NFL

A Supersized loss

The Pats' quest for a third straight Super Bowl is stopped in Denver after the Broncos take advantage of turnovers.

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER
Published January 15, 2006

DENVER - The dynastic New England Patriots are accustomed to making history, but not like this.

Their bid to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls evaporated in the thin mountain air of Denver. Now, the Broncos will aim to make their own mark on history.

The dynasty died in Denver Saturday night, with the Broncos ending the Patriots' season and run of 10 straight postseason wins with a 27-13 victory against the two-time defending champs.

It was a dominating performance in which Denver scored its first 24 points off New England turnovers, with the Patriots seeming incapable of overcoming themselves. Denver remains undefeated at home this season with its first playoff win in the post-John Elway era. Next week, it's on to the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh-Indianapolis winner.

"When you lose, you want to go down fighting, you want to play your best. We didn't do that," New England quarterback Tom Brady said. "I think we made it easy for them. We've been on the other side of that a lot. In playoff football, you can't do that."

The Broncos hadn't won a playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXIII in January 1999, but this was a win for the ages.

That said, somehow, a lead never feels safe when Brady is the opponent. That feeling was never more real than during the Patriots' clockwork drive late in the third quarter.

It was vintage Brady. He began the drive with a 33-yard pitch to Troy Brown. He followed with a 19-yard flea-flicker pass to Deion Branch and a 9-yard slant to David Givens. Brady looked unstoppable until Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey decided otherwise.

On third-and-goal from the 5, Brady rolled right looking for Brown in the end zone. Bailey waited and watched, then jumped in front of Brady's pass, catching it in stride and the race was on. One hundred yards later, Benjamin Watson caught up to an unsuspecting Bailey, bulldozing him out of bounds at the 1-yard line. It was the second-longest interception return in postseason history.

"I never thought that mile high air could jump on you like that," Bailey said. "I definitely thought I was there (in the end zone) but I didn't have anything left. By the time I got to the 30, I was done."

Mike Anderson padded Denver's lead from there, scoring on a sweep run on the next play, and Jason Elam's extra point gave the Broncos a 17-6 lead as Invesco Field trembled from the ear-splitting noise.

Turnover No. 4 came when Brown fumbled a punt at the New England 15. Three plays later, quarterback Jake Plummer hooked up with Rod Smith for a 4-yard score, extending Denver's lead to 24-6. The Patriots fired back with a startling 33-second scoring drive that included a 73-yard bomb from Brady to Branch, but the damage was done.

And just for kicks, former Buc John Lynch forced a fifth turnover with 2:56 left when he picked off Brady's deep ball down the middle. Brady finished 20 of 36 for 341 yard with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first career postseason loss. Meanwhile, Plummer went a long way toward turning around his reputation as a loser, completing 15 of 26 attempts for 197 yards and a touchdown in the biggest game of his career.

Said Plummer of the effort, "We missed a couple plays, but we made enough."

Early on, the Patriots didn't have their usual high-powered offense.

The Broncos' flurry of blitzes made it tough on Brady, with most of his passes having to be delivered early. That he finished the first half 7-of-15 for 115 yards seemed an amazing feat considering the constant pressure he was under.

Still, the Patriots looked like they might get on track on one early possession when they drove from their own 35, converting a third-and-1 with an 11-yard Corey Dillon run along the way. But on third-and-2 from the Denver 37, running back Kevin Faulk failed to escape linebacker Al Wilson's strong grip and gained only a yard.

That left the Patriots with the option of trying a 51-yard field goal with Adam Vinatieri or trying to pick up the lone yard. They chose the latter. Under duress again, Brady missed Christian Fauria, throwing a pass that sailed about a yard behind him. Denver took possession with 5:27 left in the first quarter.

That represented the deepest penetration of the first half for New England until its scoring drive late in the second.

Fourth down proved unkind to the Broncos, too. After Plummer was stuffed for no gain on a third-and-1 from the New England 3, the Broncos went for fourth down. But rather than power up the middle for the yard, they decided to go to the air with Plummer missing Ashley Lelie on a fade route. Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel read the play and never allowed Lelie to get position, as the ball sailed over the receiver's head.

[Last modified January 15, 2006, 07:01:02]