All that was missing was some snow.
And maybe John Elway, a snowball and a painted dirt field full of phone book confetti. Then again, it turns out those ingredients weren’t necessary; last night at Empower (formerly Sports Authority, formerly Invesco) Field, it felt like we were all back at Old Mile High Stadium in 1980-sumthin’.
Last night, the Magic – as in Mile High Magic – was back.
In one of the wildest and wackiest professional football games ever played in Denver, the Broncos somehow beat the Cleveland Browns, which, to be fair, has been happening since the dawn of time. What the game lacked in the precision, the mark of modern NFL football, it made up for in pure drama; the 41-32 final score doesn’t accurately reflect what took place in this Monday Night Thriller. Even Rich Karlis, who was on hand and wearing both shoes, didn’t know who was going to emerge victorious until Broncos quarterback Bo Nix took a knee with just 34 seconds left on the clock. Just 10 seconds before that, the game was still very much up for grabs, as Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (magical in his own right) lofted the ball into the endzone.
That’s when Broncos linebacker Cody Barton pulled a rabbit out of his white (huh?) helmet, intercepting Winston’s pass three yards past paydirt and returning it all the way back to the Browns 47, sealing an improbable win in throwback style. Thirty-five years from now, it’s quite possible that Barton’s name – much like “Jeremiah Castille” – won’t be much more than the answer to a Broncos trivia question. But who really cares? Magic never gets old.
Funny thing, much like Elway’s Broncos of the ‘80s and ‘90s, magic was the norm last night. Barton’s interception might have sealed the game, but it was actually two pick-sixes that won it. Nix didn’t need to perform an Elway-esque miracle, although he did engineer an 11-play, 61-yard, 6-minute, 4th-quarter, go-ahead drive that might have given Denver the win on a more “normal” kind of night, but he did need a little help from his friends. It could be argued that Winston – who had a career night with 497 passing yards and four touchdown tosses (but also three interceptions) – was Nix’s best friend, but it was linebacker Nik Bonitto and cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian who had the biggest tricks up their sleeves.
On a night where white-as-a-rabbit cornerback Riley Moss was desperately missed, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph all-but forgot he had the world’s best cover corner at his disposal to slow down former Bronco Jerry Jeudy’s record-setting night, the Broncos defense wasn’t good but made miraculous plays when miracles where required. Bonitto, as he’s done all season, racked up another critical sack, but he also had his first professional pick-six, a second quarter score that flipped the script, giving the Broncos a 21-10 lead. And it was McMillian who originally sealed the game (you know, before Barton had to seal it again) by putting an end to a game-threatening drive with his own pick six. McMillian jumped a Winston out-route then had the wherewithal to jump up and scamper 44 yards for the touchdown – untouched. As if a second INT for TD wasn’t magical enough, it nearly turned out to be needed, as it gave the Broncos a two-score lead.
I’m not sure if anyone actually prints phone books anymore, and I am positive that the grass is (literally) greener under the care of the Walton-Penner grounds crew than it used to be in our Dusty Ol’ Cow Town. But I didn’t need phone book confetti to cover up a muddy or snowy field last night; a kneeling Nix was all that was required to cap a magic show the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Denver for quite some time. Back then, Broncomaniacs didn’t necessarily know – or care – if the Broncos were good enough to win a Super Bowl. This morning, we’re pretty sure these Broncos aren’t good enough to win a Super Bowl (just yet), but last night we didn’t seem to care.
Following the melee of all the magic, I got a text from a friend and longtime Broncos fan that read shortly and sweetly.
“It’s finally fun to watch the Broncos again.”
In the end, isn’t that all we as sports fans really want? A little magic and a lot of fun?
Both, in full force, found their way back to Denver last night.
Finally.