Nobody's Perfect

Davis, however, conceded that New York's pressure made him worry "more about picking up the blitz than running the ball." Even with Davis blocking, Elway and the Broncos' receivers didn't have time to exploit the Giants' cornerbacks, who were often left in man-to-man coverage.

"We knew we had to take something away from them," said safety Percy Ellsworth. "Their wide receivers are not really burners, so our corners matched up well against them. At halftime [when New York led 10-6] we kept telling each other, 'That's it. That was their best shot.' "

Using a scheme they call Plastic Coverage (meaning: Stick to your man at all times), the Giants held Denver to just one completion longer than 17 yards. Even when the Broncos did move the ball, they struggled inside the red zone, settling for three Jason Elam field goals. And like that, Denver was something it hadn't been in 363 days.

Beatable.