Coming at you … the fourth-quarter notes.

4:39 P.M. MDT: There are 75,798 onlookers here with 986 no-shows.

4:41 P.M. MDT: Erik Pears couldn’t quite complete the block on Chris Carr, forcing the Broncos to settle for 5 yards on a second-and-14 screen to Javon Walker.

4:42 P.M. MDT: Safety … Gerard Warren, in his return to Denver, sacks Jay Cutler in the end zone, silencing the home crowd … Denver’s lead is now 17-12.

4:44 P.M. MDT: Broncos challenging the spot on the play, attempting to nullify the safety. It seems that the officials often give the benefit of the doubt regarding spots on these end-zone sacks to the offense … but we’ll see what Walt Anderson rules after going under the curtain.

4:46 P.M. MDT: The safety stands … and for some ungodly reason, the stadium P.A. is playing one of the Raiders’ home-game theme songs, AC/DC’s Hells Bells. There’s a time and a place for that song … and it’s not when the Raiders are in town. As Vince Lombardi might say, “What the hell’s going on out there?”

4:49 P.M. MDT: Oakland quickly in Denver territory at the Broncos 42 after a pair of runs — one by Josh McCown, one by LaMont Jordan. The atmosphere here is as ominous as the clouds above.

4:51 P.M. MDT: Third-and-14 … McCown unde rpressure … sacked by Jarvis Moss … fumbled out of bounds. That’s the kind of play a first-rounder should make.

4:55 P.M. MDT: Smooth on the playfake … Cutler finds Javon Walker on the crossing route to get the Brocnos out of purgatory and up to their 26 … One play later, it’s to Brandon Marshall, and the Broncos are at their 43.

4:57 P.M. MDT: And now the Broncos trail … Thomas Howard intercepted a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage … touchdown, Raiders, and they’ll now go for two with an 18-17 lead.

4:58 P.M. MDT: Denver has 12 men on the field on the two-point conversion … and Oakland still gets it on a McCown pass to Ronald Curry. Denver trails, 20-17.

5:02 P.M. MDT: A comeback here might be tougher to obtain than the one last week, even with the home confines surrounding Jay Cutler and the Denver offense. Oakland now has sustained momentum which the Bills never had last week … and the Broncos are down to just one timeout. The home crowd seems flabbergasted by the current situation.

5:04 P.M. MDT: Clutch reception by Brandon Stokley on third-and-long; his 23-yard catch moves Denver to the Oakland 48 … 6:52 to go.

5:06 P.M. MDT: Waiting for a measurement now after Travis Henry ran right on third-and-4 from the Denver 42 … Henry is short by about three chain links.

5:08 P.M. MDT: And … Henry has it. Timeout, Broncos.

5:10 P.M. MDT: Walker on the end-around — goes nowhere.

5:11 P.M. MDT: Denver now to the Oakland 26 … and now at the Oakland 10 after an 11-yard run and a 5-yard holding penalty on Gerard Warren.

5:13 P.M. MDT: Third and goal at the 7 … Broncos four wide … Cutler left to Walker; he is one yard short. 2:22 remaining, fourth and goal, and the Broncos will kick.

5:15 P.M. MDT: Elam’s kick is good … Tie game, 2:19 left. Oakland has three timeouts remaining.

5:16 P.M. MDT: Short kickoff, returned to the Oakland 26.

5:20 P.M. MDT: Crowd going nuts … Oakland has third-and-3 at the Oakland 33.

5:21 P.M. MDT: Jordan gets a huge first down for the Raiders, gaining 5 yards … Clock down to 44 seconds … Now will be 38 seconds.

5:22 P.M. MDT: Oakland’s Barry Sims called for holding; it’s his second infraction of the drive … Oakland at first-and-20 from its 28 with 38 seconds left.

5:23 P.M. MDT: Jordan goes 12 yards to the left side … Raiders take timeout with 32 seconds left … Jordan had plenty of room … Don’t forget that Sebastian Janikowski might have the league’s strongest leg, and at 5,280 feet, he could probably hit from beyond 60 yards. Oakland doesn’t have to get far — maybe one first down — for a chance at the game-winner.

5:25 P.M. MDT: Oakland in third-and-8 … 27 seconds left … Raiders down to one timeout.

5:26 P.M. MDT: Deep for Jerry Porter … and intercepted by Dre’ Bly … great time for the pick … Denver takes over at its 17 … will take a knee and go to overtime for a second straight home game.

5:27 P.M. MDT: Oakland calls tails … and the coin comes up heads. Broncos will receive the kickoff and move from south to north (right to left on TV).

5:30 P.M. MDT: First and 10 at the Denver 20 … Travis Henry clobbered by Sam Williams after gaining a yard.

5:31 P.M. MDT: Playfake end-around … pass to Walker in the left flat … snakes through the defense for 7 … third-and-a-short-2.

5:31 P.M. MDT: Cutler in the shotgun … straight drop … left … kind of a hopeful pass for Selvin Young, in tight coverage … Young dives, pass incomplete.

5:32 P.M. MDT: Sauerbrun with a low line-drive punt that fortuitously bounces in front of Johnnie Lee Higgins … Net of 45 (51 punt, 6 return) …

5:33 P.M. MDT: Raiders at their 27 … and the Broncos are in serious trouble now … Lamont Jordan into the open field … has a hole … John Lynch dives and misses the tackle … gain of 33.

5:34 P.M. MDT: McCown flushed and throws it away. Second-and-10 at the 40 coming up.

5:34 P.M. MDT: D.J. Williams gets to Justin Fargas in the backfield, limiting him to a 2-yard gain.

5:35 P.M. MDT: John Lynch hits LaMont Jordan and knocks him back, but the football is at the 34-yard-line … in Janikowski’s range … 52-yard field-goal attempt is good … but the official at the Broncos sideline was signaling for a clock stoppage, because the Broncos called timeout.

5:37 P.M. MDT: And the rekick … hits off the top of the upright. Good Lord a-mighty … Broncos at their 42 now. Crowd going berserk; it is the nation’s most crowded insane asylum right now.

5:38 P.M. MDT: Broncos now with second-and-9 at their 43 … gain 7 yards … now third-and-2 at midfield.

5:40 P.M. MDT: Now it’s Henry’s turn to burst into the open field … he’s to the Oakland 37 … Henry with 122 yards on the day.

5:41 P.M. MDT: Henry now to the Oakland 30.

5:41 P.M. MDT: The neutral football fan in me is loving this. The Bronco-centric writer in me can’t take too much more of these games.

5:42 P.M. MDT: Third-and-3 at the Oakland 30 … I think Mike Bell has the first down … Looked like he had it based on where he landed … let’s wait for the spot.

5:42 P.M. MDT: First down, Broncos.

5:43 P.M. MDT: Henry goes nowhere on first-and-10.

5:43 P.M. MDT: Cutler rolls right … Brandon Marshall with the catch … breaks a tackle … to the Oakland 5 … and the Broncos will waste no time, they’ll kick now.

5:45 P.M. MDT: It’s good, and the Broncos win, 23-20.

Tags: Oakland Raiders

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 5:31 pm and is filed under Archives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.