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Broncos' run at perfection ends with 20-16 loss to New York

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Posted: Monday December 14, 1998 02:46 PM

Kent Graham's touchdown pass with 48 seconds left capped one of the most shocking upsets in NFL history AP

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (AP) -- Rest easy, '72 Dolphins. The Broncos are no longer perfect.

And the officials even seemed to get the game-winning call right.

Denver's dreams of becoming the first NFL team since Miami to go undefeated ended Sunday when Kent Graham threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer with 48 seconds left, giving the New York Giants a shocking 20-16 victory.

"It's disappointing. I think it was a goal of ours," quarterback John Elway said of the perfect season. "I am going to be honest, it was not our main goal. Our main goal is to be world champs and to get the trophy."

Until the Giants' late heroics, the Broncos (13-1) seemed headed for their 14th straight win and an NFL-record 19th straight over two seasons, thanks to yet another Elway-led comeback.

But Graham topped him with an 86-yard, six-play drive. The big play was a 23-yard scramble by the quarterback that moved the ball to the Broncos 48.

"After my run Chris Calloway came into the huddle and said 'Hey guys, we're going to win this game,' and you could feel the attitude of everyone was we are going to get it done," Graham said.

The game-winning catch came in the back of the end zone with Toomer outleaping Tito Paul for the ball. For a second, the officials looked at each other and discussed whether Toomer's feet were inbounds before back judge Kirk Dornan signaled touchdown.

Replays showed the call was correct, unlike a week ago when officials blew a last-minute call to give the New York Jets a win over the Seattle Seahawks in a game also at Giants Stadium. That mistake, along with several bad calls the week before, had prompted discussions of bringing back the use of instant replays to help officials.

Toomer said Paul never got his hands on the ball.

"When the ball was in the air it looked huge," Toomer said. "It looked like the Hindenburg. I knew I was going to catch it."

Paul was visibly disappointed sitting in front of his locker.

"It was on my shoulders and I should have come up with the play," Paul said. "I will take full responsibility for the loss and us not being undefeated. It was a time for me to shine or be the goat and I didn't come up with the play."

Elway had engineered a 76-yard drive in seven plays with Terrell Davis (28 for 147 yards) putting the defending Super Bowl champs ahead 16-13 on a 27-yard run with 4:08 to play.

The Giants (6-8) lost one chance to tie the game when Gary Brown (18-112) fumbled at the Denver 29 with 3:38 to go.

The chase is on: Davis, who rushed for 147 yards, needs only 209 in his last two games to reach the 2,000-yard plateau AP

New York's defense, which was outstanding in keeping Elway (19-of-36 for 180) under pressure the entire game, forced a Denver punt. Toomer mishandled it and New York was forced to start at its own 14.

But six plays and 86 yards later, Toomer made amends in the back of the end zone.

Elway had just 48 seconds to move the Broncos 58 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

He got Denver to the New York 30, but his final-play desperation pass was tipped in the end zone and fell to the turf.

The Giants, who have been a major disappointment just a year after winning the NFC East, immediately began celebrating a victory that not only made their season but kept alive their slim playoff hopes.

"If we don't make the playoffs this game won't mean as much either way," Giants safety Percy Ellsworth said. "It just shows people this team is not the worst team in football.

"They didn't play their best game but they didn't overlook us. They played hard."

In the Broncos locker room, coach Mike Shanahan wasn't surprised after the loss because the team had struggled the past two weeks in wins over San Diego and Kansas City.

"We haven't played our kind of football the past two weeks," Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said. "This should be a real reality check for us and I think you'll see us come back."

Despite holding the ball for 18:18 in the opening half, Denver went to the locker room trailing 10-6. It marked only the second time this season the Broncos were behind at the half and also failed to score a touchdown.

Cincinnati led 12-6 on November 1 when the Broncos rallied to win 33-26 on a last-minute touchdown run by Davis.

The Giants didn't take the lead until 45 seconds before the half when Tiki Barber scored on a 21-yard swing pass to cap a 15-play, 80-yard drive on which Graham converted four third-down passes, the last being the TD.

Graham was 21-of-33 for 265 yards on a day when the Giants gained 392 yards and converted nine of 15 third-down plays.

Denver held the ball for a total of 26 plays and 15 minutes on its first two possessions but ended up settling for field goals of 24 and 38 yards by Jason Elam. Elam added a 30-yarder in the third quarter to cut the lead to 10-9.

On the Giants first possession of the game, Brad Daluiso tied the score at 3, kicking a 36-yarder. He also added a 19-yarder in the fourth quarter after the Broncos stopped New York twice from inside the 2.

 

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