Broncos get past Dallas
ARLINGTON, Texas — Peyton Manning spent all afternoon putting the Broncos in the end zone during a wild shootout with Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys.
The last time he got the ball, Manning kept Denver out of the end zone – and that was the best way to win the game.
The four-time MVP kept up his record pace for touchdown passes, Matt Prater kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired and the Broncos stayed unbeaten with a 51-48 victory Sunday.
The Broncos (5-0) had moved the ball to the Dallas 2 after Danny Trevathan’s diving interception at the 24 in the final 2 minutes.
Needing a first down but not a touchdown so they could run out the clock, Manning and Knowshon Moreno shouted at each other in the backfield just before the snap.
“He basically was asking me, ‘How am I supposed to do that? How can I get a half a yard but not get a yard and a half?’ ” said Manning, who threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns to give him a record-setting 20 in the first five games. “I just said, ‘You can’t! You can’t score!’ ”
Moreno managed to pull off the first down without scoring, and Manning took three snaps to drain the clock to 2 seconds for Prater.
It was quite a debate over a measly yard in the fourth-highest scoring game in NFL history and tied for the second-highest in regulation since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, according to STATS.
Romo was 25 of 36 for 506 yards and five touchdowns, breaking Don Meredith’s franchise record of 460 yards. He is the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 500 yards and five touchdowns in a game.
Broncos 51, Cowboys 48
| Denver | 7 | 21 | 10 | 13 | — | 51 |
| Dallas | 14 | 6 | 13 | 15 | — | 48 |
Dal—Bryant 2 pass from Romo (Bailey kick)
Dal—Murray 4 run (Bailey kick)
Den—J.Thomas 4 pass from Manning (Prater kick)
Dal—FG Bailey 43
Den—Decker 2 pass from Manning (Prater kick)
Den—J.Thomas 9 pass from Manning (Prater kick)
Den—Manning 1 run (Prater kick)
Dal—FG Bailey 48
Den—Welker 2 pass from Manning (Prater kick)
Dal—Williams 82 pass from Romo (Bailey kick)
Den—FG Prater 48
Dal—Bryant 2 pass from Romo (run failed)
Dal—Witten 10 pass from Romo (Williams pass from Romo)
Den—FG Prater 50
Dal—Beasley 4 pass from Romo (Bailey kick)
Den—Moreno 1 run (Prater kick)
Den—FG Prater 28
A—92,758.
| Den | Dal | |
| First downs | 34 | 24 |
| Total Net Yards | 517 | 522 |
| Rushes-yards | 31-103 | 14-52 |
| Passing | 414 | 470 |
| Punt Returns | 1-9 | 0-0 |
| Kickoff Returns | 4-93 | 5-123 |
| Interceptions Ret. | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 33-42-1 | 25-36-1 |
| Sacked-Yrds Lost | 0-0 | 4-36 |
| Punts | 0-0.0 | 1-51.0 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-1 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 5-55 | 9-81 |
| Time of Poss. | 32:34 | 27:26 |