but their close calls -- `` red right 88 '' -lrb- brian sipe 's end-zone interception against oakland in 1981 -rrb- , the drive -lrb- john elway 's 98-yarder in 1987 -rrb- , and the fumble -lrb- ernest byner 's at the goal line in denver in 1988 -rrb- -- epitomized the struggling city , which became a national joke when its river caught fire .