AFC: Denver Broncos 14.2C Kansas City Chiefs 10 1997–98 NFL playoffs

at arrowhead stadium, kansas city, missouri

game time: 4:00 p.m. est/3:00 p.m. cst
game weather: 32 °f (0 °c), light fog
game attendance: 76,965
referee: jerry markbreit
tv announcers (nbc): dick enberg (play-by-play), phil simms, , paul maguire (color commentators)

for third consecutive year afc s no. 1 seed fell in divisional playoffs. 1 week after avenging previous year s playoff loss against jacksonville, broncos avenged 24–22 regular season loss in kansas city knocking chiefs out of playoffs. denver running terrell davis ran 101 yards , 2 touchdowns lead broncos victory. chiefs quarterback elvis grbac threw 260 yards, team score 10 points. receiver andre rison caught 8 passes 110 yards.

midway through second quarter, chiefs kicker pete stoyanovich appeared open scoring 34-yard field goal, eliminated holding penalty , second attempt hit crossbar 44 yards. denver went on 8-play, 65-yard drive on way 1-yard touchdown run davis on first play after two-minute warning, including john elway s 27-yard completion tight end dwayne carswell , critical third , 7 completion rod smith 17 yards on chiefs 4-yard line keep drive going. first rushing touchdown surrendered kansas city @ home since 1996 season, string of 42 quarters.

in second half, kansas city drove 67 yards broncos 3-yard line, starting grbac s 34-yard pass rison on first play. on third , goal, rookie tight end tony gonzalez unable keep both feet in bounds while making catch, had settle stoyanovich s 20-yard field goal made score 7–3. denver had big opportunity respond on next drive when davis ran 41-yard gain chiefs 11-yard line. derek loville ended losing fumble safety reggie tongue recovered. following exchange of punts, grbac s 50-yard completion receiver joe horn advanced ball broncos 15-yard line, , gonzalez caught 12-yard touchdown pass give kansas city first lead of game, 10–7, going fourth quarter.

early in final quarter, elway completed 43-yard pass ed mccaffrey set davis second 1-yard touchdown run, giving lead denver, 14–10. kansas city responded drive denver 32-yard line. on fourth , six, attempted fool broncos fake field goal attempt, holder louie aguiar tackled darrien gordon after picking 3 yards.

the chiefs had 1 last opportunity go ahead near end of game, moving ball broncos 20-yard line on drive included 29-yard pass interference penalty against denver , grbac s 12-yard completion lake dawson on fourth down , 9. grbac later completed 23-yard pass rison @ broncos 28, after next 3 plays netted 8 yards, gordon deflected grbac s fourth down pass in end zone 12 seconds left.

for second time in 3 years, kansas city eliminated no. 1 seed. chiefs lost despite outgaining denver in total yards (303 272), first downs (18 16) , time of possession (31:06 28:54). elway completed 10 of 19 passes 170 yards. denver linemen alfred williams , neil smith (a former chief) each had 2 sacks. last game in hall of fame career of chiefs running marcus allen. final post-season meeting between john elway , kansas city chiefs head coach marty schottenheimer.