SunBreak Flashback: Seahawks 21, Denver 14, September 1988

I'd like to take a moment to remember the 20th anniversary of one of the most satisfying wins in Seahawks history, their 1988 Week 1 victory at Mile High Stadium over the Denver Broncos.

It was only the Hawks' third win in Denver in ten tries, and first since 1982.

Said Seahawks safety (and current KIRO pre-game talker) Paul Moyer post-game to the P-I: "It's probably one of the most emotional wins I've ever had, just because we've been waiting all year for this game and we've gone through so much in (training) camp."

The game was played in front of a super-charged 75,698 Mile High crowd--angry and aggrieved over insults Brian Bosworth had hurled at their hero, John Elway. In his book The Boz: Confessions of a Modern Anti-Hero (co-written with Rick Reilly, who attended the game), Bosworth referred to Elway as Mr. Ed, and wrote of Elway "If I had a gun I would have killed him."

Art Thiel reported that Bronco fans held a "Beat the Boz" event, where you could bash a VW beetle with Bosworth's face on it.

On the field, Bosworth and the Seahawks defense stifled Elway. The Broncos QB completed just 21 of 45 passes, and was intercepted twice.

Said Denver coach Dan Reeves: "In seemed like, in calling plays, the Seahawks were one step ahead. If I was expecting zone I got man (coverage). If I was expecting man I got zone. In all fairness, Seattle did a better job of coaching, playing and executing. It was no fluke. The Seahawks deserved to win."

Seahawks QB Dave Krieg outplayed Elway, throwing two touchdown passes (to Ray Butler and Curt Warner).

As I remember it, Bosworth walked off the Mile High field arm-in-arm with Paul Moyer.

For an idea of what it looked like--this YouTube of the 1987 Broncos/Seahawks game at Mile High.

Seahawks went on to win the 1988 AFC West title, the first division crown in team history.

You can buy that amazing 1988 Seahawks schedule for $6 at Gasoline Alley Antiques.