Broncos up-down drill: Highs and lows for Denver vs. Dallas
Cowboys helmet stripes. To recognize the NFL’S “Salute to Service,” and Veterans’ Day, the Cowboys’ helmet had a red, white and blue stripe.
Jerry World: AT&T Stadium is an example of extravagance … and that’s fine by us. Big scoreboards. Nine levels of seats, from the fieldlevel suites to the upper deck. And standing room only areas behind both end zones.
Broncos’ OLB depth: Von Miller was traded last week, Bradley Chubb (ankle) remains on injured reserve and Malik Reed (hip) was inactive on Sunday. That left three true outside linebackers on the roster — Jonathon Cooper, Stephen Weatherly and Aaron Patrick.
The Undertaker: The WWE legend, whose secondary nickname is “The Deadman,” was on-hand to promote next year’s Wrestlemania. Taker got the crowd going before the game by chugging a bottle of Miller Lite.
Drew Lock’s luck: Lock, the Broncos’ back-up quarterback, made his own mess last November by trying to skirt the COVID-19 protocols. This time around, he was unavailable to play due to being a close contact to somebody from outside the organization who tested positive.
Von Miller jerseys: The Broncos make very few trips to Texas, home state of the now-ex outside linebacker. From the hotel by the airport to throughout the stadium, No. 58 jerseys were noticeable.
Fourth-down defense. Four times the Broncos stopped Dallas on fourth down, including on the Cowboys’ first two possessions. Those early stops set the tempo for the upset.
Vic’s energy. Broncos coach Vic Fangio showed more emotion than at any point this season, including fist pumps when the Broncos stuffed the Cowboys on fourth down early in the game. It was great to see.
Rushing game. Denver turned the tables with a rushing game that ate up time and led to Denver’s best offensive showing of the season. Denver, meanwhile, shut down Dallas’s normally high-powered run game.
First sacks: Rookie linebacker Jonathon Cooper had the first two sacks of his career. Von who?
Broncos’ fans. There were around 25,000 Broncos fans among the announced crowd of 93,503. Those fans grew louder as Denver built its lead to 30-0. Cowboys’ fans headed for the exits early in the fourth quarter.
Vic’s game plan. Fangio, subject of intense heat about his job status, drew up a masterful plan that shut down a Dallas team that had been averaging 40 points per game at home.