Broncos still perfect after air battle with Cowboys
Manning and Romo combine for more than 900 yards; Luck’s Colts solve Seahawks
Peyton Manning spent all afternoon putting the Broncos in the end zone during a wild shootout with Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys.
The last time he got the ball, Manning kept Denver out of the end zone — and that was the best way to win the game.
The four-time MVP continued his record touchdown pace and Matt Prater kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired after a Romo interception spoiled the first 500-yard game in Dallas history. The Broncos stayed unbeaten with a 51-48 victory.
“It was pretty amazing that it came down to the defence making a big play at the end,” Denver coach John Fox said. “Thank God our offence kept us in the game all day long.”
In the waning seconds of one of the highest-scoring thrillers in NFL history, Manning ensured that his kicker — not Romo — had the last chance to score. And with that, the Broncos ran their total to 230 points this season — the most ever by an NFL team through the first five games. The Broncos have also won 16 consecutive regular-season games.
Denver (5-0) had moved the ball to the Dallas two after Danny Trevathan’s diving interception at the 24-yard line in the final two minutes.
Needing a first down but not a touchdown so they could run out the clock, Manning and Knowshon Moreno shouted at each other just before the snap.
“He basically was asking me, ‘How am I supposed to do that? How can I get a half a yard but not get a yard and a half?’ ” said Manning, who threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns to give him a recordsetting 20 in the first five games.
“I just said, ‘You can’t! You can’t score! You can’t do it!’ ”
Moreno managed to pull off the first down without scoring, and Manning took three snaps to drain the clock to two seconds for Prater, who also had a 50yarder among his three field goals.
It was quite a debate over a measly yard in a game with 1,039 yards of total offence combined in the fourth-highest highest scoring game in NFL history, and tied for the second-highest in regulation since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, according to STATS.
Romo was 25 of 36 for 506 yards and five touchdowns, breaking Don Meredith’s franchise record of 460 yards. He is just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 500 yards and five touchdowns in a game — but lost. COLTS 34, SEAHAWKS 28: Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Donald Brown scored the go-ahead TD with 8:55 left. The Seahawks (4-1) lost their first regular-season game since last Nov. 25 on Luck’s ninth career fourth-quarter comeback. The QB finished 16 of 29 for 229 yards, beating Russell Wilson in their first matchup. “This is the most resilient team that I’ve ever been around,” coach Chuck Pagano said of his Colts, who lead the AFC South for the first time in the postPeyton Manning era, too. 49ers 34, TEXANS 3: Tramaine Brock intercepted Matt Schaub’s first pass of the night and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown, one of three passes picked off before the Houston QB was replaced in the fourth quarter. San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick threw a 64-yard TD pass to Vernon Davis and Frank Gore ran for 81yards and a score in his second straight impressive prime-time game. SAINTS 26, BEARS 18: Drew Brees threw two TD passes to Pierre Thomas and Jimmy Graham tied Tony Gonzalez’s NFL record for tight ends with his fourth straight 100-yard game. Brees completed 29 of 35 passes for 288 yards for his first victory at Soldier Field. CHIEFS 26, TITANS 17: Jamaal Charles scored a one-yard touchdown with 6:23 left, and the Chiefs rallied to go 5-0, their best start since 2003, when they won their first nine games. Titans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, starting for injured Jake Locker, missed his first five passes and went three-and-out on his first five series before guiding Tennessee to 17 straight points in the second half. RAVENS 26, DOLPHINS 23: Justin Tucker kicked a 44-yard field goal to put Balti- more ahead with 1:42 left before holding off a frantic comeback bid. Caleb Sturgis missed a 57-yard field goal attempt wide left with 33 seconds to go. PACKERS 22, LIONS 9: Mason Crosby kicked five field goals and Green Bay beat Detroit in Wisconsin for the 23rd straight time. EAGLES 36, GIANTS 21: Nick Foles threw for two TDs and led four scoring drives after taking over for an injured Michael Vick late in the second quarter, keeping the Giants winless. Vick left with a hamstring injury late in the second quarter. CARDINALS 22, PANTHERS 6: Arizona sacked Cam Newton seven times, once for a safety, and intercepted three passes to overcome a sluggish offensive performance. Daryl Washington, back from a four-game drug suspension, had two sacks and an interception for Arizona. RAMS 34, JAGUARS 20: Sam Bradford threw three TD passes and Matt Giordano’s 82-yard interception return was one of several big plays from the St. Louis defence against winless Jacksonville.