Good morning, Denver. Sorry, Boston, but it’s time to get up.
For better or worse, fans in both cities should be so much wiser about their football teams today.
Tom Brady is not perfect. Champ Bailey is not Leon Lett. The New England Patriots, for only the second time in five years, will not be world champs.
The Broncos do not need John Elway or Terrell Davis to win a playoff game.
In an AFC second-round playoff game Saturday night that often stammered and stuttered, but always was tense and fierce, the Broncos defeated Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots 27-13 at Invesco Field at Mile High.
The champs are dead. Bring on the Colts (most likely). Or bring on the Steelers (most preferable). But most of all, bring on the AFC championship game.
Elway’s immortal shadow finally vanished deep into an unseasonably warm, mid-January night near downtown Denver.
“It’s big win for this organization, for everybody,” said Jake Plummer, the first Broncos quarterback to win a playoff game in the past seven years. “Obviously John was a great quarterback and they had great football teams. Hopefully, we can continue on and get people to start appreciating what we’ve got now. I think people are, I think they have been.”
A raucous, sellout crowd of 76,238 came to witness the first playoff game at Invesco Field. Turnovers sent all but the pocketful of wayward Patriots fans home happy.
“It’s been a great run,” said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after his personal postseason record fell to 10-1, a mark that included three Super Bowl victories the past four seasons. “Looking forward to coming back firing next year. I think for the most part we played a good game. We did a lot of good things. The turnovers just nullify everything. If we could take back three or four plays, it’s a different game. Obviously you can’t take back three or four plays.”
The biggest play was Bailey’s 100-yard interception return, the longest in NFL history without going all the way for a touchdown. It should have been a 101-yard TD return, but a gassed Bailey let up at the 10-yard line and hustling Patriots tight end Ben Watson raced from the other side of the field to blast the Broncos’ star cornerback out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
The season-extending play was dangerously reminiscent of Don Beebe running down a showboating Lett in Super Bowl XXVII. Only the situation, and outcome, was completely different. Beebe hustled while his Buffalo Bills were getting creamed. This one was 10-6 Broncos late in the third quarter with Brady crouching under center on third-and- goal from the 5.
|
|
Harried by a near all-out blitz, Brady looked right for wide receiver Troy Brown, but threw tardy and a bit behind his target. Bailey stepped in and snared the ball 1 yard deep in his end zone, then sprinted down the Denver sideline.
He broke a tackle, causing him to restart his sprint and expend more energy. By the time he reached the Patriots’ 10, Bailey had little left.
“I definitely thought I was there,” Bailey said about slowing down at the 10. “But I really didn’t have anything left. By the time I got to the 30, I was done.”
Bailey was knocked out by Watson at the 1, and the ball went flying. The Broncos braced as the play was under review. Had replays showed Bailey fumbled out of the end zone, a touchback would have been ruled and the Pats would have had the ball at the 20.
“It looked like it could have gone either way,” Broncos coach Mike Shana- han said.
Instead, the play was upheld, the Broncos offense was given the ball at the 1, and running back Mike Anderson ran in with his second touchdown of the game.
The Broncos advanced even though their normally prolific running attack was primarily stuffed and their offense in general had one of its worst statistical performances of the season, with only 286 total yards.
At the two-minute warning of the first half, the Broncos seemed to be going the way most of the national media seemed to think they would go – down to defeat. The Pats were up 3-0, and Brady had the ball second-and-2 at his 36. Two minutes later, the Broncos went to their locker room up 10-3.
What happened? Patriots fumbles on back-to-back plays. The first, by Kevin Faulk, was recovered by Broncos linebacker Ian Gold. On the next play, Plummer threw the ball deep into the end zone, too far for receiver Ashley Lelie. But although the official nearest the play let the tussling between Lelie and Asante Samuel go, the back judge ruled the New England cornerback was too physical.
Pass interference was called, the ball was placed at the 1 and the Broncos had a gift touchdown after Anderson rumbled in. On the ensuing kickoff, Broncos kicker Todd Sauerbrun belted returner Ellis Hobbs just as Hobbs had cleared the mass of humanity. The ball popped loose, former Colorado State star Cecil Sapp recovered and the Broncos converted for three points when Jason Elam kicked a 50-yard field goal.
This was not the Broncos’ best-played game of the season. But it was their biggest win in seven years. One more, and the Broncos will play in the Super Bowl.
“I’d love to play here,” said Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren, citing the scenario if the Pittsburgh Steelers stun the Indianapolis Colts today. “But my attitude is, ‘Who’s next?”‘
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
