COIN TOSS: Jabar Gaffney, Kyle Orton, Mario Haggan, Champ Bailey, Wesley Woodyard and Brian Dawkins are representing the Broncos in the coin toss. The Vikings have won the coin toss and elect to receive.

Q1 15:00: Matt Prater’s kickoff was fielded at the 1-yard line and taken out to the 33. The defensive starters are on the field. On the line are Justin Bannan, Ronald Fields and Ryan McBean. Robert Ayers, Mario Haggan, D.J. Williams and Jason Hunter are lined up at linebacker. In the secondary are Alphonso Smith, Perrish Cox, Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill.

Q1 14:29: After an off-sides penalty on the defense, two Vikings dropped passes from quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who started the game. On third-and-5 Jackson dropped back and couldn’t complete a deep pass with Ayers pressuring him and forcing a fourth down. Perrish Cox fielded a punt to the 17-yard line, but there was a penalty on the Vikings, and they will punt again. On their second attempt at punting, the Vikings were called off sides. Cox called for a fair catch at the 32-yard line.

Q1 14:05: The Broncos offense is on the field, led by Kyle Orton at quarterback. Ryan Clady is at left tackle, Stanley Daniels is at left guard, J.D. Walton is at center, Chris Kuper is at right guard, and Ryan Harris is at right tackle. Marquez Branson is the tight end, Jabar Gaffney , Eddie Royal and Brandon Lloyd are lined up at receiver, and Correll Buckhalter is in the backfield.

Q1 13:33: Orton’s first pass is complete to Buckhalter for an 11-yard gain and a first down, but is followed by an incomplete pass and a sack on a cornerback blitz for a loss of 11 yards. On third-and-21 Orton finds Royal for a short gain, and Britton Colquitt is in to punt. Colquitt’s punt sails to the 13-yard line and the returner is tackled immediately for no gain.

Q1 12:19: On first-and-10 Jackson hands off to Albert Young for a gain of five yards. On the next play Young takes another handoff up the middle and is stuffed by the Broncos’ defensive line for a one yard gain. On third down Jackson lines up in the shotgun formation and Brian Dawkins nearly intercepts the tipped throw. Alphonso Smith is back to receive, and returns the punt for close to a six-yard return to the 42-yard line. Smith is shaken up on the play and the Broncos’ training staff comes out on the field to help.

Q1 10:54: Alphonso Smith gets up and walks off the field flanked by trainers. The Broncos’ offense has good field position and Orton takes the snap, handing off to Buckhalter for a one-yard run. On second down Orton fakes the run to Buckhalter and throws a pass to the running back, who turns up field and turns the catch into a 15-yard gain. Zane Beadles subs in for Ryan Harris at right tackle, and Buckhalter takes a pitch up the right side of the field for five yards. LenDale White is in for the Broncos wearing a new number, No. 25. Orton can’t complete a long pass to Gaffney on second down, and the Broncos have five yards to go on third down. Orton sets up in the shotgun and completes a pass to Marquez Branson for a first down.

Q1 7: 46: On first down Kyle Orton hands off to Buckhalter, who’s taken down in the backfield for a 3-yard loss. Denver takes its first timeout.

Q1 7:25: The Broncos set up on the 34-yard line and Orton can’t complete a deep comeback route to Brandon Lloyd, who’s covered by Lito Sheppard. On third-and-14 Orton takes a shotgun snap, evades pressure and completes a pass to Lloyd on an identical route for a first down on the 17-yard line. Orton can’t complete a pass to Lloyd on the next play, but there’s a flag. Asher Allen is called for pass-interference on Orton, bringing the Broncos to the 4-yard line. Orton gives the handoff to LenDale White on a draw for a gain of two yards. On second-and-2, Spencer Larsen blocks for LenDale White on a touchdown, White’s second of the 2010 preseason. Matt Prater converts the extra point and the Broncos take the early lead, 7-0.

BRONCOS 7, VIKINGS 0

*INJURY UPDATE* Ryan Harris has an ankle injury is his return is doubtful.

Q1 6:08: Matt Prater kicks off to Ian Johnson for a touchback. The Vikings take the ball at the 20-yard line.

Q1 6:07: Tarvaris Jackson takes the snap and Jarvis Moss deflects a pass. Alphonso Smith is back on the field after he appeared to be injured on a punt return. Albert young takes a handoff for a 2-yard gain, setting up third-and-8 for the Vikings. Jackson takes a shotgun snap and deep, but Syd’Quan Thompson jumped the route and narrowly missed an interception off his hands. Thompson returns the punt for a short gain.

Q1 5:09: Tim Tebow is in at quarterback, and a mishandled snap is returned by Erin Henderson for a Vikings score. Ryan Longwell knocks the extra point through the uprights and Minnesota ties the game 7-7.

BRONCOS 7, VIKINGS 7

Q1 4:57: Alphonso Smith is dropped at the 23-yard line on the kick return. Tim Tebow takes the snap and throws a short pass to LenDale White for a 6-yard gain. White take a second-down handoff and bulls his way forward for one yard. On third down, Tebow takes a shotgun snap and can’t complete a pass to Britt Davis, but there’s a penalty on the play. Lito Sheppard is charged with illegal contact, and the Broncos take five yards and an automatic first down.

Q1 3:38: Tim Tebow throws an 12-yard pass to Eric Decker, who earned applause from his hometown crowd.Tebow’s second-down pass is intercepted by Tyrell Johnson, who returns it to Denver’s 24-yard line. On the next play Albert Young takes a short pass for a 4-yard gain and uses the next play to run eight yards for a first down. The Broncos defense was called off sides, but the penalty was declined. On the subsequent first down Young ran for one yard, and then three more on second-down. Young is stopped short on a pass from Jackson on third down, to bring the first quarter to a close.

Q2 15:00: The Vikings set up for a field goal on the nine-yard line, and Ryan Longwell boots in a 27-yarder to put his team ahead by three.

BRONCOS 7, VIKINGS 10

Q2 14:58: Cassius Vaughn is back to field the kickoff and he takes a knee for a touchback. Tebow takes the snap from under center and is sacked by Fred Evans, but Evans is called offsides the Broncos repeat first down. D’Anthony Batiste is called offsides on the next play, negating the penalty and putting the Broncos back where they started. Tebow hands off to White for a 5-yard run, brinign up second-and-5. Another offsides penalty is attributed to Zane Beadles, moving the offense back five yards. LenDale White finds a big hole up the middle of the field and totes the ball 9 yards. White is down after the play and the Broncos training staff is on the field.

Q2 13:08: White is helped off the field. Brian Dawkins is right behind him checking up on the running back, who’s been replaced by Lance Ball. Ball takes a handoff for a 2-yard gain and a Broncos first down. Ball runs again, but Tremaine Johnson stops him in the backfield for a 3-yard loss. On second-and-14 Tebow lofts a pass down the left sideline for Matthew Willis, who jumps up, turns around and makes the catch for a 36-yard completion and Broncos first down. On the next play Tebow connects with Marquez Branson, but Branson is hit and fumbles right after the catch. Tebow made the tackle on Everson Griffen for the stop.

Q2 10:51: As the Vikings offense takes the field, LenDale White is being carted off the field and into the locker room. It’s an ankle injury and his return is doubtful. Sage Rosenfels is in at quarterback for Minnesota, and his first pass attempt falls incomplete. On second-and-10 Rosenfels hands off to Albert Young, who turns the run into an 8-yard gain, bringing up third-and-2. Rosenfels fakes to Young and completes a pass to Javon Walker for 10 yards a first down.

Q2 9:21: Young’s first-down run is stopped for no gain, and Rosenfels can’t complete a deep pass on the following play. On third-and-10 Rosenfels takes a shotgun snap and throws an incomplete pass with Le Kevin Smith pressuring him. Syd’Quan Thompson fields a 46-yard punt for no gain, setting up the Broncos on their own 6-yard line.

Q2 8:26: Tebow lines up under center and hands off to Bruce Hall, who fumbles the ball and gives the Vikings possession on the 18-yard line.

Q2 8:19: Young takes the handoff for 4-yard run on first down. The Vikings call a run on the next play, but Jarvis Moss is called for offsides and the Vikings move Half the distance to the goal line. David Bruton, Kevin Alexander, and Wesley Woodyard bring Young to a stop on the 1-yard line on the following snap. Young gets in on the next try, keeping his legs moving to after being stopped at the line of scrimmage. Longwell hits the extra point and the Vikings go up 17-7.

BRONCOS 7, VIKINGS 17

Q2 6:42: Rhys Lloyd kicks off for the Vikings, booting the ball to Cassius Vaughn, who takes a knee for the touchback. Tebow hands off to Bruce Hall for a 3-yard gain on first down. Matthew Willis hauls in a 19-yard pass up the middle from Tebow for a Broncos first down. Bruce Hall takes a pitch from Tebow up the left sideline for a 1-yard gain. On the next play Hall takes a screen pass from Tebow and runs up the field for 5 more yards, setting up a third-and-4. Tebow connects with Willis again for a 13-yard gain and a first down.

Q2 3:08: Bruce Hall takes a handoff on first down for a 3-yard gain, and Eric Decker catches an 8-yard pass on the next down for another first down and more applause from the Minnesota crowd. Hall loses 2 yards on a pitch, bringing us to the 2-minute warning.

Q2 2:00: The Broncos take the ball on the 31-yard line and Tebow completes a pass to Britt Davis in the middle of the field for 7-yards, bringing up a 3rd-and-4. Tebow evades the rush and runs upfield, sliding for a 4-yard gain. The Broncos take their second timeout to discuss their options for the fourth down.

Q2 1:07: Bruce Hall takes a handoff up the left side of the field and is stopped short of the first down by a group of Minnesota defenders. The Vikings take possession with about a minute remaining.

Q2 1:01: Albert Young runs 4 yards on first down, and takes the handoff again to run out the clock and end the first half of play. The Vikings hold the lead 17-7, see you in the second half blog.

Tags: First Half Blog, Minnesota Vikings, Preseason

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