DENVER—For good or for ill, Dre’ Bly showed he’s in Denver to gamble.
The $33 million cornerback’s aggressive play fueled two of Sunday’s biggest plays during Denver’s 23-20 win over the Oakland Raiders.
The first play gave his opponents hope. The second saved his team and granted him redemption. The performance gave those at Invesco Field an idea of what they can expect from the big-ticket corner opposite Champ Bailey.
“Dre’ is a guy who has shown an ability to make plays. At some point, he’s going to make it,” safety John Lynch said. “That’s the great thing about the corners we have: You may get them once, but you’re not going to get them over and over again.”
Bly’s first big play was a big mistake. With the Broncos leading by 14 points late in the third quarter, Raiders receiver Jerry Porter duped Bly on a slant-and-go route that led to a 46-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh McCown.
“The quarterback faked, and I broke on it,” Bly said. “Being out there on that island, plays like that happen.”
The cornerback’s second big play was perhaps the game’s most impressive.
With 27 seconds left and the score tied, McCown looked for Porter again deep along the sideline. This time, Bly remained step for step with the receiver. He turned his head at the last moment and plucked the ball from the air at inside the Denver 20-yard line to force overtime.
“You have to wipe things out after you make a mistake,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “For him to come down with that ball is exceptional.”
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CHATTY NALEN:@ In what is thought to be a first, Broncos center Tom Nalen was on the quote sheets the team handed out after the game.
Nalen, a notorious non-talker during the blackout by the Broncos linemen over the years, has to talk now that commissioner Roger Goodell ruled in the offseason that players would be fined for keeping quiet.
So, what were his words of wisdom following the Broncos’ 23-20 victory over Oakland, their second straight last-second win?
“I wouldn’t call it old hat,” he said. “We’re finding ways to win. It’s good for the team.”
And what about Jay Cutler, who has calmly guided the Broncos downfield for game-winning drives in consecutive weeks?
“He’s big. He’s pretty calm out there. He’s definitely big in the huddle and we respect him and he’s getting it done,” Nalen said.
And what about the offensive line, which has several new faces but is opening enough holes for Travis Henry to post back-to-back 100-yard games?
“Travis is always going to look good regardless of how we block,” Nalen said. “I think guys get used to playing with each other, but we’re doing OK.”
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HE’S MONEY:@ Former Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren delivered a big message to his old team Sunday when he sacked quarterback Jay Cutler for a safety to pull Oakland to 17-12 in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos traded Warren, their highest-paid lineman last year, to the Raiders during the preseason after he struggled to adapt to Jim Bates’ new defensive scheme.
In the days leading up to the game, Warren said he felt no animosity toward the Broncos after the trade. On Sunday, however, he admitted there was something extra in his tank when he took the field.
“Just letting them know beware,” Warren said. “I’m on the roam right now in the silver and black.”
Because Warren made the team, the Raiders owe the Broncos a late draft pick next April.
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HELP FROM ABOVE?@ The Broncos talked openly after their overtime win about how the spirits of deceased teammates Darrent Williams and Damien Nash were with them the last two weeks when they won games on last-second kicks, this one after Sebastian Janikowski clanked a long field goal off the left post.
“They probably put a little sprinkle dust on (the goal post) or blew the ball a little bit,” safety Nick Ferguson said with a grin. “They were probably giving each other high-fives.”
“I’m not sure which one Darrent had and which one Damien had,” Shanahan said. “But obviously they’re doing some work upstairs.”
Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting on New Year’s Day. Nash died following a charity basketball game in St. Louis two months later.
The Broncos are wearing patches on their helmets with the numbers of both players.
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CUTLER’S COMEBACKS:@ Jay Cutler has led the Broncos on back-to-back come-from-behind wins, but this one was harder than it had to be after the Raiders came back from a two-touchdown deficit to take a 20-17 lead thanks in part to Gerard Warren’s sack for a safety and Cutler’s interception.
“You’d like to make it an easier day at the office, but we’re having fun out there,” Cutler said. “We jumped out to an early lead and let them back in to the game with that pick, they took back for six. We’ve got to go back and look at the film and get better, but we are winning ball games and that is the most important part.”
Cutler is 4-3 as a starter.
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DOUBTING JOSH:@ Watching Raiders quarterback Josh McCown scramble for 28 yards on two carries Sunday surprised some Broncos, who saw McCown listed as doubtful on Oakland’s injury report with foot and finger injuries.
“I saw him scramble with no problem,” linebacker Nate Webster said. “We made plays on him, but he didn’t look like he was in terrible condition.”
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EXTRA POINTS:@ apB Domonique Foxworth (ankle) was on the inactive list Sunday. Third-year CB Jeff Shoate replaced Foxworth in nickel packages. Denver S Hamza Abdullah left the game late in the first half with a hip flexor injury. He didn’t return.
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AP Sports Writers Arnie Stapleton and Pat Graham and AP freelancers Bill Wilson and Mike Kelly contributed to this report.
