Peyton Manning and his greatest comeback
The Denver Broncos overcame multiple first-half miscues to become the second team since 1993 to erase a 24-point second-half deficit, tying an NFL record for the largest comeback win for a road team in NFL history and forcing a tie atop the AFC West standings with a 35:24 win over the equally 3:3 San Diego Chargers on Monday night.
San Diego took advantage of a pair of special teams turnovers to jump out to a 10:0 lead midway through the first quarter. Broncos punt returner Trindon Holliday, acquired off waivers from the Houston Texans last week, muffed a punt that was recovered by Chargers tight end Dante Rosario, leading to a 32-yard field goal field by Nick Novak. The Broncos replaced Holliday with rookie cornerback Omar Bolden on the ensuing kickoff, which Bolden promptly fumbled. Two plays later, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers connected with Antonio Gates for a 15-yard touchdown.
Peyton Manning.
This is why the Denver Broncos gambled hard and changed the direction of their franchise.
Through six weeks the 2012 season, credit Peyton Manning for providing the signature moment of the NFL season. His sixth game as a Denver Bronco became an instant “Monday Night Football” classic and it changed the landscape of the AFC West race.
In a stunning 30-minute whirlwind, Manning – who thrust himself into the MVP race Monday night – and his improving Denver Broncos scored 35 unanswered points to shock San Diego, which led 24-0 at halftime. Manning completed his first 13 passes of the second half, three of which went for touchdowns. In the end, the scoreboard read – Denver 35, San Diego 24.
But it means so much more.
“You’ll see a lot of things in this league” – one longtime Denver official said in jubilant locker room after the game. “You’ll never see anything like this again.”
Down 24:0 at halftime, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos reveled after one of the biggest comebacks in NFL regular-season history.
On the flip side, the San Diego Chargers were saddled with an enormous collapse.
Manning threw three touchdown passes in the second half and Tony Carter and Chris Harris scored off turnovers by Philip Rivers as the Broncos overcame a 24:0 halftime deficit to shock the Chargers 35:24 on Monday night.
Asked if he’d ever been a part of such a big comeback, Carter replied: “Only in Pop Warner football.”
It took a quarterback of Manning’s caliber to pull this one out.
“It sure was special considering what was on the line” – said Manning, a Super Bowl winner and four-time NFL MVP who’s in his first season with the Broncos.
Manning was 13 of 14 for 167 yards in the second half for the Broncos (3:3) who tied the Chargers (3:3) atop the AFC West.
It tied for the fourth-biggest regular-season comeback in NFL history.
Manning had been 1:5 in his past six games against San Diego, all with Indianapolis.
Rivers was intercepted four times — three in the fourth quarter — and lost two fumbles. The four pickoffs and six turnovers were both career highs.
A week earlier, the Chargers blew a 10-point lead in the third quarter in a 31-24 loss at New Orleans.
“When you lose it’s rough, especially in a game where you had a big lead and so much at stake” – Rivers said.
“It’s bad” – San Diego linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “Every adjective you can come up with as far as disappointment, it covers it.”