A snow soccer game is my favorite form of sports entertainment, and it brings back memories of snow games as a kid and college student.
On October 15, 1984, 41 years ago, a Monday night NFL game between the host Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers was played during a classic Front Range snowstorm.
The three-day snowstorm from Oct. 14-16 would leave just a foot of snow in the Mile High City, with 3 feet or more in the foothills. During the game itself, about 4 inches of snow accumulated on the Mile High Stadium field. According to denverbroncos.com, it was the most snow that fell in a game played in Denver.
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As is almost always the case, the game was sold out. But only 62,546 fans braved the elements to show up. Some fans, and even radio and television announcers, had difficulty seeing the players on the field.
The snow conditions produced a rarity that had never been repeated before. The Packers failed on each of their first two plays from scrimmage. And each was returned by the Broncos for a touchdown. It remains the only time in NFL history in which the first two offensive plays resulted in touchdowns by the defense. Just 37 seconds into the game, the Broncos led 14-0.
That’s all the Broncos needed to pull out a 17-14 victory.
That’s not the only surprising thing that happened on the field. In the 1980s, there were some NFL kickers who kicked barefoot. One of them was Broncos kicker Rich Karlis, who scored a 30-yard field goal and the two extra points in those conditions.
It’s no wonder this 200th Monday night football game has garnered record television ratings, according to denverbroncos.com.
Broncos safety Steve Foley, who returned the Packers’ first fumble for a touchdown, told the Denver Post: “Whenever someone asks me about the Broncos, they always mention that game. And I always tell them it was the most fun I’ve ever had playing pro football.”
(FURTHER: The 10 Greatest Weather Games in NFL History)
Denver Bronco Louie Wright picks up a fumble and heads to the end zone for Denver’s second touchdown against Green Bay on October 15, 1984.
(Jim Preston/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at Weather.com and has been covering domestic and international weather since 1996. Extreme and strange weather are his favorite topics. Contact him at blue sky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.