Denver's Terrell Davis, No. 30, rushed for 119 yards on 21 carries Sunday. (Reginald A. Pearman Jr. - washingtonpost.com)

By Gene Wang
Washingtonpost.com Correspondent
Web Posted: Sunday, September 27, 1998; 6:10 p.m. EDT

No John Elway?

No problem for the Denver Broncos. Not when they have Terrell Davis.

The all-pro continued to stake his claim as the league's best running back, gaining 119 yards on 21 carries, including a game-breaking touchdown in Denver's 38-16 rout of Washington on Sunday. It was the third straight 100-yard performance for Davis, who led the NFL in rushing coming into this weekend.

"Every week, we go out wanting him to get" 100 yards, Broncos fullback Howard Griffith said. "We know if he goes over 100, we're in control. Sometimes it's not going to happen. But it seems to come so easily for him."

Davis again made it look almost effortless, running outside with finesse and inside with power. The Super Bowl XXXII most valuable player even ran with little regard for the Redskins' pair of supposed run stoppers, defensive tackles Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson.

"I don't even touch that question," Davis said when asked if he thought the players were worth the $57 million the Redskins spent to acquire them. "But I will say we try to take another team's strength and make it their weakness."

Davis best illustrated that point early in the third quarter when he broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown run that went right through the middle of the Washington defense.

That score, Davis's sixth this season, cracked open a game that at juncture was still within reach for the Redskins, who had cut the lead to 17-7 just before halftime.

"We had lost momentum going into the half. They had gained it," Davis said. "Fortunately, we had a halftime. We were able to regroup. Then we came out and scored that touchdown. We had them saying 'Oh no, not again.' It kind of took the wind out of their sails."

The play was 19 handoff, designed to go to the outside. But after getting the ball from quarterback Bubby Brister, Davis surveyed the line of scrimmage briefly, then freelanced.

Instead of breaking to the outside, Davis cut back behind left guard Mark Schlereth – a former Redskin – and ran to daylight. Seconds later, he reached the end zone, gave his customary Mile High salute and had the Broncos in command, 24-7.

"I was running that play a few times before to the outside, and [the Redskins defenders] were flowing that way," Davis said. On the touchdown, "I cut it back and went inside. When I'm running that play, I'm thinking, 'Go playside, but if it looks iffy on the outside or you're in a bind, cut back.'"

Davis didn't hang around much longer after the run, playing just two additional series before giving way to backup running back Derek Loville.

It was rare breather for Davis, who in 1997-98 carried the ball more times in one season (481, including playoff games) than any running back in NFL history.

That durability has not escaped Davis's teammates, who say they continued to marvel at the sixth-round draft choice who in four seasons has become the franchise's third all-time leading rusher.

"When you're around great players and true pros, you tend to get spoiled," Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan said of Davis, who is less than 2,000 yards from passing Floyd Little to become Denver's career rushing leader. "I think even Terrell as a rookie came in with the maturity of a 10-year vet."

Said Brister, filling in for the injured Elway: "It's easy when you have Terrell back there. He is the key to all of it. He is some kind of weapon."