Killer Giants

Simms was the first to throw an incompletion. The Giants were the first to punt. Elway was magnificent in the first half, dodging a defense that had been geared especially to contain him, going deep downfield off scrambles—54 yards to Vance Johnson, 31 yards to Steve Watson. In five possessions he brought his team into scoring position four times. But there was little to show on the scoreboard for his performance, and anyway the Giants weren't overly worried. "Everyone's pretty frisky there in the first quarter, including Elway," Parcells would later say. "I talked to our defensive guys before the game and told them not to worry about him getting completions early and making plays. Keep wearing them down. Just don't let the receivers turn into runners. After a while, we'll make some plays, or they'll run out of room."

The keynote series came early in the second quarter, with Denver leading 10-7. The Broncos had a first down on the Giants one-yard line. They brought in their goal-line offense, an extra tackle and a tight end. Elway tried a run-pass option, but Lawrence Taylor and backup nosetackle Erik Howard threw him for a yard loss. The Broncos tried a quick trap, but Harry Carson stuffed Gerald Willhite for no gain. At this point Bronco coach Dan Reeves could have sent in the wideouls to try to spread the defense, but he chose to leave the big guys on the field against a Giants team that was to hold Denver runners to 14 yards in the first half.

"In New York they had scored on a pitchout from four yards out," said left linebacker Carl Banks, who led the Giants defense with 10 unassisted tackles. "I expected that play again, and that's what they called.

"They didn't get away from their tendencies. I had studied a lot of film this week. I remember hearing Howie Long on HBO [Inside The NFL], and he said. 'A word of advice. Study film as much as you can.' So I studied."

The pitch went to Sammy Winder. Banks read it from the go and got in front of Winder, along with Carson and cornerback Perry Williams. The play lost four yards.

"They have a slashing type of running game," Banks said. "You have a split second to make your read and that's it. Give them two yards and they're gone. I didn't have time to square up and make a form tackle. I just got my head in there and made the hit. I had zigzags in my eyes for the rest of the half."

Karlis missed the 23-yard field-goal attempt. First and goal on the one and the Broncos came away with nothing. Later some people were to call the shortest misfire in Super Bowl history a turning point of the game, but that really came later.

After the Giants had to punt on their next possession, George Martin sacked Elway for a safety to make the score 10-9. Things were breaking down for the Broncos. By now they had given up on their running game, and after Winder's four-yard loss they would call 22 straight pass plays, a streak that would carry into the fourth period. They could have folded their tent right there, with time running out in the first half, but back they came, down to the Giants 16.

Now Karlis missed again, from 34 yards out. In the regular season he had been 11 for 12 from 39 yards or less, so the Giants were very happy to end the half trailing by only one point. Karlis, fighting back tears after the game, said, "Both times I didn't get my hips all the way through the kicks. I was steering the ball, and I know better than that. I felt the team unravel after that. I really hurt them. I'm sorry."

So the Broncos went into halftime ahead, but in a very shaky position. Reality arrived in the third quarter, when the Giants' rush pressured Elway into misfires and caused a pair of series best described as three-plays-and-a-punt. The Giants also set off the biggest one-half offensive explosion in Super Bowl history. Simms was literally perfect, going 10 for 10 in the second half. New York scored four touchdowns and a field goal on its first five possessions of the half. Simms was finding all his receivers—short, long, primary, secondary, it didn't matter.