On third down, Staubach's pass was intercepted in the end zone, but officials ruled that he had stepped out of bounds before he threw the ball. On the next play, Herrera added a 43-yard field goal to increase the Dallas lead to 13-0. The rest of the quarter was filled with sloppy play and turnovers by both teams. On the second play after receiving the ensuing kickoff, Morton was intercepted again, this time by Dallas defensive back Benny Barnes at his own 40-yard line. The Cowboys then drove to the Denver 26-yard line, but Herrera missed wide left from 43 yards out. The Broncos then committed another turnover when wide receiver Jack Dolbinfumbled, and Hughes picked it up and returned it 19 yards to the Denver 27-yard line. However, the Cowboys once again failed to score as Herrera missed a 32-yard field goal attempt. On the first play after the missed field goal, Hughes recovered Denver tight end Riley Odoms's fumble at the Broncos 28-yard line. But on the next play, Dallas gave the ball right back to Denver after Broncos linebacker Tom Jacksonrecovered tight end Billy Joe Dupree's fumble. 5 plays later, defensive back Mark Washington intercepted another errant Morton pass and returned it 27 yards to Denver's 35-yard line with just 6 seconds left in the period, but Herrera missed yet another field goal attempt, this time from 44 yards out as time expired in the first half. By halftime, the Broncos had committed 7 turnovers. Morton, who had thrown a total of only 8 interceptions throughout the entire 1977 season, had been picked off 4 times, in addition to 3 fumbles lost. Yet Denver trailed by only 13 points as the second half began, and on the opening drive of the second half, the Broncos moved the ball deep into Dallas territory. First, John Schultz returned the second half kickoff 25 yards to the 35-yard line, and then Otis Armstrong ripped off an 18-yard gain. Seven plays later, Jim Turner finished the drive with a 47-yard field goal, cutting the score to 13-3. But later in the period, the Cowboys scored another touchdown on a 45-yard pass from Staubach to receiver Butch Johnson, who made a fingertip catch as he fell into the end zone. The receiver dropped the ball when he hit the ground, but the officials ruled he had caught the ball for a touchdown before it came out of his hands, and the Cowboys increased their lead to 20-3. Denver kick returner Rick Upchurch returned the ensuing kickoff a super bowl record 67 yards to the Cowboys 26-yard line. On the next play, Morton nearly threw his fifth interception, and was then immediately replaced by former Ole Miss quarterback Norris Weese, a native of New Orleans suburb Chalmette. Two plays later on fourth down, Jim Jenson's 16-yard run moved the ball to the 1-yard line, and then Rob Lytle scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 20-10. Midway through the fourth quarter, Weese fumbled the ball while being sacked by Martin, and Kyle recovered it on the Denver 29 yard line. On the next play, the Cowboys scored on a 29-yard halfback option play: Staubach pitched the ball to fullback Robert Newhouse, who ran left as if it were a normal run play, but then Newhouse passed the ball to Cowboys receiver Golden Richards for a touchdown. The score gave the Cowboys a 27-10 lead and put the game out of reach. Newhouse became the first running back in Super Bowl history to complete a touchdown pass. Staubach finished the game with 17 out of 25 pass completions for 183 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. Dorsett was the leading rusher of the game, with 66 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also caught 2 passes for 11 receiving yards. In addition to his 29 yard touchdown pass, Newhouse also contributed with 55 rushing yards. Dallas tight end Billy Joe Dupree was the leading receiver of the game with 4 receptions for 66 yards. Hughes had an interception and a Super Bowl record 2 fumble recoveries. Before being taken out of the game, Denver's starting quarterback Craig Morton completed just 4 out of 15 passes for 39 yards and was intercepted 4 times. Upchurch recorded 125 total offensive yards (94 on kickoff returns, 22 on punt returns, and 9 receiving yards). The Cowboy's superb defense played a critical role in the game. White and Martin were named co-Most Valuable Players; this award is usually bestowed on an offensive player. The voters actually wanted to name the entire 11-man starting defensive lineup as co-MVPs, and asked the NFL if this was acceptable. The league said no, and so two players were picked for the award. The unheralded Hughes and Kyle of the Cowboy secondary each had superb games to play an important role in the victory. The two men came up with five turnovers between them, leading directly to 17 of Dallas' points. Source:https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SvhVAAAAIBAJ&pg=4634%2C4042671 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon wire service reports It's Doomsday for the Broncos January 16, 1978 1Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=i4RfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4732%2C4327209 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press 'Doomsday II' tames Broncos, XXVII to X January 16, 1978 1B Broncos lost and in 1978 finished 10-6. But lost to the eventual Super Bowl XIII champion Steelers 33-10. References External links Denver Broncos – 1977 media guide 1977 Denver Broncos season at jt-sw.com 1977 Denver Broncos at Pro-Football-Reference.com Denver Broncos Category:AFC West championship seasons Category:American Football Conference championship seasons Category:Denver Broncos seasons Category:1977 in sports in Colorado