The strength of three: The 30 greatest trios in NFL history
By Ian Cummings
Shanahan's Stampede . 12. player. 45. . Mike Shanahan, John Elway, Terrell Davis. Denver Broncos
There are instances in NFL history that provide information on what happens when a smart coach finds the perfect players. There are far more instances of a smart coach finding just-not-perfect-enough players, or perfect players being wasted by a lackluster coach. But the stories of perfection are more fun to talk about and the rise of Mike Shanahan is one such story.
Shanahan was a product of Bill Walsh’s system, which itself was a product of the legendary Air Coryell unit. So Shanahan was well-grounded in the ways of offensive philosophy. He brought a strong West Coast philosophy with him to the Denver Broncos, but he needed the right players to make his offense truly hum.
Not long after arriving in Denver, Shanahan found those players. John Elway, a five-time Pro Bowler at the time of Shanahan’s arrival, was already in tow. Shanahan then drafted a workmanlike running back Terrell Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
The league didn’t know it yet, but Shanahan now had the engine to a magnificent machine. With Elway’s fearlessness and laser-like velocity, and with Davis’s supreme patience and burst, Shanahan was ready to compound the success of his successors.
In 12 years without Shanahan and Davis, Elway averaged 16.6 passing touchdowns per season. With the final components to the perfect offense, Elway’s efficiency skyrocketed and he averaged 25.25 passing touchdowns over the last four years of his career. It was this boost that allowed the Broncos to break the league record for wins in three years, going 46-10 over that time.
Davis, meanwhile, rose on his own. He broke 1,000 yards in his first three NFL seasons. In 1998, he led the Broncos to their second Super Bowl title with an outstanding MVP campaign, where he ran for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns on 392 carries, averaging over five yards per carry.
It’s the work of this trio that has Shanahan forever rooted as one of the greater coaches in NFL history, with two Super Bowl rings in his first four years. It’s this late-career resurgence that allowed John Elway, beloved in Denver and beyond, to truly ride off into the sunset. There aren’t many perfect endings in football. We’ll take the ones we can get.