Broncos Rising but Are Wary of Plunge

NFL players don’t like to dredge up the past, but the Denver Broncos can’t help it.

They’re familiar with the mile-high plunge.

“You’ve got to be historically aware,” Bronco fullback Kyle Johnson said Sunday after a 28-20, hold-on-for-dear-life victory over the New England Patriots. “We know what happens in Denver.”

The Broncos are 5-1, but they have frittered away identical records the last two seasons, melting into mediocrity before sneaking into the playoffs as wild-card teams. Is another fade pattern in the offing? The players are doing what they can to avoid one.

“I’m not putting a lot on being 5-1 right now,” linebacker Ian Gold said. “My mentality is we’re 0-6.”

With the way the Patriots carved through their defense for much of the second half, the Broncos looked like a winless team.

After building a 28-3 lead, Denver gave up 17 unanswered points and teetered on the verge of an epic collapse.

Conjuring up memories of John Elway, quarterback Tom Brady directed two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to set the stage for another classic finish. Since 2001, Brady has pulled off 19 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter, more than any active quarterback.

But the Broncos didn’t let him add to that. They came up with some big defensive plays on New England’s last possession -- forcing an intentional grounding on second down, breaking up an over-the-middle pass on third down -- then ran out the clock by picking up a pair of first downs in the last three minutes.

Largely responsible for those was quarterback Jake Plummer, who completed 17 of 24 passes for 262 yards with two touchdowns. He was spectacular in the second quarter, connecting on six of seven attempts, including bombs to Rod Smith for 72 yards and Ashley Lelie for 55.

Also in the second quarter, Denver’s Tatum Bell tore off a career-long run of 68 yards on his way to a 13-carry, 114-yard effort. He came into the game averaging 6.2 yards a carry, best among running backs.

It was a victory that left Denver players feeling not only pleased but relieved. They had lost two of their last three home games against Patriot teams coached by Bill Belichick, and they knew they couldn’t breathe easy with Brady playing from behind.

Brady is deserving of league most-valuable-player honors virtually every season, Denver defensive end Trevor Pryce said.

“I think he’s better than Peyton Manning,” Pryce said. “[Brady] stands there and takes hits unlike any quarterback I’ve ever seen. I’m running dead-straight at the guy and he stands there and takes the hit.... Me and [defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban] hit him together one time, and I think I got the worst of it. Brady gets up and he’s fine. It’s my head that’s ringing.”

There’s no denying, though, that the Patriots are hurting. The dynasty might not be dead, but it’s certainly on crutches. Running back Corey Dillon and defensive end Richard Seymour didn’t play Sunday, and safety Rodney Harrison is done for the season.

Making matters worse, rookie guard Logan Mankins, a first-round pick, was ejected at the end of the first half for sucker-punching Ekuban in the groin.

“He connected,” confirmed Ekuban, moving especially gingerly after the game.

Although the Patriots have lost a number of key players this season, they apparently will be getting one back soon.

The club announced Sunday that linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who decided to sit out the season after suffering a mild stroke shortly after the Super Bowl, has been cleared by doctors to resume practicing as early as this week.

“Organizationally, I’m 100% behind it,” Belichick said, “and I don’t have anything else to add.”

What Bruschi has to add is unclear. He has been lifting weights with the team, gets a playbook every week and stands on the sideline during home games. But he hasn’t practiced, let alone played, since last season.

Clearly, the Patriots are much softer defensively than they’ve been in recent years. The franchise that feasted on turnovers last season has gone 14 consecutive quarters without a takeaway.

The Broncos, meanwhile, have gone four consecutive games without a turnover. Heading into this season, they hadn’t put together three turnover-free games in at least the last 35 years.

But Denver almost had one giant giveaway Sunday: the game.

“I’m not happy,” linebacker Gold said. “We had penalties, missed assignments. I won’t be satisfied until we get to the playoffs and start winning.”

As he can attest, 5-1 is far from 5-and-wonderful.