Broncos cornerback Chris Harris intercepts a pass by Bills quarterback Kyle Orton in the third quarter. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
C.J. Anderson and the Broncos’ defense spoiled Kyle Orton’s return to Denver with a 24-17 win over his Buffalo Bills at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday. Here were the notable and not-so-notable moments from the Denver victory.
Unique Malik: Defensive end Malik Jackson played his best 30 minutes as a Bronco. He posted six tackles, two for losses, and a sack in the first half.
Thompson shines: With C.J. Anderson receiving a breather, undrafted rookie Juwan Thompson set up the Broncos’ third score with a 9-yard catch and run, followed by a 47-yard scamper behind a Ryan Clady block.
Sanders bounces back: Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders absorbed a vicious second-quarter shot from Bills’ cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Sanders jumped to his feet, pumped up the crowd, and took a bow.
Off the mark: Peyton Manning received the coverage he wanted but wasn’t able to exploit it. With wideout Emmanuel Sanders streaking down the center of the field in the first quarter, Manning underthrew him and the pass was intercepted by Bills cornerback Corey Graham. Manning threw two picks, and his TD-pass streak ended at 51 games.
J.T. unable to play: Tight end Julius Thomas (ankle injury) made the active roster for Sunday’s game, but he never took a snap.
Tamme’s turnover: Tight end Jacob Tamme fumbled in the red zone, one week after dropping a potential touchdown pass.
INTERACTIVE:
Offense: Against the NFL’s seventh-ranked rush defense, the Broncos didn’t blink. A steady diet of C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson kept the Bills deflated. Denver posted 102 rushing yards in the first half, 6 more than Buffalo had allowed per game. Peyton Manning struggled, throwing two interceptions, matching his season total at home. Officials flagged the offensive line for three holding penalties. Grade: C+
Defense: The Broncos harassed Kyle Orton into an awful performance, led by active defensive end Malik Jackson. Von Miller recorded his 13th sack, and the Broncos thwarted two long scoring drives with interceptions by Brandon Marshall and Chris Harris. The Broncos recovered their fifth fumble of the season. It marked Denver’s first back-to-back games with at least three takeaways since 2009. Grade: A-
Special Teams: The Broncos valued touchbacks more than fair catches. They cut Isaiah Burse, who might return to the practice squad, and activated Brandon McManus. He negated return yardage, and Connor Barth nailed a three-iron from 50 yards. The Broncos blocked a punt, and Wes Welker fielded punts well. Grade: B+
Coaching: The Broncos trusted the run even when the matchup suggested trouble. Adding Welker into the game plan proved smart with Demaryius Thomas limited. Activating Julius Thomas left an empty roster spot, as he never played or even put on his helmet. Grade: B+
C.J. Anderson: Slogged for difficult yards. Effective at the goal line.
Chris Harris: Intercepted pass, sack in latest big day.
David Bruton: Benefited from first extended playing time at nickel safety and showed consistent tackling ability.
