DENVER (AP) -- There were no late-game heroics by Brett Favre this week, although there was a miracle of sorts: The Denver Broncos

	Brian Griese flips the ball to Olandis Gary under pressure from Packers defensive tackle Antonio Dingle.

Brian Griese threw two touchdown passes to Ed McCaffrey and ran for a third Sunday to lead Denver to a 31-10 romp over Green Bay, the Broncos' consecutive straight win after an 0-4 start.

Rookie Olandis Gary, elevated to a starting role because of injuries to Terrell Davis and Derek Loville, carried 37 times for 124 yards and his first career touchdown, and the Broncos defense intercepted Favre three times and forced him into several hurried throws.

Favre, who three times this season rallied the Packers to a comeback victory in the final two minutes despite a sore thumb on his throwing hand, was only 7-for-23 for 120 yards in, statistically, his worst performance as a pro.

"I didn't expect to play like this," said Favre, the three-time league MVP. "I didn't expect to lose like this. Games like this happen. It was ugly. This is a character check.

"My thumb has been bothering me all year, but it is not an excuse. I don't want it to be."

Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski said Favre "had a smile on his face after every bad throw, after every interception. He played like he was frustrated. He kept on smiling. I was like, 'Keep smiling, we'll keep making plays.' "

Griese, earning the start because of Bubby Brister's strained oblique muscle, was 19-for-31 for 363 yards.

GAME NOTES

Green Bay tight end Tyrone Davis bruised his ribs in the third quarter. Green Bay's 35 offensive plays were the fewest ever allowed by a Denver defense. Of those 35 plays, 23 went for zero or minus yardage. Olandis Gary's 37 carries were the second-most in Broncos' history, trailing only the 42 of Terrell Davis against Buffalo in 1997. Brian Griese's 88-yard pass to Byron Chamberlain was the longest non-scoring pass in Denver history, bettering John Elway's 86-yarder to Vance Johnson in 1988. For the first time in their history, the Broncos had a 100-yard rusher (Gary, 124) and two 100-yard receivers (Chamberlain, 123; McCaffrey, 116). With his 114th consecutive start, Brett Favre moved within two games of the NFL record for quarterbacks of 116 (Philadelphia's Ron Jaworski, 1977-84).

"Brian's performance is what we expect of him," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "We had a total team effort around him, and that's what made the difference.

"We made some strides today, and we can build on that. Are we where we want to be? No, not with those early losses. But if we can play the way we did today, we have a good chance."

The Broncos finished with a huge edge in total offense (514-133), first downs (28-5) and time of possession (45:14-14:46).

Green Bay, which entered the game ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total offense (414.0 yards per game) and passing (310.5), had only 21 yards rushing and 112 passing.

"This was embarrassing," Packers coach Ray Rhodes said. "I know we aren't as bad as we showed today. We have lived on the edge for the last several weeks, and now it is time for everybody to crank it up."

Asked about Favre's performance, Rhodes said, "That wasn't typical Brett Favre. His thumb is no worse than it has been."

After a lackadaisical first half ended in a 3-3 tie, the Broncos scored three touchdowns in the third quarter.

Barely two minutes into the period, safety Eric Brown intercepted a pass, bobbled it, then fumbled it twice more in returning it to the Green Bay 14. Three plays later, Griese hit McCaffrey on a 10-yard scoring pass.

With 8:30 left in the quarter, the Packers (3-2), who had only 41 total yards and one first down to that point, began a quick drive that produced their lone TD. Favre lofted a long pass which Corey Bradford ran under for a 54-yard gain. Favre then passed 16 yards to tight end Tyrone Davis to the 1, and Dorsey Levens scored from there.

But Denver countered 26 seconds later when Griese threw a long pass to McCaffrey, who stiff-armed safety Darren Sharper over the final 20 yards, finally shedding Sharper inside the 10 for a 78-yard scoring play with 6:21 left in the period.

Ray Crockett's interception moments later set up Gary's 1-yard scoring run for a 24-10 lead with 1:16 left in the quarter.

Griese's short shovel pass to tight end Byron Chamberlain turned into an 88-yard gain when Chamberlain rumbled through a gaping hole to the 2. Griese then scored on a quarterback draw with 11:06 remaining.

The game matched the last two Super Bowl champions, but they didn't look like it early.

Denver had 218 yards of total offense in the first half but squandered three prime scoring chances, while the Packers capitalized on their lone opportunity when Ryan Longwell kicked a 50-yard field goal with 1:42 left in the half.

Jason Elam's 20-yard field goal with 3:26 left in the opening quarter gave Denver a 3-0 lead. The Broncos fashioned an 18-play, 77-yard drive that consumed 9:43, but they failed to score a touchdown on eight consecutive snaps inside the 5-yard line.

Linebacker Brian Williams' interception and 61-yard return helped set up Longwell's field goal.