Denver defense dominates Cleveland

DENVER – Brian Dawkins announced that folks might think he’s crazy, or worse. Nevertheless, the veteran safety knew where the Denver Broncos’ confidence came from, and it was the fourth preseason game against Arizona.

The Broncos, who lost their first three preseason games, won the preseason finale 19-0. Nobody took much notice, but the Broncos have been stifling ever since. Denver has given up one touchdown and two field goals in two games and is in sole possession of first place in the AFC West after a 27-6 win against Cleveland on Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

The offense has no turnovers in two games and the defense looks like the reincarnation of the “Orange Crush.” So maybe Dawkins is onto something.

“It’s a feeling, a mentality,” Dawkins said. “When the things you practice start to come to fruition, you see those things materialize, it’s a feeling you get. I can’t explain it.”

That good feeling is apparent in everything the Broncos have done lately. Denver needed a once-in-a-lifetime touchdown from Brandon Stokley to beat Cincinnati in the season opener, but that helped.

When the Broncos’ defense held Cleveland to a field goal after Peyton Hillis fumbled the opening kickoff, that was another step. From then until the final meaningless drive of the game, the Browns got past Denver’s 43-yard line only once. Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn looked like he was wholly unwilling to test the Broncos defense downfield, and got sacked four times by Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil.

Cleveland gained only 200 yards on 56 plays.

The offense isn’t perfect, but still finished with 449 yards. Quarterback Kyle Orton ignored some first-half boos and did what was asked of him – he did not let Cleveland bait him into forcing a throw and making a mistake. Orton threw for 263 yards and a first-half touchdown to tight end Tony Scheffler. The running game played the closer’s role, with Correll Buckhalter and Hillis getting fourth-quarter touchdown runs.

Denver’s confidence is growing, and that could have some tangible value once the schedule gets tougher.

“I think they feel good about each other out there, they communicate well and sometimes you play better,” Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. “Certainly, if you go out there with no confidence, you are going to have a hard time making plays. I think right now we are gaining confidence, and our team believes in itself and believes in what we are trying to do each week.”

Linebacker Darrell Reid signed with the Broncos this offseason. He came from Indianapolis, which carried itself with the confidence of a recent Super Bowl champion. From his first days in Denver, he was impressed with how the Broncos’ franchise carried itself.

“A coach like Coach McDaniels, an owner like Pat Bowlen – they’ve got swagger,” Reid said. “I think it trickles down to the players and other coaches. When Coach McDaniels got here he said ‘This is how things are going to be, and we’re going to do it my way, period.’ ”