Turning on the Jets

McCaffrey's catch sparks Broncos comeback

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Posted: Sunday January 17, 1999 09:51 PM

Elway's huge 47-yard pass to McCaffrey helped rescue the Broncos from a disappointing first half AP

DENVER (AP) -- Nothing like a little White Lightning to ignite a spark.

With Denver looking more docile than dominant for more than 30 minutes, Ed McCaffrey beat the New York Jets defense for a 47-yard catch that put the Broncos back into the AFC championship game Sunday.

McCaffrey, nicknamed "White Lightning," conferred with quarterback John Elway at the line of scrimmage before lining up wide left with the Broncos trailing 10-0 early in the third quarter.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver then found a hole in the New York zone coverage, setting up a second-half surge that carried the Broncos to a 23-10 victory and earned them a chance to defend their Super Bowl title.

McCaffrey's catch doubled Elway's passing yardage to that point, and Howard Griffith's 11-yard TD reception 77 seconds later served as a sign of things to come for the frazzled Jets.

Trailing by only three and with the Mile High Stadium crowd back in the game, the Broncos got the ball back on a strange kickoff that fluttered in the wind, eluded New York's James Farrior and ended up in the hands of Denver's Keith Burns.

Any momentum the Jets had built was swept away as Denver turned the debacle into a game-tying field goal by Jason Elam. Throw in an MVP-caliber performance by Terrell Davis, and the Broncos improved to 6-1 in AFC championship games.

New York had a chance to spoil what could be Elway's final game at Mile High, but the Jets fumbled inside Denver territory early in the fourth quarter.

The Jets, who haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1969, never had another good scoring chance as Vinny Testaverde threw two late interceptions that gave New York six turnovers for the game.

Denver, meanwhile, overcame a blocked punt, a failed fourth-and-goal at the New York 1 and a poor performance (4-for-14) by Elway in the first half.

As he has all season, Davis proved to be the X-factor for Denver, running for 167 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown run that gave the Broncos a 20-10 lead.

 

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