SAN DIEGO — For all the problems the Broncos had at tailback, tailback was hardly the worst of the Broncos’ problems.
Sure, times seem desperate when a team has to go to the Aurora Mall to find its starting tailback for the final two games of the season. But Tatum Bell, a cellphone sales manager just six weeks ago, was impressive against the Chargers, scoring on runs of 26 yards on the Broncos’ first drive of the game and 37 yards on the opening drive of the second half.
“He got himself back in the league, I know that,” said Broncos center Casey Wiegmann.
Bell finished the game with 86 yards on eight carries.
For the season, Bell had 249 yards rushing on 44 carries, a 5.7-yard average.
“Hopefully, I did well enough to be back for the Broncos,” Bell said.
Drops and more drops.
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler had decent statistics (33-of-49 for 316 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions) that could have been better if Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal had not dropped three passes in the first half.
After Royal’s second drop, Cutler was caught on camera shouting an expletive at Royal.
“He had the right to get on me,” Royal said. “I didn’t start the way I needed to. Sometimes you need that from your quarterback.”
Said Cutler: “That was uncharacteristic of Eddie to drop balls. He’s very sure-handed. He was disappointed, I was disappointed.”
Slumping Prater.
Don’t be surprised if the Broncos show interest in Detroit kicker Jason Hanson when the veteran becomes a free agent in March. Matt Prater’s future could be murky after his slump in the second half of the season was capped by a boinked extra point off the goal post following Denver’s first touchdown. Prater had ricocheted in his first extra point off the left upright, but a motion penalty forced him to kick it again. From the 25, he again hooked the kick, only this time he hit the upright square.
Hanson was 8-for-8 from 50 or more yards and 6-for-6 from 40 to 49 yards in field goals this year.
Battered Champ.
Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, who missed seven consecutive games with a torn groin before returning last week, suffered an elbow injury on the second play of the game. Bailey came back in the second quarter and had a team-high seven tackles midway through the fourth quarter, but he was beaten on several midrange completions by the likes of Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates.
Pressuring Rivers.
The Broncos sacked Philip Rivers twice in the first quarter — one each by Ebenezer Ekuban and Dewayne Robertson. Ekuban finished the season with five sacks, tied with Elvis Dumervil for the team lead.
Crowder plays, Moss sits.
Defensive end Tim Crowder, the team’s second-round pick in 2007, was active for the first time in more than two months. He played in only six games this season. With Crowder in the lineup, the team held Jarvis Moss, the first-round pick in 2007, out of the game.
Footnotes.
Royal finished with 91 catches, the second-highest rookie total in NFL history. Arizona’s Anquan Boldin had 101 catches in 2003. . . . The Broncos allowed just 12 sacks this year, fewest in club history. . . . Prior to Sunday, Broncos receiver Chad Jackson had six kickoff returns in his career. He had eight returns against the Chargers, tying the Broncos’ single-game record. . . . Cory Boyd became the 13th Broncos rookie to play in a game this year. Only Kansas City (18) and Indianapolis (14) played more rookies. . . . Players will report to the Dove Valley headquarters before noon today to clean out lockers. . . . In the first quarter, on a 1-yard plunge, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson scored the 124th rushing touchdown of his career, moving him past Marcus Allen for second all-time. Tomlinson added two more rushing touchdowns. Emmitt Smith is the leader with 164.
Mike Klis, Lindsay H. Jones, The Denver Post
