From the Chicago Sun-Times - Sept 7, 1981

Newspaper Clipping as follows:

Denver - Despite four botched field-goal attempts in the fourth period and a conservative game plan, the Denver Broncos bumped off the defending Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders 9-7 Sunday and made a success of Dan Reeves regular-season debut as a head coach.

'It's hard to explain, it's just hard to believe you can come out and win a game against the defending world champions like that,' Reeves said. 'I can't say enough about our entire team, in particular the defense.

Craig Morton threw a 44-yard scoring pass to Rick Upchurch, helping Denver to a halftime lead, and the Bronco defense forced three turnovers in the final quarter.

Morton said his TD pass play was 'designed perfectly. Oakland didn't roll into a zone, in which case I would have looked at (tight end) Odoms, so I just put the ball up and let Upchurch run under it.'

Oakland coach Tom Flores said it was 'disappointing to lose the opener.'

'We gave them too much life,' Flores said. 'Their defense played well and they ran the ball well on us. We have no excuses.'

The Raiders scored on their first possession, with Jim Plunkett hitting tight end Raymond Chester on a nine-yard scoring toss. But Oakland was ineffective after that, giving up the ball on downs twice in the fourth quarter, and suffering an interception and a fumble, on which the Broncos ultimately weren't able to capitalize.

Five minutes after Chester's TD, Morton hit Upchurch in the end zone. But the Broncos failed on the extra-point attempt because of a bad snap and Oakland led 7-6.

Early in the second quarter, after the Bronco defense had pinned Oakland deep in its own territory, Morton hit Haven Moses on a 24-yard pass to set up Fred Steinfort's 29-yard field goal with 9:31 left.... footballhistorian.com - Archives - Newspaper Clipping