Fans in attendance Sunday afternoon were in for a dandy in Denver.
The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings went at it in the Mile High City for an entire 60 minutes filled with physical football and dominant defense for the men in orange and blue. Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was under siege all afternoon long from the Broncos’ pass-rushing pirates Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and even safety T.J. Ward.
After some fierce defense by both teams, Denver gained the 10-3 lead when Ronnie Hillman took the pitch from Peyton Manning outside and up the sideline 72 yards for speed to the house. That run was much-needed from the Broncos offense which was built to be a running machine but one which saw very little success to that point in the season. And when Brandon McManus nailed his second field goal of the day, it looked like Denver would walk all over Minnesota. But, nope.
The Vikings sailed back into the contest when Blair Walsh booted a 38-yarder and, after Manning was intercepted, Minnesota scored from Bridgewater to Mike Wallace to bring the game to 13-10 Denver at the half.
In the second half, Manning hit Owen Daniels on a 4th and one for the touchdown to widen their lead to 20-10. Again, despite the consistent pressure from the defensive front, Bridgewater and the Vikings offense wouldn’t quit. First, Adrian Peterson broke off a 48-yard run to the crib through a massive hole to make it 20-17, Denver, and then Bridgewater led his team down the field for a field goal to tie it up with only 5:11 to play. But Manning constructed the game-winning scoring drive and, fittingly, it was defense deciding the fate of the contest on with less than two minutes to play. Ward blitzed in and hit Bridgewater, forcing him to fumble and the Broncos kneeled out the win.
STAR OF THE GAME
T.J. Ward enjoyed not only the game-winning play, but two sacks on the day long with six total tackles. He was an absolute beast, bringing back memories of the “Smiling Assassin” Steve Atwater in his heyday.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Again, it’s Ward‘s forced fumble. That play was clutch, crucial and the third game in four the Broncos have won with a forced turnover on the opponents’ last offensive play.
Last play from the field level with crowd reaction pic.twitter.com/INgSXb2SqF
— Spano (@BrandonSpano) October 4, 2015
TURNING POINT
When Manning threw the interception late in the second quarter, it represented a turning point for the Vikings. They gained momentum from the turnover and scored two plays later to bring themselves within three at the break.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hillman enjoyed a monster game of 11 carries for 103 yards and the 72-yard touchdown which boosted those numbers. The 144 yards of rushing were nearly as much as they gained in the previous three games combined (171). Finally, the team is getting into a groove on the ground.
Brandon McManus went 3-3 on field goal attempts, bringing his season to a perfect 9-9 overall.
The Vikings ran a total of 69 offensive plays but were held to only 325 total yards.
Denver’s D enjoyed seven total sacks, with eight hurries and 12 hits on Bridgewater. They were the story of the game as they went out “kicking and screaming” just as John Elway wants.
LASTING IMPACT
For a fourth straight week, the Broncos have proven to the NFL they can win the close, scrappy games which weren’t in their repertoire at any time during the Elway – Manning Era to this point. While Gary Kubiak is an offensive-minded head coach, Denver is defense-first all the way. It’s the kind of team which can win in the playoffs, one which can win a Super Bowl. The Broncos are now one of only five undefeated teams through four weeks of football.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Broncos (4-0) play the hated Oakland Raiders (2-2) next Sunday in California, with kickoff scheduled for 2:25 p.m. MDT. The Raiders are fresh off a tough 20-22 loss to the Chicago Bears.
