March 13, 1983
Boston At Denver
Box Score (from the 1984 Media Guide)
Game Summary (from theUPI Reports, March 14, 1983)
Denver (UPI) - Red Miller was downcast and befuddled Sunday following his team's second consecutive loss.
''I really don't know how to explain about this team,'' Miller said following the Denver Gold's 21-7 defeat at the hands of the Boston Breakers. 'This is the second loss in a row. It is very hard for me to handle.''
Boston quarterback Johnny Walton threw for two touchdowns and Ben Needham returned a blocked field goal 68 yards to lead the Breakers.
''I've been around football quite a while and no one has been as coachable as these guys,'' said Boston coach Dick Coury. ''They deserve the credit. They worked their butts off.''
Walton, who led the World Football League in passing in 1975 with 2,405 yards for the San Antonio Wings, passed to Nolan Franz on a 39-yard fleaflicker in the second quarter, then hit Tony Davis for a 14-yard score in the third quarter.
The Breakers' first TD came at 10:54 of the second quarter, when Ernie Price blocked a 40-yard field goal by Denver's Brian Speelman, and Needham was convoyed 68 yards into the end zone by a host of Breaker special-team members.
''The blocked field goal was a very, very big play,'' Miller said. ''There was a breakdown in the line, and there's no excuse for that. Some of the younger guys are not delivering and we are still looking for the right combinations.''
Starting Denver quarterback Jeff Knapple threw his fifth interception in two games midway through the second quarter and left with a showing of 7-of-13 for 51 yards.
After the Breakers went up 21-0 in the third quarter, Denver reserve quarterback Ken Johnson engineered an 89-yard scoring drive on seven plays. Johnson threw 33 yards to Lonnel Phea and followed with a 19-yard completion to Harry Sydney before capping the drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Darryl Goosby.
After the game, Miller announced that Johnson would be the starting quarterback over Knapple.
Denver cornerback David Martin forced one fumble and recovered two more, including one at the Denver 1-yard line, which stopped a 67-yard Boston drive in the third quarter. He returned his second fumble recovery 25 yards in the fourth period.
Denver, 0-2, started the game with a ball-control offense, mixing short passes by Knapple with inside running plays to Terry Miller. After Needham's blocked kick return, the Gold had to open up its offense but the team could not put the ball into the end zone and its final drive fizzled at the 3-yard line with 12 seconds on the clock.
The Gold dominated the game in some key statistical categories. They were ahead 21-16 in first downs, and outgained the Breakers, 1-1, on the ground 153-50 yards.
The second game. Now we knew what to expect. The Gold D had played pretty well against Philly. Now came Boston. I thought it was odd that the team was not named something patriotic. In fact, I had no idea what a "Breaker" was.
We again parked out by Big Mac. The crowd was similar to the last game, and it was exciting. I had my new hat and my Gold Shirt. My father was wearing his hat, and the day was sunny. If the name "Gold" was unusual, given growing up with Cowboys, Steelers and other recognizable things, the logo for the Breakers was really strange. It took half the game for us to figure out what it was.
But the game was tough to watch. The Gold offense was non-existant. The Breakers scored on a blocked field goal. The crowd was unhappy, and I wondered if I would ever see the Gold win....