DENVER, Colo. - Kickoff between the Denver Broncos and New York Giants at Invesco Field Thursday night saw the Broncos looking to avoid making NFL history. They would become the first team to lose five games in a row, after winning the first six to start the season, if they failed to beat the Giants.
The Broncos scored first on a 26 yard field goal from Matt Prater with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter. That was the result of a 12-play 77 yard drive. The Giants had the worst defense in the NFL when it came to teams scoring once they got within New York's 20 yard line.
Denver stretched its lead to 13-0 with another Prater field goal, and a Knowshon Moreno touchdown in the second quarter. By halftime, the Broncos led 16-0 after Matt Prater's field goal of 47 yards. The Giants only managed 38 yards of total offense and three first downs in the first half, compared to 211 yards for Denver.
The New York Giants just escaped their own month of misery. So they understand the seething frustration and loss of poise in Denver, where sideline shoves, the head coach's cockiness and players-only meetings are all the buzz.
The Broncos (6-4) have lost four in a row and blown what was once a 3½-game division cushion. The Giants (6-4) snapped their own four-game slid, which cost them the NFC East lead, by beating Atlanta in overtime Sunday.
The two second-place teams meet Thursday night at Invesco Field as the Broncos host their first Thanksgiving game since 1963 in the AFL. Watch the game live on FOX 31 KDVR. Pregame coverage begins at 5:00 p.m.
Denver is at the low point of the season following a 32-3 thrashing Sunday at the hands of the San Diego Chargers, who supplanted them atop the AFC West. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels exchanged heated words with some of San Diego's linebackers during warmups, then watched his team come undone with silly penalties and an ugly sideline spat while losing both its composure and its fourth straight game.
The head coach's trash talking has been the talk of the NFL this week with fellow coaches saying they had never heard of this happening before and at least one star player suggesting they should be allowed to fight back with fists and not just their mouths when taunted by an opposing coach.
Although McDaniels has declined to discuss his own trash talking with the opponent, he did say he's an emotional coach with a team full of emotional players who need to keep their poise.
"You can't be all over the place emotionally," Denver defensive leader Brian Dawkins concurred. "That doesn't usually lead to a lot of success."
Dawkins called a players-only meeting Tuesday to get some things off his chest.
"It felt great," running back Correll Buckhalter said. "I think we needed it to get all our players on the same page."
Cornerback Champ Bailey said some attitudes needed adjusting but he won't know until Thursday night if the "no coaches allowed" meeting did any good.
"I was fairly encouraged just to talk to some of my teammates," Bailey said. "But what's going to encourage me more is if we play better. It's not really what people say, it's what they do."
And lately, the Broncos have been talking a good game but playing bad ones.
Their offense has been stuck in low gear, their defense is springing leaks, especially against the run, and their special teams are dreadful.
Sounds a lot like the Giants before they snapped out of their funk.
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora said New York's first win in 42 days felt like a brick wall was lifted on their backs.
"We were getting killed around here," he said. "Coming to work wasn't as much fun as it used to be when you were winning. Nobody likes to lose. We are accustomed to winning as of late. It was very, very important and we are happy to get that done."
As much as players talk about putting games behind them and moving on to the next opponent, winning streaks and losing streaks both have a way of lingering.
The Broncos scored first on a 26 yard field goal from Matt Prater with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter. That was the result of a 12-play 77 yard drive. The Giants had the worst defense in the NFL when it came to teams scoring once they got within New York's 20 yard line.
Denver stretched its lead to 13-0 with another Prater field goal, and a Knowshon Moreno touchdown in the second quarter. By halftime, the Broncos led 16-0 after Matt Prater's field goal of 47 yards. The Giants only managed 38 yards of total offense and three first downs in the first half, compared to 211 yards for Denver.
The New York Giants just escaped their own month of misery. So they understand the seething frustration and loss of poise in Denver, where sideline shoves, the head coach's cockiness and players-only meetings are all the buzz.
The Broncos (6-4) have lost four in a row and blown what was once a 3½-game division cushion. The Giants (6-4) snapped their own four-game slid, which cost them the NFC East lead, by beating Atlanta in overtime Sunday.
The two second-place teams meet Thursday night at Invesco Field as the Broncos host their first Thanksgiving game since 1963 in the AFL. Watch the game live on FOX 31 KDVR. Pregame coverage begins at 5:00 p.m.
Denver is at the low point of the season following a 32-3 thrashing Sunday at the hands of the San Diego Chargers, who supplanted them atop the AFC West. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels exchanged heated words with some of San Diego's linebackers during warmups, then watched his team come undone with silly penalties and an ugly sideline spat while losing both its composure and its fourth straight game.
The head coach's trash talking has been the talk of the NFL this week with fellow coaches saying they had never heard of this happening before and at least one star player suggesting they should be allowed to fight back with fists and not just their mouths when taunted by an opposing coach.
Although McDaniels has declined to discuss his own trash talking with the opponent, he did say he's an emotional coach with a team full of emotional players who need to keep their poise.
"You can't be all over the place emotionally," Denver defensive leader Brian Dawkins concurred. "That doesn't usually lead to a lot of success."
Dawkins called a players-only meeting Tuesday to get some things off his chest.
"It felt great," running back Correll Buckhalter said. "I think we needed it to get all our players on the same page."
Cornerback Champ Bailey said some attitudes needed adjusting but he won't know until Thursday night if the "no coaches allowed" meeting did any good.
"I was fairly encouraged just to talk to some of my teammates," Bailey said. "But what's going to encourage me more is if we play better. It's not really what people say, it's what they do."
And lately, the Broncos have been talking a good game but playing bad ones.
Their offense has been stuck in low gear, their defense is springing leaks, especially against the run, and their special teams are dreadful.
Sounds a lot like the Giants before they snapped out of their funk.
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora said New York's first win in 42 days felt like a brick wall was lifted on their backs.
"We were getting killed around here," he said. "Coming to work wasn't as much fun as it used to be when you were winning. Nobody likes to lose. We are accustomed to winning as of late. It was very, very important and we are happy to get that done."
As much as players talk about putting games behind them and moving on to the next opponent, winning streaks and losing streaks both have a way of lingering.
