Broncos Are Still Feeling a Mile High

On a night when John Elway could have kept his arm holstered, the Broncos relied on their infantry, led by Terrell Davis, to overrun the New England Patriots, 34-13, before 75,821 and introduce the “Mile High Salute” to the nation.

Like the “Fun Bunch” in Washington, the “Killer Bs” in Miami and the Packers’ Lambeau leap into the stands, the undefeated Broncos appear Super Bowl bound with a military salute for each other after every score, and a marketing identity just taking root.

“It began with the running backs,” said Davis, born and raised in San Diego and one of the last players recruited to Long Beach State by George Allen. “We call each other soldiers and it just kind of evolved from that and it’s pretty big right now.

“It’s a mindset, it’s all about soldiers being on the front line and being asked to do a lot. A lot of times they are not rewarded, and that’s where the salute comes in.”

Davis, who deserves to be treated like a general by the Patriots after they were forced to retreat again with their 10th consecutive loss to the Broncos, ran 32 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

“I know one thing,” said Denver Coach Mike Shanahan, now 18-2 in Mile High Stadium. “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody.”

Who needs Elway? The Broncos, thrashing the Patriots by a combined score of 105-24 the past three years, have relied on Davis to do the damage, gaining 422 yards in 88 carries and scoring six touchdowns.

“My confidence level is unbelievable now,” said Davis, who led the AFC in rushing last season--his second in the NFL. “When I go out there now I run with authority and with a purpose, whereas when I came into the league I ran not to make mistakes.”

The mistakes being made in this game were by the Patriots, and on occasion, Elway, who was intercepted twice, while completing 13 of 27 passes for 196 yards.

“Doesn’t matter,” said Elway. “This is a big win and I think it will have big implications down the line.”

Now Denver’s worry is the same as a year ago, jumping too far in front of everyone else, clinching a playoff berth and then losing their edge.

“We learned our lesson,” Davis said. “This is good and we’re happy we won, but we haven’t peaked yet and there’s a lot of room for improvement. We have to keep this in perspective.”

Here’s the new perspective for the Patriots (4-1): They should be cheering hard the rest of the year for a Denver-Jacksonville first-round playoff rematch resulting in another Jaguars’ upset victory, or they might as well pack their gear away if forced to play the Broncos again.

“This is a mind game with the Patriots,” said Denver linebacker John Mobley, who returned a Drew Bledsoe pass 13 yards for a touchdown.

Denver, now the only undefeated team in the NFL and the first since Miami in 1992 to open 6-0, has a two-game lead in the AFC West. More significantly, it not only has a game up on the Patriots, but also the tie-breaking edge for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Patriots, meanwhile, remain winless in Denver since 1968 after its main characters failed to mirror the exploits of their opponents. Running back Curtis Martin, a 1995 draft classmate of Davis’, ran 15 times for 66 yards, but could not dent the end zone. And Bledsoe, who admittedly idolizes Elway, appeared rattled in completing 20 of 41 passes for 234 yards.

“Obviously, Denver was the better team tonight,” said New England Coach Pete Carroll. “This was an opportunity for us to make a stand in the league, and it also was the same for Denver. And they did it. We couldn’t do anything to stop their momentum.”

They might have tried tackling Davis, who has run for more than 100 yards in five of the Broncos’ six games this season, and 15 in his 36 career starts in the NFL. Better yet, they should have drafted him.

The Broncos waited until the sixth round to grab Davis after already taking Phil Yeboah-Kodie in the fifth and Fritz Fequiere earlier in the sixth. Davis was an understudy to Garrison Hearst for much of his career at Georgia after Long Beach State’s program folded.

“I didn’t want to stay in California my whole life because that would be boring, so I went to Georgia and didn’t really get as good an opportunity as I have in the pros to show what I can do,” said Davis in explaining his rise from obscurity. “Curtis [Martin] and I talked about it coming out of college and every time we see each other. Like Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders, we were coming into the league at the same time and that’s who we pattern ourselves after.”

Smith’s running out of gas, and while Sanders is still kicking, Davis is quickly establishing himself as the most consistent back in football.

“Terrell is a great back,” said Martin, who will undoubtedly continue to challenge Davis for AFC honors throughout his career. “I really like the guy; I just wish he hadn’t done so well against us.”

Davis, taking advantage of a Terry Glenn fumble on the Patriots’ first possession, carried the ball seven times and gained 35 yards, including a two-yard plunge for Denver’s first score. During a 17-point Denver explosion in the third quarter after New England had closed to 14-13 at halftime, Davis had a one-yard touchdown run to build a 31-13 lead.

“That guy--you try to hit him low and hopefully someone else will hit him high,” said New England safety Willie Clay, who intercepted a pair of Elway passes to keep the final score from being worse. “He’s just a great back, but it’s not like he’s doing it alone. With that offensive line he’s running downhill everytime he touches the ball.”