N.Y. Jets at Denver


Mile High exit? Elway leads Broncos back to Super Bowl


Elway takes the fifth


Davis' legs steady wobbly Broncos


Mistake turns out right for McCaffrey, Broncos

DENVER -- Bill Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and reached another with New England, lost a conference title game for the first time Sunday.

When Denver beat the New York Jets 23-10, it dropped Parcells to 3-1 in conference championships. He led the NFC Giants past Washington in January 1987 and past San Francisco in January 1991. His other victory was with the Patriots two years ago, beating Jacksonville.

The only coach to bring three franchises to championship games, Parcells has an 11-6 postseason record.

Playoff runner
With eight coaches gone from the jobs they held this season, Parcells doesn't plan on being No. 9.

Parcells, who took the Jets from 1-15 in 1996, their final year under Rich Kotite, to 13-5 and a berth in the AFC Championship game, on Sunday said he will be back next season.

"Forget that," Parcells said when asked if he would step down.

There had been speculation that Parcells might leave, especially if the Jets won the Super Bowl.

Parcells cut short his postgame press conference, pleading exhaustion. But he made it clear he was planning to return next season, saying the Jets need to "start where we started last year, and not try to just pick up where we left off. We have to start over."

Five coaches were fired the day after the regular season ended: Dennis Erickson of Seattle, Ray Rhodes of Philadelphia, Dave Wannstedt of Chicago, Dom Capers of Carolina and Ted Marchibroda of Baltimore.

Since then, Green Bay's Mike Holmgren resigned and took the Seattle job and Marty Schottenheimer of Kansas City quit. June Jones resigned at San Diego to take the job at Hawaii.

Playoff runner
Terrell Davis' 167-yard rushing performance added to his domination as a postseason performer.

The NFL's Most Valuable Player, who rushed for 2,008 yards this season, now has gained 1,038 yards in playoffs and Super Bowls. He is averaging 148.2 yards in the postseason; next best is John Riggins, who gained 110.7 per playoff game.

Davis ranks sixth in postseason yards rushing, trailing Franco Harris, Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett and Marcus Allen.

Davis was the MVP of last year's Super Bowl, running for 157 yards and three scores. In the current postseason, he has gained 366 yards and scored three times.

Head-to-head
The Denver Broncos have played the Atlanta Falcons nine times, winning six of those matchups, including the last four. Atlanta last won in 1982.

Against former Denver coach Dan Reeves, who now coaches the Falcons, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is 1-0: a 29-21 victory at Atlanta on Sept. 28, 1997.

Broncos back for a sixth time
The Broncos will be making their sixth Super Bowl appearance, the most for any AFC team. They lost after the 1977 season, then were 0-3 with John Elway as their quarterback and Reeves as their coach, losing after the 1986, '87 and '89 seasons.

But they won last year against Green Bay, ending an NFC winning streak of 13 in the Super Bowl.

Denver was tied with Pittsburgh and Miami with five appearances in the Super Bowl. Dallas has the most with eight.

Denver likes those odds
Denver is the 10th defending champion to return to the Super Bowl. The record for defenders is good: 6-3.

Green Bay in 1967, Miami in 1973, Pittsburgh in 1975 and '79, San Francisco in 1989, and Dallas in 1992 went back to the big game and won.

The losers in their repeat trip were Dallas in 1978, Washington in 1983 and Green Bay last year.

Lodish: Ho-hum, back to the Super Bowl
Broncos defensive tackle Mike Lodish never makes any plans for late in January. He nearly always is occupied -- at the Super Bowl.

Lodish, a nine-year veteran, played his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He went to four Super Bowls with them.

In 1995, Lodish signed as a free agent with the Broncos. On Jan. 31, he'll play in his second straight Super Bowl with Denver.

Lodish's six Super Bowls will be the most for any player.

Elway takes his fifth
John Elway's fifth AFC championship in six trips to the title game means he will start a fifth Super Bowl. No quarterback has done that before.

Elway, who lost the Super Bowl after the 1986, '87 and '89 seasons and won it last year, will break a tie with Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Jim Kelly, all of whom started four times.

Controlling Curtis
Curtis Martin looked like anything but a man who has rushed for more than 1,150 yards in each of his four pro seasons.

Martin was held to a measly 14 yards on 13 rushes. He never got any room to run, particularly to the outside. Nor was he able to slash through the line, as is his wont.

"There was a man matched up on me wherever I went," said Martin, a Pro Bowl alternate. "I have to give them credit. They wrapped me up and made the tackles."

Martin also fumbled in the second quarter, his second bobble in two weeks.

"I was just trying to give the extra effort and get some extra yards," he said. "That's when the ball came loose."

Honorary captains
Winston Hill, a starting tackle for the Jets when they won the 1969 Super Bowl, was an honorary captain. An eight-time all-star, he owns several restaurants in the Denver area.

The Broncos' honorary captain was Haven Moses, a wide receiver who is tied for most TDs receiving in Denver history, 44.