When the Denver Broncos play the Chargers in Los Angeles Sunday, it will mark the team’s first trip to the “City of Angels” in 23 years, when they faced the then-Los Angeles Raiders on Dec. 11. The Raiders moved to Oakland the next year, and the Rams made their way to St. Louis, leaving Los Angeles without a team for more than two decades.
Many momentous moments happened that year, and a lot has changed since then, both in the NFL and outside of it. Most recently, Los Angeles gained two NFL teams again — the Rams returned, and the Chargers joined them after moving upstate from San Diego. In between their trips to ‘La-La Land’ with that, the Broncos won three Super Bowl titles, in 1998, 1999 and 2016.
1994 was an interesting and unique year. Figure skater Tonya Harding was involved in an attack on fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in an attempt to force Kerrigan to withdraw from the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Harding was banned from the United States Figure Skating Association for life after an investigation concluded.
O.J. Simpson was accused of the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman in June. Five days later, Simpson surrendered to police in the aftermath of an infamous highway chase involving his friend Al Cowling’s white Ford Bronco.
The Houston Rockets won the NBA Championship over the New York Knicks in seven games, and the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup. The Jacksonville Jaguars became the newest expansion team in the NFL and would begin playing in 1995.
Eventual U.S. president George W. Bush took office as the governor of Texas. Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was found dead of an apparent suicide. Former president Richard Nixon died, as well.
The Denver Broncos found themselves going 7-9 in the 1994 season, led by quarterback John Elway and head coach Wade Phillips, which put them in last place of the AFC West. The Broncos still played at Mile High Stadium — and still wore their classic ‘D’ helmet, complete with a snorting, white bronco. Notable players included tight end Shannon Sharpe, safety Steve Atwater, linebacker Karl Mecklenberg and kicker Jason Elam.
The Broncos entered the Dec. 11 game against the Los Angeles Raiders looking for revenge after an embarrassing, 48-10 loss in week three. Elway was suffering from a knee injury at the time, so backup Hugh Millen started instead. Unfortunately for the Broncos, without Elway, the defense disappeared as well. The Broncos didn’t manage to score until the end of the second half, when Elam kicked a field goal to finally put the Broncos on the board and cut the 6-0 lead by the Raiders in half.
Elam kicked another field goal in the third quarter, in between a pair of Raiders’ field goals. The Raiders then put the game practically out of reach as quarterback Jeff Hostetler completed a touchdown pass to Harvey Williams. The Raiders tacked on another field goal before the Broncos managed to score a touchdown with 43 seconds remaining and recovered the ensuing onside kick, but were unable to bring the score any closer.
The Broncos lost 23-13, ending their four-game winning streak and beginning what would become a three-game skid, causing the Broncos to finish 7-9 on the season. Phillips was fired after the season and new head coach Mike Shanahan was brought on to begin his 13-year, championship tenure with the team.
