The Broncos stuffed the Chiefs’ vaunted ground game by jumping out to a 35-0 lead behind a trio of touchdown passes from Orton, a 1-yard run by Tim Tebow and a 75-yard fumble return for a TD by linebacker Jason Hunter.
Tebow also threw his first NFL pass, a 3-yard TD toss to fullback Spencer Larsen en route to a 49-29 win.
“I think we caught them off-guard,” Tebow said.
Ahead 35-10 at halftime, the Broncos kept the Chiefs from turning to their two-headed monster of a ground game as Jamaal Charles was held to 41 yards and Thomas Jones managed just 3. The Chiefs entered averaging 180 yards rushing, 113 more than Denver, which ranked last in the league.
On this day, the Broncos rushed for 153 yards and the Chiefs 51.
“We had to answer back and we didn’t answer back,” Charles said.
The Broncos benefited from their bye week to get several starters back from injuries, including right tackle Ryan Harris (ankle), whose return allowed rookie Zane Beadles to go back to left guard, finally giving Denver the offensive line it envisioned in training camp.
“Ryan brings a physical attitude, just a real nasty demeanor,” Orton said. “I know I feed off it. I think the backs fed off it and I think the whole offensive line likes it.”
The Broncos controlled the clock and the game thanks to a fast start that stunned both the Chiefs and the crowd that was dotted by thousands of empty seats in the first game at Invesco Field since Oakland’s 45-point shellacking of Denver three weeks ago.
Orton, who spent the bye week nursing a sore shoulder courtesy of San Francisco linebacker Manny Lawson, took advantage of Denver’s big lead to stay upright for a change and also capitalized on the absence of safeties Kendrick Lewis and Jon McGraw to pick apart the Chiefs for 296 yards.
“Clean pants the whole game for me. I didn’t get hit, I didn’t get tackled,” Orton said, smiling. “The running backs had holes. It was great.”
“I think we caught them off-guard,” Tebow said.
Ahead 35-10 at halftime, the Broncos kept the Chiefs from turning to their two-headed monster of a ground game as Jamaal Charles was held to 41 yards and Thomas Jones managed just 3. The Chiefs entered averaging 180 yards rushing, 113 more than Denver, which ranked last in the league.
On this day, the Broncos rushed for 153 yards and the Chiefs 51.
“We had to answer back and we didn’t answer back,” Charles said.
The Broncos benefited from their bye week to get several starters back from injuries, including right tackle Ryan Harris (ankle), whose return allowed rookie Zane Beadles to go back to left guard, finally giving Denver the offensive line it envisioned in training camp.
“Ryan brings a physical attitude, just a real nasty demeanor,” Orton said. “I know I feed off it. I think the backs fed off it and I think the whole offensive line likes it.”
The Broncos controlled the clock and the game thanks to a fast start that stunned both the Chiefs and the crowd that was dotted by thousands of empty seats in the first game at Invesco Field since Oakland’s 45-point shellacking of Denver three weeks ago.
Orton, who spent the bye week nursing a sore shoulder courtesy of San Francisco linebacker Manny Lawson, took advantage of Denver’s big lead to stay upright for a change and also capitalized on the absence of safeties Kendrick Lewis and Jon McGraw to pick apart the Chiefs for 296 yards.
“Clean pants the whole game for me. I didn’t get hit, I didn’t get tackled,” Orton said, smiling. “The running backs had holes. It was great.”
