This wasn’t garbage time. This was the first time.
First touchdown in four seasons for Broncos tight end Virgil Green. First touchdown pass thrown by Brock Osweiler.
“It was needed,” Osweiler said.
The third-year backup quarterback had been disappointed with his performance two weeks earlier at San Diego and the touchdown drive he directed in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Oakland Raiders was a boost to Osweiler’s confidence.
“I’ve got a better taste in my mouth,” he said.
The big play was Osweiler’s 38-yard completion to Green with 3:59 left, setting up first-and-goal at the 6-yard line. After two Jeremy Stewart runs, Osweiler sprinted right and connected with Green in the right corner of the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown pass that made the score 47-14.
On the Broncos’ sidelines, none other than Peyton Manning raised his arms in celebration of the TD pass.
“Like I always tell you, it’s just so fun to be out there,” Osweiler said. “That’s why you put in all the hours to study, and work out, to just get out there and play and to see how happy Virgil was, that’s why you play.”
Rookie mistake. And in the 16th game, second-round rookie receiver Cody Latimer got to play for keeps with Manning in the first quarter.
It didn’t start well. The first play of a fresh series was a running play. So Latimer ran his defensive back off the play down field.
Problem is, Manning saw a defensive look that meant a slant pass to Latimer. Manning tried to back-shoulder Latimer’s fly route, but it went awry.
After Manning gave Latimer some quick instruction after the play, the quarterback quickly went ahead with a touchdown drive. Back on the sideline, Latimer personally apologized to the quarterback.
“Yeah, I messed up,” Latimer said Monday.
Latimer came up to catch a 14-yard pass from Manning in the fourth quarter.
One and a two and a three. What makes this season unlike the others for the Broncos is this team made three major midseason corrections.
One, coach John Fox called on C.J. Anderson to fix the running game. Two, Fox and general manager John Elway fixed the kicking game by signing veteran placekicker Connor Barth then re-signing Brandon McManus for kickoffs.
Three, Fox and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers improved the return game by inserting Wes Welker on punt returns and Omar Bolden on kickoff returns.
Bolden has had kickoff returns of 77 and 76 yards in back-to-back weeks with both returns up the right sideline. Yet Bolden wanted to go all the way.
“When I passed the 40, what I saw on film is I could have cut it to the left and scored on the other side of the end zone,” Bolden said about his second-half opening return against the Raiders. “But I felt like I had enough speed to beat those guys. If I had two more inches on the sidelines it would have been all right.”
Injuries. Besides a concussion, Broncos safety David Bruton also suffered a neck sprain late in the game Sunday. Left guard Orlando Franklin also will be down this week to recover from a concussion.
