MIAMI -- Everyone expects Terrell Davis to get the ball when the Denver
Broncos get near the goal line, which is perhaps why Howard Griffith got
the ball instead Sunday.
As Davis' blocking back, Griffith had only rushed four times all season
entering Super Bowl XXXIII. Little did he know that he would score more
TDs than TD, his brilliant running mate, in Denver's 34-19 victory.
| |  |
| Fullback Howard Griffith scores Denver's first touchdown in the first quarter. |
"When you have a guy like No. 30 (Davis) in your backfield, he's the guy
that they are going to focus on," said Griffith, who last ran the ball
in the Broncos' 20-16 loss to the Giants on Dec. 13. "When they focus on
him, someone else has to step up to make plays."
Getting the call instead of Davis, the NFL's Most Valuable Player,
Griffith rushed for two 1-yard touchdowns to none for Davis. The first
score gave the Broncos a 7-3 first-quarter lead, one Denver never
relinquished.
Then in the fourth quarter, with everyone expecting Davis to handle the
ball, Griffith plowed into the end zone again as the Broncos took a
commanding 24-6 lead.
"Even though I don't often get the ball, you still have to make plays,"
he said. "When you get your opportunity, you have to take advantage of
it. Just because I got two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, it doesn't
change my role in this offense."
Overall, Griffith rushed for only nine yards on four carries, but the
Broncos didn't sign him before the 1997 season for his talents running
the ball. He was added to create clear running lanes for Davis and
nullify run-stopping linebackers like the Falcons' Jessie Tuggle, which
he did just as effectively as scoring touchdowns.
Davis still got his yards (102 on 25 carries), and Tuggle only registered
five tackles.
"Griff is probably the one person on our team who doesn't get enough
credit for his job," said Davis. "He doesn't carry the ball much. Today
he carried the ball a few times in goal-line situations and got in every
time. I can't say enough about him."
The question on everybody's mind is about John Elway's retirement plans.
But what about veteran safety Steve Atwater?
The Pro Bowl safety was asked if he'd retire after finishing his 10th
year in the league with two Super Bowl titles. Atwater, like Elway, said
he still hasn't decided.
"I'm leaning toward coming back, but I haven't made any concrete plans
as to what I'm going to do," said Atwater. "I'm going to sit back and
enjoy this and enjoy an offseason where I don't have any surgeries. The
last two offseason I have had surgeries, so I'm going to see what it
feels like to have a normal offseason."
Atlanta's Ephraim Salaam became only the fourth player to have started every regular-season game, postseason game and the Super Bowl as a rookie.
Salaam, the Falcons' right tackle, joins some pretty elite company. The
three previous players were two Hall of Famers -- Gene Upshaw and Jack
Lambert -- and Atwater, a future candidate for induction into Canton.
Broncos cornerback Tyrone Braxton hugged Dan Reeves as he left the interview area to return to the Broncos' locker room.
Braxton played for Reeves in Denver from 1987-92.
"You feel sorry for Dan because he's a good coach and he has great
players, but he just can't seem to win the big one," said Braxton. "But
better him than us right now."
