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From: lat@druil.UUCP (TepperL)
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: Re: The Oakland Raiders must have lucky charms in their shorts
Message-ID: <1654@druil.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Dec-85 15:04:28 EST
Article-I.D.: druil.1654
Posted: Thu Dec 19 15:04:28 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 26-Dec-85 22:10:44 EST
References: <709@drutx.UUCP> <422@tekchips.UUCP>
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Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 50

First, let me say that I do not want to come off sounding like a
Bronco apologist.  Great teams win the games that they have to
(and more, even) and this year the Broncos haven't done that.
However...

> From: stevev@tekchips.UUCP (Steve Vegdahl)

> > (From another net.person, not Steve V)
> >The
> >Oakland (Yes, I know they play in LA) Raiders are lucky and do not desire
> >to be in first place.  The fact that the Broncos overcame the lack of playing
> >time in the 3rd quarter to almost win.  I do admit that Hester should have 
> >caught the TD pass from Marc Wilson, but .....   The fact that the referee
> >got in front of the only man who could have stop Marcus Allen from scoring,
> >if that's not luck what is.
> 
> How 'bout a blocked field goal in overtime against San Diego that bounces
> into a Bronco defender's hands and is run in for a touchdown?  How 'bout
> TWO fumbles in the Bronco-Raider game last year, the lack of either which
> would have given the Raiders the game?
You really can't (in all honesty, at least) call the blocked kick lucky.  For
heavens sake, they blocked it twice in a row!  An article in the next day's
sports pages explained why.  The Broncos' special teams coach was looking at
films of San Diego, and saw that on field goals Kellen Winslow was assigned
to block two men.  The Broncos lined up Dennis Smith and one other player
against Winslow.  The decoy man went wide to pull out Winslow, while Smith
went inside for the block.  On the first attempt, Smith successfully blocked
the field goal, and a Bronco recovered the ball.  However, another Bronco had
signaled for time out just before the snap.  (Can you imagine the pandemonium
and anguish after that?)  On the next try, the same plan worked.  Winslow
again went wide and Smith again got the block from the inside.

> No, it's the same old Bronco offense as always: occasionally brilliant,
> but generally inconsistent. (Much like the Raider offense in that respect.)
That's it exactly, the Bronco offense has been inconsistent throughout
the year.  Their 3rd quarter stats are ridiculous, they haven't scored in
that quarter for the last 3 or 4 games.  Maybe they're shooting up Nyquil
during half-time.

> This Raider-Bronco rivalry is getting to be pretty interesting.  If my
> memory serves me correctly, in the last two years, all four games have
> been decided by three points, with three of the games going into overtime;
> each team won twice, once at home and once on the road.
Yep.  Last year the Broncos won twice, this year the Raiders did.
You should read the local papers before each game, with all the name
calling and finger pointing.  It's uncharacteristic of Bronco teams
from the past.
-- 
Larry Tepper	    {ihnp4 | allegra}!drutx!druil!lat		+1-303-538-1759
	Back to you, Walter.