| Broncos QB Peyton Manning read then shredded the Saints defense, completing 22 of 30 passes for 305 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 138.9 rating in Denver's win. (US Presswire) |
By halftime Sunday, it was apparent which team was in the throes of a legitimate surge and which one had provided a mere tease in recent weeks.
The Broncos (4-3) carried the momentum from a second-half dismantling of San Diego into Sunday's game against New Orleans (2-5). Their pressure discombobulated the Saints offense and led to four three-and-outs. QB Peyton Manning's ability to diagnose the Saints defense and audible into run calls when they dropped back to protect against the pass kept New Orleans off balance and befuddled for most of Sunday's 34-14, Broncos win in Denver.
Denver's second half at San Diego looks less like a fluke and more a sign of a team coming together. The Saints' two-game winning streak against the Chargers and Buccaneers -- punctuated by a goal-line stand in the third quarter at Tampa Bay -- appears to be a mirage.
"We were obviously not able to take a step forward and the situation we’re in requires us each and every week to do that," Saints QB Drew Brees said. "We’re not pressing, we’re not overreacting, but the situation is what it is and we do understand the importance of each and every week -- the fact that we need to play much better than we did."
When the game turned: With the game tied at 7-all early in the second quarter, Saints coach called his punt team back from the field and opted to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Denver 47. Brees thought he had a window to hit TE Jimmy Graham between Broncos LB Danny Trevathan and S Jim Leonhard, but LB Wesley Woodyard intervened, leaping at the Denver 36-yard-line and intercepting the pass. From a field-position standpoint, he would have been better served by dropping it, since he only returned it to the Denver 44-yard-line, but the jolt that play provided powered the Broncos to a five-play, 56-yard touchdown drive that put them in front to stay.
Highlight moments: Woodyard's interception … Manning's 41-yard play-action pass to WR Demaryius Thomas … Saints RB Darren Sproles' 29-yard touchdown catch-and-run to tie the game in the second quarter.
Key stat: Not only did the Saints go 1 of 12 on third downs, but they averaged just 0.75 yards per third-down play. Brees was 2 of 11 for 21 yards on third down and was sacked once.
Top-shelf performances:
- Manning: 22 of 30 passing for 305 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 138.9 rating. He is the first player in NFL history to hit the 300-yard, three-touchdown, 70-percent mark in four consecutive games. Nobody else has even done it three times in a row.
- Broncos LB Wesley Woodyard: 13 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and an interception.
- Broncos RB Willis McGahee: 23 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown; 2 receptions for 33 yards.
- Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas: 7 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.
- Broncos DT Mitch Unrein: He lined up at fullback on first-and-goal at the New Orleans 1 and provided the block on Saints S Roman Harper to spring McGahee for a 1-yard touchdown run.
What they said about the Saints' poor performance on third downs:
- Saints QB Drew Brees: "That was just very stale. It never felt like we could get anything going. One of 12 on third downs? That's pitiful."
- Broncos CB Champ Bailey: "That's impressive. Our big guys, when they get pressure like that, we can become unstoppable."
Injury update: Broncos -- LB Joe Mays suffered a left ankle injury on a punt return in the fourth quarter and was helped off the field. "It's being evaluated," Fox said ... Manning banged his thumb late in the second quarter but returned and was unaffected. Saints -- WR Courtney Roby left with a shoulder injury and did not return. … S Roman Harper was examined in the third quarter for a concussion, but the tests came up negative and he returned.
Going forward: Broncos -- They head east for a two-game road swing against the Bengals and Panthers. Denver is 1-10 in its last 11 trips to the Eastern time zone, including a playoff loss at New England last January. Saints -- New Orleans goes home for a pair of games against the Eagles and Falcons to open November, but with four of their next six games against Atlanta (twice), San Francisco and the Giants, the Saints face a climb that could be too daunting to overcome.
For up-to-the-minute Broncos updates, follow Andrew Mason on Twitter at @CBSBroncos and @MaxBroncos.