Broncos Pull Off Historic Comeback, Stun Giants 33-32 in Wild Fourth Quarter

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER, Colo. — For three quarters on Sunday, the Denver Broncos looked lifeless. They hadn’t scored a single point, trailed the New York Giants by 18 with just over 10 minutes remaining, and seemed destined for another disappointing loss. But in one of the most shocking turnarounds in NFL history, Denver erupted for 33 fourth-quarter points — their most ever in a single quarter — to pull off a stunning 33-32 victory at Empower Field at Mile High.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain II could hardly believe it when the game ended.

“We fought to the end,” Surtain said. “In this league, no matter how much you’re down, there’s always a will and there’s always a way.”

Before Sunday, teams had lost 1,602 consecutive games when trailing by at least 18 points with six minutes left. The Broncos broke that streak in dramatic fashion, scoring more points in the fourth quarter than they had in their previous two games combined.

Quarterback Bo Nix led the improbable rally, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for two more — becoming the first player in NFL history to do both in a single fourth quarter.

“I don’t even know how we scored 33 points in a quarter,” Nix said. “That’s kind of insane. But whatever it took, we did it — by any means necessary.”

The comeback was the largest fourth-quarter rally in NFL history by a team that had been shut out through three quarters.

A Messy Start

For most of the game, Denver’s offense and defense were out of sync. Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart carved up the Broncos’ defense for 210 yards and two touchdowns through three quarters, while Denver’s offense punted six times in its first nine drives.

“We had to find a way to clean up our mess,” said head coach Sean Payton.

That cleanup began early in the fourth quarter when Nix connected with Troy Franklin on a 2-yard touchdown pass, then converted the 2-point try to cut the deficit to 19-8.

“Honestly, I was thinking about how I was going to answer questions if we got shut out,” Nix admitted. “Once we scored and got that 2-point conversion, it felt like we remembered how to play again.”

The Giants answered quickly when tight end Theo Johnson took a deflected pass 41 yards for a score, making it 26-8 with just over 10 minutes left.

The Turning Point

Denver responded with a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive, followed by another 2-point conversion to make it 26-16. Moments later, linebacker Justin Strnad made the play that changed everything — intercepting Dart’s pass and returning it to the Giants’ 19-yard line. Four plays later, Denver scored again, cutting the lead to 26-23.

From there, chaos ensued.

After forcing a three-and-out, Nix capped a lightning-fast six-play, 68-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown run, giving Denver its first lead of the day at 30-26 with 1:51 left.

But the Giants weren’t done. After a pair of controversial penalties — a pass interference call on Riley Moss and an unsportsmanlike conduct flag on an irate Payton — New York punched in a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Dart to go up 32-30 with just 37 seconds remaining.

The Final Drive

Needing a miracle, Nix delivered again. He hit Marvin Mims Jr. for 29 yards, then found Courtland Sutton for another 22, setting up Wil Lutz’s game-winning 39-yard field goal as time expired.

As the kick sailed through, Empower Field erupted. Players stormed the field, and the stunned Giants could only watch.

“I’ve never been down that much and come back,” linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “That was crazy. I’m still hyped.”

Frustration in New York

For the Giants, the collapse was devastating. Captain Dexter Lawrence said it was worse than their earlier loss to Dallas, when they surrendered a lead in the final seconds before falling in overtime.

“You can’t give up 33 points in the fourth quarter,” Lawrence said.

Defensive end Brian Burns, who recorded two sacks to bring his season total to nine, was visibly angry after the game, shouting about the defensive strategy during Denver’s final drive.

“Drop eight!” Burns yelled in frustration as he left the field, referring to the decision to rush only three defenders on Nix’s long completion to Mims.

When asked about the call later, Burns declined to comment. Lawrence, after a long pause, offered only:

“Leave that to the coaches.”