East Rutherford, N.J. – A hollow prize labeled with the flat phrasing of “little consolation” was taken away at the last second Sunday.
It was the finishing touch to a loss that caused so much distress, several Broncos players sat fully dressed in their uniforms for several minutes in the locker room before attempting to shower away the stink of a stunning loss. An NFL record also was washed away in a 24-23 last-second loss to the New York Giants.
The defeat was punctuated by receiver Charlie Adams trying to make a play on a desperate kickoff return on the final play, flipping the ball back as he was about to be tackled at the Broncos’ 35-yard line. New York’s James Butler grabbed the ball to end the game with no time left.
That type of play routinely ends games. Sunday, it also washed out an opportunity for Denver to do what no NFL team had done. The Broncos were about to enter the history books by going five consecutive games without committing a turnover. However, that went away on a play Adams had to attempt.
“I don’t care about that,” said Adams, who clearly was trying to make a miracle, not save a record. But with a crushing defeat there always are notable side wounds.
“Oh, that’s true,” Denver tight end Stephen Alexander said when told about the final play wiping out the Broncos’ chance at history. “Oh, well, what are you going to do? We wanted to win the game, not a record.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Denver went into the game tied for the NFL record by going four games without committing a turnover. The last team to do it was Seattle, spanning Nov. 11-Dec. 2, 2001. Elias monitors the record by games, not time. It also doesn’t monitor turnover records by offense or defense, just by teams. So the offense’s streak lives on.
The last time Denver’s offense committed a turnover was the 9:31 mark of the third quarter against San Diego on Sept. 18, when quarterback Jake Plummer threw an interception. The offense has gone 324 minutes, 31 seconds without giving up a turnover.
Making that accomplishment more impressive was the fact that New York entered the game having forced 18 turnovers in five games to lead the NFL in per-game average.
“We’re continuing to hold on to the ball and play clean football,” Alexander said. “We did that for 60 minutes, and that is good. It’s hard right now to think of the good stuff, but we are holding on to the ball. That was a big emphasis this week, because the Giants led the NFL in creating turnovers, so we did our jobs in that phase.”
Denver has six turnovers. The NFL record for fewest in a season is 12, set by Kansas City in 1982. Denver had three against Miami in a season-opening loss and two against the Chargers.
Last year, Denver committed 29 turnovers: 20 interceptions by Plummer and nine lost fumbles. Once again Sunday, Plummer was the catalyst to the Broncos’ clean offensive play, passing 29 times without an interception. His five games without an interception is his longest streak, and his three interceptions in his first seven games is also a career best.
As against Washington on Oct. 9, the Broncos had a turnover overturned by a challenge. Plummer was sacked and lost the ball, and the Giants recovered it at the 6. But replays showed Plummer’s arm moving forward, and the play, first ruled a fumble, was changed to an incomplete pass.
The offensive streak lives on along with an appreciation from the Broncos’ defensive players.
“The offense is doing great with that,” cornerback Champ Bailey said. “It still should be a record. The end on a play we had to try … so the offense’s record should still go on.”
Imperfect game
The Broncos’ hopes of setting an NFL record for games played without a turnover were erased on the final play Sunday, on a kickoff return. However, the offense has gone 324 minutes, 31 seconds without a turnover. Sunday against the Giants – the top turnover-creating team in the NFL going into the game – saw several close calls:
Quarter Player
First Denver TE Stephen Alexander – He lost the ball after the whistle was blown.
First New York CB Curtis Deloatch – Deloatch nearly had an interception, but slipped, and the ball went to Denver wide receiver Ashley Lelie.
Fourth Denver RB Mike Anderson – He lost the ball after the whistle.
Fourth Denver QB Jake Plummer – A fumble was challenged and reversed because Plummer’s arm clearly was going forward.
Fourth New York LB Antonio Pierce – He nearly made a leaping interception, but the ball was just out of his reach.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
