FOURTH-QUARTER EXPLOSION
Broncos score 33 points in fourth quarter to honor Super Bowl 50 champs in 33-32 win over Giants.
WOODY PAIGE The Denver Gazette
From left, the Broncos’ Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad celebrate after Strnad intercepted a pass from the Giants on Sunday in Denver. The Broncos’ 33 fourthquarter points were the most by any team that had been shut out in the first three quarters in NFL history.
The Broncos won an unusual game Sunday 33-32.
Or phenomenal, preposterous, phantastic to the final.
However, never ever has there been such a game in Denver or the NFL or in our lifetime that will be so remembered forever.
“To dream the impossible dream. To describe the indescribable. To beat the unbeatable foe. To right the unrightable wrong. To reach the unreachable star.”
That was the quest for the men of Mile High in the final final.
The Broncos were behind the Giants 19-0 after three quarters and in jeopardy of being shut out at home for the only time in the franchise’s 66-year history. The Broncos trailed 26-8 with 6:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. In 1,602 consecutive games no team had rallied from such a deficit to win. Both teams then scored on touchdowns as the result of deflected passes. The Broncos somehow took the lead at 30-26 with just under two minutes left. The Giants took back the lead at 32-30 in the final minute. The Broncos won the game with a 39-yard field goal on the final play.
Other than that, how was the play? The first half of the warm-and-sunny fall afternoon at the stadium was about Cam Skattebo and the scattered boos of the Broncos’ faithful, and a rookie quarterback who should be a superhero in Manhattan called The Dart Knight.
Then, eventually, came the enigmatic Bo Nix, who would have five pass attempts batted down and was a loser for most of the afternoon before throwing for two touchdowns and running for two touchdowns.
In the Denver football franchise’s AFL-NFL 1,050 games over 66 seasons the 33-23 victory over the Giants Sunday was the greatest and most spectacular comeback ever.
In Broncos history we have experienced “The Drive’’, “The Fumble”, “The First One for John’’, “the half-aloaf tie,’’ the double-overtime defeat in the playoffs to the Ravens in their Miracle at Mile High, the almost 100 comebacks by John Elway and Payton Manning and, of course, the first-play 80-yard touchdown victory by Tim Tebow and the late, great Demaryius Thomas against the Steelers in the playoffs.
The Broncos’ implausible, but spectacular winner Sunday actually would honor Thomas with induction into the Ring of Fame. This comeback was for Demaryius and all the players who came before him in the incredible history of the Broncos.
The outcome was incredible and existential.
What was so weird, wild and wacky was everyone @Mile High who love to love the Broncos wanted to fire Sean Payton, bench Bo Nix, trade all the defensive players and cut all the offensive players.
I mean, the Broncos were losing to a couple of rookies. There was this kid quarterback who was born in and played college ball in Mississippi who seemed like an after-thought pick in the 2025 draft and started the season as someone no one would see any time soon or maybe ever. But Jaxson Dart has become an instant Hall of Famer for the Giants.
Of course, the Giants’ quarterback from the very beginning of this year was guess who? Russell Wilson, who still is getting millions of dollars to not play for the Broncos.
While Dart and Cam Skattebo were decimating the Broncos, Nix looked like the raw rookie, Sean Payton seemed to be calling a game plan from Yahtzee, and the Broncos acted as if they hadn’t left London or Longmont. So, it was 19-0.
But then, the Broncos had come back to beat the defending World Champions two weeks ago. And they did shut down the Jets in London.
Yet, the league’s No. 1 defense was off a beat, off a yard, off its game. The offense continued to look ineffective and uncertain, and Peyton admitted after the game that he and the Broncos must get their act together.
They’ve lost two games on last-moment kicks, and they’ve now won a game on a last-second kick.
They’ve beaten all the NFL teams that represent New York and New Jersey. Now they must attempt in the next two weeks to dump all the teams from Texas.
But, first, on a Sunday when the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 champions were saluted and most were in the house, and alumni from other teams of the past were recognized, and D.T.’s memorial was placed next to Manning’s on purpose, the Broncos pulled off the most impossible mission.
They won in the one and only most unusual game of all time. And most incredible, sensational ending.
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2025-10-20T07:00:00.0000000Z
2025-10-20T07:00:00.0000000Z
https://daily.denvergazette.com/article/281973203874756
Colorado Springs Gazette