As he caught the how-did-he-catch-that catch, the receiver’s left arm was as extraneous as that cornerback.
Do you remember ? It was the offensive play of the game until, you know, they blew the game. But on Monday night at Cincinnati, the Broncos receiver hauled in a ball with just his right arm, while the cornerback committed pass interference. It was stupendous. Stupid, even.
Down 27-14 in the third quarter, Denver needed to score on this drive, and it was stuck on third-and-3 from the Bengals’ 48-yard line. The short passes, as we know, were somewhat of an issue on Monday night, so Peyton Manning lofted a beautiful ball down the right sideline, and Sanders, man, caught the thing for a 33-yard gain. Three plays later, Sanders caught a touchdown.
Pound-for-pound — and the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Sanders doesn’t have a lot of them, comparatively — Sanders might be the toughest dude on Denver’s roster. Twice this season, play has stopped when Sanders was viciously hit by a defensive back. He takes Wes Welker ’13 hits. But if he’s not concussed, Sanders isn’t bowing out; instead, yep, he’s bowing to the crowd like a conductor and lining up at the line of scrimmage.
After that catch, , “E Sanders may be the best front office move other than Peyton by John Elway. Great one hand grab, better free agent pick up.”
Entering Sunday’s final regular-season game, Sanders has 95 catches for 1,331 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the only Bronco receiver to receive a positive grade Monday from Pro Football Focus. He’s fifth in the NFL in receptions and sixth in yards, not bad for a No. 2.
More Sanders fun: He’s on pace to finish the year in the top five in NFL history for catches and yards for a player in his first year with a team. And only Julio Jones of Atlanta has more 20-plus-yard catches this season than Denver’s Sanders.
Chew on this
• With Dec. 25 looming, resident Denver Post Christmas song expert Benjamin Hochman has ranked the 25-awesomest Christmas songs ever:
25. Burl Ives – Holly Jolly Christmas
24. Bing Crosby – Mele Kalikimaka
23. Jose Feliciano – Feliz Navidad
22. Clyde and The Drifters – White Christmas
21. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Christmas All Over
20. Kelly Clarkson – Underneath The Tree
19. Perry Como – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
18. Elton John – Step Into Christmas
17. Michael Buble – Let It Snow
16. John Williams (from Home Alone) – Somewhere In My Memory
15. Bing Crosby – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. Dean Martin – Baby It’s Cold Outside
13. The Moonglows – Hey Santa Claus
12. Chuck Berry – Run Run Rudolph
11. Glee Cast – We Need A Little Christmas
10. Mariah Carey – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
9. Bobby Helms – Jingle Bell Rock
8. Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick
7. Wham! – Last Christmas
6. Darlene Love – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
5. Gene Autry – Here Comes Santa Claus
4. Stevie Wonder – What Christmas Means To Me
3. Andy Williams – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
1. Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
• And finally, Wednesday’s celebrity birthday — 1970s pitcher !
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
Visit each weekday near noontime for a serving of dish concerning Colorado’s sporting landscape from a Denver Post sports writer. Care for another helping? Scan .
