The sheer heart in those teams, in addition to pure talent, is overwhelming; I'd forgotten the magnitude of it until watching old YouTube videos last night. Elways helicopter tackle by three Packer defenders, not for a score, but just to get a first down and keep the drive going inside the ten. I won't say a field goal wouldn't have done it; I will say there were only two field goals in that game and the final was 31-24. Is Green Bay still throwing deep in the final minute of a 27-24 game? Somehow I doubt it....

Then there's one of if not THE best offensive lines in history (and my dad was a rabid Cowboys fan; I watched all the early '90s Cowboys games just out of HS. ) Zimmerman, Schlereth and Jones were true greats whose tutelage was no doubt invaluable to future greats like Tom Nalen and '98 undrafted rookie LT Matt Lepsis.

And the receivers:

Ed McAffrey was for Denver what Jay Novacek was for Dallas; on 3rd and 17 everyone on the field and in the stand knew where it was going, but he got us our first down anyway. And his block on linebacker Brian Williams (who had 25 pounds on him) to extend a Howard Griffith run in SB XXXII is a classic clock cleaner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iRfE3uL-lc

Rod Smith was just... Rod.... His first pro catch was a deep bomb from Elway, and it set the tone for the undrafted (!) future HoFer. He wasn't a burner, but he had incredible hands and ran some of the crispest routes ever: Rod always found a way to get open, and when Denver got him the ball, it was a mortal lock he'd catch it (TO take note.... ) His doctors said they were surprised he could walk on the hip he had surgically repaired in '07; he not only walked on it, but earned Pro Bowl trips the previous two years, putting off the surgery because he was all the team had, and it probably cut short his career. Catching a lot of awful passes from Griese and Plummer during the years when the rest of our playmakers had retired hurt him badly, but he never complained, in fact, when Denver was over the cap he actually renegotiated his contract and GAVE MONEY BACK so we could sign everyone (the only other NFL player I know who did that was Troy Aikman during Emmitts holdout that probably cost Dallas a perfect season, all so he could say he was the Leagues highest paid back. ) Another ferocious run blocker at a position not exactly known for it, but he would TAKE OUT defenders for TD, Gary and Mike Anderson. Compared to these two Shannon Sharpe is most noteworthy for his Patriot-killing mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ankz_IobV6c

The D wasn't too shabby either; Steve Atwaters bone jarring hit on Favre in SB XXXII caused a fumble on which Neil Smith pounced, just one of many great plays that marked the start rather than the end of a repeat Championship. Only fitting that the next to last play of the game was an Atwater hit I still flinch remembering, that left him, Ray Crockett and one of the Packer receivers on the turf for several minutes. Linebacker John Mobley was a terror against QBs, RBs and even receivers (hence his interception for a TD in the playoffs) and a lot more fun to remember than 'roid ragin' Romo (he was good, if unethical, but I have to admit I wonder how much was him and how much Vitamin X, much as with Merriman in San Diego. ) In recent years we can only wish we had a front four as good as Keith Traylor, Maa Tanuvasa, Trevor Pryce and Neil Smith (how much did KC miss him during the '97 AFC Championship...? ) But Atwater takes the cake; just ask the mountain that was Christian Okoye (who had 40 lbs. or nearly 20 kilos on Atwater when the latter flattened him: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWtSUgLm_Oo

And Elway, always Elway; it was truly heartwarming to see him finally have a team to complement his exceptional talent. Still the only QB to start five Super Bowls, and given all he had in the '80s was Karl Mecklenburg, the Three Amigos and journeymen backs like Sammy Winder and Steve Sewell, his 2-3 record isn't that bad (I'm sure Bernie Kosar would agree.... ) Sixth most rushing yards by a QB, second only to Marino for most comebacks (I'm NOT getting into THAT argument about who did most with nothing. ) Very few have his arm strength, accuracy and field vision; combine that with the ability to stay alive and even get first downs with his feet and you have the Magic Man. '9ers fans used to wonder what you'd get if you crossed Montana with Young: John Elway.

Which brings us to the man who put Denver and Elway over the top with room to spare:

Terrell Davis.

This video actually captures it quite well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTza50UcbGo

He wasn't the fastest, the strongest or the most elusive (Barry really is still the best there. ) He wasn't the best runner, the best blocker (Sweetness) or the best receiver. But he WAS the best all around at blocking, receiving and running that I think has ever played the game. And a mean tackler on special teams....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlFioK7nzIA&NR=1

If his knees hadn't gone out after six seasons he'd be in the Hall already, where he belongs. There's a very short list of backs who have 2000+ yards in a season:

O.J. Simpson,
Eric Dickerson,
Barry Sanders,
Terrell Davis

Guess which of these backs isn't in Canton (yet)? Hint: The only one with a Super Bowl Ring.

But the most impressive stat is the one that matters most:

Playoff Games: 8 Attempts: 204 Yards: 1140 Average: 5.6 TDs: 12

Shannon may run his mouth, but he's right: Terrell Davis was an every down back, the one thing missing from Denver (and a lot of other teams) in recent years. The only one who MIGHT come close is Tomlinson, but Tomlinson can't lay the pancake blocks Davis did, and his playoff stats are... less than equal.... Dickerson, as everyone knows, had 2,105 yards in '84, and that's the record for a season--but his season ended two days before Christmas with a 10-7 wildcard loss to the Giants, a game in which Dickerson had 1 TD on 23 carries for 107 yards (just under 4 YPA. ) The year TD Jr. ran for 2008 yards in the regular season, he added 468 in 2 playoff games and a Super Bowl, or 156 per game, not against teams like the Lions, but teams like the Steelers.

One can only wonder how his SB XXXII numbers would look if he hadn't missed the entire second quarter due to the minor handicap of being blind, but he still managed to set the record for most rushing TDs in a Super Bowl (3. ) There have been better runners; still are. But in terms of BACKS, only Sweetness and Emmitt Smith are in the same league for me, and I think TD Jr. (Dorsett will always be TD) was the best ever.

The guys at Pro Football Reference (which I highly recommend as a site for anyone interested in all the stats on all the players--ever) compiled some lists of the best seasons and playoff performances by backs, weighted against the League average for the season. Terrell Davis is the only one in the top five twice. On both lists.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=2006