Denver holds off Washington 21-19

By J.E. | Sunday, October 09, 2005 | ( 0 )

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The Denver Broncos thwarted the Washington Redskins' bid for a fourth quarter comeback by breaking up a 2-point attempt with just over a minute left to play in the game. The win was Denver's fourth in a row and strengthened their hold on first place in the AFC West. With the loss, Washington drops from the ranks of the NFL's unbeaten teams, but they remain in a tie with the inactive Giants atop the NFC East.

Down 21-13 with under 5 minutes to play in the fourth, Washington Redskins QB Mark Brunell led the Redskins on a 13-play drive that was kept alive by two key Denver penalties. The 94-yard march down the field was capped off by an 11-yard touchdown pass to TE Chris Cooley. But the 2-point play - an attempted pass to David Patten -was broken up by LB Ian Gold to seal the Denver victory.

Brunell finished the day with 322 yards and 2 TDs. Clinton Portis rushed for 103 yards against his former team, but still has yet to dent the scoring column this season. Santana Moss led all receivers with 8 catches for 116 yards.

The Denver Broncos escaped with the win despite being held to just 252 net yards on offense. Running back Tatum Bell was the lone bright spot, rushing for 127 yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries. His touchdowns came on runs of 34 and 55 yards. Mike Anderson managed just 34 yards in 11 attempts on the day.

Quarterback Jake Plummer was pretty much a non-factor in the game. Plummer completed only 10 passes for a meager 92 yards on the day. He was also tackled in his own end zone for what appeared to be a safety, but Denver challenged the play and the call was reversed.

Next up: The Denver Broncos host the defending champion New England Patriots at Invesco Field. The Washington Redskins will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

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