Remember back in that first week of training camp when the Broncos’ chief concern was who was going to play wide receiver? Remember that? No, you probably don’t.
Good thing, because today the only concern regarding the Broncos’ receiving unit is whether there are enough passes to go around.
Tucked in the abundance of story lines of the Broncos’ back-to-back victories on the final play of the game is the impact the receiving corps has had on the games. Just as they did last week at Buffalo, receivers Javon Walker, Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokley were instrumental in quarterback Jay Cutler’s wild comeback drives.
Sunday, the receivers came through for Cutler on two end-of-the-game drives as the Broncos beat the pesky Oakland Raiders in overtime 23-20 at Invesco Field at Mile High. It was the first time since Green Bay in 2004 that an NFL team won games on the final play in successive weeks. Denver wouldn’t have done it if not for the clutch play of its receivers.
With apologies to the slick, but not as talented, “Three Amigos” of the 1980s, this group has the chance to become the best threesome of receivers in Broncos history.
“Those guys are unreal,” Broncos fullback Mike Bell said. “They might just be the best receiver group in the league. They’re all special players. You just don’t see three receivers who are that good on the same team.”
Marshall began training camp in coach Mike Shanahan’s doghouse when he missed the first 12 days because of a lingering quadriceps injury.
Stokley also missed much of training camp as he healed from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in December in his final season with the Colts. With Marshall and Stokley out, the Broncos began the preseason with No. 4 receiver Domenik Hixon as the starter alongside Walker, causing a bit of worry.
While Walker, Marshall and Stokley all played major roles in the victory Sunday, it was Marshall who made the final impact. On the final play from scrimmage, Marshall – who is emerging as a standout in his second season – ran about 10 yards after a catch to the Oakland 6 on second-and-11 from the Oakland 28. While the Broncos were on the cusp of field-goal range for Jason Elam before the play, Marshall’s play sealed it. Elam and the field goal team immediately came onto the field for the game-winning, 23-yard kick.
“I kept pushing and pushing,” Marshall said. “I tried and tried to get as far as I could. I knew that was my job.”
Marshall made five catches for 82 yards. His overtime play made up for a miscue in the third quarter. Marshall had a similar, fantastic run after the catch for an apparent 24-yard TD on third-and-14 that would have given the Broncos a 23-3 lead. But Marshall was called for pass interference and Oakland began an unlikely comeback.
“It was the right call,” Marshall said of the interference penalty. “I pushed off.”
Walker, who caught four balls on the Broncos’ game-winning drive last week, had two big catches on Denver’s drive to tie the game at 20-20 with 2:22 to go in regulation. Walker had a game-high eight receptions for 101 yards.
Stokley caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Cutler in the first quarter to give Denver a 7-0 lead. But his biggest play was a 23-yard catch to the Oakland 48 with 7:30 to go in regulation. It came on third-and-11.
“We’re just having a lot of fun here making plays when we get the chance,” Stokley said. “We have a lot of potential here, and hopefully we’ll be showing it more and more as the season goes along.”
The big three
Broncos reporter Bill Williamson examines how Denver’s top receivers performed in Sunday’s 23-20 OT win:
JAVON WALKER
He had a game-high eight catches for 101 yards and had two catches on Denver’s game-tying drive late in regulation.
BRANDON MARSHALL
He had a 22-yard reception to the Raiders 6 to set up Jason Elam’s winning, 23-yard field goal. Marshall produced an extra 10 yards after the catch to reach the 6. The Broncos won on the next play.
BRANDON STOKLEY
The No. 3 receiver had a first-quarter touchdown in addition to a 23-yard reception to the Oakland 48 on third-and-11 with 7:30 to go in Denver’s game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.
Staff writer Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-954-1262 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
