Broncos in the NFL: Giants take a page out of Boise State’s playbook, Bills go to Shakir
Boise State fans must have been struck with a case of deja vu during an entertaining slate of NFL wildcard playoff games on Sunday.
The New York Giants took a page out of the Broncos’ playbook and ran a Statue of Liberty play in their 31-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Boise State earned national notoriety with hook-and-ladder and Statue of Liberty plays that led to a win over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
The Giants’ Statue of Liberty play didn’t come at nearly as monumental a moment and wasn’t as successful. New York quarterback Daniel Jones faked a pass and handed off behind his back to running back Matt Breida, who picked up just 3 yards on a play from the Vikings’ 9-yard line in the second quarter.
Former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky ran the same play and handed off to Ian Johnson, who scored a two-point conversion to clinch a 43-42 overtime win against Oklahoma in that famous bowl game.
The Giants’ 31-24 upset win over the Vikings was one of several exciting NFL games, and most of them included former Boise State players.
▪ Wide receiver Khalil Shakir (2018-2021) caught three passes for 51 yards in the Buffalo Bills’ 34-31 win over the Dolphins on Sunday. Shakir hauled in a 31-yard pass, but he also had a big drop on a deep pass that would have given the Bills the ball in Miami’s red zone.
▪ Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (2016-2017) kept the Dolphins in the game with a 50-yard punt return that gave Miami the ball on the Bills’ 27-yard line and led to a field goal late in the second quarter.
▪ Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (2014-2017) led the Cowboys with nine tackles in a 31-14 win over Tampa Bay on Monday night. Vander Esch also broke up two passes thrown by Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. He had a chance to intercept both but ended up dropping them. Brady could be seen saying “catch one next week” as he and Vander Esch embraced after the game.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 3:26 PM.
