Broncos execute dramatic escape once again

Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 17, 2007 at midnight

Text size

More Denver Broncos

The Broncos certainly have taken the road less traveled to a 2-0 start. OK, maybe they’ve taken the road nobody in their right mind would travel, yet the Broncos sit in the morning after another escape at 2-0, by the skin of a football.

"To be honest with you, I think they’re trying to kill me," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

And in what has been a two-week nose thumbing at conventional football wisdom, the Broncos have won a game they didn’t lead until there was no time remaining on the clock in the opener to go with a back-from-the-brink 23-20 overtime victory Sunday against the Oakland Raiders at Invesco Field at Mile High.

This time, Jason Elam kicked a 23-yard field goal with 5:48 remaining in the extra period.

So with that, the Broncos continue to dance on the sharp edge, yet with the confidence they can do such things when they’re necessary.

"It’s probably a good trait to have," safety John Lynch said. "You don’t want to test it so much, but probably a good trait to have."

"We keep fighting," cornerback Dré Bly said. "Things aren’t always going to go the way you think. I’ve played on defenses for teams when something went wrong, that was it, it was over. This team isn’t that way, even when things don’t go our way."

And they haven’t all the time so far. The Broncos piled 441 yards worth of offense on the Raiders and came away with two touchdowns.

They heaped 470 yards on the Bills a week ago and came away with one touchdown.

Sunday, it was an offensive pass interference penalty by Brandon Marshall on a 24-yard catch-and-run with a little more than 9 minutes to play in the third quarter that seemed to knock things out of kilter.

Marshall had scored what initially appeared to be a touchdown for what would have led to a 23-3 lead. Instead, after the penalty, the Broncos didn’t convert the third down, Elam missed a 45-yard field- goal attempt and the Raiders scored on the next possession to make it 17-10.

Toss in Oakland recovering an onside kick after the score to go with former Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren slamming Jay Cutler to the ground for a safety 45 seconds into the fourth quarter, and the Broncos spent much of the remainder of regulation on wobbly legs.

Wobbly legs, but still no stumble.

"We kind of hit a little rut there," receiver Brandon Stokley said. "We can bounce out of that a little better, but it still worked out."

Added Bly: "That’s all you can say. Two wins. They all look nice when you’re done with them."

Just in time

Shanahan has routinely said he doesn’t believe in trying to rattle opposing kickers by calling timeouts because his own kicker, Elam, has told him it just doesn’t work.

It’s just Shanahan decided he would try anyway Sunday.

Before Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski lined up for what turned out to be his first attempt at a 52-yard game-winner in overtime, Shanahan told line judge Byron Boston near the Broncos sideline he was going to call a timeout just before the Raiders got read to snap the ball.

"I just told him I was going to call timeout before hand," Shanahan said. "Just as they were lining up, that’s when I was going to call it. Probably about two seconds before he did it."

"I was standing right there when Mike talked to Mr. Boston," Lynch said. "He told them in advance he was going to call the timeout. I was like ‘do it already.’ It was going right down to the wire. He got it with two seconds, no one could hear him, but (Boston) did blow the whistle."

No one heard the whistle so the Raiders snapped the ball and Janikowski made the kick. But because the Broncos had been awarded the timeout by Boston, the Raiders were forced to line up and try again.

With a little more time to think about it, this time Janikowski’s kick — which he pounded well enough to have been good from well over 60 yards — hit the top of the left upright and bounced away.

"A great timeout," Dre’ Bly said. "For whatever reason it rattled Janikowski. I was glad to see it hit the top left corner."

DON’T PEEK

Cornerbacks are told over and over again in their football lives not to peek into the backfield in man-to-man coverage.

Yet sometimes they still touch the stove anyway.

Broncos cornerback Dre’ Bly certainly took a glance in the third quarter and it turned into a 46-yard touchdown pass from Josh McCown to Jerry Porter. Bly, known by scouts all over the league for his aggressiveness to the ball, thought Porter was going to run a slant across the field on the play, but instead Porter faked inside and went up the sideline.

"Jerry Porter did a great job selling the slant, that’s a tough play," Bly said. " . . . It happens in football, I understand that I didn’t go in the tank. To me it was no big deal, because that’s what I do I just make plays . . . Anybody who makes plays, a move like that and plays like that are going to happen."

Bly, however, also showed the short memory for a defensive back as well. McCown tried to hit Porter 42 yards down to the field with less than 27 seconds remaining in regulation.

This time, Bly was running stride-for-stride and intercepted the pass.

"You’ve got to wipe things out after you make a mistake," Shanahan said. ". . . For him to come down with that ball is exceptional."

"Give up a play and make a play," said safety Nick Ferguson.

TOUGH MATCH-UP

The Broncos have consistently talked about Brandon Marshall’s potential, that his upside may be greater than anyone else on the roster.

A big reason why is his 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame gives him an advantage over most defensive backs he faces. Marshall broke several tackles Sunday on the way to 82 yards on his five catches.

"Catch it and turn it up the field," Marshall said. "That’s what I do. I don’t want that first guy to get me down, not ever.’"

With Javon Walker and his two 100-yard receiving games already this season, usually on the other side of the formation, that means Marshall will also find himself working against a team’s No. 2 cornerback.

Walker had the 22-yard reception in overtime, with another broken tackle, that put the Broncos in field-goal position.

"He’s a strong guy," said Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. "That’s tough for a (defensive back) to deal with."

NUMBERS GAME

4 field goals Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski has missed this season — a 42-yarder Sunday to go with three misses from 40-yards or longer in Oakland’s opener.

He said it

"No way, I expected something slicker, actually. It’s definitely a tough pill to swallow."

Gerard Warrern, Raiders defensive tackle, a former Bronco, on whether he expected Shanahan to call a timeout to try and rattle Janikowski in overtime.

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com or 303-954-2359

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News