Royce Freeman has solid start in official NFL career debut
DENVER — Imperial Valley native and Denver Broncos rookie running back Royce Freeman got his NFL career off to a solid start in a 27-24 home victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday afternoon.
The former Imperial High School and Oregon University star, who was named the Broncos opening day starter after a strong preseason showing, rushed 15 times for 71 yards. More than half of his yardage came in the fourth quarter.
The star of the game was Denver linebacker Von Miller, who sacked Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson three times, forced two fumbles and recovered one.
It was the Broncos’ 18th win in their past 19 home openers, and few were more exciting or competitive.
New Broncos starting quarterback Case Keenum threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, but was also intercepted three times.
Wilson threw for 298 yards and three TDs, but was picked off twice and sacked six times.
Demaryius Thomas atoned for early hiccups with several key catches and a touchdown, and Freeman, the first rookie to start an opener for Denver since Hall of Famer Terrell Davis in 1995, helped the Broncos all but salt it away.
The Seahawks got the ball back at their 12 with no timeouts and 1:01 left and couldn’t go anywhere, Wilson finally throwing the ball up at midfield where cornerback Adam Jones picked it off with no time remaining.
Wilson put the Seahawks ahead 24-20 when he found Tyler Lockett all alone for a 51-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter. But Keenum responded with a 4-yard strike to a tip-toeing Thomas, putting the Broncos back on top for good with 11:11 left.
Miller’s best play was one where he simply snatched the ball out of running back Chris Carson’s arms. But on the next play, Keenum threw his third interception, the second one picked off by safety Bradley McDougald, who returned this one 39 yards to the Denver 41.
That led to Brandon Marshall’s 20-yard TD catch that tied it at 17 and came against the team he started his career with back in 2006.
Miller cracked the top 50 on the all-time sacks list with a 13-yard sack of Wilson in the fourth quarter.
One of Keenum’s interceptions came when Demaryius Thomas, who also had three passes go off his hands and was whistled for a holding call that negated a first-down run, never looked back and safety Earl Thomas snared it in his first game since ending his holdout Wednesday.
Six seconds later, rookie tight end Will Dissly blew past rookie linebacker Bradley Chubb and hauled in the 15-yard TD pass.
After undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay turned a short pass from Keenum into a 29-yard touchdown, Dissly again beat Chubb, this time for a 66-yard gain that set up
Sebastian Janikowski’s 35-yard field goal.
Denver took a 14-10 lead when Emmanuel Sanders somersaulted into the end zone with a 43-yard score.
Brandon McManus was good from 51 yards and Janikowski missed back-to-back field goal attempts from 51 and 46 yards just after the two-minute warning.
The Broncos will next host the Oakland Raiders Sunday.