Lincicome: In a game impossible to lose, Broncos win

Published January 15, 2006 at midnight

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Destiny beats dynasty.

By the early fourth quarter, the Denver Bronco faithful, in full voice and as full of themselves as at anytime in Invesco Field, were singing the na, na, hey, hey, good-bye song to the New England Patriots, the team that replaced the Broncos as the team of our time.

Thanks for dropping by, thanks for bringing all that repute, thanks for bungling about, thanks for helping the Broncos get their groove back.

For the New Englanders, this is the way their world ends, not with a bang but with Jake Plummer taking a knee, with Patriots' coach Bill Belichick standing arms folded over his sweatshirt, staring out at an unkind world of ordinary men and ordinary teams.

For the Broncos, this is how it was supposed to be, this is how it used to be, this is how it can be, meeting the moment, matching ambition with occurrence, on now to whatever happens next.

The scoreboard shone indelibly against the dark southern sky, listing the visitors first as a courtesy, Patriots 13, Broncos 27. Next game: AFC Championship.

Where that will be is indefinite, most probably again in Indianapolis, but possibly right back here next Sunday.

This was an ending and a beginning — or more a resuming for the Broncos — on a pleasant January evening of playoff football, the first such result in seven years, the reward for conviction and persistence.

It was not as if the old days were back, but clearly the new days are gone, the playoff losing days, the post-Elway blues days, the days of regret and disappointment.

Welcome back to Mike Shanahan and his refurbished eminence, suffering since his Super Bowl triumphs and confirmation of Jake Plummer as a playoff-winning quarterback, a longer drought than that of Shanahan.

The next phase of Bronco history may be measured by the sudden and stunted interception return of Denver cornerback Champ Bailey, 100 yards and yet just short of the goal line.

Like Broncos, not yet where they want to be, but unlike Bailey, not slowing before they get there.

Or by the fateful two minutes at the end of the first half when Patriot fumble followed Patriot interference followed Patriot fumble, raising the Broncos from doubt to command.

The two punctuation touchdowns by Mike Anderson or the short touchdown catch by Rod Smith from Plummer, the sheer dominance of Al Wilson at linebacker, hard hat feats from hard hat players.

Or by Tom Brady, the model of the modern major quarterback, throwing the ball to empty spaces and Adam Vinatieri, he of the famously clutch instep, whacking a field goal astray.

The Patriots were not victims, they were volunteers and all that muscle memory of Super Bowls and playoff winning streaks and special mystique splintered and split under the relentless will of the Broncos to not blow so many welcome gifts.

Every point for Denver but the last three came after New England mistakes.

What the Patriots had was faded reputation, cursed by being less than imagined and fated to have a reach shortened by inevitability. It happens to the greats a little later than to the frauds and New England has had a splendid run.

The Broncos had simple, raw luck on their side, though it can be argued that statistics blessed what happened. In fact, the Broncos led the NFL in fewest turnovers and the Patriots led the league in fewest take-aways.

So on a night when the Broncos gave the ball up only once on a replayed reversed interception (and how foolish that seemed at the time when Denver called a time out to give the Patriots a chance to consider challenging the play) while the Patriots did everything but roll over and ask to have their stomachs tickled.

Two interceptions of Brady, the dramatic game-turner by Bailey and a late donation to John Lynch, and three fumbles — count 'em, three — and critical and numerous penalties countered what was otherwise sufficient domination to win the game.

The Broncos had much to do with all of this, of course. They won a game it might have been impossible to lose. Certainly it would have been unforgivable.

At the end of the regular season Shanahan challenged the Broncos with the reminder that the team had three games to go.

Now it's one less.

lincicomeb@rockymountainnews.com

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