Foxborough, Mass. – In the good cheer of a postgame locker room, Rod Smith was disappointed with Tatum Bell, the new go-to Broncos running back.
“Tatum, you should have gotten 200 yards,” Smith said.
“I know,” Bell said.
Bell had to settle for 123 yards on 27 carries. For the first time in his three-season NFL career, Bell was the primary tailback for Denver. After rotating every series with rookie Mike Bell in the first two games, Tatum Bell was the main running back Sunday night. Mike Bell had 12 yards on four carries in a reserve role.
“It feels great,” Tatum Bell said. “I’ve been waiting for this. … I’ve worked hard in practice to get this.”
Denver coach Mike Shanahan said Bell earned it. The key for Bell is to tell the coaches when he is tired, Shanahan said.
“I know that’s the deal,” Bell said. “I got winded, Mike came in and did a good job. … But I know it’s my job and that feels good.”
Rod’s return
After getting knocked out twice with a concussion last week, Smith changed helmets this week.
“They didn’t give me a special helmet, I went in there and asked them for a different helmet,” Smith said. “It’s a different feel than what I’m used to. I’ve been playing with the same helmet my whole career. My thing is to find a way to stay on the field for four quarters and it worked. Because I took some shots and it did the job.”
The Broncos also limited Smith’s playing time, spelling him with David Kircus. Still, Smith had a game-high six catches, although for only 44 yards.
“I play an over-the-middle game,” Smith said. “I play in a lot of traffic. I asked Junior (Seau, the Patriots’ linebacker) why he hit me like that and he said he was trying to make a play.”
Wilson dinged
Middle linebacker Al Wilson tweaked a hamstring in pregame warm-ups. The field was in bad condition after a Rolling Stones concert last week and a soccer game Saturday night.
“It was bad out there,” Wilson said. “Can you believe it? Pregame warm-ups?”
Wilson sat out some in the game, but he was fine after the game.
Denver didn’t report any significant injuries. Cornerback Darrent Williams suffered a minor neck injury and didn’t return after being hurt in the fourth quarter. But he said he could have played if the game was in question.
Kircus comes up big
With rookie Brandon Marshall still learning the offense, Kircus may be emerging as the No. 3 receiving option. When Smith went out for a breather, Kircus delivered with two big catches for 36 yards.
“I know I’m not going to get a lot of balls,” Kircus said. “So when they come my way, I have to catch them. … Rod came out and the team needed me.”
Lynch turns 35
When he suffered a near career-ending neck injury while with Tampa Bay in 2003, it appeared unlikely John Lynch would celebrate his 35th birthday in a winning locker room. But Lynch did and will turn 35 today.
“Guys were joking with me that I need to get a RV and start tailgating,” Lynch said. “But this feels great.”
Burns, Seymour tangle
After a Denver punt, New England’s Richard Seymour chased down Denver’s Keith Burns because Seymour was upset by a Burns block.
“What I am I supposed to do, he was rushing,” Burns said. “If you don’t like it, don’t rush. … It wasn’t like I was scared he was going to punch me out there or anything.”
Nowhere to go
Darrent Williams was nearly tackled for a safety after trying to take a punt near the end zone.
“I didn’t know where I was,” Williams said. “Next time, I’ll know. … Thank goodness, it didn’t kill the team.”
Double kick block
First, Domonique Foxworth flew across from the left corner to partially block a 37-yard field-goal attempt by the Patriots’ Stephen Gostkowski in the second quarter.
“My fingers caught the bottom of the ball,” Foxworth said.
Then linebacker D.J. Williams finished off the kick with the meaty part of his hand.
Morgan activated
Freshly signed kick returner Quincy Morgan got off to an inauspicious start as he muffed his only return before picking it up and gaining just 12 yards.
Shotgun Jake
The Broncos opened by having quarterback Jake Plummer operate from the shotgun on passing downs, as he did late in last week’s game, to encouraging results, against the Chiefs.
Opposing defenses have been forcing Plummer to stay in the pocket, feeling he is most effective while moving on the edges. As the game went on, though, Plummer began taking straight drops on passes. Both of his touchdowns to Javon Walker came off dropbacks to the pocket.
“It’s not that they’re keeping me in the pocket, it’s that they’re trying to stop our bootleg,” Plummer said. “If teams start taking that away, it should help our running game.”
Carswell job-hunting
Former longtime Bronco Dwayne Carswell is scheduled to work out for former Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak in Houston today. Agent Jimmy Field said Carswell flew to Houston on Sunday.
The Texans will look at Carswell as both an offensive lineman and tight end.
China-bound
Before the game here Sunday night, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Patriots will play a preseason game Aug. 8 against the Seattle Seahawks in Beijing.
The Broncos are trying to play another game in China, this time in Shanghai, although probably in 2009, not in 2008 as initially planned. Shanghai officials have asked for their exhibition game to be played the year before they host the World Expo in 2010 as a way to help promote the event.
An “A” for the “D”
Broncos defensive coordinator Larry Coyer, on opening the season with 11-plus quarters of not allowing a touchdown: “It’s not me, it’s our players. It’s quite an accomplishment for them, quite a deal. They should be especially proud of that.”
Short stuff
Javon Walker, on the win: “It’s real big. Obviously it’s easy to say 1-2, but thank God we’re 2-1.” … Walker on his big-play capabilities: “That’s why Coach Shanahan brought me in. I’m just mostly happy for the people of Denver, just to show them what I can do at any given moment.”
Jim Armstrong contributed to this report.
