Ezor Gives Broncos Some Run in Win Over the Colts, 27-17 : AFC: Rookie replaces the hobbling Humphrey and gains 82 yards as Denver ends its three-game losing streak.

Eric Dickerson made his debut, but it wasn’t as impressive as Blake Ezor’s.

With Bobby Humphrey still ailing, Ezor ran for 82 yards in his first NFL game and John Elway threw two touchdown passes Sunday as the Denver Broncos broke a three-game losing streak with a 27-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

“Bobby Humphrey tried to go,” Reeves said of the Broncos’ best runner, who twisted an ankle and left after gaining only five yards on three carries. “Ezor ran as well as we knew he could. He is an exceptional runner.

“It was a big win. We tried to handle adversity and we tried to get better with each play. We have a long way to go. This is a step forward. Now we have a week off.”

David Treadwell kicked a 42-yard field goal, his second of the game, to break a 17-17 tie with 3:45 left and Denver (3-4) added a clinching touchdown on a four-yard run by Steve Sewell.

Indianapolis (2-4) got 55 yards in nine carries from Dickerson, playing his first game of the season, but both Colt touchdowns came on passes from Jack Trudeau.

Trudeau completed 24 of 39 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns, with his lone interception coming on a desperation pass with 11 seconds left.

Dickerson, who passed O.J. Simpson for sixth place among all-time NFL rushing leaders with 11,281 yards, said he felt good after playing his first game since last December.

“I got the kinks out I thought might be there, but there was no problem,” said Dickerson, who was booed by the fans before running for 11 yards on his first carry and 20 on his second. “I think I did all right.

“It was about the same as in practice, only the tempo was a little different. To me, practice is almost like a game, so there was no problem.”

Denver built a 17-3 lead on Elway’s touchdown pass plays of 52 yards to Ricky Nattiel and five yards to Mark Jackson, plus a 39-yard field goal by Treadwell.

Indianapolis scored on a one-yard pass to rookie Anthony Johnson late in the second quarter and tied the game on Trudeau’s five-yard scoring pass to Jessie Hester in the final quarter.

Hester, the former Raider, caught eight passes for 152 yards.

A sack of Elway put the Broncos at their own 12 on the next possession, but a 66-yard pass play to Jackson and four consecutive runs by Ezor took Denver to the Indianapolis 10.

An apparent touchdown run by Elway was nullified by a holding penalty, and after another Denver penalty, Treadwell kicked his go-ahead field goal.

“I went out there ready, just waiting for my number to be called,” said Ezor, a free agent from Michigan State. “I didn’t know when it would happen.

“They were trying to intimidate me, and I wasn’t going to let it happen. Just because I’m small (5 feet 8, 180 pounds), they thought they could intimidate me, make me make mistakes.”

Elway passed for a season-high 317 yards.

“It was a big win for us,” he said. “We hung in there and kept fighting. We needed someone to step forward and take charge, and Ezor did that.”

The loss ended a two-game winning streak for Indianapolis.

Coach Ron Meyer said Dickerson “did a nice job picking up some protective schemes. He ran as hard as ever . . . He’ll be back in the mix of things.

“Elway had another sterling day. We finally got some pressure on him and came up with three sacks, but we didn’t have the ball enough in the first half.”