Our halftime features tonight from RFK Stadium, and you caught a glimpse of Mr. Sanders.
Never has one traveled so far to do so little.
Very impressive that he would make the attempt at the 23-yard line.
He didn't do much last night in Pittsburgh because he didn't get into the game,
but he had a full schedule in Miami, not only playing the entire game defensively,
but running back kicks and even catching a pass as he got in on offense.
Just dehydrated to the point where he needed a couple bags of fluids intravenously after the game.
I get exhausted watching that commercial he does.
Sanders makes that catch, and they take a look, is it enough for a first down?
And they say no.
Third down and inches.
At the 32-yard line, as Griffin can't pick up the first down,
lofting it for Biner, who was covered by Kroll and the 30-atex remaining.
Washington on a fourth and inches situation here, pretty much compelled to punt.
I don't see where they're in a position to take unnecessary chances.
Be interesting in the locker room at halftime for the Denver Broncos
because they have been able to show absolutely nothing.
I saw the look on your face tonight.
I saw the look on your face, Al.
It's kind of a cavalier call by the Redskins.
Third and inches.
Strange call, yeah.
24-3.
Yep.
You're dominating the last minute.
Goodburn's kick, fielded at the 31-yard line by Arthur Marshall.
And Marshall gets gang-packed up at the 35-yard line,
so Elway has that much time remaining.
And he has all of his timeouts.
I'll tell you who's not getting cocky about this lead is Joe Gibbs,
who watched his team lead 24-6 after three quarters last week against the Cardinals,
only to see that disappear in a 27-24 loss.
You know, we've seen a lot of comebacks.
That had to be as improbable as any comeback ever.
17-0 at the half, 24-6, and the crowd ready to leave.
And the next thing you know,
you've got two interceptions run back for touchdowns by Robert Massey
and then an 85-yard Phoenix drive.
Elway throws incomplete.
That eight of five seconds.
Wilbur Marshall put the pressure on that time.
He's been all over the joint.
And they're harassing him once again, and Elway had to unload it.
He knew Marshall was behind him.
He felt the presence.
He'd just flown by him, and he had to unload.
The only thing I can say about that comeback that Phoenix engineered,
if Mark Rippon should serve up a couple softballs tonight
that get returned for touchdowns,
somebody better call the National Guard to remove him from this stadium.
A couple of fourth-quarter interceptions for touchdowns
would not sit well with this RFK crowd at all.
Second and ten.
Poor John's getting killed.
He's getting killed.
Charles Mann that time decks him.
They're just taking turns.
And the secondary was doing its job as well.
They tried to force it in amongst the quartet of Redskins.
Third down.
This time the pressure comes from his right.
Right by the tackle.
And Charles Mann all over John Elway.
And John Elway never complains, never beefs about it,
never goes public about the beatings he's taken over the years.
And he has taken some.
Third down and ten.
Elway fires, and that is nearly intercepted at the 50-yard line
by Brad Edwards, and there's a marker down behind the line of scrimmage at the 29.
And it's a hold against Denver.
Better to hold than let your quarterback get hit.
That's the bad news.
The good news for the Broncos, only 11 seconds left.
76 offense, penalty decline, fourth down.
Kim LaVera had just been beaten by Charles Mann on the play before,
and he was not going to, he's a 12-year veteran,
he was not going to let John Elway take two shots.
So he knows the only way he's going to keep that man out is hold him,
and that's exactly what he did, is Mann had beaten him on the play before,
number 71.
No quarterback will ever go up to his offensive lineman
and complain to him about holding.
Unless he held the guy, and the guy still hit him.
Then he might.
Horan's kick.
It's dropped by Mitchell, loose ball,
but recovered by the Redskins inside the 15 with one second left on the clock.
Boy, that's the kind of night it's been for the Redskins.
Total contrast to what that fourth quarter was
last week against the Cardinals.
Everything is going Joe Gibbs and the Redskins' way.
A little bobble.
Maybe perhaps taking his eyes off the football
just a little quickly as Brian Mitchell.
And the recovery here, made by Todd Bowles,
and that saves Washington three points.
Otherwise, with one tick left, Denver recovers.
It's an easy Treadwell field goal.
So the first half will come to an end with this play,
barring a penalty.
Nothing like a wide-open formation.
Kneeled down by Ripon.
Skins are nearly perfect in the first half.
They lead it by a score of 24-3.
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A stadium in Washington as Lowmiller puts the ball in the air.
Redskins up by 21.
It's taken at the four-yard line by Arthur Marshall.
And he returns it to the 21-yard line.
And John Elway.
And his team down by three touchdowns.
Begin the second half at that spot.
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First down, Denver at the 21-yard line.
Gaston Green.
On one of the few running plays that has worked well tonight for Denver.
Al Voight Mays with the tackle after a pick-up of seven.
And the numbers through the first half will certainly reflect the Redskins' dominance.
Almost a four-to-one in total yardage.
Yeah, not much to add to that.
Not much to add to that.
227 total yards for 65.
The Broncos with a pair of turnovers that have led to seven of the Redskins' 24 points.
It doesn't say how many times John Elway has been smashed to the turf.
Second and three at the 28-yard line.
And they give it to Green again.
And he can't get started because Bert Gavea and Fred Stolz are there to tackle him behind the line of scrimmage.
This is a major hooping at the line of scrimmage.
And again, the Redskins, as we have talked about throughout the evening.
Playing hurt tonight, Gavea is playing out tonight's game with a very sore ankle.
Lachey has gone out with a knee sprain.
They've had to make further adjustments to their offensive line.
But they are totally dominating Denver, even with all the Knicks.
Third down and four at the 27-yard line.
Elway escapes, throws, and it's incomplete up at the 34-yard line intended for Arthur Marshall.
I mean, that's a miracle that John Elway got out of that.
Four down linemen and then both inside linebackers came on the blitz.
And John Elway spins away from two people.
But, Frank, you touched on it as we look at that Denver offensive line leave the field.
They are not holding their own.
And a huge understatement.
Wilbur Marshall up against Russell Freeman, a rookie free agent over the left side.
And he is catching a cold from him.
Horan's punch in the direction of Brian Mitchell.
And Mitchell makes the fair catch at the 28-yard line.
It's a 45-yard boot. 13-34 left in the third quarter.
It's been a huge night for Wilbur Marshall.
Redskins with a victory tonight would be three and two.
As you look at Rippon's numbers, there was a flag down, by the way, on the last play.
Gordon McCarter discussing the option with Terry Orr, clearly indicating the penalty is going to be against Denver.
While we watch the feature on Art Monk, plus heard from Deon Sanders,
John Riggins was receiving his Hall of Fame ring down on the field.
Ineligible lineman downfield.
The center.
Five-yard penalty. Repeat fourth down.
Dave Wydell.
There's John Riggins' name, who is encircled here at RFK, along with a lot of other greats.
And a good look there at that Hall of Fame ring.
Elected and enshrined in 1992.
We were there back in Canton, Ohio to see Riggo go in.
He enjoyed his day, didn't he? Boy, didn't he? Yeah, he sure did.
All three days. Curled my eyelashes at the interview.
He enlightened us in the booth with some old-fashioned Riggo colloquialism.
Good thing we were on seven-second delay.
Horan's kick is a poor one after Washington accepts the penalty.
It rolls dead at the 43-yard line.
And that's a 35-yard booth by Horan.
So Dan Reeves watching his team.
Getting pummeled tonight.
24-3.
If the Broncos lose it, they are back in a tie for first place in the AFC West along with Kansas City
after the Chiefs' win yesterday against Philadelphia.
Each would be 4-2.
Reeves like Gibbs in his 12th season.
He's the head man.
And when you talk about a list that would include the five best teams in the National Football League,
I think we're to the point where you have to include the Kansas City Chiefs in that list.
In our preseason game, we talked about what a different football team that was going to be with quarterback Dave Craig.
Miner picked up three, tackled by Mecklenburg. It'll be second down and seven.
Well, this is after the last punt.
These guys are coming at each other from all directions.
That's Dave Wydell of the Denver Broncos who deposits Terry Orr.
He's bragging about it now to a kicker.
That's good, Dave.
The only audience he can get.
Lilo Lang wasn't there to listen.
Second and seven.
That's Monk in motion.
And Ripon airing it out to the double-team Clark, and that's broken up by Atwater.
Atwater and Henderson, both there, working on Gary Clark.
Third down.
And one of the rare times tonight, some pressure put on Mark Ripon, Greg Craig, and the very good nose guard of the Broncos.
See the spin there in the middle? He'll get in and put some pressure.
But these are long patterns. These take a long time to develop.
And when you have a big lead, I guess you can afford to try to jam it into double coverage.
But this was not a good decision by Mark Ripon to throw this ball to Gary Clark.
Steve Atwater was in, by far and away, the best position of any one of the three.
That's a ball that you're just not going to complete.
Third down and seven. Desmond Howard is in the game.
Number 80. Ripon looks in that direction and then shovels it over to Ernest Beiner.
He seeks that first down. It appears to be a little short.
Would be my inclination as well to agree with you. I think he's short.
It might be a point where Joe Gibbs will say, well, let's go for it.
We're in control of this football game. Let's go on fourth and short.
We're running the football well.
We're controlling the line of scrimmage.
And after thinking all those things over, Joe Gibbs, uh-uh, goes punt it.
I think if anything is going to give the Broncos a lift at this point, it would be to stop in midfield.
And he doesn't want to give them the opportunity to have that lift.
One thing about this RFK crowd, they are so into the game and they are so quick to express their displeasure.
There aren't many stadiums in this country where, with a 24-3 lead, they'll boo a coach's decision.
And they do hurt pretty robust booing of Gibbs' decision to punt the ball.
He told us today, if I do something wrong, I'm going to hear about it.
I think in an election year, everyone's nerves are a little frayed at Washington.
Maybe that's it.
It's a little nervous around this city, isn't it?
Maybe that wouldn't happen in a non-election year.
Not.
It happens here all the time.
There's some people walking on eggs here in Washington.
The light shines brightly in D.C. as far as the Reds are concerned.
Relay of game, offense, five yards, still fourth time.
That was a situation where they really weren't trying to get the Broncos to jump off-side.
They just came out late.
Well, yeah, at this point, you're near midfield anyway.
Might even take away the risk of putting it into the end zone and bringing it out to the 20s.
Now maybe they can get it inside the 20.
Woodburn's kick.
It's the straightaway center field, and Arthur Marshall
is back out to the 22-yard line.
Out of 11 minutes and 8 seconds remaining in the third quarter at RFK Stadium in D.C.
Washington, 24, Denver, 3.
21-yard line.
Denver takes over after the final 11.08 to go in the third.
The short drop, a quick pass, and that is simply dropped by Derrick Russell.