MIAMI – Terrell Davis wasn’t the Super Bowl MVP this time. Didn’t matter.
“This win was much sweeter,” Davis said after Broncos 34, Falcons 19. “In the first win, some people questioned whether the win was deserved or not. So coming back and winning it a second time proves that.”
Davis ran wild in Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers, and the Falcons were determined not to let him beat them last night. So Super Bowl XXXIII MVP John Elway beat them instead. Davis (25-102) did, however, notch his record seventh consecutive 100-yard game in the postseason.
“We have a lot of key people on our team,” Davis said. “I’m just a piece of the puzzle. We put a lot of pressure on the running game. When you stop the running game you have to deal with our passing game. John came out throwing the ball well. He had a great game today.”
Davis outdueled his buddy Jamal Anderson by six rushing yards. “Terrell is such a great runner and we knew that coming into the game if we could keep him under 100 yards our chances were extremely high,” Falcons MLB Jessie Tuggle said. “We played him pretty well all day. We didn’t give up too many big plays against the run. John Elway had a magical day today. He deserved the MVP.”
Davis didn’t have a single run longer than 15 yards but his mere presence terrified the Falcons. “Coming into the game I knew we were gonna have to run the ball a little bit,” Davis said. “But it was tough to run the entire game. Their defense did a great job. But I think it served a purpose. It served a purpose by bringing up the backers.”
Elway handed off to fullback Howard Griffith twice for touchdowns because the Falcons were targeting league MVP Davis. “Griff is probably the one person on our team who doesn’t get enough credit for his job,” Davis said. “I can’t say enough about him. He blocks well and he’s the unsung hero on our team.”
Davis (2-50 receiving) did catch a 39-yard pass from Elway early in the fourth quarter. “We noticed that every time we did play-action pass, the linebackers would run out,” Davis said. “So I just stepped up into the zone just to be an outlet for John.”
