High Turnover Rate Is Good for Broncos

After 162 career passes without an interception, Tom Brady fell apart in a hurry.

Brady, a model of accuracy in four previous starts, threw four fourth-quarter interceptions and the Denver Broncos took advantage in a 31-20 victory Sunday over the New England Patriots.

Denard Walker and Deltha O’Neal each had two interceptions, and Rod Smith had six catches for 159 yards and a touchdown to help the Broncos (4-3) beat New England (3-4) for the 12th time in 14 games since 1984.

“Their defensive backs are like receivers out there,” Brady said. “If you throw it their way, they’re probably going to catch it.”

Brady, a second-year player filling in for the injured Drew Bledsoe, had the best interception-free streak to start an NFL career, but he threw four in 10 attempts in the game’s final 15 minutes.

Walker started the turnover trend when he intercepted a pass in the back of the end zone to protect a 24-20 lead, and O’Neal made a diving grab five minutes later. Walker provided the clinching score when he returned an interception 39 yards with 2:24 remaining.

On the play, New England receiver Troy Brown ran his pattern to the inside, and Brady threw the ball directly to Walker on the outside.

“I screwed it up,” Brown said. “I wasn’t on the same page with him. He was expecting me to do one thing and I thought that I should do something else.”

New England’s mistakes allowed the Broncos to survive their own untimely penalties and turnovers, which hurt them in losses over the last two weeks.

Denver quarterback Brian Griese threw two interceptions, but he also had touchdown passes to Smith and Dwayne Carswell that helped the Broncos overcome a 10-point deficit in the third quarter. Griese completed 19 of 30 passes for 283 yards.

Smith, the NFL’s leading receiver, scored on a 65-yard catch to pull Denver to 20-17 with 10:35 left in the third quarter, and the Broncos took their first lead in three weeks when Griese found Carswell all alone for a six-yard score seven minutes later.

New England threatened to take the lead early in the fourth quarter when two Denver penalties helped it drive to the eight. But the Patriots came away empty when Walker made his end-zone interception.

Denver erased an early 10-0 deficit on Mike Anderson’s eight-yard touchdown run and a 50-yard field goal by Jason Elam. New England regained the lead following a strange play straight out of Pop Warner football.

With 2:25 left in the half, Patriot linebacker Ted Bruschi intercepted a pass that was tipped by teammate Matt Stevens but then fumbled without being touched during the return.

The ball bounced directly into Griese’s arms but squirted free when he hit the ground. Stevens recovered at the Denver 32 and the Patriots started the drive at the 17 after Griese was flagged for a personal foul.

Brady, who was Griese’s backup at Michigan in 1997, threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Brown four plays later.