BRONCOS FALL TO SAINTS 21-0
Offense Inept in Shutout

With 40-year-old veteran Brad Johnson getting the start at quarterback
because of injuries and playing poorly, the Broncos fell to the New Orleans
Saints 21-0. The Saints raised their record to 6-4 and are still in the hunt
for a playoff spot,  one game behind Philadelphia and Arizona in the NFC
West, while the hapless Broncos fell to 1-9 on the season. The Broncos were
shutout for the first time since week 11 of 2007, when they fell in
Cleveland, 34-0 to the Browns.  

The Broncos run defense, which has been gashed in the past, played well for
the most part, holding the Saints to less than one hundred yards rushing and
just a 3.2 average on the ground, but Denver was undone by backup QB Seneca
Wallace's best game as a pro. Wallace, getting the start at QB for the Saints
due to an injury to starter Tony Romo, threw for three touchdowns and
completed 23 of 31 for 239 yards.  

But with the Denver defense playing well overall, both teams were shutout for
almost the entire first half. It wasn't until 3:01 remained in the first half
that the Saints put their first touchdown on the board, ending an 88-yard,
10-play drive for a touchdown, with the score coming on a Wallace to wideout
Lance Moore connection of seven yards on a second and six short pass across
the middle.  

The game remained that way for over another fifteen minutes of play, with the
Saints expanding their lead to 14-0 late in the third quarter, this time with
Wallace connecting with tight end Donald Lee from nine yards out on another
short slant.  

After the Broncos went for it and failed to convert from their own 19 on a
fourth and one, the Saints came back with another TD early in the fourth
quarter to up their lead to 21-0, with Wallace connecting with Antonio Bryant
on an eight-yard hookup for the score.  

That was all the drama the game had to offer, although the Broncos did get as
close as the Saints 25-yard line in the closing minutes of the game, before
Brad Johnson threw his only pick of the contest, with linebacker Derrick
Johnson (no relation) picking off the pass to preserve the Saints shutout.  

Game Notes: Brad Johnson completed just 10 of 27 for 117 yards, putting up a
35.6 rating for the contest (a QB gets a 39.6 just for throwing the ball
intentionally incomplete).  Wallace put up a 128.3 rating. The Broncos
converted just two of 16 third downs (and two of five fourth downs), compared
to the Saints, who went seven of 15 and 0-1, respectively. Antonio Bryant was
the big receiver for the Saints, catching six for 93 and a score, while
Dwayne Bowe managed four for 68 for the Broncos. Earnest Graham was the
leading rusher in the contest with 15 for 57, while the Broncos got 48 from
Lendale White and 42 from Ricky Williams. Derrick Johnson was the best
defender for the Saints, making 9 tackles in addition to the pick, while
linebacker Ernie Sims contributed 9 tackles, a stuff, and a forced fumble to
the Denver cause. New Orleans hosts 7-3 Philly next week in a key contest
that may go a long way toward deciding the NFC West, while the Broncos host
the 5-6 Bills, who have lost four of five after a 3-1 start. The Broncos lost
a 17-16 nailbiter to Buffalo in week four.