Broncos Can Take the Heat

TEMPE, Ariz. —  The 103-degree temperature at kickoff felt just right to Brian Griese.

“I’m from Florida,” Griese said with a smile after his string of 17 consecutive completions helped the Denver Broncos beat the Arizona Cardinals, 38-17, Sunday night.

Despite the heat, Griese and the Broncos (2-0) took a while to warm up. Once they did, it was no sweat against a young Arizona team that was playing its season opener.

The Broncos fell behind, 10-0, then Griese went on his tear. His 17 completions in a row, which tied a club record, included three touchdown passes.

“I don’t think I completed a pass in the first quarter,” Griese said, “so I needed to do that to get our team back in the game.”

Rod Smith caught a team-record 14 passes for 162 yards, including touchdown catches of 10 and 34 yards. Smith had shared the record of 13 with three others.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “I like the ‘W.’ I want the team records for wins.”

Griese completed 22 of 31 passes for 242 yards and didn’t throw an interception for the second consecutive game. His completion string began at the start of Denver’s go-ahead touchdown drive in the final 1:36 of the first half and didn’t end until there were eight minutes left in the game.

Mike Anderson, starting in place of injured Terrell Davis, managed just 58 yards in 19 carries, but Olandis Gary gained 90 yards in 14 attempts, including a tackle-busting nine-yard touchdown run.

With Davis out for up to six weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery and Ed McCaffrey gone for the season with a broken leg, Denver’s offense was out of sync at first.

The Broncos kept moving Smith around in different formations.

“We found a formation where they weren’t going to play Rod with a corner,” Griese said, “and it was kind of like taking candy from a baby.”

After Jason Elam kicked field goals of 49, 31 and 35 yards to cut it to 10-9, Griese executed a two-minute drill with John Elway-like precision to give Denver the lead. He completed all six pass attempts as the Broncos went 69 yards in 1:09.

Smith’s sensational 10-yard reception in the back of the end zone put Denver ahead for good with 32 seconds left in the half.