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Posts Tagged ‘San Diego Chargers’

Broncos at Chargers: Key Plays

October 16th, 2012 - 4:35am by Stuart ZaasOther posts by

Third-and-16 from the 50: What began as a third-and-1 turned into a third-and-16 thanks to a false start then a holding penalty against the Broncos. In the end, it didn’t matter as quarterback Peyton Manning found Tight End Jacob Tamme open down the sidelie for a 25-yard gain. Four plays later, Manning hit wide receiver Eric Decker for a 7-yard touchdown to bring Denver to within a field goal at 24-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Third-and-8 from the San Diego 31: Trying to add to the Chargers’ slim lead, quarterback Philip Rivers dropped back to pass. But, cornerback Tony Carter stepped in front of his intended target, Robert Meachem, to come up with his first career interception. After a 15-yard return to midfield, the Broncos offense took its first lead of the night when Manning connected with wide receiver Brandon Stokley from 21 yards out to give Denver a 28-24 lead with 9:03 to play in the game.

Third-and-7 from the Denver 41: With the Chargers driving into Denver territory looking to retake the lead, cornerback Chris Harris intercepted Rivers’ pass intended for Eddie Royal. The pick stopped San Diego’s scoring threat and gave the ball back to the Broncos offense.

Fourth-and-16 from the San Diego 41: Any hopes of a miraculous comeback by the Chargers were put to rest when defensive end Elvis Dumervil strip-sacked Rivers for the second time of the game. Safety Mike Adams pounced on the loose ball and two Manning kneeldowns later, the Broncos were headed home with the victory.

Broncos at Chargers: Quotables

October 15th, 2012 - 11:41pm by Sam DavisOther posts by

HEAD COACH JOHN FOX

On what he said at halftime
“There were no mystery words of wisdom at halftime. I think it was just guys knew how poorly we played in the first half and made a decision to play better in the second half, and they did.”

On if he’s been a part of a game like this

“Yeah, been a part of a few of them. But, I’m not sure, I’d have to look back. That was as good of a second half of football as I’ve been a part of.”

On going into the bye on a win
“We can only control the next one and this was the one that was real big for us because it was against a division opponent. You’re doing everything you can to win your division, so anytime you go against a division opponent, that’s key. They were a game ahead of us and we made up a little ground at this point.”

On the mindset at halftime
“I was talking with somebody going into the locker room at halftime and when you looked at it, they had about 150 yards of total offense and it was 24-0. We presented that to the football team. Defensively, we thought we could hang in there, we just couldn’t give them short fields and turn the ball over. On top of it, now it can be our turn to create turnovers as well. We stepped it up and I think we grew a little bit.”

On the Carter fumble recovery touchdown
“I think what really kind of started us off was to be able to go down the field to start the third quarter. I thought Peyton and the offense did an outstanding job and Mike McCoy and his offensive staff. Even in the first half when we were down 10 with the two early miscues in the kicking game, I still felt confident that we could level the playing field as we went. It was just a great effort on our guys’ part to keep fighting and we’ve had some practice at that.”

QUARTERBACK PEYTON MANNING

On whether the team’s previous comeback efforts helped tonight
“I think offensively, it certainly did. I think guys understand from the past few weeks that we can score quickly. We are able to come back, it’s just a matter of how far we can come back, how big of a hole are we in. Disappointing start – I thought we really had a good plan and were really determined to get off to a better start on the road in the division. We just had some things that we didn’t expect to go our way and just had a hard time overcoming them in the first half. I thought the second half, everybody was accountable and was professional. We got back to the plan. We had 30 minutes and thought it was important to get off to a good start with that first drive. I thought that was really key, putting that drive together and hitting DT on that touchdown. That sure set the tempo for the second half.”

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After Historic Comeback, Denver Wins 35-24

October 15th, 2012 - 9:58pm by Sam DavisOther posts by

After facing a 24-0 deficit at halftime, the Denver Broncos rallied for 35 consecutive points in the second half to beat the San Diego Chargers on the road, 35-24.

Included in the rally were two defensive touchdowns. The first one came on a strip-sack by defensive end Elvis Dumervil, as cornerback Tony Carter picked it up and ran 65 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 10 points at 24-14. It was the first touchdown of Carter’s career, and he later recorded his first career interception.

Cornerback Chris Harris provided the knockout blow in the fourth quarter with his second interception of the game, which he returned for a touchdown. Harris’ pick-six made the score 35-24 with just more than two minutes left in the game.

Peyton Manning finished 24-of-30 passing for 309 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. The touchdowns were to wide receivers Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Brandon Stokley, respectively.

The win tied for the largest comeback in team history, and it was only the fifth time in NFL history a team has overcome a 24-point halftime deficit and went on to win.

It was also the largest halftime comeback in the history of Monday Night Football, and the largest of Manning’s career.

Denver now sits at 3-3, tied for the division lead with the Chargers.

Broncos at Chargers: Gameday Coverage

October 15th, 2012 - 9:43pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

BRONCOS AT CHARGERS

AFTER HISTORIC COMEBACK, DENVER WINS 35-24: The Broncos scored 35 consecutive points after halftime and beat the San Diego Chargers 35-24 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Stay tuned to DenverBroncos.com throughout the night for all of the latest coverage on the win.

BRONCOS ON TWITTER: Follow the action on Twitter, as well, via the Broncos’ official gameday account. @BroncosGameday will keep fans updated with live, in-game updates throughout tonight’s matchup.

NFL GAMEPASS: For international Broncos fans located outside the United States and Mexico, watch tonight’s game live and in HD with NFL GamePass.

BRONCOS MOBILE APP: For those of you who follow the action on your smartphone, there’s a free official Broncos mobile app. On your smartphone, visit BroncosMobile.com to download it.

BRONCOS TV ON SITE: QUALCOMM STADIUM: View today’s episode of Broncos TV On Site, featuring Chris Hall and Gray Caldwell as they break down the Week 6 Monday Night Football showdown between the Broncos and AFC West rival San Diego.

BRONCOS ON INSTAGRAM: The Broncos have joined Instagram. Follow the team’s account, DenverBroncos, for exclusive, behind-the-scenes photos from Dove Valley, road trips and gameday.

PREGAME PHOTO GALLERY: View pictures from pregame before the Broncos-Chargers AFC West battle on Monday Night Football.

INACTIVES: The Broncos have announced the names of the players who will be inactive for tonight’s contest.

BRONCOS LOSE COIN TOSS, START GAME ON DEFENSE: After losing the coin toss, the Broncos start the game on defense.

SAN DIEGO TAKES 3-0 LEAD: The Chargers have scored first thanks to a short field set up by Denver’s fumble on a punt return.

CHARGERS PULL AHEAD, 10-0: San Diego has a 10-0 lead after once again starting a possession inside Denver’s 20-yard line. This time, the Chargers needed just two plays to score, as Philip Rivers found tight end Antonio Gates for a 15-yard scoring strike.

CHARGERS PAD LEAD ON PICK-SIX: San Diego has a 17-0 lead after the Chargers and Broncos traded picks, with San Diego’s Quentin Jammer returning his 80 yards for a touchdown.

INJURY UPDATES: Tackle Orlando Franklin has a hamstring injury and his return is probable.

CHARGERS MAKE IT 24-0 BEFORE HALFTIME: With time in the first half winding down, the Chargers drove down the field on a scoring drive that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates.

MANNING-TO-DECKER PUTS BRONCOS ON THE BOARD: With an eight-play, 85-yard drive, the Broncos have cut the San Diego lead to 24-7.

CARTER’S FUMBLE RETURN BRINGS BRONCOS WITHIN 10: A sack by defensive end Elvis Dumervil set up a 65-yard fumble return for a touchdown by cornerback Tony Carter, who cut the lead to 10 points on the play.

DENVER MAKES IT 21 UNANSWERED, TRAILS 24-21: The Broncos trail by just three points after a 55-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Eric Decker.

BRONCOS TAKE 28-24 LEAD: Taking advantage of good field position after an interception by cornerback Tony Carter, the Broncos capped off a 50-yard drive on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Manning to wide receiver Brandon Stokley.

HARRIS SEALS THE DEAL: A 46-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Chris Harris has capped off a dominant second half in which the Broncos have outscored the Chargers 35-0 and taken an 11-point lead in a game they trailed by 24 at halftime.

Harris Seals the Deal

October 15th, 2012 - 9:42pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

The Broncos have put an exclamation point on a dominant second half performance with a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown by Chris Harris that has made it 35 straight points for the Broncos.

Needing a late rally, San Diego took over at its own 14-yard line with 3:52 to play, trailing by four points. Quarterback Philip Rivers found wide receiver Malcolm Floyd for 10 yards, then connected with Floyd again three plays later for a first down.

But nearing midfield, Rivers’ pass toward the left sideline was picked off by cornerback Chris Harris, who caught the ball in stride and raced into the end zone to make it 35-24. Denver now has scored two defensive touchdowns and forced five turnovers, four interceptions and one fumble recovery. Four of the five turnovers came in the second half as Denver outscored the Chargers 35-0.

It marks a pair of career firsts for Harris, who now has his first career defensive touchdown on the same night as his first-ever two-interception performance.

Broncos Take 28-24 Lead

October 15th, 2012 - 9:24pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

Denver has come all the way back from being behind 21 points to take a four-point lead over the Chargers. The Broncos came up with the go-ahead touchdown on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Peyton Manning to well-covered wide receiver Brandon Stokley.

It was all set up when cornerback Tony Carter made his second big play of the night, this time picking off a deep pass by San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers and returning it 15 yards to midfield.

That set up a drive that started with a 6-yard completion from Manning to Stokley followed by a 9-yard run by running back Willis McGahee. From the San Diego 35-yard line, Manning completed another pass to Stokley, this one for a 9-yard gain. After a penalty on San Diego, Manning looked Stokley’s way for the third straight time and Stokley made a leaping, go-ahead 21-yard touchdown reception despite tight coverage along the sideline.

With that touchdown pass, Manning has now gone over 300 yards passing for the fourth time in as many games. He also extends his personal record of career games with 300 yards passing to an NFL-best 67. It’s Manning’s fourth consecutive game with at least 300 yards passing. He has not thrown an incompletion in the second half.

Manning is now 24-for-29 for 309 yards and three touchdowns, with a quarterback rating of 131.2.

Denver Makes It 21 Unanswered, Trails 24-21

October 15th, 2012 - 9:08pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

What was once a 24-point lead is now just three after a 55-yard scoring march by the Broncos.

Taking over at its own 45-yard line with easily its best field position of the night, Denver started the drive strong on a 9-yard run by running back Willis McGahee, who added a 2-yard burst for first down yardage on the following play.

The Broncos moved the chains again on third-and-16 when Manning threaded the needle through tight coverage to Jacob Tamme for a 25-yard gain along the sideline.

That play put the ball on the San Diego 25-yard line, where a 9-yard run followed by a 2-yard run, both by McGahee, gave Denver another first down.

On the following play, Manning high-stepped a defender and completed a 7-yard pass to wide receiver Eric Decker. Manning went right back to Decker on a screen pass on the following play, and Decker followed his blockers, then plowed through San Diego defenders on his way into the end zone.

The touchdown makes it three straight games with a receiving touchdown for Decker.

On the evening, Manning is 21-for-26 for 273 yards and two touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 120.0.

Carter’s Fumble Return Brings Broncos Within 10

October 15th, 2012 - 8:47pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

The Broncos have cut San Diego’s lead to 10 points on a defensive touchdown by cornerback Tony Carter.
San Diego moved down the field from its own 15-yard line to Denver’s 33-yard line and faced third down.

The Chargers advanced the ball with runs by running back Ryan Mathews mixed in with short completions by quarterback Philip Rivers to wide receivers Malcolm Floyd and Eddie Royal.

The drive halted on the following play when a sack by defensive end Elvis Dumervil knocked the ball out of the hands of Rivers and was scooped up by Carter, who raced 65 yards untouched into the end zone.

The sack gives Dumervil four on the season and the play also marked the first touchdown of Carter’s career. The 65-yard return is the sixth-longest defensive touchdown in team history and the third-longest in the NFL this season.

Manning-to-Decker Puts Broncos on the Board

October 15th, 2012 - 8:29pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

Denver scored its first points of the night on an eight-play drive in which quarterback Peyton Manning completed all four of his passes, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

The Broncos picked up a first down on the first play of the series on a 12-yard completion from Manning to tight end Joel Dreessen.

Denver followed the first down with a short run by running back Willis McGahee and another completion to Dreessen, this one for 19 yards another first down.

Two plays later, Manning completed a 14-yard pass to wide receiver Eric Decker to move the chains a third time.

On the following play, Manning once again connected with Dreessen on a 10-yard completion for a first down. From the Chargers 29-yard line, Denver followed a first-down run for no gain with the 29-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Thomas, who now has three touchdown catches on the season.

Injury Updates

October 15th, 2012 - 7:51pm by Tyler EverettOther posts by

Broncos tackle Orlando Franklin has suffered a hamstring injury and his return is probable.