Broncos Stay in Running

His last start was dreadful, a 21-3 loss in an AFC wild-card playoff game in December 2000. And his first significant action since then began the same way.

Gus Frerotte replaced injured starter Brian Griese early in the second half Sunday night and fumbled the ball away on his third play.

Frerotte overcame that shaky beginning to keep the Denver Broncos in the playoff picture, driving the team to two third-quarter scores in a 20-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

“I was a little rusty at first,” Frerotte said. “I was trying to not make bad plays. I really just wanted to be smart. It felt good to be back out there, to actually play when your team needed it. This game was huge for us.”

Denver (7-6) sacked Matt Hasselbeck five times and held the Seahawk running game in check, even with the return of Ricky Watters after missing eight games with a shoulder injury.

Frerotte completed 10 of 20 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Terrell Davis, starting his second straight game in an injury-plagued season, ran for 109 yards. Rod Smith, playing on a sprained left ankle, had eight catches for 66 yards.

Hasselbeck was 17 for 37 for 243 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Griese took a blow to the head on the first play of the second half, when linebacker Levon Kirkland landed on him at the end of a nine-yard scramble.

“He has a concussion,” Bronco Coach Mike Shanahan said. “Just talking to him in the locker room, he still seemed a little dazed.”

Three plays later, Frerotte fumbled the ball on a sack at Denver’s 24. The Seahawks (6-6) couldn’t capitalize, however, as Rian Lindell missed a 41-yard field goal.

“We had our chances, we didn’t convert,” Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren said. “At 6-6, we have to win out to get into the playoffs.”