The Last Dance: Joe Montana’s Final Duel with John Elway in the 1994 Monday Night Classic

October 17, 1994, provided football fans with a fitting, high-stakes final chapter to the rivalry between two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game: the Kansas City Chiefs’ Joe Montana (38) and the Denver Broncos’ John Elway (34). Played on Monday Night Football at Denver’s Mile High Stadium, this AFC West showdown, which would be their last meeting, was instantly recognized as one of the most thrilling games in the rivalry’s history.

WIllie DavisCatch 1994 18 Oct 1994, Tue The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri) Newspapers.com

The Back-and-Forth Battle

Montana, in his final NFL season, was seeking his first career victory in Denver, where Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer was also 0-7. The game was a true offensive duel, with the teams locked in ties at the end of every quarter until the final minutes.

The scoring unfolded rapidly:

• The Broncos struck first, but Chiefs running back Marcus Allen and Elway’s touchdown pass to Anthony Miller tied the score at 14-14 by halftime.
• In the third quarter, Montana threw a scoring pass to lineman-turned-tight end Joe Valerio, only for Elway to immediately answer with a touchdown pass to Jerry Evans, knotting the score at 21-21.

The Clutch Finish

The fourth quarter was vintage Hall of Fame quarterback play. After a late field goal gave the Chiefs a brief 24-21 lead, the momentum swung wildly. With less than two minutes remaining, Elway took matters into his own hands, scampering for a 4-yard rushing touchdown to put the Broncos ahead, 28-24, with just 1:29 left on the clock.

This proved to be just enough time for “Joe Cool.” Taking over at his own 25-yard line, Montana masterfully led the Chiefs on a decisive nine-play, 75-yard drive. Utilizing short, accurate passes to get out of bounds and control the clock, Montana completed seven of eight passes on the final drive. He capped the monumental performance with a 5-yard game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Davis with only eight seconds remaining.

The Legacy

The final score stood: Kansas City Chiefs 31, Denver Broncos 28.

Montana finished the night with remarkable stats: 34 completions on 54 attempts for 393 yards and 3 touchdowns. Elway, who ran for a score and threw for two, also had a standout performance (18/29 for 263 yards).

The game is remembered as a microcosm of both quarterbacks’ careers: a contest decided by clutch, late-game drives led by two of the sport’s ultimate heroes. It was the perfect send-off for the professional rivalry between the two legendary quarterbacks.