Marshall over Newman for the game-winner. (REUTERS/Rick Wilking)

Stats, notes, and points of interest after the Denver Broncos‘ 17-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

FINAL SCORE: BRONCOS 17, COWBOYS 10
ATTENDANCE: 76,440

LATE ORTON-MARSHALL TOUCHDOWN FUELS 4-0 START

The Denver Broncos scored 17 unanswered points and improved to 4-0 on the season after beating the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) by a 17-10 margin. This marks the sixth time in Broncos history the club has started a season 4-0.

• WR Brandon Marshall’s 51-yard touchdown reception from QB Kyle Orton with 1:46 remaining and Denver’s fourth-down defensive stand with 0:01 left helped seal the win.
• Orton, who completed 18 of his last 22 passes against Dallas and finished 20-of-29 for 243 yards and two touchdowns (117.5 rating), joined John Hadl (L.A. Rams, 1973) as the only two quarterbacks to throw for at least one touchdown and no interceptions in each of their first four starts with a new team.
• Orton has thrown at least one touchdown in each start this season for the Broncos without recording an interception, improving his career touchdown-interception ratio in the red zone to 25:2. He extended his streak of pass attempts without an interception to 155 dating back to last season.
• Marshall led the club with 91 receiving yards on his four receptions against Dallas and now leads Denver with 16 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
• Head Coach Josh McDaniels joins Red Miller (6-0 in 1977) as the only head coaches in club history to start at least 4-0 in their first season with the Broncos. McDaniels and Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell are the only 4-0 coaches this season.

DUMERVIL RECORDS THIRD CONSECUTIVE MULTI-SACK GAME

With his two sacks against the Cowboys, OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil moved into a tie with Cincinnati’s Antwan Odom for the NFL sack lead with nine sacks on the season. Dumervil, who registered a career-high 12.5 sacks in 2007, has 10 multi-sack games in his career—including in each of Denver’s last three games—a mark that ties him for second in the NFL since he entered the league in 2006.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVES TURNOVER RATIO

• The Broncos finished with two takeaways (1 INT, 1 FUM) against just one giveaway (FUM) for a +1 turnover differential (10 takeaways, 3 giveaways). Denver is second in the NFL with a +7 turnover differential on the season.
• Denver’s first score resulted from Denver’s ninth takeaway of the season—a sack and forced fumble by S Renaldo Hill that was recovered by ILB D.J. Williams. The Broncos have now scored 30 points off 10 opponent turnovers in 2009 (3 TD, 3 FG; 38.0% of Denver’s total points (79)).

CHAMP BAILEY TIES FOR SEVENTH ON BRONCOS INTERCEPTION LIST

With his third-quarter interception of QB Tony Romo, CB Champ Bailey tied CB Louis Wright for seventh place on Denver’s all-time interceptions list with 26. Bailey also moved into a tie with Baltimore S Ed Reed for the second-most interceptions (44) since he entered the league in 1999 with the Washington Redskins.

MISCELLANEOUS GAME NOTES

• OL Russ Hochstein started at left guard in place of G Ben Hamilton. It marked Hochstein’s second start of the season as he opened at right guard in Week 1 at Cin. (9/13) in place of G Chris Kuper…
• RB Correll Buckhalter led all Broncos with five receptions (55 yds.)… RB Knowshon Moreno (14-65, 4.6 avg.) led the team in rushing for the first time this season…
• ILB D.J. Williams tied for the club lead with nine tackles (all solo), a sack (1 yd.) and two passes defensed to go along with his second-quarter fumble recovery…
• ILB Andra Davis also recorded nine tackles (7 solo) for the Broncos… Denver extended its scoring streak to 265 games. The streak, which began on Nov. 30, 1992, is the longest active streak in the NFL and the third-longest all-time…
• OLB/DE Darrell Reid lined up at fullback and blocked for Denver’s fourth-down rushing attempt in the third quarter…
• Denver’s defense held Dallas to 3-of-14 on third downs, including 0-of-7 in the second half. The Broncos allowed just 21 net yards on those 14 third-down plays…
• The Broncos’ 10 points allowed was the fewest against an NFC opponent in 24 games (since 37-7 win vs. Arizona, 12/29/02)…
• P Brett Kern finished with six punts for a 50.8 average, including four punts for a 55.3 average when kicking in Denver territory.

Big thanks to the Broncos PR Staff!

Shannon Sharpe (SI.com)

Denver Broncos all-time great tight end Shannon Sharpe has been voted a finalist for the 2009 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the NFL announced today. Sharpe is among 17 finalists that includes three other first-year eligible players.

Running back Terrell Davis, who was among the semi-finalists announced earlier in the season, was not nominated a finalist. Sharpe is the only Bronco nominated.

Sharpe played 12 seasons with the Broncos and 2 with the Baltimore Ravens, ultimately winning three Super Bowls between the clubs. He retired with NFL tight end records in receptions (815), receiving yards (1,060), and touchdowns (62).

There’s no doubt Sharpe deserves to get in the Hall of Fame, this year. Don’t blow it, HOF voters. The full list of candidates is after the jump.

• Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
• Dermontti Dawson – Center – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
• Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
• Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
• Bob Hayes – Wide Receiver – 1965-1974 Dallas Cowboys, 1975 San Francisco 49ers
• Claude Humphrey – Defensive End – 1968-1978 Atlanta Falcons, 1979-1981 Philadelphia Eagles
• Cortez Kennedy – Defensive Tackle – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
• Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
• Randall McDaniel – Guard – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• John Randle – Defensive Tackle – 1990-2000 Minnesota Vikings, 2001-03 Seattle Seahawks
• Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
• Shannon Sharpe – Tight End – 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens
• Bruce Smith – Defensive End – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000-03 Washington Redskins
• Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
• Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
• Ralph Wilson – Team Founder/Owner – 1960-Present Buffalo Bills
• Rod Woodson – Cornerback/Safety – 1987-1996 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2001 Baltimore Ravens, 2002-03 Oakland Raiders

Only Al Davis. The Oakland Raiders owner holds a press conference announcing the firing of Head Coach Lane Kiffin. He’s more interested in detailing the dysfunctional and failed relationship between himself and Kiffin than moving forward and discussing the future of his team. As an afterthought, he mentions offensive line coach Tom Cable as the interim coach. The entire Raiders season – and organization – is falling apart at the seams as Davis details how pathetic the Raiders really are.

In the midst of all this, Davis, the cranky ol’ curmudgeon that he is, makes sure to fire a pot shot at his former employee Mike Shanahan. HIS ORGANIZATION IS FALLING APART, coaches are being fired and hired, players are learning more behind-the-scenes details than anyone could care for… and there’s Al Davis, letting loose another senile moment among countless others:

“When Shanahan left me, he went to Denver. He was there for about four or five years as an assistant and they fired him for insubordination,” Davis said. “Dan Reeves and he had a big battle. He went to the 49ers and he learned their style of football and when Dan Reeves failed in Denver… he brought Shanahan back. And Shanahan had success. But Shanahan has an asterisk next to those two Super Bowls, because they were caught cheating.”

Davis is, of course, referring to this, which we’ve already detailed plenty well here. In summation, the Broncos deferred payments to John Elway and Terrell Davis in order to offset the costs of building the stadium now known as Invesco Field at Mile High. These were technically described as salary cap infractions. The Broncos were heavily fined and penalized, but it’s crucial to point out that the team gained no competitive advantage for these moves. At face value, most people infer that the Broncos bent the salary cap to “keep more talented players,” but that’s simply not the case and we invite you to read THE FACTS in the links provided.

He also detailed the situation with Patriots wideout Randy Moss, saying his days in Oakland were over once Kiffin signed on. They tried to send him to the Packers and even the Broncos, saying “Even Denver, where they’ll take anybody, turned (Moss) down.”

The Raiders’ season is caving in on itself, and Al Davis still reminds us of his bitterness towards the Broncos. That says something about how intense this rivalry is, and how strong the hatred is that each team has for the other. It also says something about how sad and senile Al Davis really has become. In the past, the Raiders were a team to be reckoned with, a storied franchise that did its fanbase proud. Davis was a big part of that. Years later, it’s clear Al Davis doesn’t quite “get it” anymore.

Ray Crockett, starting corner back for the Denver Broncos during the 1997 and 1998 Super Bowl Championship seasons, will appear in FX’s 30 Days Tuesday night, June 10, at 10 PM ET.

In the episode, Crockett will live in a wheelchair for – you guessed it – 30 days, catching a glimpse of this lifestyle with cameras closely in tow.  In 1991, while Crockett was playing with the Detroit Lions, he witnessed the play that left his friend and teammate OL Mike Utley paralyzed from the chest down. Crockett admits that the event is one of the driving forces behind his willingness to participate in 30 Days.

The series is run by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, most famous for the film Super Size Me.

The official episode description, after the jump.

30 Days in a Wheelchair:

PARTICIPANT – Ray Crockett, 41
RESIDES – Dallas, Texas
OCCUPATION – Retired NFL Cornerback/Real Estate Developer
AIRDATE – Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Ray played football for Baylor University from 1984-88 before his NFL draft in 1989. He won two Super Bowl rings in 1998 and 1999 as a starting member of the Denver Broncos. During his fourteen years in the NFL, he also played for the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs. Today, Ray and his wife April have three children, a 20-year old daughter named Joi and two sons, 13-year-old Ray Junior and seven year old Darryl. Ray now works as a real estate developer and coaches his older son Ray Junior.

In 1991, Ray was on the field with the Detroit Lions when his teammate and friend, Mike Utley, was involved in a play that left him paralyzed from the chest down – an event that has not dissipated from Ray’s memory. In fact, it is this incident that made Ray want to participate in 30 Days.

For 30 Days, Ray will live in a wheelchair and will rely on his mental discipline to keep his legs immobile. His home and his car will be retrofitted to accommodate his needs. Coaching duties for his son’s football team will continue and Ray will join the Texas Stampede, the wheelchair rugby team featuring players made famous in the documentary film Murderball. He will attend a weekly support group for paraplegics at the Baylor Institute of Rehabilitation and meet with a physical therapist to monitor any potential side effects.

Throughout his 30 Days experience, Ray will be under the medical supervision of Dr. Robert Bruce in order to track any muscle loss, blood clots, pressure sores or other side effects that could occur while he is wheelchair-bound.