EXTRA POINTS
BESTS
Bailey saves TD again
Touchdown-saving tackle: Where would the Denver special teams be without Champ Bailey? He saved a potential touchdown by Maurice Jones-Drew on a kickoff. It was Bailey’s second touchdown-saving tackle on special teams in three games.
Taking advantage: In the first quarter, Denver defensive lineman Alvin McKinley brought down QB David Garrard while Elvis Dumervil was engaged in a double team.
Drive: The Jaguars had an 18-play, 11-minute, 44-second drive that ended with a touchdown early in the second quarter.
WORSTS
Missed 3rd-down stops
Third-down defense: Jacksonville converted 7-of-10 third-down plays in the first half.
Counters: Denver had 12 men on the field for the second time in two games.
Penalties: Tight end Nate Jackson and receiver Brandon Stokley had first-down nullifying penalties in the first half.
Timeout usage: The Broncos burned their final two timeouts on back-to-back red-zone plays in the third quarter.
TURNING POINT
Broncos give away 3 to start second half
To open the second half, Denver returner Domenik Hixon fumbled the kickoff and former Colorado star Brian Iwuh recovered it at the Denver 18, setting up a Jacksonville field goal to give the visitors a 20-7 lead.
CRAZY PLAY OF THE DAY
Marshall breaks five tackles on play
Denver receiver Brandon Marshall continued his spectacular play with a tackle-breaking run after a catch to put the ball inside the Jaguars’ 1-yard line. Marshall was hit by five Jaguars after catching the short pass.
HIT OF THE DAY
Dumervil forces fumble
In the third quarter, Denver defensive end Elvis Dumervil sacked Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard and forced a fumble. Dumervil recovered the fumble and gave the Broncos possession at the Jaguars’ 44-yard line. “I was just trying to make a play,” Dumervil said. “I was just trying to make something happen.”
THE GRADES
Offense
D: The big problem for the offense was its inability to get on
the field. Denver ran only 42 offensive plays. Travis Henry,
who entered the game as the NFL’s leading rusher,
gained only 35 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Jay Cutler,
right, had a good day, completing 16-of-23 passes for
222 yards, and receiver Brandon Marshall continued his
fast maturation with seven catches for 133 yards. A fumble
by Selvin Young at the end of the first half hurt the team, as
did some penalties and dropped passes.
Defense
F: It was a bad day for the Denver defense, especially against the run. Jacksonville,
which struggled on the ground its first two games, gained 186 yards
rushing on 47 carries. The Jaguars ran the ball more times than Denver had offensive
plays. Denver allowed Jacksonville to convert 8-of-16 third-down opportunities,
including 7-of-10 tries in the first half.
Special teams
F: The special teams have not improved. Jacksonville would have busted a kickoff
for a score if not for a save by Champ Bailey. To open the second half, Domenik
Hixon fumbled the kickoff at the Denver 18 at a time the team was trailing
by 10 points and needed to get momentum.
Coaching
D: Usually, Mike Shanahan’s gambles work. They didn’t on
fourth down twice Sunday in the second half. In the
third quarter on fourth-and-1K, Cutler was stopped on a
run. Then with less than five minutes to go, Daniel Graham
nearly made a big catch on fourth down. The gambles were
worth taking, but the execution wasn’t there.
Overall
F: This was bad. The Broncos were never in the game because of their own mistakes.
Denver blew a chance to extend its lead in the AFC West. It leads San
Diego, Oakland and Kansas City by a game heading into huge back-to-back
games at Indianapolis and at home against San Diego.
