Game story
In Week 1 of the 2001 NFL season on 2001-09-10, the Denver Broncos took care of business against the New York Giants, pulling away with a 31–20 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 16 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
K. Collins (New York Giants) paced the passing game, with +13.26 total EPA.
On the individual side, B. Griese (Denver Broncos) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +18.17 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+18.1% win probability) landed in the second quarter when New York Giants changed the game: (13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Denver Broncos | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 B. Griese · Denver Broncos · Passing · +18.17 total EPA · 31 snaps · +0.59 EPA/play
- 2 K. Collins · New York Giants · Passing · +13.26 total EPA · 39 snaps · +0.34 EPA/play
- 3 A. Toomer · New York Giants · Receiving · +8.99 total EPA · 7 snaps · +1.28 EPA/play
- 4 R. Smith · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +7.42 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.67 EPA/play
- 5 E. McCaffrey · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +6.64 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.95 EPA/play
- 6 J. Jurevicius · New York Giants · Receiving · +5.86 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.65 EPA/play
- 7 D. Clark · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +3.21 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.61 EPA/play
- 8 T. Barber · New York Giants · Receiving · +3.13 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.78 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
B. Griese — DEN · Passing
B. Griese posted the highest total EPA (+18.17) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Denver Broncos's efficiency. Across 31 counted snaps, they averaged +0.59 EPA per play.
The signature play (+6.20 EPA) came from New York Giants: (13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Denver Broncos — P. Hape (B. Griese pass)
- New York Giants — A. Toomer (K. Collins pass)
- Denver Broncos — E. McCaffrey (B. Griese pass)
- New York Giants — A. Toomer (K. Collins pass)
- Denver Broncos — R. Smith (B. Griese pass)
- Denver Broncos — M. Anderson
- New York Giants — M. Rivers (K. Collins pass)
Field goals
- Denver Broncos — J. Elam
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 7–0. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NYG 1 (Q1 46:14) — (1:14) 14-B.Griese pass to 86-P.Hape for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q1 46:09) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen..
The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. New York Giants found the end zone from the DEN 43 (Q2 43:02) — (13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New York Giants added 1 points from the DEN 2 (Q2 42:55) — 8-M.Andersen extra point is GOOD, Center-66-J.Whittle, Holder-2-R.Williams.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NYG 16 (Q2 39:41) — (9:41) 14-B.Griese pass to 87-E.McCaffrey for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q2 39:35) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen..
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. New York Giants found the end zone from the DEN 11 (Q3 25:43) — (10:43) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Play Challenged by DEN and Upheld. (Timeout #2 at 10:36.); New York Giants added 1 points from the DEN 7 (Q3 25:36) — 8-M.Andersen extra point is GOOD, Center-66-J.Whittle, Holder-2-R.Williams.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NYG 25 (Q3 23:04) — (8:04) 14-B.Griese pass to 80-R.Smith for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q3 22:58) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen..
The fourth quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 10–6. Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the NYG 18 (Q4 13:49) — (13:49) 1-J.Elam 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the NYG 6 (Q4 9:10) — (9:10) 38-M.Anderson right end for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the NYG 2 (Q4 9:05) — 1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen.; New York Giants found the end zone from the DEN 1 (Q4 1:56) — (1:56) 5-K.Collins pass to 83-M.Rivers for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- New York Giants (Q2 43:02) — (13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Denver Broncos (Q3 23:04) — (8:04) 14-B.Griese pass to 80-R.Smith for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New York Giants (Q3 27:19) — (12:19) 5-K.Collins pass to 21-T.Barber to DEN 20 for 44 yards (26-E.Brown).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 49:46) — (4:46) 86-P.Hape up the middle to NYG 1 for no gain (58-M.Barrow).
- New York Giants (Q3 25:43) — (10:43) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Play Challenged by DEN and Upheld. (Timeout #2 at 10:36.)
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New York Giants (Q2 43:02) — (13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Denver Broncos (Q3 23:04) — (8:04) 14-B.Griese pass to 80-R.Smith for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New York Giants (Q3 27:19) — (12:19) 5-K.Collins pass to 21-T.Barber to DEN 20 for 44 yards (26-E.Brown).
- New York Giants (Q4 2:24) — (2:24) 5-K.Collins pass to 84-J.Jurevicius to DEN 1 for 14 yards (28-K.Kennedy).
Quarterback report card
K.Collins led all passers in efficiency for New York Giants, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- K.Collins (New York Giants) · 39 dropbacks · 48.7% completion · +0.34 EPA/play · +13.26 total EPA
- B.Griese (Denver Broncos) · 31 dropbacks · 67.7% completion · +0.59 EPA/play · +18.17 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New York Giants | Denver Broncos |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.134 | +0.251 |
| Offensive success rate | 41.2% | 58.0% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.319 | +0.591 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.233 | -0.000 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.251 | -0.134 |
| Defensive success rate | 42.0% | 58.8% |
By the numbers
Denver Broncos held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.25 vs +0.13), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Denver Broncos: 12 drives, +22.08 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
- New York Giants: 12 drives, +10.72 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Denver Broncos leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- B. Griese (Denver Broncos) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 46:14 · NYG 1 · Score 0-6
(1:14) 14-B.Griese pass to 86-P.Hape for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 46:09 · NYG 2 · Score 0-7
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen. - New York Giants TD (+6) — Q2 43:02 · DEN 43 · Score 6-7
(13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New York Giants XP (+1) — Q2 42:55 · DEN 2 · Score 7-7
8-M.Andersen extra point is GOOD, Center-66-J.Whittle, Holder-2-R.Williams. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 39:41 · NYG 16 · Score 7-13
(9:41) 14-B.Griese pass to 87-E.McCaffrey for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 39:35 · NYG 2 · Score 7-14
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen. - New York Giants TD (+6) — Q3 25:43 · DEN 11 · Score 13-14
(10:43) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Play Challenged by DEN and Upheld. (Timeout #2 at 10:36.) - New York Giants XP (+1) — Q3 25:36 · DEN 7 · Score 14-14
8-M.Andersen extra point is GOOD, Center-66-J.Whittle, Holder-2-R.Williams. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 23:04 · NYG 25 · Score 14-20
(8:04) 14-B.Griese pass to 80-R.Smith for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q3 22:58 · NYG 2 · Score 14-21
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen. - Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q4 13:49 · NYG 18 · Score 14-24
(13:49) 1-J.Elam 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q4 9:10 · NYG 6 · Score 14-30
(9:10) 38-M.Anderson right end for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q4 9:05 · NYG 2 · Score 14-31
1-J.Elam extra point is GOOD, Center-63-D.Diaz-Infante, Holder-16-T.Rouen. - New York Giants TD (+6) — Q4 1:56 · DEN 1 · Score 20-31
(1:56) 5-K.Collins pass to 83-M.Rivers for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New York Giants vs Denver Broncos?
The Denver Broncos beat the New York Giants 31-20 in Week 1, 2001 on 2001-09-10.
What was the final score of New York Giants vs Denver Broncos?
The final score was New York Giants 20, Denver Broncos 31 (NYG 20-31 DEN) in Week 1, 2001 on 2001-09-10.
What was the score by quarter in New York Giants vs Denver Broncos?
Q1: New York Giants 0, Denver Broncos 7; Q2: New York Giants 7, Denver Broncos 7; Q3: New York Giants 7, Denver Broncos 7; Q4: New York Giants 6, Denver Broncos 10; Final: New York Giants 20, Denver Broncos 31.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New York Giants vs Denver Broncos?
Denver Broncos touchdown — P. Hape (B. Griese pass) (Q1 46:14) New York Giants touchdown — A. Toomer (K. Collins pass) (Q2 43:02) Denver Broncos touchdown — E. McCaffrey (B. Griese pass) (Q2 39:41) New York Giants touchdown — A. Toomer (K. Collins pass) (Q3 25:43) Denver Broncos touchdown — R. Smith (B. Griese pass) (Q3 23:04) Denver Broncos touchdown — M. Anderson (Q4 9:10) New York Giants touchdown — M. Rivers (K. Collins pass) (Q4 1:56) Denver Broncos field goal — J. Elam (Q4 13:49, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New York Giants vs Denver Broncos?
K. Collins (New York Giants), 48.7% completion, +0.34 EPA per dropback, +13.26 total passing EPA. B. Griese (Denver Broncos), 67.7% completion, +0.59 EPA per dropback, +18.17 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New York Giants vs Denver Broncos?
B. Griese (Denver Broncos) led the game in total EPA with +18.17 on passing plays. across 31 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+6.20 EPA): (13:02) 5-K.Collins pass to 81-A.Toomer for 43 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was +18.1%.
Season records after this game
New York Giants
Now 0-1 L
Denver Broncos
Now 1-0 W
Fantasy · fantasyhq.co
