Franco Harris down, Rocky Bleier to go.
Broncos running back Mike Anderson, the equivalent to Harris, Larry Csonka and Kevin Mack in Denver’s quest for NFL rushing history, is safely inside the 1,000-yard circle.
Tatum Bell, the Broncos’ alter running back much like Bleier, Mercury Morris and Earnest Byner were to their respective tandems, is 131 yards short.
“Is that all?” Bell said, teasingly. “We’ll see. I’m going to give it my best.”
Anderson reached the milestone Saturday, gaining 1,014 yards for the season before suffering a sprained ankle while completing an 11-yard run near the end of the first half against the Raiders.
Bell finished the game from there, but with 869 yards and just one regular- season game remaining next weekend at San Diego, he will need a career-best game to join Anderson in the 1,000-yard club.
“I’d like to see him get there,” Anderson said. “I was pulling for him today. I told him before we left (Dove Valley), lay it all on the line. Two games to do it.”
There’s history in it for Anderson if Bell reaches the milestone. The Broncos have had 16 1,000-yard seasons, including Anderson twice. But only three NFL teams had two running backs each reach 1,000 yards in the same season – Csonka and Morris for Miami, Harris and Bleier for Pittsburgh, Mack and Byner for Cleveland – and none in the past 20 years.
But even if Anderson rests his ankle next weekend against the Chargers, it won’t be easy for Bell to get 131 yards against a defense that entered play Saturday ranked No. 1 against the run.
Injury likely to sideline Wilson
Several Broncos likely won’t play in the regular-season finale at San Diego. No playoff positioning is riding on the game; Denver has secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC and the Chargers have been eliminated from the playoffs.
Anderson and linebacker Al Wilson are not likely to play. Wilson likely has a broken thumb and is expected to have surgery Monday. He said he expects to play in Denver’s playoff game, the weekend of Jan. 14-15. Wilson said he doesn’t know all of the details of the injury.
“I could play now if I had to,” Wilson said. “I’m playing in the playoffs.”
Anderson has a sprained ankle but should be ready for the playoffs. Cornerback Champ Bailey briefly left the game Saturday with an apparent rib injury but returned. Receiver Ashley Lelie received stitches for a cut on his arm but should be available at San Diego.
Playing time for Van Pelt?
Even with the final regular-season game having no bearing on the Broncos’ playoff position, don’t expect coach Mike Shanahan to sit quarterback Jake Plummer and give Bradlee Van Pelt his first NFL start.
The Broncos don’t have a third quarterback, and with two weeks between their regular-season finale and their first playoff game, look for Shanahan to play almost all of his starters.
A more pertinent question for Plummer and the others is how much they will play.
“Right now I expect to play,” said Van Pelt, who has one rushing touchdown in his brief career. “But that doesn’t mean I expect to play three quarters and it doesn’t mean I expect to start.
“I prepare every week like I’m going to play so it’s not going to be any different. I might have a little more butterflies knowing I could play.”
Targeting Lelie
Lelie could tell during the practice week that he might have a chance to catch a few passes Saturday against the Raiders. He wound up with his best game of the season, recording six receptions for 110 yards and running a reverse for 7 yards.
“I had an idea once the game plan went in, all our coaches were talking about how they like to stop the run and me and Rod (Smith) would be in man coverage,” Lelie said. “Teams are loading up in the box now to stop the run. Teams must not believe the weapons we have outside, but that’s what makes our offense so special. We have so many weapons.”
Burns’ outburst pays off
At the conclusion of the Broncos’ special-teams practice Wednesday, unit captain Keith Burns lit into his teammates with a long, expletive-laden message in a huddle.
Saturday, Denver’s special-teams unit was much better than in the past two weeks, forcing a fumble on the second-half kickoff and recovering it.
“It’s just one game, but it seemed to work,” Burns said. “I got animated at practice. I just wanted the guys to know there is a standard here that we have to live up to. We were lackluster and it was all building up. I let it go and today we moved on.”
Party time for Broncos
When the Broncos returned to their lockers after the game, each player had an AFC West Division champion shirt and hat waiting.
“It all didn’t hit me until I saw the hat,” Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun said. “It’s wild. We’re the champs.”
Rookie cornerback Domonique Foxworth used his new hat to point out the solid play of teammate Nick Ferguson, who intercepted a pass Saturday. Ferguson did not make the Pro Bowl despite intercepting five passes this season, third highest among safeties.
Foxworth’s hat had “#25, Pro Bowl” written on it, in honor of Ferguson, who wears that number. Foxworth did interviews while wearing the hat.
“It’s ridiculous that Nick didn’t make it,” Foxworth said. “He’s had a great season.”
Happy owner
This past week, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen called Saturday’s game an “opportunity” for the team and fans to create a great holiday memory. After the memory was secured, Bowlen walked off Invesco Field in high spirits.
“It couldn’t be better,” Bowlen said. “We’re two games from the Super Bowl.”
Lynch to attend Dungy service
Broncos safety John Lynch will attend a private Dungy family reception Monday night in Tampa, Fla., in memory of James Dungy, the 18-year-old son of Colts coach Tony Dungy who died of an apparent suicide Thursday. Lynch, who played for Dungy with Tampa Bay, is expected to return to Denver by Tuesday morning.
2006 schedule set
The two remaining open games in the Broncos’ 2006 regular-season schedule have been set because the AFC West, South and East divisions have been clinched. The AFC West champion Broncos will host AFC South champion Indianapolis and visit AFC East champion New England.
Denver’s other home games will be against Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Baltimore, Cincinnati, San Francisco and Seattle. Denver’s other road games will be at Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Arizona and St. Louis. Dates will be determined in the spring.
Freezing the kicker?
Leading 22-0 early in the fourth quarter, Denver called a timeout just before Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski made a 43-yard field goal to end the shutout.
Raiders coach Norv Turner didn’t comment on the timeout, but quarterback Kerry Collins said he wouldn’t hold it against Shanahan.
“It was 22-0, not like 47-0 or something, but I don’t think they’re going to cut us any slack,” Collins said. “Mike and everybody in the Broncos’ organization, anytime they can run it in the Raiders, they’re going to do it.”
Footnotes
With five catches for 91 yards, Smith became the leader among Raiders opponents in catches (99) and receiving yards (1,291). … The Raiders must have figured that with their top running back, LaMont Jordan, sidelined because of turf toe, the Broncos would be counting on defending the pass. This would explain why Raiders fullback Zack Crockett, who was moved to tailback to replace Jordan, carried the ball on the Raiders’ first six offensive plays. Crockett picked up two first downs, but the opening drive fizzled. … Lelie’s six catches were one more than he had combined for in his previous four games. He had one catch at Buffalo, two against the Ravens and Chiefs, and none against Dallas. … Denver’s win moved Shanahan to 50 games over .500 – 128-78 – in his NFL coaching career. Also, he passed Mike Ditka for 19th on the league’s all-time wins list. … The Broncos have swept the season series with the Raiders seven times in Shana- han’s 11 seasons as Denver’s coach. … Raiders running back Justin Fargas is the son of Antonio Fargas, who played the role of Huggy Bear in the 1970s television series “Starsky and Hutch.”
Staff writers Jim Armstrong and Mike Chambers contributed to this report.
