DENVER – Brian Daboll Giants dominated in Denver Broncos for three quarters and then collapsed in a record-setting choke in a wild 33-32 loss at Mile High's Empower Field on Sunday afternoon.
Jackson Dart made a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 37 seconds left, 32-30. But kicker Jude McAtamney's second missed extra point left the door open for Denver.
And as time expired, the Broncos quickly drove 56 yards and scored the game-winning 39-yard field goal by Will Lutz. Denver scored all 33 of its points in the fourth quarter.
Coincidence or not, the deluge began when starting corner Paulson Adebo left the game and was replaced by Deonte Banks.
The Giants earned the eighth-largest lead in team history and their largest since a 21-point lead in 2014.
Daboll yelled at defensive coordinator Shane Bowen on the sideline. Courtland Sutton secured a 22-yard reception to set up the winning kick, and Daboll continued his spirited exchange with Bowen as the coaches rushed off the field into the losing locker room.
The Giants led 13-0 at halftime, 19-0 with 2:41 left in the third quarter and 26-8 with 10:14 left in the game. Dart threw three touchdown passes. He then appeared to push the Giants off the field for the win in the bottom of the fourth.
That drive included a 4th-and-19 pass to Wan'Dale Robinson and a 38-yard pass interference penalty on Broncos corner Riley Moss on a throw intended for Beau Collins.
But Dart's interception to Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad with 4:47 remaining and a 26-16 Giants lead also fueled Denver's stunning comeback.
NFL teams have won 1,602 consecutive games by leading by 18 points in the final six minutes of the game.
The Giants (2-5) fly home to prepare for their second game against the rival Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) in three weeks. It will be in South Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field next Sunday.
Daboll's team had just beaten the Eagles 34-17 at MetLife Stadium in Week 6. But now their outlook is bleak: They sit in last place in the NFC East behind the Eagles, Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) and Washington Commanders (3-4).
They'll have a chance to contend in any game if their defense plays like it did in the first three quarters of Sunday against Denver.
Quarterback Dane Belton made a huge hit on Sutton with a stop on fourth down and a goal line stop with 3:35 left in the second quarter, allowing the Giants to hold a 13-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Broncos' offense was terrible, but Brian Burns' second sack of the game forced the Broncos off the field at halftime to a shower of boos. The Giants defense allowed only 101 yards and six first downs to the Broncos in the half.
The Giants built a 19-0 lead on Dart's 44-yard touchdown pass to Johnson on coverage with 6:54 to play in the first quarter. Dart then hit Cam Skattebo with a 13-yard pass for a touchdown with 8:46 left in the half.
And Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed in for a 31-yard rushing touchdown after another mistake by the Broncos defense for a 19-0 lead with 2:41 to play in the third.
After those three points, the Giants would lead 21-0. But kicker Jude McAtamney missed the extra point on Skattebo's touchdown, and Dart's two-point shot to Robinson was saved near the goal line after Tracy's goal.
They have two Brian Burns bags on defense. And they scored, too, when Robinson threw a pass to the Darts on 3rd-and-17, but the ball went right into Theo Johnson's hands. And the tight end raced to the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown for a 26-8 lead with 10:14 left in the game.
But the Daboll-led Giants always find a hole if one still exists. Just watch week two in Dallas. As improbable as the loss seemed for most of Sunday, Payton's team was ready to play in the fourth quarter.
But there were no Giants.
