The Denver Broncos have one of the greatest winning traditions of any NFL team in the years since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. But although the Broncos had made it to the Super Bowl four times (XII, XXI, XXII, and XXIV), they had come up short each time. That all changed in the late '90s. In 1997, entering his 15th NFL season, Denver quarterback John Elway had one thing missing from his resume: a Super Bowl ring. This year, Elway had all the help he needed-head coach Mike Shanahan, one of the most innovative minds in football; Terrell Davis, the AFC's leading rusher; and a defense studded with stars like Steve Atwater, Shannon Sharpe, and Neil Smith.