DENVER—A Denver Broncos defense that’s been a detriment the last few years has suddenly become dependable.
Elvis Dumervil tied a franchise record with four sacks and the Broncos forced three turnovers, leading to a 27-6 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
In years past, the Broncos’ defense wasn’t counted on to corral wins—just stay out of the offense’s way.
Even that proved to be a chore. The defense was so unreliable that it was one of the reasons Mike Shanahan lost his job.
New coach Josh McDaniels made it a priority to shore up the dismal defense by hiring Mike Nolan. The first thing Nolan did was institute a 3-4 look, one that Denver has been quick to pick up, thanks to a bevy of veteran free agents.
The Broncos (2-0) have allowed just 13 points in their first two games. They put constant pressure on Brady Quinn all game long, causing the Browns quarterback to throw hurried passes.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Mike Nolan, he prepares us to the fullest,” Champ Bailey said. “He throws everything at us. We’ve got a great group of veterans that handles everything that he puts on us.”
At first, Dumervil balked at being moved to outside linebacker in Nolan’s new scheme. Used to playing on the defensive line, Dumervil wasn’t sure he could made the adjustment.
Now he’s thriving.
“There were times when I doubted myself in camp,” said Dumervil, whose four sacks all came in the second half. “I still have a lot to learn. But I feel like I’m going the right direction, though.”
The same can be said of the rest of the Broncos defense. The team shut down the running game of the Browns (0-2), limiting them to just 54 yards.
“The thing that I love about this defense is it’s not up to one guy to be the guy,” Brian Dawkins said. “We have so many different guys that can step up. We know our turn is going to come at some point.”
On Sunday, it was Dumervil’s turn, along with linebacker Andra Davis.
Davis, playing against his former team, had a team-high 10 tackles, nine in the first half.
“The guys knew how much this game meant to me,” Davis said. “They told me all week they had my back. The performance that we put up, it speaks for itself.”
All the Browns could manage were a pair of field goals by Phil Dawson in the first quarter. They finished with 200 yards of offense.
“They’re tough,” said Quinn, who was 18 of 31 for 161 yards and one interception. “Across the board they have a lot of talent. Schematically, they do a good job game-planning.”
While Denver’s defense flourished, the offense sputtered—at least for a half. The Broncos scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to break open a close game.
Kyle Orton finished 19 of 37 for 263 yards and a touchdown. He threw a 2-yard TD slant to Tony Scheffler in the first quarter, then hit Jabar Gaffney with a 49-yard pass that led to Peyton Hillis’ 2-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.
Running back Correll Buckhalter added a 45-yard touchdown run that made it 27-6.
The offense played error-free, pleasing McDaniels, who like every other coach in the league, preaches minimizing turnovers.
The only miscue the Broncos made was on the opening kickoff, when Hillis fumbled the ball away deep in Denver territory. The defense did their part, holding the Browns to a field goal.
“We told our team, ‘Look, we are not making the big mistake,'” McDaniels said. “That is what we were trying to make happen today.”
For Cleveland, it’s back to square one. The team has been outscored 61-26 this season.
“There’s no magic potion,” Browns first-year coach Eric Mangini said. “It’s not going to happen from someone outside the room—it will happen from us. You can’t win games by giving up big plays, giving up four sacks and not running the ball effectively.”
Although Denver’s defense is off to a good start, Kenny Peterson knows there’s plenty of work left to do.
“We have to stay even-keeled and keep grinding,” Peterson said. “It’s a long season, a tedious season. It’s Week 2. They don’t celebrate nothing in Week 2.”
