Rod Smith was asked about the incredible running performances his Broncos have delivered the past five or six weeks.
“Five or six weeks?” said Smith, a veteran receiver. “Twelve years.”
Indeed, since Mike Shanahan became head coach in 1995, no NFL team has gained more rushing yards than the 23,849 compiled by the Broncos. Second-place Pittsburgh is more than 1,000 yards behind.
Even by the Broncos’ lofty running standards, though, they may be outdoing themselves this year.
“Why not?” said Mike Anderson, the Broncos’ lead running back. “Why set limits on yourself?”
The Broncos had not one, but two 100-yard rushers Sunday in their 49-21 thumping of the Philadelphia Eagles. Anderson got his 126 yards by grinding out an average of 6.0 yards a carry. And Tatum Bell got 67 of his 107 yards on one late touchdown burst that made the score 42-21.
Anderson and Bell are the first Broncos to account for 100 rushing yards apiece in a game since Terrell Davis (184) and Derek Loville (103) did it in a 1997 playoff game against Jacksonville. It hadn’t happened in the regular season since 1976, when Otis Armstrong (116) and Norris Weese (120) did it at Chicago.
“We can change it up,” Anderson said. “We can pound you, and, of course, every time he (Bell) touches the ball, he can go the distance.”
At the season’s halfway point, both Broncos running backs are on pace for 1,000-yard seasons: Anderson for 1,208 yards, Bell for 1,124 yards. Only three times have teammates each gained 1,000 yards in the same season, and none in 20 years since Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack did for the 1985 Browns.
Between them, Anderson and Bell are on pace to gain 2,332 yards. Not even O.J., Eric Dickerson or Terrell Davis could approach that kind of single-season production. When a team runs this well, for this long, with so many different running backs, considerable credit is naturally dished out to the offensive line.
Maintaining unspoken tradition, no Broncos lineman talks to the press during the season except for right tackle George Foster, who serves as their spokesman.
“I get a kick out of it, I get joy out of it,” Foster said about the success of his dual running backs. “When our guys do good, that means we must be doing something right.”
Pryce gets his QB
And in the eighth game, Trevor Pryce got his first sack. It came on the first play of the second half. The dump of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb not only ended Pryce’s personal skid of almost two years (he missed most of last season with a back injury), it snapped the Broncos’ sackless slump of 3 1/2 games.
“I won’t end the season oh-fer,” Pryce said. “That’s what I was thinking.”
On the next play, the Broncos got their second sack in 3 1/2 games, and only their 10th of the season, as Darrent Williams came in on a cornerback blitz.
When the dancing stopped
With all due respect to Terrell Owens and his flying Eagle, the best touchdown dance may belong to Broncos fullback Kyle Johnson. Having made the 10 o’clock sports highlights last year with his “bucking Bronco,” Johnson has broken out the dance only once this year – last week, in front of his hometown fans against the New York Giants in New Jersey.
That’s not many end-zone celebrations for a fullback who scored his team-leading fifth touchdown Sunday. And he might not dance again after Shanahan expressed his disdain for end- zone demonstrations.
“He talked to me,” Johnson said. “He did it very jovially. I told him, ‘Coach, I only did it because I was back home in Jersey.’ I never want to disrespect my teammates.”
A special receiver
Having been productive for so long, Smith is at the stage in his career when he reaches significant career milestones in almost every game.
His first catch Sunday gave him at least one in 100 consecutive games. His five receptions in the game gave him 753 for his career, moving him past the likes of Charlie Joiner and Michael Irvin for 16th place on the NFL’s all-time list. His touchdown was the 65th of his career, tying him with Davis for the Broncos’ all-time lead.
After his touchdown, he ran toward the stands along the 10-yard line and tossed the ball to his mother, Lidia.
“I usually play pretty well when she’s there,” Smith said. “She’s a football fan, so she knows what’s going on and she knows when I make mistakes. So I’ve got to make sure I don’t disappoint her.”
Carswell update
Hospitalized Broncos offensive lineman Dwayne Carswell couldn’t be at the game Sunday, but Carswell’s wife Tamara and two daughters attended the game. Shanahan set aside a game ball for Carswell.
Carswell was listed in fair condition Sunday but remained in intensive care after sustaining injuries in a five-car accident Thursday morning.
“He’s doing fine,” Carswell’s agent, James Field, said. “But he still has some recovering to do.”
Field added there is no timetable for Carswell, 33, to be released from Aurora South Medical Center. Field said a majority of the Broncos team visited Carswell on Friday and Saturday. Carswell’s mother also is in town. Carswell underwent a five-hour surgery Thursday after suffering a massive bruises, multiple rib fractures, a ruptured diaphragm and a ruptured spleen, which was removed.
Before the game, defensive captain Al Wilson addressed the team and told his teammates they had an opportunity to win the game, something Carswell wished he could do but couldn’t.
“Our guys responded,” Shanahan said. “It was very important for them to get it done for him.”
Linebacker Keith Burns was one of several players who planned to visit Carswell in the hospital after the game.
“He was on all of our minds,” Burns said. “He’s going to be fine, but we really wanted to do this for him.”
With Carswell out for the season, the Broncos replaced his backup guard position with rookie Chris Myers, who dressed for his first NFL game Sunday. As for Carswell’s roster spot, Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said he would probably sign a lineman today.
Turnover streak continues
The Broncos’ offense hasn’t committed a turnover since 9:31 of the third quarter against San Diego on Sept. 18. Denver’s offense has gone 25 quarters without turning the ball over.
The streak is likely an NFL record, but the league doesn’t keep such an offensive mark, only overall team marks. Denver was poised to set the NFL record for the longest time without a turnover at five games, but the Broncos turned it over on a desperation attempt on the final kickoff of last week’s game at New York. Denver remained tied with several teams by going four games without a turnover.
Denver is on pace to commit 12 turnovers, which would match the NFL record for the fewest turnovers set by Kansas City in 1982.
Denver quarterback Jake Plummer has attempted 171 passes without throwing an interception, his career best streak. His previous long without an interception was 139 passes in 2003.
Injury report
Other than Champ Bailey leaving the game in the second half, Denver reported no major injuries. Wilson and long snapper Mike Leach both dealt with finger injuries and had huge wraps on their hands after the game.
Wilson dislocated a finger but returned to the game. Leach broke his left pinkie in the third quarter, but still was able to snap the ball afterward.
“If I’m going to break something I’ll take a pinkie any time,” Leach joked. “Ronnie Lott cut his off and he was a hero. Maybe I’ll cut mine off, too. That’s what legends are made of. … Well, I don’t know for snappers.”
Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse and cornerback Lito Sheppard were knocked out of the game. Kearse suffered a shoulder sprain and is scheduled to undergo an MRI today.
Flying low
The loss dropped the Eagles out of a tie for the lead in the NFC East, but coach Andy Reid was not about to concede anything.
Asked if the defending conference champions are still a Super Bowl team, Reid said: “Absolutely.”
Safety Michael Lewis, a former CU star, had a different take.
“We’re just fighting for our lives now,” said Lewis. “Get rid of all that NFC champs and all that talk like that. That’s all out the window now.”
Sure hands
With his 2-yard catch from Jake Plummer on the Broncos’ first drive against the Eagles on Sunday, Rod Smith extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 100. Smith is among only six active receivers with 100 or more straight games with a catch:
Player || Team || Catches
Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis 146
Keyshawn Johnson, Dallas 143
Terrell Owens, Philadelphia 136
Eric Moulds, Buffalo 117
Hines Ward, Pittsburgh 109
Rod Smith, Denver 100
Note: Does not include Sunday night’s game between New England and Buffalo.
Staff writers Jim Armstrong and Joseph Sanchez contributed to this report.
