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            NFL-46                 9/7/01

 

GIANTS INVADE DENVER’S NEW INVESCO FIELD FOR MNF OPENER

 

It won’t be the Super Bowl, but there will definitely be a buzz in the air this Monday night when the Denver Broncos host the defending NFC Champion New York Giants in the first-ever regular-season game at INVESCO Field at Mile High to conclude Kickoff 2001 Weekend.

 

The game (ABC-TV, 9:00 PM ET) will mark the 32nd consecutive season of ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football, the longest running prime-time entertainment series in television history.  This is the fourth consecutive year the Broncos have opened on a Monday night, one short of the record five appearances in a row Dallas made from 1982-86.  The Broncos’ streak is now tied for second with the 1986-89 Giants.

 

Monday night’s game features two teams that excel on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage.  Denver’s offense ranked second (409.6) in the NFL in 2000, as well as third in rushing (144.4) and passing (265.2).  The Giants’ defense was fifth (284.1) in the league in total defense and was especially stingy against the run, finishing second in the NFL (72.3).

 

“This is a big challenge for us,” says Giants head coach JIM FASSEL, who has a 4-0 career record in openers.  “On the road…Monday night football…against a very good football team.”  His counterpart, Denver head coach MIKE SHANAHAN, sports an impressive 6-2 Kickoff Weekend record.

 

The Giants will not only have to contend with the Broncos’ high-octane offense, but also with one of the most formidable home-field advantages in all of football.  Since 1974, the Broncos have the NFL’s best home record at 167-54-1 (.755), including 13 playoff games. 

 

Following are the top five home records of NFL teams since 1974:

 

 

This year, the Broncos inaugurate their new home, INVESCO Field at Mile High.  The 76,125-seat state-of-the-art stadium features larger seats with more leg room, four times as many concession stands as the team’s former home (Mile High Stadium), more than twice as many restrooms, and three large scoreboards.

 

"This is a prime stadium for a football game,” says Broncos quarterback BRIAN GRIESE.

 

And there is nothing more prime than the first Monday-night game of a season. 

 

Both the Giants and Broncos have historically been formidable opponents in their season openers.  Denver has the league’s third-best opening-game record with a .622 winning percentage.  The Giants rank fourth at .612.  Following are the top five all-time first-game records.