WILD-CARDS PROVIDE RUSH; BRONCOS BURY BAD MEMORY WITH 310 YARDS ON GROUND : DENVER 42, JACKSONVILLE 17.

Byline: Steve Schoenfeld Arizona Republic

When the ghosts started hovering, swirling around Mile High Stadium in the 59-mph wind, the Denver Broncos had a choice to make:

Let the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to pull within four points, send this football-crazed community into another funk or take the ski gloves off and fight back.

The Broncos, 14-point favorites a year ago when the Jaguars knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs, decided to run those demons out of town.

They ran for three fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat the Jaguars 42-17 Saturday in an AFC wild-card game.

In winning their first playoff game since 1992, the Broncos erase the devastating home playoff loss of last season and advance to a second-round game next weekend at Kansas City or at Pittsburgh.

``This monkey is off our back,'' Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski said. ``To beat them. . . . it just doesn't get any better.''

Romanowski was so upset by a 30-27 loss in last year's playoffs, he put a picture of Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell in his off-season workout room in San Martin, Calif.

``Now I can take the picture of Brunell off the wall,'' Romanowski said.

The Broncos finished with 310 rushing yards, a team playoff record, and five touchdowns.

Starter Terrell Davis, who left in the third quarter because of a rib injury, and third-stringer Derek Loville became only the third backs in NFL history to each rush for more than 100 yards in a playoff game. Davis had 184 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries and Loville came off the bench to get 103 yards and two scores.

``The wind was so tough, the first thing I said to myself during warmups was, `Thank God, we have a running game,' '' said John Elway, a 15-year pro. ``That was the best I've ever seen the offensive line play.''

The Broncos, 12-4 in the regular season, scored on their first three possessions to jump to a 21-0 lead.

They converted their first nine third-down plays and Elway completed his first six third-down passes for 156 yards.

``When we were up 21-0, I said it was not supposed to be that easy, and I knew it would get tougher,'' Elway said. ``So when they got it back to 21-17, I said, `This is where the game is supposed to be.' ''

Jacksonville, which trailed by two touchdowns at halftime, used special-teams plays to get back in the game in the third quarter.

Reggie Barlow's 58-yard return of the second-half kickoff set up Mike Hollis' 38-yard field goal.

Then, in one of the most bizarre plays of the season, the Jaguars' Travis Davis scored on a 29-yard blocked punt with 9:16 left in the third quarter to cut the margin to 21-17.

``I've never seen anything like that,'' Broncos punter Tom Rouen said. ``It hit my foot, then hit (Davis), bounced back to me and then back to him.''

Actually, what happened was that Davis blocked the punt with his right arm. Then, the ball ricocheted off Rouen's hip and landed in Davis' stomach. Davis caught the ball and ran untouched into the end zone.

The Broncos self-destructed on their next two possessions.

They advanced to the Jacksonville 9, but Elway fumbled after being hit by blitzing free safety Chris Hudson.

The Jaguars reached the Denver 16 after the turnover, but Brunell fumbled the snap from center and middle linebacker Allen Aldridge recovered.

Elway blew another scoring opportunity with one second left in the third quarter. His pitchout to Terrell Davis was behind him and the Jaguars' Dave Thomas recovered at the Broncos' 26.

``It was very nerve racking,'' Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe said of the four-point lead. ``But the thing I was most pleased with was the way our offense went back on the field and got a bunch of first downs, and the way we got our confidence back.''

They did it with Davis in the locker room. The X-rays on his ribs were negative.

Second-team running back Vaughn Hebron (hamstring) also was hurting.

So coach Mike Shanahan sent Loville into the game. He scored on a 25-yard run with 13:21 left and on an 8-yarder with 3:43 remaining to put the game away.

``I think it's great to know we have probably the three best backs collectively in the NFL,'' guard Brian Habib said.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO Broncos Tyrone Braxton, left, and Darrien Gordon break up a pass intended for Keenan McCardell.

Associated Press