• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cutler, Broncos use big plays to down Titans

Nov 20, 2007 - 7:05 AM By Tony Desiere PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Three weeks after having their heart broken on the Monday night stage by a big play, the Denver Broncos figured turnabout was fair play.

Jay Cutler threw for an efficient 200 yards and two touchdowns and reserve running back Andre Hall broke a long fourth-quarter scoring run to lead the Broncos to a 34-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

After driving for a late field goal against the Green Bay Packers to send the game into overtime on October 29 on Monday Night Football, Denver promptly lost the game on the first play of the extra period when Brett Favre beat Broncos cornerback Dre' Bly with an 82-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings to send the Broncos to a 19-13 defeat.

"The way we lost to Green Bay, we got beat," Bly said. "I got beat. That's not the way you want to lose. To play a team like Tennessee who is 6-3 and at the top of their division with Indianapolis. ... I think we dominated them in all phases."

The Broncos were all too happy to be on the giving end of the big plays as all four of the Broncos' touchdowns in this contest came from more than 40 yards away.

"We just came out and played like we knew we could," Cutler said. "Our guys can make plays and we know that. Tonight, it just came together."

"It all came down to missed tackles," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "We had missed tackles on the long touchdown run, and missed tackles on the long pass play. That's the problem with missed tackles."

On Denver's first possession of the game, Cutler capped a six-play, 80-yard drive with a 48-yard TD strike to Brandon Stokley for a quick 7-0 lead. Following a three-and-out by the Titans, Glenn Martinez broke away from the pack on the ensuing punt return and went 80 yards for Denver's first punt return for a score since 2003 to increase the bulge to 14-0.

"I saw and opening and took off," Martinez said. "I got some great blocking up front. It's a real credit to our special teams. They made that happen."

"They made a lot of plays and we did not," Fisher said. "That was the difference. Dropped passes, foolish penalties, turnovers against Denver does not give you a chance to win the ballgame."

After the Titans closed the gap to 20-10 at intermission, Cutler nailed Brandon Marshall from 41 yards away to complete an 80-yard drive to open the second half.

Hall, who replaced rookie starter Selvin Young due to a sprained knee, accounted for the final score when he broke through the left side of the line on his first carry of the game for a 62-yard TD - the first score of his career.

"He was our last tailback and Andre took advantage of his opportunity," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "We needed a big play at that time, and that's one thing about the running game. You keep pounding and every once in a while, you break one of those."

Young returned to the game in the fourth quarter after Hall appeared to suffer an injury. Young finished with 74 yards and a touchdown.

Cutler finished 16-of-21 for the Broncos (5-5), who forged a first-place tie in the AFC East with the San Diego Chargers (5-5).

"We were down low for a while," Cutler said. "We're not looking ahead to anything. Everything is going well and we need to keep going."

"It's where we need to be," Marshall said. "It's our division. It's always been our division. Now it's time to take it back."

The Titans (6-4), who have one of the better defenses in the league, were playing without defensive end Albert Haynesworth, who was out with a hamstring injury. They gave up 344 total yards to the Broncos who punted only three times in the entire game, scoring on all but four possessions.

"Losing Albert is tough," Fisher said. "We still need to make plays but when you don't have a player of his ability, you can't easily replace him. We still needed to make plays."

Tennessee, which was allowing just 66 rushing yards through eight games this season, has surrendered an average of 157 yards over the last two weeks without Haynesworth in the lineup in losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Broncos, who rushed for 148 yards.

Vince Young went 26-for-41 for 305 yards with a TD and two interceptions. It was his first career 300-yard passing performance.

"(It was) a tough night but I thought our guys hung in there," Young said. "We've got to keep playing and keep working."