N.Y. Jets at Denver


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Mistake turns out right for McCaffrey, Broncos


Elway takes the fifth


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Bill Parcells says turnovers hurt his team.
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DENVER -- Bill Parcells warned the New York Jets that if they made mistakes, they would never reach the Super Bowl.

He was right.

"We helped them along quite a bit," the Jets coach said after Sunday's 23-10 loss to Denver in the AFC championship game. "You can't make those mistakes and expect to win a championship game. Mistakes were the difference in the game."

Parcells built his reputation with the New York Giants and New England Patriots as a coach whose teams controlled the ball with the running game, made the routine plays and almost never turned the ball over.

That's exactly what the Jets didn't do on Sunday.

They lost four fumbles and two interceptions, botched a Denver kickoff, rushed for just 14 yards, blew a coverage that gave the Broncos a long gain and missed a 42-yard field goal.

The misplays prevented the Jets from reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years.

The first two fumbles, by usually reliable Keith Byars and Curtis Martin, kept them from taking more than a 3-0 lead at halftime.

"We turned the ball over down in the scoring zone twice in the first half," Parcells said. "Our mistakes when we were across midfield, and when you factor in the missed field goal, that was a potential 24 points out the window."

After the Jets took a 10-0 lead following a blocked punt inside the Broncos 5 in the third quarter, Denver scored 20 points before the period was over.

First, a mistake in coverage by safety Victor Green allowed John Elway to complete a 47-yard pass to Ed McCaffrey, setting up a touchdown that made it 10-7.

"It was my fault. I bit on the crossing route," Green said. "If we had made a stop there, we would have been in control of the game. They got a touchdown, and then got the ball back on the kickoff, and that changed the whole momentum."

Then came the most disastrous blooper. Jets return man Dave Meggett failed to field the ensuing short kickoff before James Farrior finally fumbled it away, leading to a field goal.

"It was no one else's responsibility. I have to take it wherever it goes," Meggett said. "The previous kick came to the 4, but the wind held the second one in the air and I didn't get a good read on it. The wind was very tricky."

Parcells said the Broncos were basically lucky on the botched kickoff.

"You can't tell me they intended to kick it that short," Parcells said.

With the Broncos leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter, any hope of a Jets comeback ended when Alex Van Dyke fumbled the ball away after a reception deep in Denver territory and Vinny Testaverde threw two interceptions to Broncos cornerback Darrien Gordon.

"Even when it was 20-10, I thought we had a chance," Parcells said, "but we continued to make mistakes."

Perhaps the most shocking Jets shortcoming was the powerless running game. Martin had all of the team's 13 carries and finished with 14 yards.

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