ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Game balls went to newcomers George Paton and Teddy Bridgewater and to old-timer Von Miller following Denver’s 27-13 demolition of the New York Giants in their opener.
Paton is the architect of this rebuilt roster and Bridgewater his crowning jewel even though so many Broncos fans preferred other veterans or even incumbent Drew Lock.
Miller sacked Daniel Jones twice in his triumphant return after missing last season with an ankle injury.
“Sacks are good,” Miller responded to his teammates’ demands for a “Speech! Speech! Speech!”
“But wins are better.”
The Broncos’ victory was Vic Fangio’s first in eight September games and the team’s first in an opener since 2018 against Seattle, which also marked the last time Miller recorded at least two sacks.
With those droughts over, the Broncos (1-0) flew home with a record over .500 for the first time in 1,078 days.
But they did so without right guard Graham Glasgow, who was taken to a hospital via ambulance from MetLife Stadium because of an irregular heartbeat he began experiencing during the game.
“He’s still up there. He’ll stay the night,” Fangio said Monday. “But the plan is for him to come back tomorrow morning.”
Fangio said Glasgow has no history of heart arrhythmias.
The other damper was losing wide receiver Jerry Juedy for at least several weeks with an ankle injury after he’d caught six passes for 72 yards.
“He definitely has a high ankle sprain. Everything else checked out good,” Fangio said. “He’s going to miss some time.”
GIANTS: After waiting a year to see their team play in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Giants fans needed 55 minutes to say they had seen enough.
Such was the start to the Giants’ 2021 season. They dropped a 27-13 decision to the Denver Broncos on Sunday in a game in which very little went right for them.
The offense didn’t generate much. The defense could not get off the field. Giants fans were so frustrated, they got up and went home after Melvin Gordon scored on a 70-yard run to give Denver a 27-7 lead with 4:37 to play.
By the end of the game, most of the fans remaining wore orange jerseys. Many gathered behind the Broncos’ bench and chanted “Teddy, Teddy, Teddy” at Teddy Bridgewater after a great first game as a Broncos.
The optimism that engulfed the Giants after signing Kenny Golladay, Adoree Jackson and Kyle Rudolph as free agents and added speedy receiver Kadarius Toney in the draft has evaporated.
Fears of another losing season and another missed playoffs are increasing. New York had been to the postseason once since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012.
The hiring of Joe Judge last year was supposed to right things. However, the concern is even greater with the second game on Thursday against defending NFC East champion Washington (0-1) in the nation’s capital.
Saquon Barkley, who played for the first time since tearing an ACL on Sept. 20, was among the many Giants players who parroted Judge and said the opener was the first of 17 games. He added the goal is improve after leaving a lot of plays on the field in all phases of the game.
“Usually, you’ve got to wait a whole another week,” Barkley said. “Now, we get another chance in four days to go out there and put all that bad football we had Week 1 and learn from it and get better.”
JETS: Left tackle Mekhi Becton will be sidelined at least a month with a knee injury, and safety Lamarcus Joyner is out for the season with a torn triceps.
Coach Robert Saleh confirmed the injuries a day after the Jets fell 19-14 at Carolina in their season opener – taking some of the shine off what was a promising NFL debut for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
Becton, the No. 11 overall pick last year, will be out for what Saleh said is a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks with a dislocated right kneecap.
Saleh added Becton is still being evaluated and seeking a second opinion to determine if he’ll need surgery. NFL Network reported Becton also has a sprained MCL.
Becton was hurt when he was rolled into during Wilson’s first NFL touchdown pass, a 22-yard toss to Corey Davis with 1:25 left in the third quarter.
George Fant, who started Sunday at right tackle, will fill in on the left side during Becton’s absence as he did against the Panthers. Morgan Moses, signed as a free agent during the offseason, takes over at right tackle.
Joyner, another offseason free-agent signing, was hurt in the first half. He was expected to team with Marcus Maye to give the Jets a veteran safety tandem that would help a young, inexperienced cornerbacks group.
New York is suddenly thin at safety with Joyner sidelined. Veteran Sharrod Neasman (hamstring) and second-year safety Ashtyn Davis are both on injured reserve. That leaves just Sheldrick Redwine, who replaced Joyner on Sunday, and Adrian Colbert and Jarrod Wilson on the practice squad.
TITANS: The Tennessee Titans are moving onto yet another kicker, waiving Michael Badgley a day after he missed an extra point and a 46-yard field goal in their season-opening loss.
The Titans announced they also waived tight end Tommy Hudson and also released linebacker Jan Johnson from the practice squad. They signed safety Bradley McDougald and tight end MyCole Pruitt off the practice squad.
Tennessee signed Badgley to the practice squad only on Friday when Sam Ficken went on the injury report with a right groin issue. The Titans put Ficken on injured reserve Saturday and promoted Badgley. They also signed Randy Bullock to the practice squad.
This continues the Titans’ revolving door at kicker. They used two kickers last season after signing Stephen Gostkowski just before the start of the season and had a third on the practice squad in November. That was an improvement from 2019 when five kickers played in at least two games.
LIONS: Cornerback Jeff Okudah has a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, the team announced.
“He will be out for the rest of the year,” Lions Coach Dan Campbell said. “I hate it for him, and I hate it for us as a team because he has really been coming around.”
Okudah was hurt in the fourth quarter Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers held on to win 41-33 against the Lions.
BROWNS: Starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. may have avoided a serious left ankle injury in Sunday’s loss at Kansas City.
Wills was carted off the field after he got hurt while blocking on wide receiver Jarvis Landry’s 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wills did not return and was replaced by versatile veteran backup Chris Hubbard.
Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski did not provide a specific timeline on Wills’ return.
It’s the second straight time Wills has been hurt at Arrowhead Stadium. He suffered a more serious ankle injury in the Jan. 17 playoff game against the Chiefs on Cleveland’s first offensive snap.
Hubbard, who is coming back from a season-ending knee injury, will likely stay in the starting lineup while Wills recovers. The Browns play Houston in their home opener on Sunday.
• Browns center JC Tretter believes Kansas City assistant coach Greg Lewis should be disciplined by the NFL for his role in a sideline skirmish with Cleveland safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. on Sunday.
Harrison was ejected from Cleveland’s 33-29 loss in the first quarter after he forcefully pushed Lewis, who shoved the Browns’ safety after coming over to help Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Tretter, the NFL players’ union president, didn’t condone Harrison’s behavior, but said Lewis needs to be held accountable by the league for his actions.
“I expect that the coach gets held to the same standard – if not a higher standard – than Ronnie,” Tretter said on a Zoom call. “Being the first one in there and being a coach, putting his hands on an opposing player.
“I don’t think there’s any room for that in this league.”
An NFL spokesman said the incident is under review and that Harrison will not be suspended. It’s likely he’ll be fined.
After an 11-yard gain, Edwards-Helaire was tackled on Kansas City’s sideline by Harrison and linebacker Mack Wilson. With Edwards-Helaire on the ground, Harrison was standing over him when Lewis, the team’s running backs coach, came over and shoved Harrison.
Cleveland’s safety fired back with a high shove to Lewis’ neck area that knocked his headset askew.
Kansas City’s bench was initially called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Following a review, the officials tossed Harrison, the dismissal costing the Browns one of their best defensive players.
Lewis was allowed to stay on the sideline, which didn’t sit well with the Browns.
“He should get the same treatment that our players get,” said All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. “He should be tossed out of the game just like Ronnie.”
Whatever transpired, Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski said Harrison needed to show better judgment.
“It’s the oldest thing in football: The game officials always see the second guy,” Stefanski said. “And Ronnie has to show some poise there and not retaliate.”
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