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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) -- The third-string running back for the Denver
Broncos did the other two proud.
Rookie Mike Anderson, making his first NFL start because of
injuries to Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary, rushed for 131 yards
and two touchdowns on 31 carries as the Broncos routed the Falcons
42-14.
|  | | Mike Anderson (38) kept Denver's running game intact, starting in place of injured backs Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary. |
"Driving to the stadium, my heart was pounding and I was
shaking a little bit," Anderson said. "Filling in for a guy like
Terrell Davis, there are going to be some high expectations. But I
just tried to relax and not put a lot of pressure on myself.
"When I started getting handoffs, those holes were just wide
open. The guys up front did a great job."
The win might have been a costly one for the Broncos, however.
Already ravaged by injuries to three starters, the Broncos lost
kicker Jason Elam late in the second quarter when he was wiped out
by a block on a kickoff return for a touchdown.
His right leg dangling, Elam was assisted off the field by two
trainers and was taken to the locker room on a cart. A team
spokesman said Elam has a soft-tissue injury to his lower back.
"He's really sore," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "He got
hit on the hip and was having problems with his lower back, but at
least it wasn't a knee or anything along those lines. Hopefully,
he'll be back."
Elam, who was listed in serious but stable condition on Monday, had consulted
with a neurosurgeon and underwent an MRI Sunday, Swedish Medical
Center spokeswoman Sara Spaulding said. She declined to comment on the results of the test.
The Broncos were expected to talk more about Elam's condition
during a press conference Monday afternoon.
Brian Griese, who entered the game as the league's top-rated
passer, completed 20 of 33 passes for 268 yards and three
touchdowns, two of them to Rod Smith.
Denver (1-1), rebounding from Monday night's 41-36 loss to
defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis, had 407 total yards
compared to 186 for the Falcons (1-1).
The loss spoiled the return of Atlanta coach Dan Reeves to
Denver, where he coached the Broncos for 12 seasons (1981-92).
"They beat us about as bad as you could get beat," Reeves
said. "We started off bad with a penalty on the first play, and it
just seemed to continue to get worse."
Asked what positives he could take from the loss, Reeves said,
"You're searching for something now. We got good play from our
return teams, and we got a lot of practice on our kickoff return.
We probably won't have to work on that this week."
The Broncos scored on their first five possessions en route to a
34-7 halftime lead.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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This was an impressive performance by Denver. The Broncos went into the game without Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary (who's out for the year) and were down to their third-string running back, Mike Anderson.
Anderson had a big game for them -- which leads you to believe that, perhaps more than we thought, Denver's success offensively through the years has been because of its offensive line.
Atlanta just got hit right in the mouth today and didn't respond the way they should have. It was a difficult day for Chris Chandler; he didn't have enough time to throw the football and was hurried most of the game.
This was a statement game for Denver. For Atlanta, it shows the Falcons have some work to do before they get back to their Super Bowl-caliber performance of 1998.
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Denver had 291 total yards in the first half compared to
Atlanta's 44. The Falcons had no first downs and only 19 yards in
the first quarter, and they trailed 27-0 before picking up their
initial first down with 8:10 remaining in the half.
Anderson, a 26-year-old rookie drafted in the sixth round,
earned the start when Davis was declared inactive because of a
sprained left ankle and Gary, Davis' backup, was put on injured
reserve with a torn ligament in his right knee. Gary rushed for
more than 1,000 yards last year when Davis missed most of the
season with a knee injury.
Anderson carried the final four times on a 48-yard drive, capped
by his 2-yard scoring run, for a 7-0 lead with 8:25 left in the
first quarter.
Tim Dwight fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Atlanta 16, and
Elam kicked a 29-yard field goal, then added a 51-yarder late in
the quarter.
Griese's 21-yard pass to Robert Brooks helped set up a 6-yard
scoring pass to fullback Howard Griffith early in the second
quarter.
Anderson capped a 61-yard drive with a 20-yard run for a 27-0
lead.
The Broncos made it 34-0 when Griese passed 25 yards to Brooks
and 18 to Anderson, then connected with Smith, who made a leaping
11-yard TD reception over cornerback Ashley Ambrose.
Atlanta's Darrick Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards
for a touchdown on the play that injured Elam. He was blocked by
Johndale Carty and was sent tumbling.
Griese threw a 37-yard TD pass to Smith early in the third
quarter, and the Atlanta offense got its only score with 3:04 left
in the period when Chris Chandler passed 35 yards to Dwight.
Chandler was 9-for-22 for 128 yards. Jamal Anderson carried
seven times for 38 yards.
Game notes
Mike Anderson became the first Denver rookie in club
history to rush for 100 yards in his first start. ... Shanahan, an
ex-Reeves assistant in Denver, is 5-1 against his former boss. ...
Vaughn's 100-yard kickoff return tied a team record set by Dennis
Pearson in 1978 and equaled by Deion Sanders in 1991. It was the
second-longest ever against the Broncos. ... Elam and backup
offensive tackle Trey Teague both will have MRIs. Teague sprained
his right knee. Cornerback Deltha O'Neal has a bruised left thigh,
and tight end Byron Chamberlain a strained left hamstring. Denver
receiver Ed McCaffrey (groin) started, but played sparingly. ...
The Falcons reported no significant injuries.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
Week 2 wrap-ups
Week 2 infirmary report
TJ's Take on Week 2
Week 2 stats leaders
Prime Time Players
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