Giant Killers

On any given Sunday, sure, maybe the NBA will play again, maybe football will return to Los Angeles, shoot, maybe the world will end, but the Giants beating the undefeated Broncos? Kent Graham’s comeback topping John Elway’s? The officials making the correct game-deciding call? What’s next, a Monday night TV game worth watching?

Ah, no.

The Giants ruined that, too, with Sunday’s 20-16 victory before 72,336 in Giants Stadium, sabotaging the game of the year next Monday night in Miami pitting the perfection-minded Broncos against the ghosts of the 1972 Dolphins, now at peace again at 17-0 as the only team in NFL history to win all of its games.

“I really thought they had a shot and I was looking forward to the Monday night matchup, but the Giants really rose to the occasion,” said Don Shula, head coach of the ’72 Dolphins. “I can’t wait to get together the ’72 players and coaches because I’m sure they are just as excited as I am about still being the only undefeated team in the history of the NFL.

“And the fact that a great football team just got beat underscores what a great accomplishment going undefeated really was.”

Cancel that Tuesday national telephone call with Shula, and that Wednesday ’72 get-together for the national media at a Miami country club. The Broncos are 13-1, just another football team again, and while no one was screaming, “The Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant,” they carried on in celebration like they never expected to win.

“The streak was something special, but obviously that’s out the window,” said Coach Mike Shanahan, speaking after a Denver loss for the first time since Dec. 15, 1997, in San Francisco. “Our goal remains the same, though, winning the Super Bowl.”

The Broncos’ win streak, stopped at 18 games on the brink of setting a NFL record, had become the NFL story of the year, but if you can’t make it in New York . . .

“We were kind of flat out there today,” said Denver running back Terrell Davis, who required intravenous fluids to compensate for a serious bout with stomach flu early Sunday morning. “You have to remember, everyone is trying to knock you off, playing their best and trying to keep you from going undefeated.”

The Broncos had to rally to defeat San Diego and Kansas City the last two weeks, and as life goes in the NFL, they are now saddled with anxiety, claiming they must regroup and play their best football down the stretch.

“We haven’t played very well the past few weeks and have some work to do to hit the playoffs running,” said Elway, 1-4 in his career against the Giants. “Losing brings back some bad memories, so now we have to look through the clutter and go back to our first goal and win the Super Bowl.”

The Giants, still showing a playoff pulse at 6-8, kept the Broncos from scoring a touchdown until the fourth quarter and limited Denver to its lowest point total since resting Elway against San Diego in the final game of the 1996 season.

“To hold that group to [16 points] was an unbelievable, unbelievable feat,” said Giant Coach Jim Fassel. “And I don’t know who would have thought we would have won this football game if the Giants offense got the ball with two minutes to go.”

Kent Graham beating John Elway at his own game--not on any given Sunday. Facts are facts and with 58 minutes remaining, the Giants should have been stomped by the Broncos.

“But we didn’t show up and give it our best,” said Denver linebacker Bill Romanowski, still stunned at the Giants’ ability to throw a knockout punch.

With 7:36 to play the Giants were winning, 13-9, but Elway responded in patented fashion with a 76-yard drive, capped by Davis’ 27-yard touchdown run for a 16-13 lead with 4:08 to play.

So what, the Giants had Graham, a quarterback who wasn’t good enough earlier this season to beat out Danny Kanell. This team has been so inept on offense, it has failed to score more than one touchdown in five of its games.

“Nobody gave up, nobody quit,” said Graham, unable to explain why so many of the Giant faithful were making their way to the parking lot with 4:08 to play.

The Giants took possession, but running back Gary Brown--who had touched the ball 807 times without a fumble--fumbled and Romanowski recovered.

Denver appeared destined for Miami unscathed.

Aided by a Giant offsides penalty, the Broncos needed to gain only five more yards for a first down to run down the clock. But they failed, handing the ball to Howard Griffith instead of Davis on third down for a loss of five. Consider that: Making the claim to be the greatest team in NFL history, the Broncos put the ball in Howard Griffith’s arms.

On the sideline, it was easy to read Shanahan’s lips: “What was that?”

Denver punted, the Giants had 1:49 to play--with no timeouts. But Graham completed a pass for 15 yards, another for 11 and with 57 seconds left and the ball on the Denver 37-yard line, he let it rip for the end zone.

Tito Paul, a Cincinnati reject who might want to start typing out another resume, had perfect inside position on Giant wide receiver Amani Toomer to make an interception.

Toomer leaped over Paul, made the catch and landed in a heap in the rear of the end zone. Two officials converged on the spot, looked at each other with visions of nightmarish national headlines dancing in their heads and signaled a touchdown, hoping they were right.

Upon unofficial instant replay, yes, both feet were in bounds: Touchdown, Giants, leaving 48 seconds for the Broncos to reply.

“When they caught the pass I was hoping the refs were gonna rule that he was out of bounds,” said Davis, who didn’t realize Phil Luckett and his crew were not working this game.

After the kickoff, the Broncos had the ball at their 42 with 41 seconds and a timeout. They advanced to the Giant 41 before Elway was sacked for a nine-yard loss, and eventually were allowed one Hail Mary, but their prayer went unanswered.

“We haven’t played our kind of football the last couple of weeks and it finally caught up with us,” said Pat Bowlen, Bronco owner and chairman of the NFL’s TV committee. “I imagine ABC-TV is pretty down in the mouth about it, too, but they can’t feel any worse than we do.”

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Stopped Short

The Giants ended the Bronco’s winning streak one short of an NFL record:

Team: Denver

Years: 1997-98

Wins: 18

Team: San Francisco

Years: 1989-90

Wins: 18

Team: Miami

Years: 1972-73

Wins: 18

Team: Chicago

Years: 1941-42

Wins: 18

Team: Chicago

Years: 1933-34

Wins: 18