Broncos’ historic comeback leaves Giants reeling and reflecting on missed opportunities

By Canadian Press on October 21, 2025.

DENVER (AP) — Brian Daboll would love to have Sean Payton’s problems.

“Mental errors, mistakes, snaps, wrong reads, you name it,” Payton rattled off Monday as the thrill of Denver’s inconceivable 33-32 comeback against the New York Giants gave way to an agonizing film session littered with what-ifs.

Denver’s slow-starting offense produced zilch for three quarters before Bo Nix tore through the NFL records books in becoming the first quarterback in league history to run and throw for multiple touchdowns in a fourth quarter, something he topped off by needing just 35 seconds to move the Broncos (5-2) into field goal range for the game-winner as time expired.

In the midst of the celebration that followed Denver’s historic comeback from a 26-8 deficit with less than six minutes remaining, Payton warned that come Monday the Broncos would pay the price for their sins on offense and a defense that was bamboozled all afternoon by rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Denver’s win was just the second in 3,679 NFL games since the 1970 merger by a team that trailed by at least 18 points in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter. And the Broncos were the first to do so in regulation — Peyton Manning did it in overtime with the Colts in 2003.

“There are certainly a lot of guys that are hurting right now,” Daboll said Monday following the Giants’ excruciating flight home. “But they gave everything they had and we came up short. That was a tough one, make no mistake about it, but you’ve got to get back on your horse.”

Here’s a look at some of the crucial moments that allowed for one of the greatest comebacks — or meltdowns — in the league’s 104-year history.

Kicking themselves

Filling in for injured Graham Gano, kicker Jude McAtamney missed two extra points, one in the second quarter and the other after Dart dived across the goal line with 37 seconds left to restore New York’s lead at 32-30.

That first missed extra point led Daboll to go for 2 after Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s 31-yard run made it 19-0 in the third quarter. It was a classic example of chasing points.

The math says kicking the extra point — not a given on this day, we’ll give you that — would force the opponent to have to score three TDs to catch up.

“That’s the decision that we made,” Daboll retorted. “That’s what was on our chart and that’s what we went with. That’s what I went with.”

Defensive dissension

Linebacker Brian Burns came off the field fuming about how the Giants had rushed just three defenders and dropped eight into coverage on the first play of the final drive when Nix threw a 29-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr. at midfield.

“Look, there are plenty of plays that we had opportunities to make throughout, I’d say, the fourth quarter and we just came up short,” Daboll said. “So, it’s not about one play. Like I said, it’s not about one player. It’s not about one specific side. It’s a collective and I can do a better job.”

Linebacker Bobby Okereke said, “We’re a bunch of fiery competitive dudes. Obviously, frustrations boil over in a tough emotional loss like that. The way the momentum was swinging, it was up and down. I think that’s positive for us as a team to get those frustrations and emotions out. Us as grown men have the accountability to get better.

“We talked about it today. It’s not one player, one coach, one position group. Everybody really had their hands in the pot in this loss.”

Costly decisions

The catalyst in many ways for Denver’s comeback was inside linebacker Justin Strnad’s interception of Dart’s pass with 4:47 remaining at the Broncos trailing 26-16.

The Giants had called for consecutive hand-offs to Cam Scattebo that forced Denver to use its first two timeouts, but on third-and-5 from their 35, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka called for a pass when a run would have forced the Broncos to burn their final timeout. Moreover, if they didn’t get the first down, a punt would have forced Denver to chew up more clock and more yards.

Under pressure, Dart tripped and threw right to Strnad, who returned it to the New York 19, setting up the score that made it 26-23.

“I thought we had a good play called,” Daboll insisted, refusing to criticize Kafka’s call.

The Giants went three-and-out on their next possession and Denver took its first lead on Nix’s 18-yard scamper around the left end with just under 2 minutes left.

Payton’s penalty both fortuitous and lamentable

Not all the miscues Sunday were Daboll’s.

Payton may have been calculated in running onto the field to yell at the officials after a debatable pass interference call on cornerback Riley Moss put the ball at the Denver 2 in the final minute — after all, his unsportsmanlike conduct flag only cost the Broncos a yard.

And that actually played out in Denver’s favor because Dart took it in from there, diving across the goal line on first down for the go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds left.

If it’s at the 2, maybe the Giants don’t call for a keeper or perhaps they burn up more clock before punching it in. Either way, 37 seconds was exactly what the Broncos needed to secure their amazing comeback.

“I just wanted them to hear me,” Payton cracked about the officials afterward.

He certainly wasn’t laughing Monday when the NFL suspended Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw for doing the exact same thing following his long-awaited Denver debut.

After Lutz’s game-winner, Greenlaw went after referee Brad Allen, berating him as he and his crew tried to leave the field, resulting in his one-game ban without pay.

So, barring an appeal, he’ll miss Denver’s game against Dallas this weekend.

No matter the mistakes and the aesthetics, the Broncos are riding a four-game winning streak and sit alone atop the AFC West for the first time since Week 4 of the 2016 season.

The Giants find themselves in the NFC East cellar and on the wrong end of one of the most improbable comebacks in gridiron history.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press

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