Siemian, Broncos crush Elliott, Cowboys 42-17

 Aqib Talib's 103-yard interception return for a touchdown with 53 seconds left was the final indignity for the Cowboys in the Denver Broncos' 42-17 blowout of Dallas and its vaunted offense on Sunday.

It was Talib's 10th pick-6, just two shy of Darren Woodson's NFL record.

"No. 10," relished Talib. "It's just mind-boggling."

Sort of like Denver's defensive dominance of Dallas and its vaunted offense.

Ezekiel Elliott had the worst game of his career with nine carries for 8 yards, Dallas managed just 40 yards rushing and one first down on the ground. The Cowboys (1-1) went 3-for-14 on third downs and failed three times on fourth down, looking nothing like the team that dominated the Giants in their opener.

"I want to emphasize today, this is not what we're about in my view," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "I feel strongly about that. On the other hand, this is what Denver is about."

The only big blemish in Denver's fifth straight 2-0 start was the apparently serious injury to their top draft pick, left tackle Garett Bolles, who left the stadium on crutches and with a boot on his left foot after getting hurt in the third quarter.

With the stadium still rocking in the final minute, Talib stepped in front of Dez Bryant, who had earlier beaten him for a TD, snared Dak Prescott's fourth-down pass and raced up the Dallas' dejected sideline.

He slipped Cole Beasley's tackle and followed linebacker Brandon Marshall's beautiful block of Prescott into the south end zone, where he jumped into the stands, exhausted by enjoying every last bit of what he called "an all-around complete ballgame from the Broncos."

Trevor Siemian tied a career high with four touchdown passes in a game that included an hour-long lightning delay that did nothing to slow Denver's rolling offense.

"We knew they were sound in the secondary," Jones said. "We were a little taken aback by how well they did offensively. "They seemed to really have our number. There's no excuses here. Their quarterback played outstanding."

Elliott, who's playing while his appeal of a six-game suspension for domestic violence works its way through the courts, came into the game averaging 108 yards rushing per game and more than 5 yards a carry in his career.

"We just were getting dominated up front," said Elliott, whose previous worst game was a 51-yarder in his NFL debut against the Giants last year. "We couldn't get any movement off the ball."

The star in the backfield on this day was C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 118 yards and a score and also caught a TD pass.

Thanks in part to Von Miller, who had two sacks, the Cowboys lost for the sixth straight time to the Broncos.

Siemian threw scoring strikes of 10 and 6 yards to Emmanuel Sanders as the Broncos built a 21-10 halftime lead. The Cowboys were lucky to be that close after a first half in which they managed just five first downs, converted one third down and were outgained 246 yards to 97.

The only touchdown for Dallas came on a 3-yard drive after DeMarcus Lawrence's strip sack of Siemian after beating right tackle Menelik Watson. Bryant beat Talib for the score two plays after Maliek Collins scooped up the loose ball at the Denver 3.

SUSPECT SECONDARY: The Cowboys began the day without their top cornerback, Orlando Scandrick, who broke his left hand last week, and they lost rookie Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring) and Nolan Carroll (concussion) in the first half.

Denver scored on its first drive when Siemian found Sanders for a 10-yard strike , and the Broncos were driving for another score but Brandon McManus pushed a 49-yarder wide right, his second miss in three attempts since signing his contract extension Monday.

LIGHTNING DELAY : The game was delayed by lightning for 62 minutes in the first quarter. The Cowboys were at midfield with 33 seconds left in the first quarter when the teams were told to head to their locker rooms and fans retreated to the concourses.

Broncos coach Vance Joseph said they turned off the air conditioning and turned on the TVs to watch some football during the delay.

Miller joked that they spent it dancing and playing games.

"Connect Four, we had some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," Miller said. "We had a couple of rock-paper-scissors in there, turned on the music for a dance contest. ... Just came in, danced around."

Actually, Miller didn't even do any of his usual dances after his sacks, but he did raise his arms after ending his career-high five-game sackless streak, which came after he'd been flagged twice for jumping offside.

"You think he was getting antsy?" Joseph said.

SPLIT ALLEGIANCES : DeMarcus Ware was the honorary alumni captain for the coin toss between the game pitting his former teams. He said he was thrilled to have played for both teams, but would always root for Miller.

Ware retired in January after nine years in Dallas and three seasons in Denver because of chronic back problems. He acknowledged he considered coming out of retirement when Broncos linebacker Shane Rayinjured a wrist early in training camp but decided to stick with his new gig working for the NFL Network.

"I've played enough football," he said.

Broncos block late FG, top Chargers 24-21 in Joseph's debut

 Shelby Harris got a hand on Younghoe Koo's 44-yard field goal attempt with a second left, and the Broncos began the Vance Joseph era with a 24-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.

Koo nailed the kick moments earlier, but Joseph had called a timeout to ice the kicker.

"I had two timeouts and I wasn't going to leave with those in my pocket," Joseph said. "So, just ice the kid and see how he reacted."

On the re-do, Harris - who made the team largely because of a rash of injuries along the D-line - sliced through and got his right hand on the kick.

It was reminiscent of last year's opener, when the Broncos escaped with a 21-20 win over the Carolina Panthers when Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field goal with 4 seconds left.

Denver took a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter but had two turnovers that were converted into touchdowns, a missed field goal and a punt.

"The game was in firm control for about three quarters there and we felt good but you turn the ball over twice on the short side of the 50, it's going to be a problem with Philip Rivers," Joseph said.

Von Miller presented Joseph with a game ball in the jubilant locker room.

"It wasn't clean, but it's good to win," Joseph said. "It's a hard league. Every week is going to be a challenge, so a win's a win. We'll take it."

Before those fourth-quarter foibles, Trevor Siemian threw two TD passes to Bennie Fowler and ran for another score.

The Broncos held Philip Rivers to 115 yards passing through three quarters but let him engineer a comeback when Siemian threw an interception and Jamaal Charles fumbled on plays that were upheld despite video evidence that had the crowd of 76,324 convinced they should have been overturned.

Safety Adrian Phillips intercepted a pass that went off cornerback Desmond King's leg as King was tackling Fowler while the ball was still in the air. A review upheld the turnover and L.A. pulled to 24-14 on Keenan Allen's 5-yard TD catch with eight minutes left.

Less than a minute later, Charles fumbled - although replays showed his left elbow was down before the ball was ripped away by Korey Toomer. Cornerback Casey Hayward recovered. One play later, Rivers hit Travis Benjamin for a 38-yard touchdown that made it 24-21 and safety Darian Stewart hobbled off with a strained groin.

Back-to-back sacks of Siemian set up a 50-yard field goal try that McManus pushed wide right, giving L.A. the ball at its 40-yard line.

But Koo's miss loomed larger in the final seconds.

The Broncos led 14-7 at halftime after Siemian threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Fowler and scored on a 1-yard keeper .

Los Angeles' only touchdown drive was aided by a 40-yard pass interference call on cornerback Bradley Robybefore Rivers hit running back Melvin Gordon for an 11-yard touchdown toss. Safety Justin Simmons hit Gordon at the 2, but he just somersaulted across the goal line.

Rivers stayed away from the All-Pro tandem of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., instead targeting Roby and safeties Stewart and Simmons.

Roby atoned for his crucial penalty with an interception in the third quarter on a pass intended for Allen. That led to Siemian's 6-yard TD toss to Fowler that made it 21-7.

McManus kicked a 20-yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter, capping a 78-yard drive that ate up 8 minutes, 16 seconds.

The game presented landmarks on the football field , along the sidelines and in the broadcast booth .

Not since 1960 had the Chargers represented L.A., where they played their inaugural season before bolting to San Diego.

Beth Mowins became the first woman to call an NFL regular season game since NBC's Gayle Sierens in 1987 when she handled play-by-play on the doubleheader nightcap alongside Rex Ryan, who made his debut as an ESPN analyst.

With Anthony Lynn also making his head coaching debut, this marked the first time two black head coaches worked their first NFL game against each other in the same game.

Lynn burned one of his timeouts with a curious throw of his red flag to challenge a rather inconsequential incompletion in the first quarter.

MCMANUS'S MILLIONS : McManus was the last restricted free agent to sign his tender this summer, waiting until June 15 to put his signature on a one-year, $2.75 million deal after making $600,000 last season. He did it in hopes of getting a long-term deal, which he finally got Monday just hours before kickoff when he agreed to a three-year extension worth $11.25 million.

A first-time team captain, McManus approached coach Joseph before the final preseason game and talked him into allowing the special teams players to participate in pregame introductions: "First time at any level, high school, college or NFL," explained McManus. "It's a huge dream of mine to come out to 70,000 fans cheering."

BEEFY BRONCOS : The Broncos beefed up their depleted defensive line before kickoff by promoting rookie nose tackle Tyrique "Pot Roast Jr." Jarrett to their active roster and waiving Kyle Peko.

The undrafted pro from the University of Pittsburgh is generously listed as packing 335 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame. His teammates gave him his nickname because he reminds them of former Broncos run-stuffer Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton.

INJURY UPDATES: Chargers backup SS Rayshawn Jenkins left in the second half with a concussion. So did Broncos starting right guard Ronald Leary, who was replaced by second-year pro Connor McGovern. Leary will be in concussion protocol during the week as the Broncos prepare to face his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Broncos rookie CB Brandon Langley left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.

UP NEXT: The Chargers host the Miami Dolphins, whose opener was scrubbed by Hurricane Irma. The Broncos are home again to take on the Cowboys.

Denver gives Osweiler rude welcome in 27-9 win over Houston

Brock Osweiler took one last dig at Denver's fans after Houston's 27-9 loss to the Broncos. He figured they would "be a little bit louder with the boos."

Denver's defenders ruined Osweiler's homecoming by hurrying, hitting and harassing their ex-quarterback Monday night, even if his ears weren't ringing from the crowd noise.

Osweiler famously declared upon signing his $72 million, four-year deal that he chose Houston over Denver because the Texans gave him the better chance to succeed.

"It's not all about money in life," said Broncos cornerbackChris Harris Jr., who recovered one of Osweiler's three fumbles. "He had a great situation, great team here, better receivers to me. So, I think he already knows he made the wrong choice."

Not so, said Osweiler.

"I never live my life looking in the rearview mirror," Osweiler said after a night in which his head was on a constant swivel with the likes of Von Miller, Shane Ray and Derek Wolfe coming after him.

Coach Gary Kubiak returned to the sideline following his second health scare in three years, and he liked what he saw as the Broncos (5-2) snapped a two-game skid in sending Osweiler and the rest of the overwhelmed Texans home at 4-3.

C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker energized Denver's sputtering ground game, both running for a touchdown. Anderson gained 107 yards on 16 carries and Booker had 83 on 17 hand-offs.

But the big story was Trevor Siemian, Peyton Manning's surprise successor, outplaying Osweiler, who was groomed to be Denver's next QB for the last four years.

Osweiler left for bigger numbers in Texas - both in his bank account and his stat sheet - but he spent the whole game quickly getting rid of the ball, constantly overthrowing DeAndre Hopkins in double coverage and otherwise running for his life from Miller & Co.

Miller wore a "REVENGE" hoodie to his postgame interview, but he said it was a shoutout to Drake, who wore Miller's No. 58 jersey at a recent concert in Colorado.

"Me and Brock, we're good. I love the guy. I wish him the best," Miller said.

Osweiler was just 22 for 41 for 131 yards with no TDs and no interceptions. Siemian was 14 of 25 for 157 yards, a TD and no interceptions.

Osweiler also lost a fumble at his own 25-yard line. It was scooped up by Harris on the first play of the fourth quarter and led to Brandon McManus' chip-shot field goal that made it 24-9.

Of the dozen passes thrown his way, Hopkins caught just five of them, covering 36 yards, and no other Texan gained more. And Houston was limited to Nick Novak's field goals from 43, 43 and 39 yards.

Anderson scored on a 7-yard run and Siemian hit Demaryius Thomas from 4 yards out as the Broncos took a 14-6 halftime lead.

Novak's 29-yarder made it 14-9, but Darian Stewart punched the ball from running back Alfred Blue's grasp and linebacker Todd Davis plucked it out of the air . That led to Booker's 1-yard TD run .

Kubiak, who suffered a mini-stroke while coaching the Texans in 2013, missed Denver's last game after suffering a complex migraine, which can mimic a stroke.

Like Osweiler, this was his first game against his former team, and cornerback Aqib Talib gave him a game ball afterward.

"Coaches get game balls when players play good, I can tell you that," Kubiak said.

Osweiler, who skipped out on the Broncos' White House trip and ring ceremony, embraced Siemian, Kubiak and several other Broncos after the game.

"It was really great to see some familiar faces and give those guys a hug," he said.

STREAK BREAKER: Denver's dazzling defense is a real dawdler , having allowed scores on five of six opening drives coming into the game. That didn't stop them from deferring when they won the toss. The Texans went three and out on their first two possessions. "It was a big emphasis for us," Miller said.

OH NO, OKUNG: Broncos left tackle Russell Okung cleared concussion protocol to make the start. But he was rusty a week after his pair of penalties resulted in a nullified touchdown and a safety in a 21-13 loss at San Diego. This time, he was whistled for a pair of holds that negated a nifty first-down run by Booker and a 28-yard grab by Thomas.

INJURIES : Texans right tackle Derek Newton was carted off the field with what looked like serious injuries to both knees in the first half. He crumpled to the grass while blocking Miller. Newton was dropping back to pass block midway through the first quarter when his left knee buckled first and then his right knee gave way. For Denver, linebackers Brandon Marshall (leg) and Dekoda Watson (head) left in the second half.

Rivers leads Chargers to 21-13 victory against Broncos

Music blared louder than normal in the San Diego Chargers' locker room, and there was a sense of relief Thursday night after a victory over the Denver Broncos.

The Chargers had actually finished.

Philip Rivers threw for 178 yards and one touchdown, passing Hall of Famer Dan Fouts to become San Diego's career passing leader, and the Chargers held off the Broncos 21-13.

The victory may have saved embattled coach Mike McCoy's job .

The Chargers (2-4) were coming off a mistake-filled loss at Oakland, and earlier in the season lost three games in which they led at the 2-minute warning. There has been increasing fan discontent with the conservative McCoy, and the Chargers are trying to convince voters to approve a $1.1 billion public handout for a new downtown stadium in the form of an increase in the hotel occupancy tax.

"There is nothing like winning," a misty-eyed McCoy said. "Especially beating a good football team in front of are home fans. It was great."

The victory "meant a ton for Mike," Rivers said. "It wasn't talked about a lot on the team but veteran players ... I felt it. Not that I expected it if it didn't go well. I had no idea but you also you are not playing dumb. We knew we had to get this thing going in a hurry."

The Broncos had the ball in the final seconds, but the Chargers - who had two turnovers on special teams -held.

"You can't take winning for granted in this league," defensive end Corey Liuget said. "When I saw it said 0:00 and that guy didn't catch that ball, I was happy as hell. I got on my damn knee and said, `Thank you Lord. It's over now.'"

What changed from those brutal losses, when the Chargers blew late leads?

"It was a mindset for us to go out there and finish, and everyone knew we were going to finish this game," Li

The defending Super Bowl champion Broncos were coached by special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis after Gary Kubiak was ordered by doctors to sit this one out because of a migraine condition that mimics strokes.

"You have to give them credit," DeCamillis said. "We know it would be a tough game because they have played a lot of close games and not won."

The five-time defending AFC West champion Broncos (4-2) were mostly sluggish behind Trevor Siemian, who was back at quarterback after rookie Paxton Lynch struggled in a loss to Atlanta. They lost their second straight game and had their NFL-record 15 straight divisional road victories snapped.

The Chargers snapped their streak of 10 straight divisional losses dating to 2014.

Rivers, in his 13th season with the Chargers and 11th as starter, has 43,094 career yards passing. Fouts threw for 43,040 yards in 15 seasons with the Bolts.

Rivers threw a 5-yard scoring pass to rookie tight end Hunter Henry to cap the game's first possession. Rivers finished 18 of 29.

Otherwise, the Chargers had to settle for Lambo's career-high four field goals, of 37, 21, 31 and 32 yards.

LATE-FIRING BRONCOS: Denver didn't get across the 50 on its own accord until there were just 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Denver's first score came after a punt bounced off San Diego's Travis Benjamin and the Broncos recovered at the San Diego 11. The refs initially ruled that the Broncos downed the punt, but Denver challenged and got the ball. Brandon McManus kicked a 29-yard field goal.

Siemian was 30 of 50 for 230 yards, with a 5-yard scoring pass to Bennie Fowler midway through the fourth quarter.

McManus kicked a 46-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, and Denver recovered the onside kick at its 46. It got to the San Diego 45 with eight seconds to go before Siemian's desperation pass was batted down by Dexter McCoil.

DEFENSIVE STAND: The Broncos were threatening at the San Diego 20 with less than 5 minutes to go. But on consecutive plays they were whistled for holding, Siemian was sacked by rookie Jatavis Brown and San Diego's Craig Mager recovered a fumble by Demaryius Thomas.

RIVERBOAT MIKE: McCoy went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Denver 20 early in the second half, withMelvin Gordon going over the top for a 1-yard gain. Rivers misfired on two straight passes and was flushed on third down, forcing the Chargers to settle for Lambo's 37-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. McCoy improved to 25-31 overall in four seasons.

NEW HOLDER: Veteran backup quarterback Kellen Clemens took over as holder for the Chargers after rookieDrew Kaser's misadventure at Oakland on Sunday. Kaser mishandled the snap on a potential tying field goal with 2:07 left in the 34-31 loss. Kaser, who also shanked a punt, kept his job as punter but lost his job as holder.

ANTHEM WATCH: Chargers players Joe Barksdale, D.J. Fluker, Chris Hairston, Joshua Perry and Tyreek Burwell held up their right fists during the national anthem.

INJURIES: The Broncos said T Russell Okung was taken to a hospital with concussion-like symptoms. ... Chargers rookie DE Joey Bosa was having his right hand worked on by the trainers after Denver's first drive. He was back in for the next Broncos possession. ... Broncos WR Cody Latimer left with a concussion in the second quarter. ... Gordon limped off the field early in the fourth quarter. He had his right ankle taped and returned on San Diego's next possession.

Atlanta Falcons hand Denver Broncos first loss 23-16

Quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have plenty more in the vault than just superstar receiver Julio Jones - and maybe there's a lot more to these Atlanta Falcons than just some early-season feasting on the NFL's defensive dregs.

The Falcons deciphered Denver's dazzling defense and wrecked Paxton Lynch's first NFL start with a 23-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday, snapping the Super Bowl champs' nine-game winning streak with a dominant and perhaps prescient performance.

They did it without coming close to the numbers that Ryan and Jones put up last week when they became the first duo in league history to sport a 500-yard passer and a 300-yard receiver in the same game.

A week after setting a franchise record with 503 yards passing in a runaway win over Super Bowl 50's other participant, the Carolina Panthers, Ryan threw for 267 yards Sunday and only two of those (covering 29 yards) went to Jones.

"Today, they came out and doubled me. They took me away and they were like, `All right, you're not going to beat us today,'" said Jones, adding he welcomed such attention because "everybody else is going to step up."

That, they did.

Using a steady diet of I-formation runs and short passes that put Denver's linebackers in coverage, the Falcons (4-1) handed the Super Bowl champs their first loss since Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh and left the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) as the NFL's last unbeaten team.

The Broncos (4-1) were on their heels having to respect the play-action because Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were so effective running the ball, combining for 119 yards and a 4.4-yard average.

Denver's "No Fly Zone" defense was unimpressed with Jones becoming the sixth 300-yard receiver in NFL history. They dismissed that performance as a bad day by the Panthers, and they stifled Jones all afternoon in Denver.

Not that it mattered.

Coleman, who played despite having sickle cell trait, which can sometimes be exacerbated at altitude, showed off his breakaway speed by catching four passes for 132 yards to go with his 31 yards on six carries. He caught a 31-yard touchdown pass following Ricardo Allen's interception at the Denver 42 in the third quarter that made it 20-3.

That sequence sent some flustered fans streaming for the exits as the Falcons finished off the Broncos, who hadn't lost at home since Dec. 13 against Oakland.

The Broncos don't have much time to digest the loss. They play at San Diego on Thursday night, and their hope is that Trevor Siemian's bruised left shoulder is healed by then.

Lynch, the 26th overall pick out of Memphis last April, got the starting nod because Siemian's bruised A.C. joint in his non-throwing shoulder was still bothering him a week after he was flung to the turf in Tampa.

"We just didn't think he was ready," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said.

Actually, it was Lynch who showed he wasn't ready Sunday.

He completed 23 of 35 passes for 223 yards with a late TD to Demaryius Thomas and an interception. He was sacked a half-dozen times, including 3 1/2 times by outside linebacker Vic Beasley, who burned right tackleTy Sambrailo on three of those takedowns.

Lynch's footwork was a mess and his overthrows and misfires ruined any chance the Broncos had of capitalizing on the league's 30th ranked defense, including the NFL's next-to-last pass defense and a patchwork linebacker corps .

"I'm upset obviously because we lost but I'm happy I got the first one under my belt," Lynch said. "If I get put in this situation again, I'll play better."

PROTECTION PROBLEMS: It didn't help Denver that right tackle Donald Stephenson (calf) was deactivated for a third straight week. Ty Sambrailo was repeatedly burned by Beasley before the Broncos moved right guard Michael Schofield over and inserted Darrion Weems.

GROUNDED GROUND GAME: The Broncos' ground game has ground to a near standstill ever since Stephenson and tight end Virgil Green pulled calf muscles in Week 2. After averaging 141 yards and 4.7 yards a carry in their first two games, the Broncos nosedived to 75 yards and 2.8 yards a carry in their last three games.

MILLER TIME: Even in defeat, Von Miller got to the quarterback. He recorded a sack and now has 6 1/2 on the season.

LAST GASP: Brandon McManus kicked a 45-yard field goal with 14 seconds left to get the Broncos within a touchdown but his onside kick was smothered by Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo, and Ryan took a knee in victory formation.

Broncos lose Siemian, beat Bucs 27-7 to improve to 4-0

 Paxton Lynch made his NFL debut sooner than expected Sunday, stepping in for injured starter Trevor Siemian to help the Denver Broncos remain unbeaten with a 27-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Siemian left the game with two minutes remaining in the first half with what the defending Super Bowl champions described as an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He remained in uniform and watched the second half from the sideline, wearing a baseball cap while Lynch - the 26th pick in this year's draft- finished the Broncos' ninth consecutive win.

Siemien threw a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, capitalizing on Aqib Talib's interception and 25-yard return to the Bucs 11 on Tampa Bay's opening possession. The ex-Buc cornerback also set up another first-half TD with a second interception that led to C.J. Anderson's 1-yard run for a 14-7 lead.

For the second straight week, play was stopped in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium because of inclement weather. The game was suspended for 1 hour, 26 minutes with 6:52 remaining Sunday, with only a few thousand fans returning to their seats for the conclusion.

Jameis Winston scrambled 7 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, but had limited success against the Denver defense the rest of the way. In addition to throwing two interceptions, the second-year quarterback was sacked five times while going 17 of 35 for 179 yards.

A week after becoming the first player in league history with 300 passing yards, four TD passes and zero interceptions in his first career road start, Siemian was off to another solid start when he was sacked by Bucs defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, who slung the Broncos quarterback to the turf on his left shoulder for an 8-yard loss late in the second quarter. Siemian left the field on his power and later received a ride to the locker room on a cart.

Denver (4-0) punted after Lynch threw an incompletion on third down coming out of the two-minute warning. The rookie got one more crack at the Bucs defense before halftime, going 4 of 8 for 47 yards to move his team into position for a 38-yard field goal that made it 17-7.

The Broncos set the tone for a frustrating second half for the Bucs, methodically moving 69 yards in 16 plays for a field goal that increased the lead to 13. Lynch's 5-yard TD pass to Emmanuel Sanders, who had eight receptions for 88 yards, made it 27-7 in the fourth quarter.

MODEST NUMBERS

Siemian was 5 of 7 for 68 yards, including an 11-yard TD pass to Sanders on Denver's first offensive play. Lynch finished 14 of 24 for 170 yards, one TD and no interceptions.

HOMECOMING

Talib faced his former team for the second time, first in Tampa. He was a first-round draft pick of the Bucs in 2008 and spent four-plus years with the team before being traded to New England in the middle of the 2012 season. His 33 interceptions are the most by a cornerback since the ninth-year pro entered the league. The first 16 came with Tampa Bay. The only other time he faced his former team, Talib had an interception during New England's 23-3 victory over the Bucs in 2013.

FAST START

The Broncos are 4-0 for the second straight season and third time in four years. Their nine-game winning streak is the longest in the NFL and they've now won a league-best 26 consecutive games when they've won the turnover battle.

SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

The Buccaneers had four sacks - 1 1/2 by McDonald, after not getting much pressure on opposing quarterbacks the previous two weeks against Arizona and Los Angeles. Siemian was sacked three times before leaving the game.

INJURIES

Broncos: In addition to Siemian, lost reserve CB Kayvon Webster with hamstring injury in second half.

Buccaneers: Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy limped off with a calf in the second quarter and did not return. ... TEBrandon Myers (hip) and LB Noah Spence (shoulder) left in the first half and did not return. ... Played without RB Doug Martin (hamstring) and DE Robert Ayers Jr. (ankle) for the second straight week.

Siemian's 4 TD passes lead Broncos over Bengals 29-17

 Four touchdown passes, more than 300 yards passing, two clutch touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.

Trevor Siemian played every bit like Peyton Manning in his first road start.

In some ways, even better.

Siemian was nearly perfect as he rallied the Denver Broncos to a 29-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, leading a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives with veteran aplomb.

The defending Super Bowl champions' biggest offseason challenge was replacing their famous quarterback, and it looks as if they made the right choice. They're 3-0 under Siemian, who took over after Manning retired andBrock Osweiler went to Houston.

Siemian became the first Bronco to throw for four touchdowns since Manning in 2014 against the Dolphins. No NFL quarterback had thrown for 300 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in their road debut, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

"Obviously going in, nobody really knew about him," said Emmanuel Sanders, who caught the first two touchdowns. "Now everybody's starting to talk about him. He's always calm, cool and collected, even in the fourth quarter. You should have seen the way he took command in the huddle."

Trailing at the start of the fourth quarter, Siemian completed 11 of 12 passes while rallying the Broncos to those fourth-quarter touchdowns. He finished 23 of 35 for 312 yards and a passer rating of 132.1.

"I'm still learning a lot," Siemian said. "There are a couple of plays I'd like to do over again."

Siemian had a 41-yard touchdown pass to Sanders to get it started, and stood in under a heavy rush and connected with Demaryius Thomas on a 55-yard score with 4:23 left to clinch it. Sanders finished with nine catches for 117 yards.

The Bengals got their dormant running game going, but were still out of sync as they fell to 1-2 for the first time in five years. Jeremy Hill ran for a pair of touchdowns and 97 yards - huge strides for Cincinnati's pass-heavy offense - but Andy Dalton couldn't do much after the Bengals fell behind.

"We're still trying to find ourselves," said receiver A.J. Green, who had eight catches for 77 yards but dropped a pivotal third-down pass. "We've got to be more consistent."

INJURIES

Broncos safety T.J. Ward hurt his neck late in the first quarter but returned. The Broncos were already missing safetyJustin Simmons. ... Bengals kicker Mike Nugent suffered a shoulder injury while helping to make a tackle during a kickoff return in the second quarter but later made a field goal.

UP AND RUNNING ... BRIEFLY

After two games of getting virtually nothing out of their running game, the Bengals made it a point of emphasis and got immediate results. Hill, who had a total of 53 yards in the first two games, broke off a 50-yard run on Cincinnati's opening possession - his longest run since 2014. He capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run, giving the Bengals a season high in rushing after one series. Denver clamped down the rest of the way.

NOT-SO-SWEET HOME

The Bengals are 6-4 in their past nine games at Paul Brown Stadium, including a first-round playoff loss to Pittsburgh.

ANTHEM

Ward raised his right fist during the anthem, the first time he's made such a gesture. Brandon Marshall again went to his knee behind the front line of players.

LINE CHANGE

The Broncos switched their offensive line, with Ty Sambrailo starting at right tackle in place of Donald Stephenson, who has a strained calf. Sambrailo got called for holding late in the first half, but Siemian had enough time for his big game. He was sacked only twice.

AGGIE VS AGGIE

Bengals right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi got to block Von Miller, who was a teammate at Texas A&M for one season. In his third NFL start, Ogbuehi - a first-round pick last season - got caught holding the Super Bowl MVP once and gave up one of Denver's four sacks.

UP NEXT

The Broncos play at Tampa Bay next Sunday.

The Bengals have a quick turnaround, getting ready to host the Dolphins on Thursday night.

THEY SAID IT

Broncos: "That's what we've been waiting for man. That's a huge step forward for our team to do that on the road against a playoff team." - cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

Bengals: "It's still early. There's a lot to be accomplished." - Andy Dalton.

Miller's sack-strip leads Broncos past Colts 34-20

When the Denver Broncos settled for another field goal and were clinging to a six-point lead over the Indianapolis Colts with 1:51 remaining, one thought went through Von Miller's head.

"It's time to close."

And they did, thanks once again to Miller, who gave the Denver fans a reminder of his Super Bowl 50 MVP performance, sweeping in for the sack-strip of Andrew Luck that sealed the Broncos' 34-20 win Sunday.

Miller burst past right tackle Joe Reitz and swiped the ball from Luck's grasp. Fellow linebacker Shane Ray scooped it up and returned it 15 yards for the touchdown.

"It was Von Miller being Von Miller," Colts coach Chuck Pagano lamented. "We did a great job on him at some points in the game. But he's a great, great player and he made a great, great play."

Miller added a sack on the last play for his third of the game as the Broncos (2-0) sent the banged-up Colts limping to their third consecutive 0-2 start.

"He obviously got the better of me today," Reitz said. "I'm disappointed in myself, especially that last play in a critical situation. He got a good jump and got around the edge, got to Andrew. The rest is history."

All afternoon, the Broncos rattled Luck, who started 5 for 18 before he engineered a couple of second-half touchdown drives. Luck completed just 21 of 40 passes for 197 yards and was sacked five times.

Trevor Siemian outshone Luck, just as he did Cam Newton in the opener. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 266 yards.

Cornerback Aqib Talib returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, giving Denver a 23-13 lead.

Talib stepped in front of wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to snag Luck's pass, which he returned through traffic down Denver's jubilant sideline. His ninth career pick-6 was his fifth for Denver, a franchise record.

"The good thing about Aqib is if he ever gets his hands on the ball, he's not only a DB, he's a returner," coach Gary Kubiak said.

It's not luck, it's preparation, Talib said.

"I practice it," he said. "When I get an interception in practice, I go score on it. Practice makes perfect."

D'Qwell Jackson stuffed C.J. Anderson on third-and-1 from the Colts 17 and Brandon McManus's 35-yard field goal made it 26-20 with 1:51 left.

After a touchback, Luck lined up and took the snap.

In a split second the ball was on the ground, and Luck watched helplessly as Ray scooped it up and scored.

"You can't turn the football over, have pick-6s, sack-fumbles returned for touchdowns," Luck said "It's just too hard to overcome."

STEWART AGAIN: Luck threw a 7-yard TD pass to Frank Gore with 4:02 remaining, pulling the Colts to 23-20. The drive was kept alive by safety Darian Stewart's roughing penalty for smacking the quarterback in the helmet as he slid for the first down on a third-and-1 scramble at his own 30. Stewart was fined $18,231 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Newton in the opener and can expect another fine this week.

THIN AIR: One week after Panthers punter Andy Lee had a 76-yard kick in Denver's mile-high air, Pat McAfee had a 72-yarder for the Colts that was nearly blocked but ended up bouncing into the north end zone for a touchback.

HONORING GREATS: The Broncos unveiled signs in the south end zone before the game honoring the players with retired numbers: Hall of Famers John Elway (7) and Floyd Little (44) and the No. 18 for Frank Tripucka, the first QB in franchise history. Tripucka's sign included a mention of Peyton Manning . Tripucka, who played from 1960-63, gave his blessing for Manning to wear the number when he was with the Broncos from 2012-15.

INJURY UPDATE:

Colts: CB Antonio Cromartie (shoulder) got hurt when he smacked into Emmanuel Sanders on the game's second snap, but returned in the second quarter. WR Donte Moncrief left in the second quarter with a head and neck injury. CB Rashaan Melvin left in the third quarter with cramps. RG Denzelle Good left in the fourth quarter with a back injury. Indianapolis began the day without three starters from their secondary in cornerback Vontae Davis (ankle) andPatrick Robinson (concussion) and safety T.J. Green (knee).

Broncos: Denver sustained three big injuries: OLB DeMarcus Ware broke his right forearm, and Kubiak said he didn't know if Ware will have surgery right away. Also, RT Donald Stephenson and TE Virgil Green suffered calf injuries that could sideline them for a while.