The Denver Broncos boast two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and John Elway. In Season 2 Manning’s ESPN+ show Peyton’s Places, the duo teamed up to relive “The Drive” from the 1986 AFC Championship game against the Cleveland Browns.
After walking into Empower Field at Mile High together, both Manning and Elway began reminiscing about the history of the franchise, and the fateful timeline that led Manning to sign with the Broncos.
Manning then mentioned that in 1999, when he was still with the Indianapolis Colts, he and fellow Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison went into Cleveland and recreated Elway’s famous drive.
Elway laughed about Cleveland’s infamous “Dawg Pound,” and their ferocious dog bone-throwing fans, before both signal-callers dove full-throttle into the 15-play, five-minute masterpiece.
While watching film of the ordeal, Elway and Manning editorialize several plays, including the pivotal 10th play of the drive, where on a 3rd-and-18, the snap hit wide receiver Steve Watson in the hip. Elway recovered the errant ball and threw a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Vance Johnson.
“The Drive” was quintessential Elway: a last-minute drive to help his team win the game. Check it out: