On his way to a 1,000-yard season, something hardly funny happened to Tatum Bell.
He started fumbling the ball. Deep in his territory. Costing his team a touchdown in back-to-back games.
“Man, just lack of concentration,” Bell said. “That’s just bad stuff on my part. Two weeks in a row. I’m not a fumbler. Today, I saw the daylight and I thought I was going to be out (of the hole), and I got wrapped up. He didn’t even punch it out, really. I just wasn’t carrying the ball like I used to.”
Two weeks ago, Bell had 898 yards with three games to go. Plenty of time for a back averaging 89.8 yards in the 10 games he had played. Then he fumbled last week at Arizona and had it returned for a touchdown.
In the Broncos’ 24-23 win Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Bell was running through a hole for 5 yards when defensive tackle Domata Peko put his arm on the ball. It popped free and the Bengals recovered at the Broncos’ 30-yard line.
Six plays later, the Bengals scored a go-ahead touchdown.
Tatum Bell was replaced by Mike Bell in the Arizona game and again in the Bengals game. Because he gained just 79 yards in the past two games – Mike Bell had 130 yards and three touchdowns – Tatum Bell is at 977 yards with the season finale against San Francisco remaining.
“I’ve got to have a good week of practice,” Tatum Bell said.
Lynch shines
Few safeties can match the NFL career of John Lynch, who last week was named to his eighth Pro Bowl. But even for a 35-year-old in his 14th season, it’s not too late to have one of the best games of his career.
Lynch was sensational Sunday, laying big hits on Bengals running back Rudi Johnson and receiver Chris Henry. The blow delivered on Henry saved a touchdown as the Bengals’ receiver was open at the Broncos’ 2-yard line before Lynch separated him from the ball.
“I felt like I was 28 (and) back in Tampa,” said Lynch, who also forced a fumble while rotating between positions as a roving safety and a run-stuffing fourth linebacker. “Just had a little extra juice. I try to bring that every day but I think this game just had a playoff atmosphere to it.”
Lynch said his teammates have ribbed him all season that he hasn’t had any of his trademark big hits.
“The guys said I haven’t been on (ESPN segment) ‘Jacked Up,”‘ Lynch said. “Hopefully, today I’ll have my own segment.”
Foxworth struggles to breathe
For a few scary minutes after the game, the Broncos paused from their locker room celebration while strong safety Domonique Foxworth was treated for hyperventilation. Foxworth recovered several minutes later and was talking to family members just outside the locker room about 45 minutes after the game.
Foxworth finished the game with a game-high 14 tackles and was spotted shivering uncontrollably after the game.
“It was just plain cold out there,” Foxworth said after he showered and dressed. “I’m fine. I’m not going to a hospital to get checked out. I’m going home.”
No huddle, big worries
Starting with their second possession, the Bengals utilized a no-huddle offense that at times had the Broncos’ defense gasping for air. Normally, the no- huddle conjures up images of quarterbacks slinging passes around the field, but the Broncos’ struggles were in stopping the run, particularly Johnson, who finished with 129 yards on 30 carries.
“I tell you what, I wouldn’t be surprised if San Francisco uses the no-huddle next week because of the problems we had,” defensive lineman Ebenezer Ekuban said.
Lynch said the key to the no-huddle was the quick decision-making by Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer.
“Essentially, what Carson’s doing there is we show our hand and if we have seven men in the box he’s going to run it, if we have eight men in the box he’s going to throw it,” Lynch said. “People might say why doesn’t everyone do that? Well it’s only guys like Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer who can handle that.”
In Leach, the Broncos trust
After what happened to the Bengals at the end of the game Sunday, perhaps greater appreciation will be directed at Broncos long-snapper Mike Leach. While Leach again did his job in anonymity, the Bengals’ Brad St. Louis snapped wide of the holder to abort an extra point that would have tied the game, 24-24 with 41 seconds remaining.
“No one thinks about it until something like that happens,” Leach said. “As soon as it happened, I felt bad. I knew it was a little outside and if I’m going to miss, I try to miss inside because it’s easier for the holder to gather the ball in his body.”
When national becomes local
For the 13th time in 28 games dating to last season, the Broncos’ game on television was called by CBS’ No. 1 broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. The game Sunday against the Bengals was their sixth this season. The Broncos are 3-3 this season in the presence of Nantz and Simms.
“I don’t mind it,” Simms said. “Good team, good coach, a quarterback switch that became a national story about 20 times. When we do a team as many times as we’ve done the Broncos, it only means they’re having success. I think one year we did them nine times, counting playoffs.”
Injury update
Cornerback Karl Paymah finished the game playing for Darrent Williams, who suffered back spasms after a fourth-quarter punt return. Williams said he was going to return had the game gone to overtime.
Receiver Javon Walker suffered a wrist injury in the third quarter. He did return. Walker said he was “fine” and he didn’t need X-rays.
Warren is all ears
In the first quarter, defensive tackle Gerard Warren was seen peering in on Palmer as he barked audibles during the no-huddle.
“Any advantage you can get, you take,” Warren said. “You can really help the team out, if you hear different things. They don’t like it, but I’m on my side of the ball. I’m going to listen.”
Inactive list
Denver was completely healthy going into the game. None of its eight inactive players was an injury-related decision.
Right tackle Adam Meadows was healthy enough to dress for the first time since he injured his right hamstring Nov. 23 at Kansas City. Still, George Foster started at right tackle.
The Broncos’ inactive players were receiver Brian Clark, running backs Damien Nash and Cedric Cobbs, linebacker Nate Webster, guard Chris Kuper, tight end Chad Mustard and defensive lineman Kenny Peterson and Antwon Burton.
Moving up
Johnson scored his 45th career touchdown. He’s tied for second on the Bengals’ all-time list with Corey Dillon.
Thoughts exchanged
Palmer shrugged off an apparent verbal dispute with teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh during a timeout in the first half. “It’s part of the game,” Palmer said. “I get mad at guys, guys get mad at me. We handled it.”
Footnotes
Lynch, when asked if Broncos defensive backs tried to intimidate the Cincinnati receivers: “A little bit, because they’re so talented. I think Carson Palmer is kind of the Troy Aikman of this generation. He just stands back there, and it looks like he was born to be a quarterback. He just puts the ball on the money. And they’ve got big-time, big-time receivers and a good running back, too. So you’ve got to bring your lunch pail when you play these guys.” … The Broncos’ 99-yard scoring drive was the second this season in a game involving Denver. San Diego had one at Invesco Field on Nov. 19. … The Broncos had two interceptions on third down, running their season total to nine on the down. Opponents are 1-for-28 on third-and-11 or longer vs. the Denver defense. … Players said one of the game balls went to the Bowlen family in the aftermath of the death of Pat Bowlen’s mother Wednesday. … Maybe it was Christmas Eve. Maybe it was the snow. Maybe it was both. Whatever the cause, the Broncos had a whopping 5,536 no-shows Sunday.
Staff writers Jim Armstrong and Irv Moss contributed to this report.
