Prior to Sunday’s game at Arizona, most Denver Broncos fans would have been hard pressed to tell you anything about Cardinals placekicker Jay Feely.
His 25-point effort against the Broncos of course was talked and written up with some amusement, outscoring the Broncos on a notably bad day in Arizona.
But for any Broncos fans who are interested in the history of the game, they would be interested in the fact that Feely on Sunday passed Hall-of-Famers Eric Dickerson and Lance Alworth, as well as notables such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Curt Warner, Chuck Muncie, Bert Coan, and Frank Jackson.
Each of those players at one time or another scored four rushing or receiving touchdowns in a single game against the Broncos, with all of them tied for the most points ever scored against Denver in a single game, 24 each on the four TDs.
Feely passed them all in tallying 25 points against Denver on five field goals, three extra points and a rushing touchdown as well. He became one of the few placekickers ever to score a rushing TD in pro football history.
While that may seem ignominious for the Broncos, I do not think that it is. We played and lost — how the points were scored, and who scored them is incidental. Our goal was to win, and we did not. While very disappointing to the team and our fans, the statistical facts of the game still stand as what happened.
And in the 51-year history of the Broncos, no opposing player ever had scored 25 points in a single game.
Feely entered the history book with his feet, scoring one TD on the ground and kicking for the other points.
His record, by the way, is not the most points ever produced by an opposing player against Denver.
Back on October 2, 1966 future Pro Football Hall-of-Famer George Blanda accounted for all 38 points that the Houston Oilers scored against Denver — in a game which the Broncos won, by the way, 40-38 — Blanda threw five touchdown passes, kicked five extra points and added a field goal to amass 38 points in that one game, an amazing performance. (Touchdown passes are not credited as points scored in NFL official statistics.)
There are interesting ties and twists to everything. Six degrees of separation, over and over again.
Even though the 25 points put up by Feely are very hard to top, it is in fact a Cardinals player — a Chicago Cardinal by the way — who holds the all-time record for points scored in a single game.
On November 28, 1929 Ernie Nevers ran for six touchdowns and kicked four points-after-touchdown to put up 40 points against the Chicago Bears, and that is a record that still stands today.
Now, I do realize many readers have never heard of Ernie Nevers. I understand that. It saddens me, because everyone considers themselves experts on pro football.
So, just to take a moment more, Ernie Nevers was a former Stanford sensation who played for the Duluth Eskimos and Chicago Cardinals.
When they opened the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ernie Nevers was a Charter Inductee. He was not just “first ballot,” he was in the first class.
The Bronco record for points in a game, by the way, is held by Clinton Portis, who rushed for five touchdowns and finished with 30 points in Denver against Kansas City in 2003.
So you never know what you will see in a game. What does this have to do with the Broncos? It does not change the score or the outcome, but it shows once more you never know what you might see in a live sports event.
This is a real bad year, we all realize that. But the team will line up and keep playing. And you never know what you will see next week. If one loves the game, it is one of the reason we keep watching.
Tags: 2010, Clinton Portis, Denver Broncos, Jay Feely, Jim Saccomano
Well that’s another record we broke this year giving up 25 points to one player,51 years huh?
That’s just depressing…
Well, that’s just a different way to talk your way around a tough game keeping our minds preoccupied with other stuff, and well done as usual may I add.
new blogs up eh? I was still typing away at the old one… I have been known to be a bit slow, from time to time.
I am excited again about our future and what it might bring. Thats a positive feeling I haven’t had for a while.
The next three games are for fans of the GAME of football to enjoy… I will enjoy every minute of or finish. I don’t expect the team to win much, but I will sport my jersey on game day and cheer on like I always will….
I would sure like to see Tebow play a whole game in Mile High this year though. That would draw a crowd of Thunder makers to Invesco for sure…..
ILMSDB! W or L!
To take my mind off the season, I look at only 6 AFC teams capable of finishing with winning records. It is just a bad year for the AFC. And I am holding onto the hope that SD does not win the division.
Losing is one thing. expected and kinda wanted us to lose out the season. But getting embarrased…it just not cool. I have nothing wrong with losing close games but blow outs disgust me. But like OC said, I am excited for the future and havent been in a long time…
The Hystorical season continues!!!
Hysterical, historical, it’s breaking all kinds of records, haha.
The embarrassing part is that one guy, a kicker, kicked our butts. He alone had more points than our entire team. The Broncos are playing like Betty White. Someone, please pass out the snickers prior to the game.
As for the future, not so excited. We have no idea who the new coach is, no idea who he will put in place for a staff, no idea who the draft choices are going to be and how long it will be before they actually get to contribute. The only thing this means is yet another year of rebuilding (or 2, or 3).
Doesn’t seem all that exciting since we’ve already been out of the playoffs for 5 (now 6) years.
ps. Jim, thanks for the effort at trying to cheer us up. Can you find something with a bit more substance? Throw some kind of a bone to the ans? If feels like we are in a desolate football wasteland. A bunch of stats don’t really measure up to the emotions we are feeling about our team.
KO keeps talking about getting to work ‘next week’ but we are almost out of weeks. And it looks from here like we are going to have to hang our heads in shame for a long time due to what the Raiders have done and will do again this week to the Broncos.
Hey guys, I just want to congradulate an ex-teammate of our beloved Bronco`s. Congradulations to PAYTON HILLIS on getting 1000 YARDS RUSHING for the 2010 season. I`m very happy for Payton. To bad McD gave him away for peanuts if you all know what I mean. WAY TO GO HILLIS!!
And to finish with what I just commented on. The Bronco`s Country knew you would be special Payton. But our team didn`t.
Agreed strand, but to pay him due respect let’s call him Peyton, specially since you said it three times.
OK CAPTAIN!
Here is another NFL first. David Reed for Baltimore became the first NFL Player to have his housed raided by police and return a kick off for a TD in his next NFL appearance.
I’m Sorry but I have to get this off my chest.
The PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT has not done a good job. We have had the right player in the building and almost all of the people shipped away wanted to stay. With the PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT IN PLACE we would have the roster below. I have kept all of the bust draft picks which is a huge gift.
QB: Jay Culter, Jake Plumber
RB: Knowshown, Peyton Hillis, Ryan Torrain, Mike Bell
FB: Spencer Larson (How we let L. Vickers get away from our backyard is really poor)
WR: B Marshall, Loyd, Gaffeny, Royal, Decker and Thomas
TE: Scheffler, Graham
OT: Clady, Harris, Polumbus, Correl Green
OG: Copper Carsile, Kuper, Liechtensteiner, Beadles
C: Chris Meyers, JD
DL: Trevor Price, Gerard Warren, B Berry, Nick Eason, Marcus Thomas, rest of our starters:2010)
LBS: Elvis, Reggie Hayward, Andre Davis, DJ, Tim Crowder, Wessely W, rest of our Starters
CB: Foxworth, Alphonso Smith, Jack Willams rest of our starters
SS: Kennoy Kenndy, Josh Barrett rest of our starters
P: Brett Kern
K: only position that was handled correctly regarding personnel and some could argue that Elam could have stayed for atleast 1 more season
Now with the correct personnel kept we could have moved up for Patrick Willis and Micheal Oher who were both clearly going to be solid pros!!
With this being said Ryan Harris, Wesley Woodyard, Marcus Thomas all have huge upside and are young. These players need to be resigned %100!!
WE NEED ONE PERSON WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH PERSONNEL AND WHO IS GOING TO STAY WITH THE TEAM FOR A VERY LONG TIME
i live in ATL and i could see the fake FG from here! i was jumping up and down screaming “WATCH FOR THE FAKE”, but i wasnt heard! im sure a lil kid in recreation football could see that one coming! GEEZ!
yet another record book win… for the opposing team! will the Broncos make it into the record book for the “most records against a team in a season”? we have three more games… lets see!
just like he movie i bought today this season has been despicable for all Bronco Fans, me included! can we move into next year already? PLEASE? with some shread of dignity and stop playing like we were born yesterday… that is all i want for XMAS!
leave orton in so we can lose out the season andget a higher draft pick
dance record…
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