Eagles can’t slow down Broncos

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) rolls out of the pocket looking to pass against the Phildadelphia Eagles in the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) rolls out of the pocket looking to pass against the Phildadelphia Eagles in the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

DENVER - Peyton Manning made quick work of the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that was billed as fast-break football at its finest.

The Denver Broncos scored more points than they ever had in their 54-year history on Sunday, blowing out the Eagles 52-20 behind Manning’s four touchdown throws and two special teams scores.

With two touchdown passes each to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker, Manning completed all but a-half dozen of his 34 throws for 327 yards. He didn’t even step on the field in the fourth quarter.

Manning got off to a rather slow start but drove the Broncos on three long touchdown drives in the third quarter to make this one another laugher.

The Eagles also surrendered two touchdowns on special teams in losing for the third consecutive time, all to AFC West opponents: Trindon Holliday’s 105-yard kickoff return and Steven Johnson’s blocked punt, which he scooped up himself and returned for a 17-yard score.

Matt Prater’s 53-yard field goal capped Denver’s 15th consecutive regular season victory, which bested the franchise mark of 14 set in 1997-1998 and also broke the previous franchise scoring record of 50 points set against San Diego on Oct. 6, 1963.

The Broncos led 21-13 at halftime.

Holliday’s touchdown return was the sixth of his short 21-game career, counting playoffs. His rate of one touchdown per every 3.5 games played is the best since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

It was sandwiched around chip-shot field goals by Alex Henery after stalled Philly drives.

Philadelphia came into the game with just one three-out and in 38 drives and promptly produced its second, after which Manning drove the Broncos 74 yards in nine plays for the touchdown.

Michael Vick finished 14 of 27 for 248 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran eight times for 41 yards for the Eagles.

PATRIOTS 30, FALCONS 23 Tom Brady threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns as visiting New England held off a furious Atlanta comeback, beating the Falcons to improve to 4-0 for the first time since their near-perfect season in 2007. The Falcons had a chance to tie it up in the final minute, but Matt Ryan’s fourth-down pass went off the hands of Roddy White in the end zone with 36 seconds remaining.

LIONS 40, BEARS 32 Reggie Bush’s 37-yard touchdown run helped host Detroit score 27 points in the second quarter and he accounted for 173 yards of offense to help the Lions beat Chicago.Detroit moved into a first-place tie with Chicago in the NFC North. The Lions scored 24 consecutive points, including three TDs in a span of 3 minutes, 26 seconds, after Matt Forte’s 53-yard TD run gave the Bears 10-6 lead early in the second quarter.

VIKINGS 34, STEELERS 27 Greg Jennings made two touchdown catches, Adrian Peterson ran for two scores and the Vikings’ defense made a big stop with time running out to preserve a victory over the Steelers in London. Playing at Wembley Stadium, Everson Griffen stripped Ben Roethlisberger on the 6-yard line with 19 seconds left. Kevin Williams (Fordyce) recovered to seal the victory.

BILLS 23, RAVENS 20 Buffalo rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso’s second interception of the game with 57 seconds remaining sealed a home victory over Baltimore. Converted safety Aaron Williams also intercepted Joe Flacco twice, while Fred Jackson had 87 yards rushing and a touchdown for Buffalo. Robert Woods scored on a 42-yard touchdown reception. Buffalo totaled 213 yards rushing against a stout Ravens defense that had allowed just 224 in its first three games.

CARDINALS 13, BUCCANEERS 10 Carson Palmer threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, then JayFeely kicked a 27-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining and visiting Arizona rallied to beat Tampa Bay. Patrick Peterson had two interceptions, one setting up Arizona’s first TD in six quarters, the other to ruin any chance of rookie Mike Glennon pulling off a comeback in his first NFL start for the winless Bucs. Feely also kicked a 42-yard field goal for the Cardinals (2-2), who trailed 10-0 at halftime.

REDSKINS 24, RAIDERS 14 Robert Griffin III threw a go-ahead touchdown pass late in the third quarter to help visiting Washington overcome an early 14-point deficit for its first victory of the season. David Amerson returned an interception for another score for the Redskins. Washington looked ready to extend the worst start for the franchise since 2001 when they fell behind 14-0 after the first quarter thanks to a blocked punt touchdown and a scoring pass from Matt Flynn. But the much-maligned Washington defense allowed the Raiders no more points.

BROWNS 17, BENGALS 6 Brian Hoyer threw two touchdown passes in his first start at home to lead the host Browns to a victory over Cincinnati. Hoyer’s 1-yard TD pass to Chris Ogbonnaya with 4:54 left gave the Browns an 11-point lead and Cleveland turned it over to its vastly improved defense.

COLTS 37, JAGUARS 3 Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes, Trent Richardson ran for a score and visiting Indianapolis became the latest team to beat Jacksonville by double digits. The Colts weren’t all that good, especially early in the first half, but they were plenty good against one of the worst teams in the league.

TITANS 38, JETS 13 Jake Locker threw a career-high three touchdowns before being taken to the hospital with an injured right hip for the host Titans. Locker was hurt early in the third quarter when hit first by Muhammad Wilkerson after throwing an incomplete pass, then popped by Quinton Coples.He grabbed at his hip as he went to the ground and was carted off the field before being loaded into an ambulance. The Titans had no immediate word on the severity of his injury. Alterraun Verner intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble, Karl Klug sacked Geno Smith and stripped him of the ball for a TD as the Titans turned Smith’s four turnovers into 28 points.

SEPT. 26 San Francisco 35, St. Louis 11 SUNDAY’S GAMES Kansas City 31, NY Giants 7 Seattle 23, Houston 20, OT Buffalo 23, Baltimore 20 Arizona 13, Tampa Bay 10 Indianapolis 37, Jacksonville 3 Cleveland 17, Cincinnati 6 Detroit 40, Chicago 32 Minnesota 34, Pittsburgh 27 Tennessee 38, NY Jets 13 Washington 24, Oakland 14 San Diego 30, Dallas 21 Denver 52, Philadelphia 20 New England 30, Atlanta 23 OPEN Carolina, Green Bay TODAY’S GAME - All times Central Miami at New Orleans, 7:40 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAME Buffalo at Cleveland, 7:25 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Detroit at Green Bay, noon New Orleans at Chicago, noon Kansas City at Tennessee, noon Jacksonville at St. Louis, noon New England at Cincinnati, noon Seattle at Indianapolis, noon Baltimore at Miami, noon Philadelphia at NY Giants, noon Carolina at Arizona, 3:05 p.m.

San Diego at Oakland, 3:25 p.m.

Denver at Dallas, 3:25 p.m.

Houston at San Francisco, 7:30 p.m.

OPEN Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington MONDAY, OCT. 7 NY Jets at Atlanta, 7:40 p.m.

Sports, Pages 17 on 09/30/2013

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