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Broncos report: Even officials give Broncos good reviews

By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 30, 2008 at 8:37 p.m.

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The ball is loose after slipping away from Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (face down) in the first quarter. Broncos safety Vernon Fox picked up the ball and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown that, combined with Matt Prater's PAT, gave Denver a 7-0 lead.

Photo by Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky

The ball is loose after slipping away from Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (face down) in the first quarter. Broncos safety Vernon Fox picked up the ball and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown that, combined with Matt Prater's PAT, gave Denver a 7-0 lead.

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The presence and, even more striking, absence of the instant- replay booth proved significant Sunday.

Three of the first four touchdowns in the Broncos' 34-17 win over the New York Jets were influenced by close calls.

"It's just part of the game," Broncos safety Marquand Manuel said. "Coach brought it up. And we knew we had to play the rest of the game understanding we needed to play hard and let the chips fall where they may."

Vernon Fox's 23-yard touchdown on a fumble return was the most controversial. On the play, Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery fumbled an end around out of the Wildcat formation, then appeared to have clear possession while lying on the ground. Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard hit Cotchery, who was lying on the ground, and knocked the ball free for Fox to scoop up.

Officials on the field determined Cotchery did not have complete possession of a fumble recovery, which, by rule, is a judgment call.

So when New York coach Eric Mangini threw out the red challenge flag, contending that the receiver was down by contact, the Jets were denied because the judgment call - which is not reviewable - trumped what would have been the reviewable play of down by contact.

"I didn't hear a whistle, basically," Fox said. "Even if I had, I might have gone after it because you never know what replay would show if we challenged it. So I went out and picked it up and it worked out for us in the end."

Denver might have gotten another break on its next series when Eddie Royal slipped an Abram Elam tackle attempt, planted his right foot along the sideline, then took off for a 59-yard score. Replay this time showed Royal's toe tickling the sideline but not touching it.

"I was really thinking about breaking the tackle," Royal said, adding jokingly that he's lucky his feet are small. "But when I was in the end zone, I didn't celebrate because I didn't know. It was iffy. I left it up to the refs."

Then, in the second quarter, Jets running back Thomas Jones was wrapped up in the backfield by Manuel and spun to the ground. Jones instead landed on the back of Broncos defensive tackle Kenny Peterson, sprang to his feet and ran unhindered into the end zone. Replays appeared to show Jones' elbow hitting the ground as he landed on Peterson before rising to his feet. But after the review, the call on the field stood and New York pulled within 17-14.

"It looked like his elbow did hit the ground - that's why we challenged it," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "We didn't have a very good angle, but the Jets were nice enough to let us look at it four or five times before we had to throw a flag, but I felt pretty good about it, but obviously I was wrong."

The Jets then used their final challenge on Denver's first series of the second half when Karl Paymah batted a punt back onto the field of play, where it was downed at the 2. Paymah pulled up, thinking he hadn't reached the ball in time. But it was determined his foot never touched the end zone when he swatted the ball back.

Stay down

The Broncos defenders weren't faking injuries, but if a player felt the pain and with the Jets trying to run a no-huddle offense at times, they weren't in any hurry to get up.

In one stretch in the third quarter, middle linebacker Spencer Larsen injured his left hip and suffered a back bruise, defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban suffered what looked like a shoulder injury and cornerback Dre Bly suffered a right shin injury on consecutive plays.

Ekuban and Bly later returned to the game, but Larsen did not.

"Just a bruise on my shin," Bly said. "You know (Jets quarterback) Brett (Favre), him being a savvy vet, when he sees somebody down, he likes to do a no-huddle, catch a defense off balance. I knew that, so I just laid on the ground and let the pain go away. . . . But that's one thing you have to do - you have injuries, anything that's bothering you, stay on the ground, don't try to be Superman and rush back up because it can hurt your defense."

Manuel was shaken up and helped off the field after making a tackle early in the fourth quarter, but he also returned.

Asked after the game if he believed Broncos were taking liberties with injuries, Mangini said, "With any injury situation, you take it at face value."

Players who are helped off the field have to stay out for at least one play before they can return.

Head-scratching

Jay Cutler's biggest error came on an end-zone interception on a throw across his body while rolling right in the third quarter. Denver had been poised to tack on at least a field goal.

Denver was backed up at its 11-yard line on the next offensive snap it would get, so Cutler rolled right and, with Vernon Gholston draped on him, threw a perfect strike that hit tight end Tony Scheffler between the 8's on his uniform.

"That was a hell of a throw," Scheffler said. "It's kind of ironic that across the way was Brett Favre. They're so similar and make plays virtually when there are no plays to be made."

Scheffler ended up leading Denver in both catches (seven) and yards (90). He and fellow tight end Daniel Graham combined for nearly half of Denver's receptions (13) and 149 of 357 passing yards.

"It just so happens the tight ends got involved," Scheffler said. "Anytime you establish yourself in the middle of the field, it only opens things up outside."

Injury report

* Defensive tackle Josh Shaw might be lost for the remainder of the season. Shaw suffered a right elbow injury late in the first quarter.

He was set to be evaluated more today, but the injury was considered serious and the Broncos were checking for ligament damage.

* Larsen said he landed hard on his hip and back after being blocked low on a running play. He was walking around on the sideline after the injury, but said he couldn't get it loose.

"It's not a long-term deal," Larsen said.

* Wide receiver Brandon Stokley had to ask quarterback Cutler to spike the ball to get off the field just before halftime. Stokley's helmet got pushed down as he landed.

"I couldn't see," Stokley said. "It was a hard shot. Jay wanted to run a play. I had to say, 'No way, I can't see, I can't run.' "

Etc.

* Stokley rushed up to Favre as the QB shook hands with Cutler after the game and began telling him about a game he saw when he was 10 years old with Favre behind center.

* The Broncos' 17 first-quarter points were the most by Denver this season and the third-highest total in any quarter.

* Royal's 59-yard touchdown was the second-round draft pick's fifth score this season, setting a Broncos rookie record. Royal also set a team record for receiving yards by a rookie with four games still remaining.

* Broncos long snapper Mike Leach appeared in his 100th consecutive game.

* Linebacker Nate Webster (knee) and cornerback Champ Bailey (groin) were among the game-day inactives, but are close to returning. "If I'm not out there next week, I'm going to be ticked at myself," Bailey said. "I'll be out there one way or another."

Linebacker D.J. Williams (knee), running back Selvin Young (groin) and safety Marlon McCree (ankle) were among the inactives. Defensive end Tim Crowder, defensive tackle Nic Clemons and fullback Andrew Pinnock were also on that list.

* Running back Peyton Hillis left the game briefly late after taking a hit, well, rather low.

Numbers game

2100-yard rushing games by Broncos running backs this season. Both were by players who started the season as fullbacks - Michael Pittman and Hillis.

He said it

"He hits it hard, he hits the holes. Guy breaks tackles - he broke a lot of tackles (Sunday). He runs hard. It's going to be interesting to see what happens, because I don't think he's going to give that position up lightly."

Cutler on Hillis, who finished with 129 yards rushing.

Broncos finally stop . . . a streak

* For the first time this season, the Broncos defeated an opponent with a back that rushed for 100 or more yards against them. The rundown:

Player, team Att Yds TD Result

Larry Johnson, Chiefs 28 198 2 L, 33-19

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars 22 125 2 L, 24-17

Sammy Morris, Patriots 16 138 1 L, 41-7

Justin Fargas, Raiders 24 107 0 L, 31-10

Thomas Jones, Jets 16 138 2 W, 34-17

Comments

  • December 1, 2008

    11:06 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Brain writes:

    Cotchery never controlled the ball that Fox picked-up and ran in; I was surprised that they wouldn't allow a review though. What is so hard for the NFL/CBS to have cameras on both sides of the field? If there was a camera on the both sidelines I think we would have been able to see Jones' elbow hit the ground instead we could not see that angle.

  • December 1, 2008

    12:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ColoNative writes:

    The magic number seems to be 2.

  • December 1, 2008

    9:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Mark13 writes:

    How can anyone say the guy had clear possession of the ball? He was still trying to control it when the Bronocs hit him. Watch it again Mr. Reporter rather than getting your queue from the guys on ESPN.