Each NFL team's greatest play of all-time and why
By Nick Villano
Denver Broncos - John Elway “Helicopter Run”
January 25, 1998
The Denver Broncos have three Super Bowl championships and eight Super Bowl appearances. On the way, there are dozens of amazing plays, especially since they’ve had two of the top-five quarterbacks to ever play the game (John Elway and Peyton Manning) suit up for Denver in their careers. Elway only ever wore Broncos orange, but there was a time when it seemed like he would never live up to his original hype.
Then, late in his career, Elway delivered. In fact, he delivered back-to-back Super Bowls for the Broncos. However, going into Super Bowl XXXII, it seemed like it was another moment of pain for Broncos fans. The Green Bay Packers were the top team in the league, and they were looking to win their own back-to-back. With the game tied in the third quarter, Elway found his Broncos in the red zone.
It was third down, and Reggie White was barrelling in on Elway trying to get past the offensive tackle. Elway knew he needed six yards to move the sticks, and nobody was open. He stepped up in the pocket and started running to his right. He was about to get tackled right at the sticks, but Elway wanted to leave no doubt. So, he dove, and what came next became Elway’s legacy.
On this day in 1998, John Elway's famous helicopter run in Super Bowl 32 #NFL pic.twitter.com/jYIZp3F3tF
— hoopsjunky (@hoopsjunky54491) January 25, 2024
Elway walked away with his and the Broncos’ first Super Bowl. If he doesn’t dive, the Broncos kick a field goal, the entire game script could change, and we might have seen a Packers dynasty under Brett Favre. While Terrell Davis won MVP in that game, this play was what we remember.