BRONCOS, COWBOYS RACK UP 99 POINTS
Manning, Broncos pushed to brink in Dallas
It was that kind of day for Julius Thomas and the Broncos, with Thomas celebrating one of his two touchdowns in what would be second-highest scoring game in regulation since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
ArLINGTON, TexAS • Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos stayed unbeaten after Tony Romo made one late mistake in a record-setting game.
Manning kept up his torrid pace with four touchdown passes, and Matt Prater kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired for a 51-48 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Romo threw for 506 yards and five touchdowns, the first 500-yard game in Dallas history, but was intercepted by Danny Trevathan at the Dallas 24 in the final two minutes to set up Prater’s winning kick.
The Broncos (5-0) got all the way down to the Dallas one, then drained the clock to make sure Prater’s kick was the final play in a wild game.
The teams combined for 1,039 yards of total offence in the second-highest scoring game in regulation since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, according to STATS.
Cincinnati and Cleveland combined for 106 points in the Browns’ 58-48 win in 2004.
Dallas (2-3) took a 48-41 lead when Romo threw 79 yards to Dez Bryant to set up a four-yard scoring toss to Cole Beasley.
Manning, who threw for 414 yards, answered by leading a nine-play, 73-yard drive to Knowshon Moreno’s tying one-yard score with 2:44 left.
The Cowboys were on the verge of getting blown out early in the second half when they finally stopped Manning and forced a field goal. They later ended his streak of 227 passes without an interception when Morris Claiborne picked him off late in the third quarter.
Dallas converted the turnover into a 41-38 lead on Romo’s 10-yard pass to Jason Witten, who had 121 yards receiving and a touchdown.
The Broncos answered with a drive to Prater’s tying 50-yard field goal.
The biggest momentum swing came on Romo’s 82-yard touchdown to rookie Terrance Williams that cut Denver’s lead to 35-27 in the third quarter.
The Cowboys jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter. But the Dallas defenders just couldn’t stay with Denver’s receivers, and then Manning fooled them and the 92,758 watching with a bootleg for an easy one-yard score and a 28-17 lead.
Bryant had six catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Julius Thomas led the Broncos with 122 yards and two scores.