Only seven receptions to become football's all-time leading receiver.
He can set that historic record tonight.
The hands of Art Munk have been catching NFL footballs for the past 13 years.
Rapidly surpassing the totals of the game's finest receivers.
813 receptions. Now only the great Steve Larson is ahead of him.
And Art Munk now stands on the break of one of the most prestigious individual accomplishments in professional football.
I think it's more important to maybe some of my teammates or the media more than myself.
Obviously, I am very excited about the opportunity of breaking the record.
John Elway and the Denver Broncos face Art Munk's Washington Redskins tonight on ABC's Monday Night Football.
A beautiful autumn evening in the nation's capital.
And a pair of familiar landmarks, the Washington Monument and the Capitol.
Spectacular night as we look into RFK Stadium where there will be a battle waged tonight.
The Denver Broncos are in town to take on the Washington Redskins.
Hello again everyone, I'm Frank Giffrel, I'm Al Michaels and Dan Deardorff.
Good win for you tonight, two of the winningest teams in the NFL over the past decade.
The Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins, the Redskins kind of limping into tonight.
They're two and two, they suffered a devastating loss last weekend to the St. Louis Cardinals.
They have a lot of Knicks, they trail Philadelphia and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Eastern Division.
Both are four and one.
Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos are four and one and they win tonight and they have a one game edge over Kansas City in the AFC Western Division.
But Al Michaels, they're not playing four and one football.
They have just had some spectacular performances from their quarterback, John Elway.
Frank, even though they're four and one, they've given up more points than they've scored.
Very few people really believe in this team.
What's happened is they've won two games through Elway miracle magic at the end.
Another game they won, they didn't score a touchdown against Cleveland, they won it on four field goals.
Their fourth win came against San Diego.
So how do they get that respect?
Well certainly they'll get it because they are a big underdog tonight if they can beat Washington at RFK.
Now as far as the Broncos are concerned, they have Elway.
This is a team that's been to three Super Bowls in recent years.
And a team that came within three points of going to the Super Bowl last year.
Dan, they're coming off a tremendous win against Kansas City.
And facing a team that's coming off about as agonizing a defeat as any team has suffered recently.
Two fourth quarter interceptions return for touchdowns served up by Mark Ripenow.
That was the difference in last week's loss to Phoenix.
And Mark Ripenow is taking a lot of heat here in Washington because of the way he has played.
Think back to the year he had last year.
28 touchdowns versus only 11 interceptions.
Almost a three to one touchdown interception ratio.
This year it's the exact opposite.
Four touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
Mark Ripenow tonight will face a very strict test in front of this RFK crowd.
The Redskins though tonight plan to win this game one way and one way only.
Running the football.
Look for it a lot.
And we will see that Washington running attack right away because they'll get the ball.
Brad Dowiso who's been nothing short of sensational to kick off for the Broncos.
16 of his 19 kickoffs have been touchbacks and make it 17 of 20 for 85%.
And so the Redskins will begin their first drive at the 20 yard line.
Mark Ripen, MVP of last year's Super Bowl.
But as Dan just mentioned, four touchdown passes, seven interceptions, six in the last two weeks.
He has behind him Ernest Beiner.
Then the Posse, the three receivers, Sanders, Clark and Monk.
Warren is the tight end slash H-back.
Lashay, Jacoby, McKenzie spells Bostic at center.
Schlereth and Simmons.
Jeff Bostic who'd normally be their starting center had rotator cuff surgery and is probably gone for the season.
So a revamped front for the skins.
And Ripen retreats on a straight drop on first down.
Hits Art Monk for a seven yard pickup.
So that's one more for Monk and he's within five of tying and six of passing Steve Largent.
Defensively now, the Broncos play a base three-four.
So Shea, the former Euler and Dolphin, along with Cragan who's been very good in the middle and Kenny Walker.
Cole developing into one of the best in the league. Brooks has been outstanding this year.
Mecklenburg and Fletcher and then Braxton and Henderson are the corners.
And the veteran safeties, the hard-hitting Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater.
Here is Beiner on second down picking up two to the 29 yard line.
Mecklenburg 77 makes the hit.
It'll be third down and one for the Redskins.
Now you talk about the revamped Washington Redskin line.
They are also very thin.
If somebody goes down tonight, they are going to be in deep trouble.
Jacoby has moved over to the left guard, as you pointed out, from right tackle.
He has played there before.
Simmons is over at right tackle.
He has played there before.
Their problem will be, wouldn't you agree, Dan, if they lose somebody tonight?
Yeah, they are extremely thin.
Ray Brown, the one backup. He's nicked.
He got hurt last week.
And really the next guy in is Matt Elliott, a 12th round draft choice and a rookie.
That's an unusual situation for the Redskin Hogs to be that close to big trouble.
Third and one, and that's Beiner in motion.
Ricky Irvins is the tailback and the play fake and that going deep on third and one.
Wide open is Terry Orr.
He's inside the 30, inside the 20, down to the 13 by Montgomery.
That is so unlike Joe Gibbs.
Well, but what sets it all up when you have as formidable a running game as do the Redskins?
The play action passing is to be honored and that's, they honored the run fake a little too much.
And they have two safeties.
Does Denver, Steve Atwater, Dennis Smith.
They play like linebackers.
They were up at the line of scrimmage.
And as you can see, Terry Orr, his only thought was, as his heart was in his throat, don't let me drop this.
It was a great call against a team that reads the run and moves up with their safety men so quickly.
A 58 yard pick up and a big hole for Beiner who spins to the one yard line.
It'll be first and goal.
He's tackled by Braxton.
This zone blocking it.
The Hogs, and they might be, but good block by McKenzie, Jacoby, and Clarath.
Big opening.
Three minutes into the game.
First and goal.
Middleton the fullback.
And on a keeper, touchdown.
And Mark Rippon needed this.
Mark Rippon celebrating with his teammates.
And you're right, Frank.
He did need this and this whole city needed it.
The Denver Broncos, meanwhile, have to be spending a little time over on the sideline defensively saying,
guys, now look, let's just pretend this didn't happen.
Let's just say this series didn't happen.
We're spotting them a seven point lead.
Let's not panic.
Let's not lose our heads.
Let's just come back and play our game plan.
But this was methodical by the Redskins.
Lowell Miller's point after, the drive 80 yards is 3.06.
Washington Redskins.
Long gainer by Terry Orr.
Here's Orr right here, but look at the confusion here and here on the Broncos as to who's going to play action,
but who's going to take Terry Orr.
As you can see, this is a blown coverage.
Dennis Smith goes upfield.
Mecklenburg goes to the other side.
And we just have a total blow by the Broncos and their defensive unit.
And that can be shattering to their psyche early in a ballgame.
Jeff Lowell Miller's kickoff is taken at the 11-yard line by Alton Montgomery.
And he runs it back 22 yards to the 33.
And the kicker, Lowell Miller, makes the tackle.
John Elway worked his magic again last week, twice now this season.
Against the Raiders and the Chiefs, he has brought them from behind in the waning moments.
He has Gaston Green and Reggie Rivers behind him.
Mark Jackson and Derek Russell starting as the wideouts.
And Clarence K., the tight end.
They've got a rookie free agent left tackle, Russell Freeman.
Davidson, a former tackle of Farts.
Wydell and the veteran Lanier.
Reggie Johnson now gets the start in a slot to the right.
Put him in motion on first down from the 33.
And Elway to the air.
And throws underneath to the 36-yard line.
It's a minimal pickup as Derek Russell makes the catch.
The second-year receiver from Arkansas, Gouveia, makes the tackle.
A base 4-3 for the Skins.
Mann having another good year with Wilson, Johnson, and Stokes up front.
They have Marshall, Gouveia, and Collins.
They're linebackers.
Caldwell, who would be the fourth linebacker, is uninjured reserve.
Matthew and Mays, and remember, Daryl Green is gone for the year.
Oakland and Edwards are the safeties.
They're also missing A.J. Johnson from the starting lineup with a fractured finger,
but he's in uniform and will play in the nickel.
Second and six, and Greg Lewis is in it running back.
And that is Lewis with the football going nowhere.
Runs right into Kurt Gouveia for a loss of one.
Two tackles now for Gouveia.
Warming tackle on the part of the Redskins deep.
They're still smarting from that loss we talked about earlier to the Cardinals.
They were at such a huge lead going into the fourth quarter,
and they blew it with two interceptions for touchdowns,
and that has to hurt a team.
And a good way to start tonight, though, take your first drive and hammer it in.
Third and seven, Richie Pettibone runs the defense
and runs it brilliantly and has for years out of the shotgun.
Arthur Marshall, a rookie, is in motion.
Rivers stays in the block.
Elway scrambles.
Elway runs into his own man, Karts, because Karts was engaged by Tim Johnson,
and the Broncos are three and out on their first possession.
Well, the reason he's engaged with Tim Johnson is Johnson really wasn't attempting to rush the quarterback.
Johnson had the spy responsibility that time, hung on the line of scrimmage,
and boy, he did it to perfection.
See, look at Johnson, number 78.
He's not working his way upfield.
He just holds his ground, and John Elway, like a fly to sugar, ends up going right to him.
By Coran, one of the best in the league.
Left foot's one down on the 27, and a fair catch is made there by Brian Mitchell.
9.50 to go in the opening quarter.
Skins on top, 7-0, and now it's time for a regular feature on what's new in the world of sports science and technology.
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We play just 5 minutes, 10 seconds, and as you look at the Lincoln Memorial on a sparkling night in Washington,
clear skies, temperature is in the mid-60s, and it's a perfect start for the Redskins.
They lead 7-0.
After Denver goes three and out, Washington has it back.
First half of the 27-yard line, and earnest final cuts it back up to the 34 for a gain of seven.
It'll be second and three.
Wyman Henderson, the cornerback, comes up to make the hit.
Again, the opening play that Joe Gibbs called on that third-to-short yardage has changed the whole thinking of the part of the Denver defense.
They use their safeties almost like linebackers, and now they're going to be thinking a little more in a hesitant way about the play-pass action.
Great call.
Terry Orr had one reception coming into tonight's game before that one.
Second and three. That's Monk in motion.
Biner again, and he goes over, and it's a fumble, and it's recovered by the Denver Broncos.
Kenny Walker made the hit, makes the recovery after Greg Pragan was the man who pops it loose.
And Walker could have, it appeared to me, he could have gotten up and run with the football.
He wasn't down on the ground by a Redskin putting him there.
But again, keep in mind, Kenny Walker is deaf and, you know, can't hear a whistle if it did or did not blow.
Well, what a solid hit.
What an upfront, squared-up hit by Walker, who forces the hit and recovers the fumble.
Well, Pragan pounds it out of there, and Ernest Biner is not a fumbler.
In any way, shape, or means.
At the 31-yard line, big early break for the Broncos as they drive.