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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Call it the Desperation Bowl.
|  | | Ed McCaffrey pulls in a 2-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the endzone -- his first of two TD passes Sunday. |
The Denver Broncos figured they were in a must-win situation,
even if it was only the sixth game of the season.
As for the winless San Diego Chargers, they thought they had a
realistic chance at victory Sunday, and that's not a common
occurrence these days.
Brian Griese threw three touchdown passes -- two to Ed McCaffrey
to cap 24-yard drives following interceptions -- and the Denver
defense played its best game of the season as the Broncos beat the
Chargers 21-7.
Denver (3-3) had lost its previous two games, both at Mile High
Stadium. That hadn't happened in successive games since 1990.
"We were desperate for this one, absolutely," linebacker Bill
Romanowski said. "Somehow, some way, we were going to find a way
to win this game, and we did."
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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The Broncos were coming off two tough losses at home, but they found the
solution to their problems -- and that was San Diego.
Brian Griese had a strong game
for the Broncos as they relied heavily on their passing attack. Denver has
placed a heavy emphasis on the passing game recently; Griese has thrown over
90 passes the last two games.
The Broncos controlled the time of possession and limited the Chargers'
rushing attack.
Two players who stood out for Denver were WR Ed McCaffrey (10 catches) and DT
Trevor Pryce (three sacks),
who continually put pressure on Chargers QB Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh has generated some offense for the Chargers the last couple of
weeks, but today he was harrassed and threw three costly interceptions.
If Denver can get Terrell
Davis healthy, you've got to figure they'll be a force in the AFC West.
Kansas City, which had a bye this week, has been playing the best ball in
the division. With Oakland's impressive overtime win today, right now it
looks like a three-team race in the AFC West.
But that can change -- we'll see what happens next week.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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The Chargers (0-6), off to their worst start since losing 11 in
a row to start the 1975 season, are one of two NFL teams without a
victory this season; the other is Cincinnati.
"We thought we could win, especially at home, (but) we've put
ourselves where we're at, and we've got to find a way to get out
from down under," said San Diego's Jim Harbaugh, who threw three
costly interceptions.
The second Griese-to-McCaffrey TD pass was a 5-yarder four plays
after Terrell Buckley's 31-yard interception return. It gave the
Broncos a 14-7 lead with 6:16 left in the third period.
Griese threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Dwayne Carswell with 1:25
remaining in the game -- two plays after rookie Deltha O'Neal's
64-yard punt return -- to complete the scoring.
Trailing 14-7, the Chargers threatened to tie it before Buckley
intercepted Harbaugh's pass in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal
play from the 5 and returned it to Denver's 30 with 6:22 left.
"I knew we needed a touchdown, one way or the other," Chargers
coach Mike Riley said. "We hadn't exactly been down there a lot,
and so I wanted to take the opportunity for a touchdown right
there."
Buckley made sure that didn't happen.
"I had the opportunity to make a couple plays," said Buckley,
who has five interceptions in six games. "A win is a win, I don't
care if you win by a half-point."
San Diego got the ball back at its 12 with 2:15 to go needing a
touchdown to tie, and Harbaugh threw three straight incompletions
before the Chargers punted. O'Neal's return sealed the outcome.
"We didn't make the mistakes we've made in the past, didn't
give up the big play, and played exceptionally well in the red
zone," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "We didn't get down
there as much as we'd like, but we scored."
The Broncos scored touchdowns on their three trips inside the
San Diego 20.
Griese threw a 2-yard scoring pass to McCaffrey a little over
six minutes into the game to open the scoring, six plays after
Billy Jenkins' 17-yard interception return.
Griese completed 27 of 40 passes for 235 yards, and McCaffrey
had a career-high 10 receptions for 71 yards.
"When you come out on offense, you're going downhill when you
get the ball that close," Griese said of the short field Denver
faced on each of its scoring drives. "I think we took a couple
shots, gave guys an opportunity to make plays rather than pound it
in there. I think that's going to be the theme all year long."
Harbaugh was 18-of-43 for 237 yards with the three interceptions
and was sacked four times, three by Trevor Pryce. San Diego's
Jermaine Fazande was the game's top rusher with 61 yards.
The San Diego defense, torched for 57 points and 614 yards by
unbeaten St. Louis last weekend -- both San Diego franchise records
for futility -- did an exceptional job, only to fall short.
"Defensively, we went in there and thought we had control of
their offense," linebacker Junior Seau said. "But still, what you
have to do is win."
The Chargers scored their points on a 26-yard pass from Harbaugh
to Freddie Jones with 52 seconds left before halftime, completing a
nine-play, 82-yard drive and tying the game 7-all.
San Diego had threatened on its previous possession, moving into
position for a 34-yard field goal by the usually reliable John
Carney, but Carney's kick hit the left upright.
Game notes
Griese missed on his first pass, then completed 11 straight
before misfiring for a second time early in the second quarter. ...
The Broncos failed to convert a fourth-and-inches play at the San
Diego 49 early in the third quarter when rookie Mike Anderson was
held to no gain, but the Chargers were unable to capitalize. ... A
64-yard touchdown run by Denver rookie KaRon Coleman on the
next-to-last play of the third quarter was nullified by a holding
penalty. ... Anderson, who entered the game as the AFC's leading
rusher with 429 yards, gained 52 yards on 13 carries. ... San
Diego's Reggie Jones, filling in for the injured Curtis Conway,
caught seven passes for 101 yards. Previously, he had seven
receptions for 82 yards. ... McCaffrey's 10 catches gave him 406 in
his career.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Denver Clubhouse
San Diego Clubhouse
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