7:36 PM EST: This is Harold Connett for Vavel USA Sports, thank you for joining me for today's game. Once again, the Denver Broncos defeat the Arizona Cardinals 41-20. Good night.
7:34 PM EST: The Cardinals defense played as well as they could but in the end injuries and the Broncos offensive weapons were just too much. Be sure to check back later on this evening for my complete recap of today's game and latest news and quotes from players and coaches.
7:33 PM EST: Total Yards: Broncos- 568 yards. Cardinals- 215.
7:31 PM EST: Receiving: D. Thomas- 8 catches for 226 yards and 2 TD. Ellington- 4 catches for 112 yards and 1 TD.
7:30 PM EST: Rushing: Hillman- 15 carries for 64 yards. Ellington- 16 carries for 32 yards, 1 TD.
7:28 PM EST: Passing: Manning- 31 of 47 for 479 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT. Stanton- 11 of 26 for 118 yards.
7:23 PM EST: Stand by for final stats.
Final: Broncos defeat Cardinals 41-20. The win improves the Broncos to 3-1 while the Cardinals fall to 3-1.
1:00 4th Quarter: Broncos allowing clock to expire.
1:54 4th Quarter: Peyton Manning has just set a career-mark with 479 yards.
2:00 4th Quarter: Two minute warning! D. Thomas has set a Broncos franchise record with 226 yards receiving.
4:33 4th Quarter: With 444 passing yards, Peyton Manning has tied Dan Marino with most 400 yard passing games (13).
4:33 4th Quarter: Broncos pouring it on as rookie Juwan Thompson scores first NFL TD on 8-yard run. Broncos lead 41-20.
6:52 4th Quarter: Cardinals fail to convert 3rd and 15 from own 15-yard line. Forced to punt. Broncos take over on Cardinals own 46-yard line.
7:47 4th Quarter: 12-yard TD pass to J. Thomas. This is the offense that everyone witnessed breaking NFL records last season. Broncos lead 33-20
9:07 4th Quarter: Broncos having own way with a tired and injured Cardinals defense.
10:26 4th Quarter: D. Thomas at 193 yards receiving.
10:26 4th Quarter: CB Patrick Peterson hobbles on one leg off field.
11:35 4th Quarter: On 3rd and 4 from own 26-yard, Manning completes 28-yard pass to D. Thomas to Cardinals 46-yard line.
12:29 4th Quarter: Cardinals receivers have dropped eight balls today. Ginn dropped what would have been 1st down. Cardinals forced to punt. Broncos take over on own 20-yard line.
13:00 4th Quarter: Cardinals run on first two plays. 3rd and 3.
13:48 4th Quarter: Cardinals take over at own 20-yard line.
14:12 4th Quarter: On 4th and 1, Broncos elect to kick 41-yard field goal. Broncos lead 27-20. Manning was visibly upset as he walked off field, wanted to go for first down.
14:54 4th Quarter: 3rd and 6 from Cardinals 33-yard line.
15:00 4th Quarter: Manning- 22 of 37 for 358 yards, 3 TD's and 2 INT's.
:00 3rd Quarter: 3rd Quarter ends on an offsides call on RT Chris Clark. Broncos will have 2nd and 10 from Cardinals 26-yard line when 4th quarter begins.
1:06 3rd Quarter: 17-yard completion to Jacob Tamme. 1st and 10 from Cardinals 31-yard line.
2:00 3rd Quarter: Manning completes 25-yard pass to J. Thomas at the 50-yard line.
2:55 3rd Quarter: Juwan Thompson gets first carry for five yard gain. Running game has been more productive in second half.
3:03 3rd Quarter: Broncos take over on own 20-yard line following touchback. Crowd quiet after Cardinals quick score.
3:03 3rd Quarter: Cardinals offense scores on lightning quick first play. Thomas completes 81-yard pass to Ellington for TD. Broncos lead now down to 24-20.
3:16 3rd Quarter: Following Broncos punt, fair catch is signaled. Ball bounced off of T. Ginn's hands, Cardinals take over at own 19-yard line.
4:56 3rd Quarter: Broncos take over at own 28-yard line.
5:06 3rd Quarter: With TJ Ward in his face, Thomas throws incomplete pass to a surprised Fitzgerald. Cardinals forced to punt.
5:37 3rd Quarter: Cardinals face 3rd and 8 from own 45-yard line.
6:00 3rd Quarter: Cardinals take over from own 43-yard line.
6:05 3rd Quarter: Broncos attempt field goal from 53-yard field goal. Misses wide-left.
7:16 3rd Quarter: Illegal formation on Cardinals. Penalty tagged on to end of play. Broncos take over at own 43-yard line.
7:16 3rd Quarter: Flag on punt.
7:58 3rd Quarter: On 3rd and 17 Thomas is brought down at the Cardinals 10 for 3-yard loss. Ball came lose but whistle blew as Thomas went down.
8:38 3rd Quarter: DeMarcus Ware welcomes Thomas to NFL with sack.
9:33 3rd Quarter: Cardinals take over on own 20-yard line with rookie Logan Thomas in at QB. Stanton being evaluated for concussion.
9:38 3rd Quarter: On 3rd and 7, Broncos stopped. Brandon McManus kicks 44-yard field goal to give Broncos a 24-13 lead.
10:59 3rd Quarter: Ronnie Hillman in for injured Ball. Runs 12 yards for 1st down at Cardinals 28-yard line.
11:25 3rd Quarter: Manning completes 21-yard pass to Sanders for first down at Cardinals 44-yard line. Ball is injured on field. Timeout.
11:43 3rd Quarter: Stanton injured on sideline.
12:13 3rd Quarter: All the pressure has fallen on the Cardinals defense. Their offense has shown little life and if they are going to win this game it will be up to the D to force turnovers that put the offense on a short field in Broncos territory.
12:13 3rd Quarter: On 3rd and 7, Stanton hit by Von Miller as he throws. Pass falls incomplete and Cardinals forced to punt. Broncos take over at own 30-yard line.
13:00 3rd Quarter: 2nd and 10. Cardinals need to show some life on offense.
13:04 3rd Quarter: Cardinals take over at own 24-yard line.
13:21 3rd Quarter: Incomplete pass to Andre Caldwell. Broncos forced to punt.
13:21 3rd Quarter: Manning connects for 77-yard TD pass to D. Thomas that is called back by offsetting penalties.
14:08 3rd Quarter: Big 3rd and 7 for Cardinals defense who can get ball right back for offense.
14:15 3rd Quarter: Manning takes a frustrated timeout, grabs Ball by shoulder pads.
14:47 3rd Quarter: Manning tripped up for 3-yard loss.
15:00 3rd Quarer: Cardinals kickoff in endzone for touchback. Broncos take over at 20-yard line. Cardinals D needs a stop on this drive.
Halftime: Total Yards: Cardinals- 139 Broncos- 286
Halftime: First half stats for Broncos: Manning- 17 of 26 for 282 yards, 3 TD's, and 2 INT's. Ball- 5 carries for 2 yards. D. Thomas- 5 catches for 165 yards and 2 TD's.
Halftime: First half stats for Cardinals: Stanton- 10 of 23 for 116 yards. Ellington- 10 carries for 28 yards, 1 TD. Fitzgerald- 3 catches for 57 yards.
Halftime: As always you can reach me, Harold Connett, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @haroldjlconnett.
:00 2nd Quarter: Halftime! Broncos lead 21-13.
:38 2nd Quarter: Broncos running ball and hearing it from crowd.
1:06 2nd Quarter: Big return by I. Burse negated by penalties on both teams. Down replayed and Burse returns to Broncos 31-yard line.
1:28 2nd Quarter: Cardinals come up short on third down. Have to punt.
1:37 2nd Quarter: Cardinals begin drive at own 20-yard line and no timeouts.
1:37 2nd Quarter: D. Thomas talked all week about putting together the kind of game he is capable of. He is doing it today with 5 catches for 165 yards and two TD's.
1:37 2nd Quarter: As feared by Cardinals, Manning completes 86-yard TD pass to D. Thomas on first play of drive. Broncos lead 21-13.
1:48 2nd Quarter: Broncos take over on own 14-yard line.
2:00 2nd Quarter: Pass dropped by wide open Brown. Cardinals forced to punt.
2:00 2nd Quarter: Cardinals will have 3rd and 4 from own 39-yard line when play resumes. Big third down for Cardinals as they don't want to give ball back to Manning with plenty of time on clock and all three timeouts.
2:00 2nd Quarter: Two-Minute Warning!
2:45 2nd Quarter: Broncos come up 2-yards short. Forced to punt. Cardinals take over with no timeouts at own 33-yard line.
3:22 2nd Quarter: Holding call on RT Orlando Franklin negates 1st down run by Ball
3:51 2nd Quarter: Great sideline catch by Sanders at own 29-yard line.
4:29 2nd Quarter: Another run for a loss by Montee Ball. Crowd booing loudly.
4:37 2nd Quarter: Cardinals defense doing everything they can to keep them in game.
4:42 2nd Quarter: One play, one touchdown for Cardinals as Stanton connects on 5-yard TD pass to Hughes to make it a 14-13 Broncos lead.
4:42 2nd Quarter: Cardinals come up with huge interception as Campbell takes ball to Broncos 5-yard line.
5:13 2nd Quarter: 2nd offensive pass interference call on Broncos. This time on D. Thomas. 1st and 20 for Broncos.
5:25 2nd Quarter: Cardinals offense unable to do anything with possession, go three and out. Cardinals are in danger of falling way behind if their offense can't produce.
7:30 2nd Quarter: Cardinals will take over at own 20-yard line following touchback.
7:30 2nd Quarter: Broncos offensive line doing terrific job holding back a ferocious Cardinals blitz. Manning having enough time to find open receiver. Frustrating for Cardinals defense.
7:30 2nd quarter: Manning connects with D. Thomas for 31-yard TD. Broncos lead 14-6.
8:07 2nd Quarter: Broncos trying to keep Cardinals D honest with runs but going nowhere. Ball with two yard loss.
8:46 2nd Quarter: Welker makes 1st down catch at Cardinals 30-yard line.
9:35 2nd Quarter: Sanders ruled down by contact at Cardinals 47-yard line.
9:35 2nd Quarter: Review looking to see if Sanders was touched while knee down.
9:35 2nd Quarter: Amazing catch by Emmanuel Sanders. No whistle blown as Sanders rolls on ground. Sanders runs 80-yards for TD. Play is under review.
10:33 2nd Quarter: Offensive pass interference on Emmanuel Sanders. Broncos have 2nd and 20 from own 10-yard line.
11:17 2nd Quarter: Miller's sack was 38th of career.
11:17 2nd Quarter: On 3rd and 6, Von Miller comes barreling around edge and sacks Stanton. Broncos take over at own 20-yard line following touchback.
12:21 2nd Quarter: Ellington not making much progress on ground. 8 carries for 19 yards.
13:25 2nd Quarter: Coming into game, Stanton completing just 51% of passes.
13:25 2nd Quarter: J. Powers steps in front of Welker to intercept pass. Cardinals 1st and 10 on own 45-yard line. This is what Cardinals defense must do to keep them in game.
13:56 2nd Quarter: Broncos with ball on own 40-yard line.
14:05 2nd Quarter: CB Chris Harris knocks away pass from Fitzgerald to stop Cardinals on third down.
15:00 2nd Quarter: Broncos offense playing well. Broncos going with strength, their passing game. Broncos defense playing usual bend but don't break style of defense.
15:00 2nd Quarter: Manning 9 of 13 for 83 yards and a touchdown in 1st quarter. Stanton 7 of 15 for 89 yards. Cardinals defense did what they needed to in first quarter. Cardinals offense needs to iron out communication issues.
:00 1st Quarter: End of 1st quarter.
:25 1st Quarter: Huge stop on third down by Cardinals defense to give ball right back to their offense.
1:41 1st Quarter: Broncos take over at own 20-yard line.
1:41 1st Quarter: Since Cardinals have burned through their timeouts, they will not be able to challenge any plays for remainder of half.
1:41 1st Quarter: Cardinals kick 48-yard field goal to make it a 7-6 Broncos lead. Important that Cardinals did not come up empty handed on that drive.
1:46 1st Quarter: On 3rd and 6 with blitz coming, Broncos CB Bradley Roby breaks up pass.
1:57 1st Quarter: Crowd noise isn't the reason for Cardinals problems.
1:57 1st Quarter: Cardinals experiencing communication issues. They have just used their final timeout of half in the first quarter.
2:01 1st Quarter: Fitzgerald is an impressive wide receiver who isn't a diva. Rare breed much like Marvin Harrison.
2:34 1st Quarter: Stanton hangs in pocket long enough to once again complete 1st down pass to Fitzgerald.
2:41 1st Quarter: Timeout Cardinals. Cardinals have 3rd and 6 from Broncos 45-yard line.
3:15 1st Quarter: Broncos playing run game tough as well. Cardinals having success through air.
3:55 1st Quarter: On 3rd and 12, Stanton goes to Fitzgerald for 33-yard completion, a season long catcch.
4:03 1st Quarter: Cardinals facing 3rd and 12 from own 18-yard line.
4:43 1st Quarter: Broncos lead Cardinals 7-3. Broncos opening drive typical of offense last year, heavy on passes with a couple of runs sprinkled in to keep defense honest. Cardinals defense too good against run to try and establish a running game.
4:43 1st Quarter: Manning connects on TD #500 to Julius Thomas. Thomas caught Manning's single season breaking TD last year against the Houston Texans.
5:17 1st Quarter: D. Thomas looking much better today. Has struggled over first three games.
6:01 1st Quarter: 24-yard completion to D. Thomas for first down at Cardinals 12-yard line.
6:36 1st quarter: Montee Ball picks up first down to put Broncos at Cardinals 36-yard line.
7:44 1st Quarter: Broncos go with first run of game with Montee Ball gaining just two yards. Broncos have not had success with running game so far this year. Cardinals have #2 defense against run.
8:07 1st Quarter: On third down Cardinals bring blitz, Manning with quick release completes to Emmanuel Sanders for first down. Cardinals will go with blitz despite Manning being the most difficult quarterback in league to blitz on with his quick release.
8:30 1st Quarter: Wes Welker had first full week of practices since coming back from suspension. Should be more fully involved in offense today.
9:09 1st Quarter: Demaryius Thomas with tip toe catch on sideline. Flag for holding on Cardinals. Broncos at own 39-yard line.
9:13 1st Quarter: Peyton Manning needs one touchdown to join Brett Favre as only quarterbacks in history to throw 500 TD's.
9:13 1st Quarter: Cardinals should be happy with opening drive.
9:13 1st Quarter: Broncos defense holds. Cardinals kick 33-yard field goal to go up 3-0.
9:18 1st Quarter: Cardinals call timeout. 3rd and goal.
9:18 1st Quarter: Terrence Knighton is an continues to be an underrated defensive lineman.
9:52 1st Quarter: Broncos defense stiffening as usual in red zone.
10:05 1st Quarter: Costly pass interference call on Broncos. Cardinals with impressive opening drive now in red zone.
13:30 1st quarter: Danny Trevahan makes first tackle of season. Broncos glad to have their defensive leader back.
15:00 1st quarter: Cardinals win toss begin on own 20-yard line. This is Harold Connett and I will be taking you through the game.
The 3-0 Arizona Cardinals head into Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday afternoon to take on the 2-1 Denver Broncos. The Cardinals, leaders in the NFC West, bring the #2 scoring defense into the game to face off against the NFL's all-time scoring offense. Both teams are coming off their bye weeks.
Despite playing each other every preseason, the two teams have rarely met in the regular season. The Broncos lead the all-time series 7-1-1. The last time these two teams met in the regular season was on 12/12/10 when the Cardinals picked up their only win against the Broncos, a 43-13 blowout in Phoenix. The Broncos are 4-0 against the Cardinals in Denver.
The Cardinals are looking to maintain their lead over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. Arizona enters the day with a one game lead over the defending Super Bowl Champions. A win on the road over the Broncos would elevate the Cardinals into a legitimate contender in the NFC. The Cardinals have been able to fashion a undefeated record despite injuries to key defensive players and starting quarterback Carson Palmer.
For the third straight game the Cardinals will be without Palmer who damaged a nerve in his throwing shoulder. Drew Stanton (32/62, 411 yards, 2 TD), despite completing only 51% of his passes since replacing Palmer in Week 2, has managed the offense without committing a turnover. After falling behind 14-6 at halftime to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, Stanton engineered a come-from-behind win with two third quarter touchdowns.
The Cardinals defense has been able to maintain it's status as one of the NFL's top defenses despite losing key starters for the year. The Cardinals have lost linebacker John Abraham and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett to injury and linebacker Daryl Washington to suspension.
The Cardinals defense has been especially stingy against the run, yielding just 2.9 yards per carry. The Broncos running game has been struggling to gain traction so far this season. Montee Ball is averaging 3.4 yards per carry and the overall rushing attack is averaging just 75.3 yards per game. The Broncos tried to run the ball against the Seahawks in Week 3, rushing 20 times but managing just 36 yards. The Cardinals defense will be even harder to gain yardage against which doesn't bode well for the Broncos getting their ground attack on track this week.
The Broncos find themselves a 1/2 game behind the San Diego Chargers in the AFC West and in need of a win to keep pace in a division they have won over the last three years. With a revamped defense that has so far led the team over the first three games of the season, the Broncos will be looking for a consistent offensive attack that they are more accustomed to.
The Broncos will be at full strength on both sides of the ball with the return of Linebacker Danny Trevathan. Trevathan is coming off the disabled list after breaking his knee in the preseason. Brandon Marshall filled in well, leading the team in tackles. With injuries and suspensions playing havoc with the Broncos defensive lineup, this will be the first time in that the Broncos will field the defense they have envisioned on paper.
The Broncos have been uneven offensively this season. Against the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs, Peyton Manning and company shot out of the gate fast, amassing double-digit leads before stalling in the second half. Defensive stands late in the fourth quarter kept the Colts and Chiefs from making comebacks. Against the Seahawks the offense was stymied until the offense exploded in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns and a converted 2-point conversion to tie the game.
Defenses in the past have all but given up blitzing Manning, instead relying on tight pass coverage and pressure up the middle to contain the Broncos pass attack. The Cardinals on the other hand have made their living on heavy blitz packages and show no sign of changing what has worked against Manning. Expect the Broncos to go no-huddle, with Manning getting rid of the ball in his usual quick fashion. Against the Cardinal blitzing attack, the Broncos revamped offensive line will have their hands full keeping Manning protecting.
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has has not been himself so far this season. He has had the worst three games since Manning arrived in Denver. His high water mark for yards receiving this season is 61. Against the Seahawks he caught just four passes for 31 yards. Thomas has struggled with keeping a grip on the ball, dropping four passes in three games (he dropped five all last season). Patrick Peterson, who is one of the best cover corners in the league, will be matched with Thomas on Sunday. Thomas will need to be at his best in order to beat Peterson. One thing is for sure, Thomas will have all the incentive in the world to be focused for this game.
It will be strength - strength as the Broncos offense matches up against the Cardinals defense. Follow all the action right here on VAVEL with a complete recap to be posted following the game.