They are the AFC's best team. Period.

In fact, it can be argued that Denver is the best team in all of football with the best running back - Terrell Davis.

With Davis rushing for 171 yards on 32 carries, Denver emerged as the NFL's only undefeated team by pasting New England 34-13 before 75,821 fans at Mile High Stadium.

``That's a lot of work, but it's definitely good work,'' said Davis, whose second-highest rushing total this season came against the NFL's third-ranked defense. ``The (offensive) line did a good job.''

Denver (6-0) now enters its bye week with the best starting record of any team since the Miami Dolphins in 1992. And when the Broncos play at Oakland (2-4) on Oct. 19, the team record for consecutive victories to open a season could fall.

``This was a big win for us,'' said Broncos quarterback John Elway, who completed 13 of 27 passes for 196 yards. ``I think this will have big implications down the line. . . . We feel good where we are as a team.''

But for a franchise whose motto may as well be
``Super Bowl or Bust,'' the Broncos weren't exactly popping open champagne bottles after the victory.

``Our team will keep this game in perspective,'' Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. ``We talk about this being a very long season. We just played the sixth round. The seventh round is the Raiders.''
If history is an indication, Denver's victory was hardly a surprise. The Broncos have now won 10 consecutive games against the Patriots (4-1), with Elway orchestrating nine of those victories.
But this triumph wasn't decided until the third quarter, when Denver played its best 15 minutes of the season. The Broncos extended a 14-13 halftime lead with 17 unanswered points, thanks to a swarming defense that allowed only one first down and an offense that rebounded from a second-quarter malaise.

Elway - who threw two second-quarter interceptions - helped Denver open the second half with an 80-yard touchdown drive capped by his 1-yard sneak. The key play was a 30-yard pass to Rod Smith on a third-and-10 from Denver's 32-yard line.

Elway and Smith connected again on a 47-yard pass late in the quarter to set up a 1-yard Davis touchdown run, extending Denver's lead to 31-13.
Smith finished with five receptions for 130 yards.
Between those two scoring drives was a 21-yard field goal by Scott Bentley, the Overland High graduate who did well as a replacement for injured kicker Jason Elam. While Bentley missed a 48-yard attempt in the fourth quarter, he made a 33-yarder with 5:24 remaining in the game and all four of his extra points.

The third quarter also was a time when Davis and his offensive line showed a national television audience that his NFL-high 776 rushing yards is no fluke. Davis nearly doubled his first-half rushing output from 57 yards to 112, marking the fifth time he has crossed the century mark this season.
Davis could have done even more damage but was yanked with just under 6 minutes left in the game.
As for the Patriots, it was about as ugly as the loss to Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXI. Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe was sacked three times - all by backup defensive tackle Maa Tanuvasa - and knocked down on numerous other occasions.
The Broncos also did an excellent job minimizing New England's three biggest offensive weapons - tailback Curtis Martin (15 carries, 66 yards), wide receiver Terry Glenn (two catches, 27 yards) and tight end Ben Coates (five-65).

The Broncos took a 14-0 lead as a result of some smash and flash.

The smash: Davis rushed for 35 yards on seven carries on Denver's opening series, capping a 75-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run with 5:28 left in the first quarter.

The flash: Linebacker John Mobley cut in front of Glenn to intercept a Bledsoe pass and return it 13 yards for his first career touchdown.

At this point, it appeared Denver would have little trouble rolling to a victory. Mobley already had forced a Glenn fumble on New England's opening series, and the Patriots gained only 15 yards on their three remaining drives of the first quarter.

``We knew they were a formidable team and could play well when they get up on you,'' said Mobley, who finished with a game-high 13 tackles. ``We wanted to get out early and see how they responded to us. We game-planned them well and we match up with them well.''

But Denver's offense then fell into a slumber. Elway was intercepted on the first play of the second quarter by Patriots safety Willie Clay, who returned the ball 27 yards to the Broncos 44.
That led to New England's first impressive offensive play of the game. Patriots fullback Keith Byars motored past cornerback Darrien Gordon to catch a 44-yard touchdown pass along the Broncos sideline that cut Denver's lead to 14-7.
Clay lived up to his ``Big Play'' nickname again just before halftime, diving in front of wide receiver Ed McCaffrey to intercept Elway again at Denver's 44. The Patriots drove for their second field goal of the quarter, with Adam Vinatieri's 49-yard kick closing the score to 14-13 at halftime.

``This was an opportunity for us to make a stand in the league,'' Patriots first-year coach Pete Carroll said. ``It was also the same for Denver - and they did it.''

What should have been a Denver Broncos blowout of the Atlanta Falcons and Dan Reeves - the team's former coach whose tumultuous relationship with Shanahan and Elway was chronicled in soap-operaesque fashion this past week - instead turned into their most competitive game of the season. The Broncos won by a 29-21 margin Sunday, but only after almost losing a 23-point lead before 48,211 fans at the Georgia Dome.

``We didn't stay focused,'' Broncos defensive tackle Michael Dean Perry said. ``We didn't have that killer instinct that we should have to be a championship team. When we've got guys down like that, we should get them by the jugular. And we didn't do that.

``After Mike said his (postgame) speech, if you didn't know any better, you could have sworn we lost the game. That was the mood of the team. We won and we're happy about that, but we're not satisfied. We want to play a lot better than that.''

While the Broncos improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1986, a mediocre second half killed much of the team's momentum heading into next Monday's game against New England (4-0). Denver registered only three first downs and - in what has become an all-too-common problem - gave up big plays on defense that allowed Atlanta (0-5) to remain close.

There was a 57-yard run by Atlanta rookie Byron Hanspard that led to a 3-yard touchdown pass from Chris Chandler to Bert Emanuel, cutting Denver's lead to 23-14 in the third quarter. The Broncos also surrendered a 47-yard touchdown to running back Jamal Anderson, who caught a screen pass and rambled past four Denver defenders en route to the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

In total, the Broncos actually were outrushed, 112 yards to 101, by a team that entered with the NFL's second-worst ground game (69-yard average).

``I'm disappointed,'' said Shanahan, whose defense also allowed a 47-yard reception by wide receiver Terance Mathis that led to a Falcons touchdown just before halftime. ``We had the concentration level going early in the game . . . We faltered a little bit, and it's something we're going to have to work on in the next few days.''

The defense wasn't the only unit in a malaise. After posting 23 unanswered points in less than 1 1/2-quarters, the Broncos' offense struggled against a Falcons team that entered as a 12-point underdog.

``Good thing we jumped out early on them because somewhere in the second or third quarter, we lost intensity,'' Broncos wide receiver Willie Green said. ``Luckily, we picked it back up.''

Green deserves some of the credit, catching a 7-yard pass for a first down late in the fourth quarter that let Denver run out the clock. And the Broncos did piece together one impressive drive in the third quarter - highlighted by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Elway to backup fullback Detron Smith - to open a 29-14 lead.

But the offense looked nothing like it did earlier
in the game, when Denver needed less than two minutes to take a 7-0 lead.

Elway - who completed 18 of a season-high 32 passes for 243 yards with three touchdowns and one interception - caught Atlanta linebacker Jesse Tuggle trying to cover tight end Shannon Sharpe. Such a mismatch is equivalent to the Dream Team playing Angola.

Sharpe zipped past Tuggle to catch a career-long 65-yard touchdown pass with 13:18 remaining in the first quarter. Sharpe finished with season-highs in catches (six) and yards (119).

After Denver's defense stuffed the Falcons for a loss of 3 yards on their subsequent series, Elway was at it again. A 10-yard touchdown pass to Green capped an eight-play, 55-yard drive.

But after that score, Shanahan faced an unusual coaching decision. Kicker Jason Elam strained his hip flexor - an injury that hindered him all last season - and was unable to continue playing. That left Elway and punter Tom Rouen as the only viable replacements.

Because neither will remind anyone of Jim Turner (or maybe even Ted Turner), Shanahan decided to eschew any field-goal or extra-point attempts and instead try for two-point conversions after touchdowns. The Broncos were successful after both second-quarter scores thanks to rushes by tailback Terrell Davis, who also scored a touchdown on a 10-yard scamper midway through the second quarter.

``It's never happened to me before,'' Shanahan said of losing his kicker. ``It (Elam's injury) was not only relative to field goals and extra points, but also on the kickoff coverage.''
At that point, it didn't seem like the Broncos would miss Elam or fullback Howard Griffith, who suffered a first-quarter knee injury that is expected to sideline him for a month. But the Falcons started playing with the grit for which Reeves himself is known.

Atlanta's defense began heavily blitzing Elway and did an effective job of stopping Davis, whose string of four consecutive 100-yard games was snapped with his 79-yard outing on 23 carries.

``They did a good job against our running game and really started coming after us,'' said Elway, who was sacked twice in the third quarter. ``We weren't able to make some plays.''

The Falcons' offense also played respectably even when Chandler was knocked out of the game early in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Backup Billy Joe Tolliver completed six of nine passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.

In fact, Atlanta's comeback was impressive enough that the game itself became the most important thing Sunday - not such trivial matters as whether Reeves would shake hands with Shanahan (he did) and Elway (he didn't).

``I have the utmost respect for Dan Reeves,'' said Shanahan, who was fired by Reeves as Denver's offensive coordinator midway through the 1991 season amid allegations of secretly plotting plays with Elway (a charge both deny).

``Dan Reeves has taken this organization to three Super Bowls in the seven years I was there. He will do a great job in this town. I think that was evident in the way they came out and fought today.''

``You know how I look at it?'' Dodge said after Sunday's 38-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals before 73,871 fans at Mile High Stadium.
``This team is just as good as the one we had with the '94 San Francisco 49ers. No matter what happens, I feel we're going to win.''

That feeling is contagious, especially when Terrell Davis rushes for a team-record 215 yards and John Elway throws three touchdown passes and the Broncos defense plays well enough to help secure the third 4-0 start in franchise history.
And when you consider the other two Broncos squads that were undefeated after four games all reached the Super Bowl . . .

``Denver is going to go places,'' Bengals coach Bruce Coslet said. ``They have a tenacious defense, a great running game and, of course, John Elway.''

But while Coslet's accolades are justified, the Broncos weren't perfect. In fact, Cincinnati (1-2) had a legitimate chance to win until falling apart in the fourth quarter.

The key play was a 50-yard touchdown run by Davis that gave Denver a 28-20 lead. On third-and-3 from the 50-yard line, Davis zipped through a massive hole on the left side of his offensive line. When Bengals free safety Greg Myers missed a tackle, Davis was off to his longest rushing touchdown since a 71-yarder last October against Baltimore.

``I felt if I could run in there hard and break a tackle or two, I would be out of the gate,'' said Davis, who topped his own single-game NFL highs for rushing yards (194) and yards from scrimmage (228), established last year against the Ravens.

``I went in there with that mentality and, hey, I came out with a 50-yard touchdown.''

The Bengals could have retaliated on their ensuing series, but wide receiver Darnay Scott dropped a perfectly thrown Jeff Blake pass that should have resulted in a 67-yard touchdown play. Cincinnati eventually was forced to punt, which lead to another disastrous mistake - long snapper Greg Truitt sent the ball sailing over punter Lee Johnson's head.

Johnson got off a punt, but it sailed only 2 yards past the line of scrimmage. The Broncos took possession at their own 45-yard line and drove for a 25-yard Jason Elam field goal that opened an 11-point cushion with 3:26 remaining.
And then came the final Bengals bungle. When Blake dropped back to pass with 1:21 left, Cincinnati's offensive linemen thought the whistle had blown and stopped blocking.
Bad move. Blake fumbled when sacked by defensive end Neil Smith, allowing Alfred Williams, a former Bengals player, to scoop up the ball and saunter 51 yards for the first touchdown of his seven-year NFL career.

``I just picked it up and started trotting,'' said Williams, who crossed the goal line with a swan dive. ``It was amazing. That's my first one. I didn't have a dance or anything.''
But celebration was the last thing on Denver's mind after a shaky first quarter. The Bengals sacked Elway twice on the game's opening series and recorded a wild interception that led to the game's first score.

As Broncos wide receiver and Bengals cornerback Jimmy Spencer jostled for control of an Elway pass in the end zone, strong safety Tremain Mack swooped in to grab the ball and returned it to the Broncos' 26. Nine plays later, Blake connected with tight end Tony McGee on a 7-yard touchdown pass.

Suddenly, an 11 1/2-point favorite found itself trailing in the first quarter for the first time this season.

``They came with a lot of blitzes and a lot of things that we were expecting, but it was so intense in the first quarter that we were kind of on our heels,'' Broncos right guard Brian Habib said. ``It took awhile to adjust.''
Those adjustments didn't take long. On Denver's next series, Elway and Davis accounted for all 75 yards on a seven-play scoring drive, with Ed McCaffrey catching a 32-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 7-7. Elway finished with 162 yards on 14-of-26 passing, his lowest passing totals of the season.

``I knew it was a matter of protection,'' said Elway, who wasn't sacked again the rest of the game. ``We just had to figure out what they were doing. They had two weeks to prepare for us (because of a bye week), so you knew they were going to have some things that we weren't prepared for. But we have enough confidence offensively that when we settle down, we're fine.''

But it wasn't as easy for Denver's defense. While a 1-yard touchdown pass from Elway to wide receiver Rod Smith in the second quarter gave Denver a 14-7 halftime lead, the Bengals needed only 22 seconds in the third quarter to tie the score.

On the first play from scrimmage, Bengals tailback Ki-Jana Carter burst through Denver's defense for a 79-yard touchdown run. Carter finished the day with 104 yards, breaking Cincinnati's 67-game streak without a 100-yard rusher.

The Bengals - who also had a 100-yard receiver in Carl Pickens (eight catches, 125 yards) - took a 17-14 lead midway through the quarter on a 38-yard Doug Pelfrey field goal, but the Broncos soon answered with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Elway to Rod Smith.

Pelfrey booted another field goal - this one from 43 yards - early in the fourth quarter to cut Denver's lead to 21-20.

``We did a good job of keeping our composure and playing hard all the way through,'' Broncos cornerback Ray Crockett said. ``It wasn't pretty, but it was a victory and that's what good teams have to do.''

Super Bowl teams included.

After all, Elway was accurate when it mattered. The Broncos quarterback fired four touchdown passes Sunday to carry Denver (3-0) in a game that remained surprisingly competitive until the fourth quarter.

``I really don't feel we were sharp the whole day,'' said Elway, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 247 yards. ``But we made some big plays. Big plays can make up for a lot of mistakes.''
Elway is referring to Denver's two longest scores of the season - a 72-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Rod Smith and a 94-yard punt return by Darrien Gordon that gave Denver a 21-7 advantage early in the third quarter. With St. Louis quarterback Tony Banks victimized for much of the afternoon - throwing two interceptions and getting sacked five times - that lead probably would have been enough to topple the Rams (1-2).
Elway, though, helped get the blowout rolling after almost getting blown out of the game.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Elway fumbled the snap from center Tom Nalen and was pounded by Rams linebacker Robert Jones in the scramble for the ball. Elway was slow to get up and left the field holding his right arm, prompting backup quarterback Jeff Lewis to warm up.

But before 74,338 fans had a chance to go into cardiac arrest, Elway returned to the field after a 12-yard punt by St. Louis rookie Will Brice gave Denver possession on the Rams' 32-yard line. Three plays later, Elway lofted what was arguably his prettiest pass of the season to Smith, who made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 38-yard touchdown that extended Denver's lead to 28-7.

``I was concerned (about Elway),'' said Broncos tailback Terrell Davis, who rushed for more than 100 yards for the third consecutive game. ``He walked to the sideline grabbing his elbow and said, `My shoulder.' I thought he wasn't going to come back in . . . He never ceases to amaze me.''
The Elway onslaught continued less than a minute later following an interception by Denver cornerback Ray Crockett on the Rams' 23. Elway only needed one pass - a perfect throw to a well-covered Ed McCaffrey - to get Denver on the scoreboard again.

The play also gave Elway his 257th career touchdown pass, helping him vault three other legendary quarterbacks - Dan Fouts, Sonny Jurgensen and Warren Moon - into sixth place on the NFL's all-time list.

Gordon achieved a milestone with the longest punt return in Broncos history. After a 59-yard Brice punt sent Gordon back to the Denver 6, he quickly motored down the right sideline as one Rams player (Nate Dingle) was blocked out of the play and another (ex-Broncos player Jeff Robinson) missed a tackle. Gordon faced virtually no other resistance en route to the first Denver punt return for a touchdown in almost 10 years.

``If you were watching the game, you knew we were dragging the whole game,'' Davis said. ``That was not Broncos football out there. We recognized it. For him to run that punt back, I think it gave us the energy we desperately needed.''

To that point, Denver was not playing like a team that entered as a 14-point favorite. The Broncos committed nine of their 10 penalties in the first half and had a 43-yard Jason Elam field-goal attempt blocked in the second quarter.
Elway had fired two touchdown passes - the 72-yarder to Smith and a 24-yarder to backup tight end Dwayne Carswell - but he also threw an interception that St. Louis should have capitalized on. With 1:05 left before halftime, Rams cornerback Ryan McNeil cut in front of wide receiver Willie Green at the Broncos' 38 to record the first interception of Elway this season. A face-mask penalty on Smith gave St. Louis possession at the Denver 23.

Banks, though, botched the opportunity with a poor throw toward the end zone. The pass was so overthrown that Denver's Tim McKyer looked more like Rockies center fielder Ellis Burks than an NFL cornerback as he patiently waited to make a leaping interception, which allowed the Broncos to run out the clock in the half.

After the game, Banks tried to shoulder the blame for the loss. But he shouldn't feel so bad. The Broncos haven't allowed more than 14 points in a game this season, let alone a 300-yard passer or 100-yard rusher or receiver. Plus, the Rams were playing without Pro Bowl wide receiver Isaac Bruce - who aggravated a hamstring injury in the first quarter - and two starters on the offensive line (center Mike Gruttadauria and right guard Zach Wiegert).

Denver's only major defensive error came with 33 seconds left in the first quarter. Rams tailback Lawrence Phillips, who didn't start because of a turf toe injury, broke two tackles on his way to a 23-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 7-7.  Phillips, though, was limited to 37 yards on his remaining 12 carries.

``We made a lot of mistakes early and had a lot of penalties,'' said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, whose team committed nine of its 10 penalties in the first half. ``It was not the disciplined type of football we'd like to play. When we had to, we made some plays and that's a credit to our football team. But for us to do the things we want to do down the stretch, I was not very proud of the way we played until the end.

``Sometimes when you do win by the score we won by, people lose perspective on how we played. We played well enough to win, which is always a positive, but we didn't play as well as we would have liked.

``We're working toward that perfect game and that perfect half. We've got bits and pieces. Hopefully in time, we can get there.''

Honest.

Of course, that might be hard to believe after Denver's 35-14 lashing of the Seahawks on Sunday at the Kingdome. Springs, the third player taken in this year's NFL draft, was given the type of lesson he never received at Ohio State, courtesy of Broncos quarterback John Elway and wide receiver Ed McCaffrey.

Matched against Springs for most of the day, McCaffrey enjoyed one of the best games in his seven-year career with eight receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. McCaffrey also was able to get Springs whistled for three penalties that resulted in 49 yards for the Broncos.

``It just kind of ended up that way,'' said Elway, who completed 18 of 26 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

``We were having success, and we were getting
some penalties. As long as that was happening, we're going to continue going over that way.

``He (Springs) is going to be a great player. He just needs experience. Once he gets it, he's going to be hard to handle.''

But whereas Springs is measured by his potential, the Broncos (2-0) proved Sunday they are ready to contend for a Super Bowl berth now. Trailing by one point at halftime, Denver pitched a second-half shutout and scored three touchdowns en route to a victory that keeps them alone atop the AFC West and Seattle (0-2) in the division's basement.

``I was pleased,'' said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who now holds a three-game winning streak against Seattle. ``We got behind, and we came up with a couple of pretty good drives. Our defense came up with a big turnover. The game going into the middle of the third quarter could have gone either way, but our players picked it up.''

And picked it off, as in Denver cornerback Darrien Gordon's 32-yard interception return for a touchdown that gave the Broncos a commanding 28-14 lead. Just as Seahawks wide receiver (and ex-University of Colorado standout and former Broncos receiver) Mike Pritchard turned around for a Warren Moon pass, Gordon broke for the ball and made the interception. With a few blocks from his teammates, Gordon ran 32 yards down the sideline for the score as the third quarter expired.

``It was a critical situation,'' said Gordon, who won the starting spot at right cornerback two weeks ago. ``From the film studies, we knew they like to run slants in that particular area. I got inside and Warren threw it right at me.''
Moon, 40, played well in his first start for Seattle. He completed 20 of 33 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. But he couldn't compare with Elway, who was outstanding on the third-quarter scoring drive that put Denver in the lead for good.

Elway completed all five of his pass attempts for 55 yards and also ran 6 yards for a first down on a third-and-1 from the Seattle 27. On the next play, McCaffrey got behind Springs to catch a 21-yard touchdown pass. Elway then connected with tight end Shannon Sharpe for a two-point conversion to put Denver ahead 21-14.

While such a series would seem like the game's turning point, several Broncos thought Jason Elam's 51-yard field goal just before halftime was even more important. That's because the score killed much of the momentum Seattle had generated from two quick second-quarter touchdowns.

On the series following a Moon touchdown pass to tight end Carlester Crumpler, Broncos quarterback John Elway fumbled after being sacked by Seahawks defensive end Michael Sinclair. Linebacker Chad Brown, another ex-CU player, picked up the ball on one bounce and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown that put Seattle ahead 14-10 with 55 seconds left in the half.

``I heard him right at the last minute,'' said Elway, who was sacked twice Sunday. ``He got me good. He stripped me, and the ball was gone before I knew it.''

But just as the crowd of 55,859 started showing signs of life, Elway moved the Broncos 31 yards in 53 seconds to set up Elam's key field goal.

``We had the momentum going, then they kick a field goal and the momentum changes,'' said Seattle coach Dennis Erickson, whose team lost 41-3 last week to the New York Jets. ``We had a chance in the third quarter, but we didn't get any points. They had to come from behind, and we didn't do that.''

Erickson can blame the Broncos defense, which stopped Seattle on two fourth-down plays in the fourth quarter. Seattle's running game also was kept in check, as Denver allowed only 69 yards on 24 carries (a 2.9-yard average).

The Seahawks couldn't do the same against Broncos running back Terrell Davis, who posted his second consecutive 100-yard game with 21 rushes for 107 yards. Davis added to the Seahawks' woes with his 1-yard touchdown run with 7:22 left in the game.
The game started with the earmarks of a Broncos blowout. Vaughn Hebron returned the opening kickoff 46 yards to the Broncos' 49 and Denver reached the Seattle 19, but settled for a 38-yard Elam field goal.

After holding Seattle without a first down, the Broncos began rolling again with a nine-play, 71-yard drive. Springs was penalized twice within a four-play span and also surrendered a 14-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey.

``I got him a couple of times today,'' said McCaffrey, who fell one reception short of matching his single-game high. ``But he's going to be a real good player in this league.''
Said Springs: ``Personally, I didn't have one of my better days. I think everyone else in the secondary did well. Now, I have to step it up and play better.''

In that regard, Springs might want to use Denver's second-half performance as a model.

Buoyed by a strong defensive performance - including a key goal-line stand in the third quarter - and four Jason Elam field goals, the Denver Broncos rolled to a 19-3 season-opening victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday before 75,600 fans at Mile High Stadium.

While it wasn't the quality outing one would expect from a Super Bowl contender, especially on offense, the Broncos are atop the AFC West after the four other teams in the division lost Sunday. That includes Denver's next opponent, Seattle, which was drubbed 41-3 by the New York Jets.

But talk about first place was the last thing Broncos running back Terrell Davis wanted to hear after Sunday's game.

``Come on now. This is a long season,'' said Davis, who looked in mid-season form with 101 yards rushing and one touchdown on 26 carries. ``We have a lot of games left. But it was encouraging to come away with a win today. We started off on the right foot.''

Actually, it was inches that helped decide this game. With Denver holding a 9-0 lead midway through the third quarter, the Chiefs' offense finally got into gear. Three rushes for 59 yards by Kansas City's Greg Hill brought the Chiefs to Denver's 4-yard line.

On first-and-goal, it appeared Chiefs running back Marcus Allen had plunged for a touchdown. But Allen bobbled the ball inches from the goal line and was ruled down on Denver's 1.

That was as close as Kansas City would get to the end zone the rest of the game. On the next play, a false start penalty by Chiefs left tackle Jeff Criswell moved Kansas City to the Denver 6.

The Chiefs could only gain 3 yards on their next two plays and settled for a 20-yard Pete Stoyanovich field goal with 1:24 remaining in the quarter.

``That played a big part in the game right there,'' said Broncos strong safety Tyrone Braxton, who intercepted an Elvis Grbac pass late in the fourth quarter. ``If they could have gotten seven points out of that situation, there's no telling what the outcome of the game could have been. It was definitely a great stand for us, and it helps our confidence knowing if a team does drive and get into our red zone, we can make a play and get off the field.''

Denver's defensive stand also breathed life into an offense that could produce only three Elam field goals on its first four trips inside the red zone. After Vaughn Hebron returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Chiefs 49, Denver needed only six plays for its first touchdown - a 10-yard Davis run that gave the Broncos a commanding 16-3 lead with 12:55 left.

``You kind of get frustrated going down there and coming away with three field goals,'' Davis said. ``You like to go down, at least in the red zone, and come away with touchdowns. We were getting frustrated, no doubt about it. To go down and put the ball in the end zone was a relief. We didn't want to leave the game without having seven points.

``When they kicked that field goal, I think we got a little bit inspired. The offense said: `Look, they're getting too close. We've got to put the ball in the end zone. We just can't keep kicking field goals.'''

The Broncos did squander an excellent chance for a touchdown late in the first half. Quarterback John Elway connected with wide receiver Rod Smith on a 78-yard pass play - the third-longest non-scoring reception in team history - to give Denver first-and-goal on the Chiefs 8 with 43 seconds left.

But on that play, Elway was pounded by Chiefs free safety Jerome Woods and sent sprawling in pain. With Elway favoring his throwing arm - the one with the ruptured right biceps tendon - the Broncos called two straight running plays that netted 1 yard. Elway then spiked the ball on third down after miscommunicating with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, which led to a 25-yard Elam field goal that gave Denver a 9-0 lead.

``John didn't get (the play), which was my fault,'' said Shanahan, who is 3-0 in season-openers since becoming Denver's coach in 1995. ``John just threw into the ground and possibly cost us a touchdown, but they were playing more of a prevent defense and he would have thrown it away anyhow.''

Elway's passing numbers (17 of 28, 246 yards) weren't what will get him into the Hall of Fame, but he isn't to blame for the offense's erratic performance. Denver committed eight penalties for 69 yards, some at critical times.

On the opening series of the third quarter, the Broncos reached the Chiefs 20 only to have guard Mark Schlereth commit a 15-yard facemask penalty. Tight end Shannon Sharpe then was penalized 10 yards on the next play for an illegal block above the waist. The Broncos couldn't muster a first down and were forced to punt.

``We made a lot of mistakes, and they kept us out of the end zone,'' Broncos right guard Brian Habib said. ``The bottom line is that we've got to clean up what we're doing.''

Conversely, Denver's defense will try to maintain its level of performance against the Seahawks. The Chiefs totaled eight plays in the second quarter for a net gain of 8 yards and reached Broncos territory only once in the first half. Grbac, making his first start for Kansas City, was sacked three times and limited to 115 yards on 14-of-25 passing.

``We played well, but there were still some big plays we gave up,'' Broncos free safety Steve Atwater said. ``We want to keep those to a minimum, and I'm sure we're going to work on it this week. We made some plays, but everything wasn't as clean as we'd like it to be.

``We've still got a long way to go, but I think it was a great start for us.''