No one could script a more exciting way to prove wrong a world full of doubt.

For the first time since 2003, the Broncos have gone through the first four games of the season unblemished as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 17-10 at Invesco Field at Mile High.

After trailing for most of the game, Denver was able to come back in the fourth quarter in dramatic fashion to defeat the Cowboys thanks to the strong play of their defense, coupled with some timely offense.

Game Recap

A disastrous start to the game saw the Cowboys get out to a quick 10-0 first-quarter lead, courtesy of a 49-yard field goal by Nick Folk and a one-yard touchdown run by Marion Barber.

The Broncos’ defense played well in the first half, but the offense was unable to keep them off the field, and the Cowboys took advantage by getting big chunks of yardage on short passes and tough running.

Quite honestly, the Broncos seemed overmatched in the first half, but thanks to a sack/forced fumble combination by safety Renaldo Hill, Denver was able to get on the board in the second quarter. Quarterback Kyle Orton threw an out route to Knowshon Moreno who flew into the end zone for his first career receiving touchdown.

The third quarter was a defensive battle, as neither team was able to score any points, though the Cowboys came extremely close.

On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Moreno fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Dallas deep in Denver territory. The Broncos got a huge play from their defense when Champ Bailey picked off a Tony Romo pass that seemed to be badly overthrown.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos’ offense seemed to get a boost, and they were able to tie the game roughly halfway through the quarter on a Matt Prater field goal from 28 yards out.

With a little over three minutes remaining in the game, the Broncos started a drive from their own 27-yard line. An eight-yard pass from Orton to Brandon Marshall got it started, and Knowshon Moreno bolted 14 yards to the Denver 49-yard line before the two minute warning.

On the next play, Marshall made a good move on Cowboys’ cornerback Terrance Newman, and Orton threw the ball up in the air so Marshall could go get it, and he did just that. After one of the most impressive runs after a catch this season, Marshall and the Broncos went 51 yards to the end zone to take a 17-10 lead.

On the ensuing Dallas drive, Denver forced the Cowboys into a 4th-and-3 situation.  Tony Romo dropped back to pass and was nearly sacked, but he avoided the pressure and lobbed a pass to Sam Hurd who sprinted all the way to the Denver 21-yard line.

The Cowboys got it to the Denver three, and Romo made two mistakes on third and fourth down with goal to go: He threw at Champ Bailey.

On 3rd-and-goal, Bailey knocked away a quick slant pass from Romo to Sam Hurd, and on fourth down, he had a little help from his safety and the incomplete pass resulted in the Broncos lining up in the victory formation.

Random Thoughts and Stats

While the Denver defensive unit continues to stand out, outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil has been the group’s shining star. Against the Cowboys he had two sacks, increasing his season total to eight. He is currently on pace to have 32 for the season, which rarely even happens in Madden video games.

Denver also had sacks from Hill, linebacker D.J. Williams, and defensive end Vonnie Holliday. Their five sacks increased their season total to 15, which leads the NFL.

This unit has been outstanding, and they proved they are for real today when they held the league’s top rushing attack to 75 total yards; about 120 fewer than they have averaged this season.

Inversely, the Broncos were shooting themselves in the foot on offense, finishing the game with a pathetic 10 penalties for a total of 81 yards. The Broncos’ offensive numbers are skewed quite a bit because penalties negated a couple of big plays, and forced the Broncos into near impossible 3rd-and-long situations.

The offense appears to have a long way to go, but like it seems to be the case each week, they show flashes of brilliance at times, and the Brandon Marshall catch-and-run was certainly an instance of brilliance.

Kyle Orton had his best game as a Bronco statistically, completing 20-of-29 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns—and no interceptions. Along with Aaron Rodgers, who has yet to play his fourth game, Orton is the only starting quarterback in the NFL with no interceptions.

The Broncos’ offensive line allowed Orton to be sacked three times, and as was stated earlier, committed an array of costly penalties throughout the course of the game.  Again, this is a problem that will be fixed as players continue to grow acclimated to each other and the offensive scheme overall.

Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno continues to have a solid season, rushing for 65 yards on only 14 carries while catching his first touchdown pass of the season. He is a big weapon for the Broncos, and they have to be thrilled with what he brings to the table.

Correll Buckhalter, the lightning to Moreno’s thunder, was having an outstanding individual performance before leaving the game with an ankle injury. Thankfully, Buckhalter did not aggravate any of his previous knee injuries, and he could be back for the Broncos’ matchup next week.

Next Week

The Broncos will stay at home this week and get ready to host their head coach’s former squad when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots come to town. 

Denver looks to improve to 5-0 while the Patriots are hoping to beat their second straight undefeated opponent after coming up with a solid 27-21 victory over the previously unbeaten Baltimore Ravens.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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