NFL Insider: Broncos have another Week 2 date with Steelers 50 years after NFL's first regular-season overtime game

For the first time in 50 years, the Broncos and Steelers on Sunday will square off in Week 2 in Denver. It would take quite a game to match what happened in their last such meeting.

It was in 1974 that the NFL instituted overtime in the regular season for the first time. And in Week 2, on Sept. 22 at Mile High Stadium, Denver and Pittsburgh went into overtime. So, what happened?

Well, after a 35-35 scoring fest in regulation, the teams went 15 minutes of playing time without scoring. And the epic five-hour game ended in a tie.

“When the rules changed, everybody was curious to see how that would play out in overtime, but I don’t think anybody ever expected a tie,’’ said Billy Van Heusen, then a Broncos punter and wide receiver.

The game remains notable in history. At the time, it was the highest-scoring tie game when only NFL games were considered. In the AFL, the Boston Patriots and Oakland Raiders tied 43-43 in a non-overtime game in 1964, and AFL records were merged with NFL records in 1970.

It was the highest-scoring overtime tie game in pro history until Cincinnati and Carolina had a 37-37 deadlock in 2014. It remains second in the record book.

“I remember how high scoring that game was,’’ said Tom Jackson, then a Broncos linebacker. “Joe Gilliam, he came out and he dismantled us and took us apart.”

Gilliam had led the Steelers to a 30-0 win the week before over the Baltimore Colts and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated entering the Denver game with the headline “Pittsburgh’s Black Quarterback.” During a time when there were few Black quarterbacks starting in the NFL, Gilliam against the Broncos completed 31 of 50 passes for 348 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and ran for a touchdown.

As it turned out, Gilliam would be benched a month later and replaced by Terry Bradshaw, who led the Steelers that season to their first of four Super Bowl wins in the 1970s. Gilliam never threw another NFL pass after 1975.

On that day, though, Gilliam and the Steelers moved up and down the field. But so did Denver.

The Broncos began the game by recovering a surprise onside kick. Their star on the day was running back Otis Armstrong, who rushed for 131 yards and caught five passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Armstrong put Denver up 7-0 when he caught a 45-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter from Charley Johnson, who would end up being knocked out of the game early in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. He added a 23-yard touchdown reception from backup Steve Ramsey that tied the score 35-35 midway through the fourth quarter.

Armstrong’s second touchdown was set up by a Jackson interception that perhaps saved the game. With the Steelers up 35-28 and looking to put the game away, he picked off a Gilliam pass at the Denver 11 and returned it 39 yards to the 50.

“The first thing I remember about that game is I dropped two interceptions before that,’’ Jackson said. “But on that one, (cornerback) Calvin Jones tipped the ball and it came right to me, and I just headed to the nearest sideline (on the right). Looking back, I felt I could have scored.”

After Armstrong’s second touchdown, Broncos safety Billy Thompson blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Pittsburgh’s Roy Gerela with five seconds left in regulation. The Broncos had an ideal chance to win in overtime, but Jim Turner’s 41-yard field goal was wide right with about three minutes left.

“I remember Billy making a great play,’’ Van Heusen said. “And I remember (Turner’s kick) just drifting off. I know he was totally disappointed, and we thought he was money.”

And so ended the NFL’s first regular-season overtime game. The teams again would go into overtime in the 2011 playoffs in Denver, and that game also made history. Tim Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play from scrimmage for a 29-23 win in the shortest overtime game in NFL history at 11 seconds.

Moss was initially ‘mad’

When Broncos cornerback Riley Moss left the field last Sunday after his first NFL start, he wasn’t feeling very good.

“At first, after the game, I was really mad at myself,’’ the second-year man said of the 26-20 loss at Seattle in the opener. “I’m my biggest critic.”

Moss was beaten several times and, while he had a team-high 12 tackles, that’s not always a good thing for a defensive back. But Moss eventually changed how he felt considering he most often was going against Tyler Lockett, a top NFL receiver.

“After watching the film, I saw I was in great position on some of those (throws),’’ Moss said. “I still need to make the play when the ball is in the air. But they also get paid, too.”

Moss got in for only 23 defensive snaps as a rookie while mostly playing on special teams. But he beat out veteran Levi Wallace to start the opener. In a reserve role, Wallace has been providing plenty of support to Moss.

“Tyler Lockett is a really good receiver,’’ Wallace said. “I think Riley did well. It’s his first start. He’s young, and so I think he was in good position for most of the game. … He’ll continue to improve. I’m sure he will.’’

Moss will be looking for immediate improvement when he next takes the field against the Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High.

“I feel like I have more confidence,’’ said Moss, a third-round pick out of Iowa in 2023. “I know what to expect. That was my first game playing defense since I was at Iowa. It was nice to get my feet wet and get back into it.”

What I’m hearing

--Broncos receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey was elevated off the practice squad Saturday for a second straight week and will be active against Pittsburgh. He predicts a big game from rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who completed 26 of 42 passes for 138 yards with two interceptions in his debut at Seattle. “I feel like he’s going to kill it,’’ Humphrey said. “He had a good outing last week and he’s going to have an even better outing this week. He’s a great player. We just got to make plays for him.”

--With Nix set to make his regular-season home debut, tackle Mike McGlinchey is counting on Broncos fans being reluctant to part with their tickets, especially when it comes to selling them to Steelers fans "There's going to be a lot to cheer for here in the next few weeks, few years, and I hope it starts on Sunday,’’ he said.

What I’m thinking

--With Audric Estime on injured reserve and out at least four games with an ankle injury, the Broncos opted to go with experience to immediately replace their No. 3 running back. They elevated Tyler Badie off the practice squad to face Pittsburgh and undrafted rookie Blake Watson is expected to be inactive for the second straight week. Badie is in his third season on Denver’s practice squad, although he did get into one game in 2022. If he is to be Estime’s replacement throughout his absence, Badie would need to eventually be signed to the active roster since only three elevations are allowed per season.

--Might we see a 60-yard field goal Sunday at high-altitude Empower Field? The Steelers have no qualms about sending Chris Boswell out for long attempts. He made all six of his attempts in last Sunday’s 18-10 win at Atlanta, including boots from 51, 56 and 57 yards. His career long is 59 yards. Denver’s Wil Lutz had a 60-yard boot for New Orleans in 2022, although his longest since joining the Broncos last season is 52.

What I’m seeing

--When Broncos running back Javonte Williams at Seattle had eight carries for 23 yards for an average of 2.7 yards, it was his 11th straight regular-season game of averaging less than four yards per carry. That has included averaging less than three yards per attempt in four of his last five games.

--Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt has had seven games in his eight-year NFL career of more than two sacks and one came against Denver. He had 2 1/2 sacks of Jeff Driskel in Pittsburgh's 26-21 home victory over Denver on Sept. 20, 2020.