DENVER -- It was a wipe-out all right, just not the one expected by just about everyone outside the New York Giants.
"I don't think anyone picked us to win this game," Eli Manning said after the Giants' first victory Sunday night, a 23-10 romp of the Denver Broncos in a prime-time stunner.
Manning called it "a special win" for a reeling team that was without six starters a week after losing three wide receivers to season-ending injuries, including star Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants (1-5) pulled off one of the season's biggest upsets by dominating Denver in every phase from start to finish.
The Broncos (3-2), who are averaging just 14 points since their 42-17 rout of Dallas a month ago, blew an opportunity to close in on Kansas City in the AFC West after the Steelers knocked off the last unbeaten team in the league earlier Sunday.
"It's the National Football League," Denver's Von Miller said. "It's not about who you've got playing for you or what stars are in the game or what the team looks like. It's any given Sunday."
Jason Pierre-Paul had three sacks for the Giants, who came into Denver tottering from a tumultuous week in which three wide receivers landed on injured reserve, five other starters were sidelined with injuries and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was suspended for insubordination.
Yet the Giants had a goal-line stand to go with four sacks and two interceptions, double their season total. And it was the Broncos who bumbled their way through a night filled with muffs and mistakes, flags and frustration.
"Our record wasn't good, but that doesn't mean we're a bad team," said Giants Coach Ben McAdoo, who handed offensive play-calling duties to coordinator Mike Sullivan for the first time. "We're a good football team."
The sheer amount of sidelined starters actually worked in the Giants' favor.
"We didn't know what offensive linemen were playing, where they were playing, what receivers were playing," Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe said. "When you don't know who's playing, it's hard to game plan against them."
Quarterback Trevor Siemian was knocked out of the game briefly, and he lost his right tackle Menelik Watson (right calf) along with receivers Emmanuel Sanders and rookie Isaiah McKenzie to ankle injuries. Demaryius Thomas limped through a 10-catch night.
Before being soundly booed as they retreated to the locker room trailing 17-3 at the half, the Broncos kept hollering at each other in the huddle, couldn't convert third downs and gave up more big plays than they had all season.
The biggest came when Siemian threw an interception to cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who returned it 43 yards for a touchdown with 48 seconds left before halftime to give New York a two-touchdown cushion.
Siemian dived at Jenkins as he scooted past him near the goal line, and Siemian jammed his left shoulder into the ground. It's the same shoulder that bothered him almost all of last year and required surgery in January. He was replaced by Brock Osweiler but returned to start the second half.
"I tried to tackle the guy and that's certainly not my specialty," Siemian said. "I'm fine, a little sore, but I'm fine."
Sports on 10/17/2017