Orange Crush defense: DJ Williams, Ryan McBean, Elvis Dumervil and Ronald Fields surround Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo
                                                      (Photo Courtesy Eric Lars Bakke, Denver Broncos Football Club)




The Denver Broncos beat the Dallas Cowboys 17-10 today. The Broncos wore their orange jerseys for the first time this season, just in time for the "Orange Crush" to make an appearance. The Cowboys were supposed to have the #1 run offense in the NFL, and Tony Romo was supposed to make big plays. The Broncos "Orange Crush" defense held the Cowboys to just 10 points by stopping the run and getting pressure on Tony Romo. The Broncos defense came up huge over and over in the win, finishing with 5 sacks, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery.

Watching the game, I started wonder how many times the defense could stop the Cowboys from scoring. The Broncos offense was struggling to score and the defense needed to come up big. They did just that, and in doing so silenced many critics that said the Broncos hadn't played any good offenses yet. One play really stood out to me and it seemed to give the Broncos the momentum to win the game. In the fourth quarter, with the Broncos down 7-10, Cowboys receiver Roy Williams went up for a catch that would have given Dallas a first down and a chance to at least kick a field goal. As Williams reached up for the ball, DJ Williams hit him hard right in the chest  and sent Roy Williams flying. The hit was devestating and Roy Williams didn't do much afterwords. The Broncos got the ball back and were able to finally score a touchdown and take the lead.

The great thing about the Denver Broncos defense is that they play tough, physical football. They make opposing offenses grind out yards on the ground and can get to the quarterback often. Tony Romo looked totally out of sync most of the game and I think the Broncos physical style had a lot to do with that. Romo was hit often and had to run for his life to avoid sacks. There were a hand full of passes where the Dallas receivers had balls bounce off their hands...maybe hearing footsteps? Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan deserves a great deal of credit for the defense playing so well. With all the new players in 2009, most critics thought the Broncos would struggle....so far they've surprised everyone. I think It's officially  time for the "Orange Crush" to be used when talking about the Broncos defense.

Tony Romo on Denver's defense - “They’re a good defensive unit and a good team. They’re number one in the league for a reason and you don’t go out there and move the ball like it’s nothing. They came out and showed why they are the number one defense."

Roy Williams on the hit from DJ Williams - “Never in my life have I been hit like that, from Pop Warner through my six years in the league. I’m 5,200 feet above sea level with asthma so I was obviously hurting.”

Keys from the Broncos 17-10 win:

• Elvis Dumervil continued to sack the quarterback, getting 2 more. He now has 8 sacks on the season.
• Brandon Marshall made an amazing catch, then an amazing run on the winning 51 yard touchdown, finished with 4 catches for 94, 1 TD.
• Champ Bailey made his first interception on the season. It came as the Cowboys were in the red zone and looking to score.
• DJ Williams had a 9 tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack. He also made some big time hits.
• Brian Dawkins was all over the field and brought his signature hard hitting.
• 5 sacks for the defense: Dumervil 2, DJ WIlliams 1, Hill 1, Holliday 1
• Kyle Orton went another game with no turnovers and finished 20-29 for 243 yards and 2 TDs