Kiszla: It’s a blasted shame Broncos safety Steve Atwater isn’t already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame By Mark Kiszla Denver Post Jan. 27, 2019 Hey, we all know: The Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn’t like Denver Broncos or guys who played safety. So there are two strikes against Steve Atwater, who should have been fitted for a gold jacket in Canton, Ohio, a long time ago. But I’m here to help. We’ll start to make the case for Atwater, with this simple question: Who was the most valuable player of Super Bowl XXXII, when the Broncos won the NFL championship for the first time? “T.D.,” replies Atwater. “Terrell Davis. That’s easy.” No, no, no. Work with me, Steve. That’s the wrong answer. “What?” says Atwater. He’s perplexed. Atwater, a defensive stalwart on two championship teams, knows very well Davis received the MVP award for gaining 157 yards on the ground in Denver’s stunning 31-24 upset of Green Bay on Jan. 25, 1998. Well, I’m here to say when a vote is left to my brethren in the sports media, those knuckleheads often get it wrong, due to a stubborn refusal to see anything but the painfully obvious. (Come to think of it, those same blind spots might be the major reason the Broncos are so underrepresented in the Hall of Fame.) The real MVP of Super Bowl XXXII was Atwater. That’s right. The Smiling Assassin killed the Packers. While nobody can forget the “helicopter run” by John Elway, and there’s no denying the importance of the three touchdowns Davis scored, it was Atwater who made the play that best illustrated why the Broncos shocked Green Bay, which entered the game as a prohibitive 11-point favorite. “It was a beautiful play,” says Atwater, recalling a strip sack of Packers quarterback Brett Favre in the second quarter he recorded on a blitz. The resulting turnover set up a field goal that gave Denver a 17-7 advantage and left the Green Bay sideline in disarray. “In my career, I blitzed plenty of times when it was blocked perfectly and a running back put me on my butt,” he said. “I like it much better when they never see me coming.” Boom goes the dynamite! And down went Favre, hit so hard it wiped the smug off his face. Why does Atwater belong in the Hall? Because the biggest hit of his career wasn’t the famous smackdown of Kansas City running back Christian Okoye that has been replayed so many times I’m surprised the videotape hasn’t broken. This hit in Super Bowl XXXII had far more impact, because it not only rattled Favre’s bones, it set the tone. The AFC had lost in the championship game 13 straight times. But Atwater and the Broncos didn’t give a hoot about history. They came to win. The memory is sweet enough to make an assassin smile. “We had showed blitz to Favre repeatedly early in the game, but I always dropped out of it in Cover 2, with deep half responsibility, before the snap,” Atwater recalls. “When we finally called the blitz for real, I think the Packers believed I was faking it again. I came free, unblocked. The ball came loose, and Neil Smith recovered the fumble. I thought: ‘Yes! It worked!’ ” Now, let’s add two essential pieces of little-known background information. No. 1: Despite being heavy underdogs, the Broncos were so confident coach Mike Shanahan had installed a game plan capable of shocking Green Bay that tight end Shannon Sharpe, after swearing me to secrecy, confided 72 hours prior to kickoff there was no way Denver would lose this game. No. 2: Blind-side blitzes, like the one that allowed Atwater to dislodge the ball from Favre, proved to be a crucial part of that game plan, especially because Mike Holmgren stubbornly refused to adjust his blocking scheme, so intent was the Green Bay coach on flooding the secondary with five receivers. “When you fail to adjust in critical situations, you’re going to lose, and that’s what happened,” general manager Bob Wolf told Bob McGinn, who has covered the Packers for nearly 40 years. “To be pig- headed about it …” At his best when it counted most, Atwater recorded six tackles and broke up two passes against the Packers, including one in the final minute of the fourth quarter that saw him unload a hit so explosive it knocked three players unconscious: Green Bay receiver Robert Brooks, teammate Randy Hilliard and Atwater himself. Hall of Fame voters will obviously consider Atwater’s eight Pro Bowl appearances, but let’s hope they don’t overlook the strip sack of Favre documented here. I humbly submit it’s the most underrated big play in Broncos history. As the committee gathers next weekend to consider the qualifications of 15 modern-day finalists and select the Hall’s class of 2019, I will ask one more time: With all due respect to Davis, who was the Broncos’ MVP of Super Bowl XXXII? “You think it was me? Well, I appreciate it,” says the Smiling Assassin, allowing himself a chuckle. Then, Atwater makes a request: “OK, if you really think I was the MVP, can you get me that trip to Disneyland?” Know the only thing better than going to Disneyland? Being fitted for a gold jacket in Canton. Kickin’ it with Kiz: Why the Broncos won’t enter 21st century and draft Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray By Mark Kiszla Denver Post Jan. 27, 2019 Wait another year for the Broncos to find a quarterback? I am trying to see your point, Kiz, but it’s difficult. Let me encourage you to relook at Kyler Murray, the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma. He broke all of Baker Mayfield’s records, carried a team with a weak defense to the College Football Playoff and helped it score 34 points against Alabama. If Murray is available when Denver picks, I think the Broncos would be crazy not to take him. Robert, Boomer Sooner Kiz: Hey, preacher. Meet the choir. Despite Murray’s diminutive size, I would bet on him becoming an effective NFL quarterback long before Missouri’s Drew Lock, who seems to be all the rage in Broncos Country these days. But for all of John Elway’s insistence the team is going to embrace new offensive concepts, the concepts of the new Denver coaching staff sound a whole lot like the West Coast concepts of 20 years ago. The Broncos want their next quarterback to line up under center on first and second down. Run the bootleg. All the classic Mike Shanahan stuff. That doesn’t fit Murray’s game. So why waste a draft pick on him? John Bowlen sure talks big for a guy whose only accomplishment is inheriting his father’s fortune. Jim, Denver Kiz: Well, if nothing else, I think we can safely say which Bowlen child won’t be taking over Mr. B’s big chair at Dove Valley Headquarters. While I try not to take views expressed on social media too seriously, I’m beginning to wonder: Does Johnny Bowlen exist to sully his father’s good name? Take it easy on John Bowlen. He is “the blood of the city.” Andrew, Denver Kiz: He’s more like the Doofus of Denver, don’t you think? If Kansas City linebacker Dee Ford knew which side of the football to put his head on, we’re talking about Patrick Mahomes’ magic at the Super Bowl. Daniel, never out of line Kiz: NFL experts tell me Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. They might be right. And I might be crazy, but I would call Brady the luckiest quarterback of all time. In addition to Ford’s brain freeze, I seem to recall that the dumbest goal-line decision in Super Bowl history by Seattle and a total meltdown by Atlanta gifted Brady two of his championships rings. The Chiefs’ defense is as soft as a newborn kitten. T.J., dogging ’em Kiz: Here at Kickin’ It Headquarters, we tried to warn everyone way back in October a soft defense gave the Chiefs a less-than-zero chance of winning the Super Bowl. Not everyone in Chiefs Kingdom appreciated it. How do you like me now, Kansas City? And today’s parting shot wonders if hiring Rich Scangarello from San Francisco to be the offensive coordinator was as close as Elway could get to bringing back Mike Shanahan as Broncos coach. How different is Gary Kubiak’s bootleg West Coast offense from Kyle Shanahan’s bootleg West Coast offense? I know they learned if from the same guy. Brent, just askin’ Phillip Lindsay at the Pro Bowl: Spectator this year, participant next year By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post Jan. 27, 2019 During the AFC’s Pro Bowl practice Thursday, Phillip Lindsay played the role of social media contributor for the league. He donned his No. 30 Broncos jersey, an orange wig, oversized sunglasses and two foam fingers. Lindsay posed for pictures and signed autographs for fans and pretended to get autographs from teammates Von Miller and Chris Harris. He was having a good time. Great fun? For sure. But the week has also served as a motivator. “You’re getting a taste of it this week,” he said. “I want more.” Lindsay wants to be in the Pro Bowl next year … as a player.