Seattle Retakes Lead with a Field GoalThe Seahawks took possession after safety Jeron Johnson intercepted quarterback Peyton Manning and returned it 21 yards to Denver’s 44-yard line. The pass was intended for tight end Joel Dreessen.
From there, Seattle moved the ball 19 yards on eight plays to give Steven Hauschka his third field goal of the game, a 43-yarder.
With the field goal, the Seahawks recaptured the lead, 9-7.
Ball Fumble Leads to Seattle Field GoalAfter running back Lance Ball fumbled on the Broncos’ 46-yard line, quarterback Matt Flynn led a nine-play, 28-yard drive that finished with a 36-yard field goal to narrow the Broncos’ lead, 7-6.
The drive was extended by a defensive pass interference call on 3rd-and-11 that gave Seattle a first down at the 33-yard line.
On 3rd-and-9 from the 18, cornerback Chris Harris made a diving pass breakup to bring out the field goal unit and keep the Broncos ahead.
Some of the Broncos defensive starters saw their last action during the drive.
Broncos Take Lead on McGahee TDFollowing Seattle’s field goal, the Broncos drove the ball 80 yards down the field and finished it off with a Willis McGahee 1-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-goal. It was McGahee’s sixth carry of the drive.
McGahee started the drive with back-to-back 7-yard runs before quarterback Peyton Manning hit tight end Joel Dreessen for 20 yards to get into Seattle territory. Manning also found Stokley twice for gains of 13 and 6 yards.
The touchdown was the last play of the first quarter and gave Denver a 7-3 lead.
Manning finishes the quarter on 6-of-7 passing for 69 yards with his one incompletion a tipped pass that was intercepted.
Blocked Punt Followed by InterceptionBroncos safety David Bruton blocked the Seahawks’ first punt of the game on Seattle’s own 16-yard line and the Broncos took over at the 24.
Manning then completed a 15-yard pass to Decker, giving Denver a first-and-goal at Seattle’s 9-yard line. On the next play, Peyton Manning’s pass was tipped at the line and then intercepted over the middle by Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright. The interception was returned for 24 yards and the Seahawks took over at their own 36.
The Seahawks then drove down to the Broncos’ 25-yard line and Steven Hauschka converted a 43-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Marshawn Lynch carried the ball four times on the drive including a 14-yard rush that put Seattle on the 25. Also on the drive, quarterback Matt Flynn completed an 11-yard pass to tight end Kellen Winslow.
Captains, Coin Toss and StartersThe captains for the Broncos tonight are safety Mike Adams, linebackers Joe Mays and Wesley Woodyard, running back Willis McGahee and kicker Matt Prater.
Seattle calls tails and wins the toss. They elected to defer. Denver will start the night on offense with the following starters:
On the offensive line, from left to right: Ryan Clady, Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton, Manny Ramirez, and Orlando Franklin. Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are the starting wide receivers with Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme as the tight ends. Peyton Manning is the starting quarterback and Willis McGahee is the starting running back.
Following a punt on the first possession, the Broncos’ defensive starters are Elvis Dumervil and Derek Wolfe as the defensive ends with Ty Warren and Justin Bannan in the middle. Wesley Woodyard, Joe Mays, and Von Miller are the starting linebackers. In the secondary, Rahim Moore and Mike Adams are the safeties with Champ Bailey and Drayton Florence at the corners.
Broncos Honor Aurora Shooting VictimsPrior to tonight’s kickoff, the Broncos honored injured victims of the Aurora shooting.
The stadium observed a moment of silence for the 12 lives lost and hosted several of those who were injured in the tragedy. The Broncos also recognized first responders who were working the night of the shootings.
Broncos vs. Seahawks Roster UpdateThough there are no official inactives for preseason games, the following players are not expected to play in tonight’s game:
DENVER BRONCOS
#22 CB Tracy Porter
#28 S Quinton Carter
#55 LB D.J. Williams
#73 G Chris Kuper
#90 DE Jason Hunter
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
#7 QB Tarvaris Jackson
#18 WR Sidney Rice
#26 FB Michael Robinson
#28 CB Walter Thurmond
#36 CB Ron Parker
#47 DE Cordarro Law
#48 LB Mike Morgan
#52 LB Matt McCoy
#53 LB Malcom Smith
#74 G John Moffitt
#77 G James Carpenter
#86 TE Zach Miller
#87 WR Ben Obomanu
#89 WR Doug Baldwin
Broncos at Bills: Second Half BlogKICKOFF: The Broncos will receive the second-half kickoff.
Q3 15:00: Brady Quinn is back in at quarterback to start the second half. After a touchback, the offense starts at the 20, and Quinn immediately hits Julius Thomas for a 7-yard gain.
STATS UPDATE: In his first-half performance, Kyle Orton was 10-for-13 for 135 yards and a touchdown — good for a 135.1 quarterback rating.
Q3 13:47: After Lance Ball picked up the final 3 yards for a first down, Quinn found Eric Decker for a 22-yard gain into Buffalo territory. The next two plays netted 5 yards — a 3-yard run by Ball and a 2-yard run by Brandon Minor — bringing up third-and-5. On third down, Quinn passes to Ball, but the back picks up only 4 yards. Faced with fourth-and-1, the offense stays on the field, and it’s Ball with a carry for the first down at the 38-yard line.
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Broncos vs. Bills: First Half BlogCOIN TOSS: Buffalo won the coin toss and has elected to receive. Denver’s captains at midfield were Ryan Clady, Brandon Lloyd, Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams and Eddie Royal.
PREGAME CEREMONY: Ninety-nine fans are running out of the tunnel and lining up in front of the Broncos players on the sideline, each receiving an autographed jersey. Owner and CEO Pat Bowlen and Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway were in the line of players handing over autographed jerseys.
KICKOFF: Matt Prater is on the field for the opening kickoff. It’s the first kickoff from the 35-yard line at Sports Authority Field at Mile High — let’s see if it’s a touchback. It is, after it was bobbled slightly about 6 yards into the end zone.
Q1 15:00: The starting defense is on the field — it’s Robert Ayers, Kevin Vickerson, and Elvis Dumervil on the line, D.J. Williams, Wesley Woodyard and Von Miller at linebacker, and Champ Bailey, Andre’ Goodman, Cassius Vaughn, Brian Dawkins and Rahim Moore in the secondary.
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Broncos vs. Bills: Pregame Blog
It’s a fun vibe in the stadium pressbox, as the football season is officially open at the newly named Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Fans are already making their way to their seats and players for both teams are warming up on the field.
The first player to hit the field this afternoon? Tim Tebow. Joining him now are a mix of guys — among them are Dan Gronkowski, Robert Ayers, Quinton Carter and David Bruton.
A quick note: this will be the seventh preseason meeting between the Bills and Broncos. Both teams have won three games — though the Broncos have won both matchups in Denver.