Dayne’s Run Sets Up Elam’s Winning Kick

Regardless of whether Ron Dayne ever outruns his reputation as an underachiever, he’ll always be able to look back fondly at Thanksgiving 2005.

Filling in for injured Tatum Bell, Dayne rumbled 55 yards on the second play of overtime and Jason Elam followed with a 24-yard field goal to give the Denver Broncos a 24-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday in the kind of tight, tense game expected in a clash between first-place teams.

Bell was a surprise scratch because of a bruised chest, and Dayne didn’t even know he’d be in the lineup until Thursday. He responded with 98 yards rushing, his most since Sept. 30, 2001, and scored his first touchdown since the 2004 opener, when the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner was with the New York Giants.

“The coaching staff gave me a chance and they believed in me,” Dayne said. “I was glad I got this opportunity to show that I wasn’t a bust.”

The game was close for more than four quarters, with the margin never wider than a touchdown. Both defenses came up with big plays, and each team downed a punt inside the two. There was a close call by the officials, and the Cowboys (7-4) missed a 34-yard field-goal attempt that would’ve put them ahead midway through the fourth quarter.

Denver (9-2) never trailed in winning its fourth straight, but the Broncos were hardly in control. Their running game struggled until Dayne’s big burst, and Jake Plummer had a pass intercepted for the first time since Week 2. Still, they improved to 3-2 on the road to maintain hopes of catching unbeaten Indianapolis for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.

“I guess we’re living right,” said cornerback Champ Bailey, who returned an interception 65 yards for Denver’s first touchdown. “Everything worked out tonight.... We have something special here.”

Dallas ended a three-game winning streak, and, like all of its other losses, this one was decided late. The Cowboys’ losses are by a combined 13 points, with the last two coming on game-ending field goals. This one gives the Giants a chance to take over first place in the NFC East on Sunday, before facing Dallas the following weekend.

“I’m disappointed with the outcome; I’m not disappointed with the effort,” Cowboy Coach Bill Parcells said. “I thought we played pretty solid on defense, until that last run.”

Dayne joined the Broncos last off-season for the minimum salary in hopes of reviving his career in an offense that consistently features one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks. He was active only five of the first 10 games and came into this game without a carry since Oct. 2 and a season total of 53 yards.