Lelie's leaping catch lifts Broncos
By Eddie Pells
Associated Press
DENVER — The play had little to do with the game plan, much more to do with stuff players figure out in the back yard.
Jack Dempsey • Associated Press
Knowing Ashley Lelie had a couple inches on the guy who was covering him, Jake Plummer threw the fourth-down pass high into the end zone. Lelie reached over the defender and made the catch for a momentum-shifting touchdown that led Denver to a 23-13 victory over San Diego yesterday.
Ashley Lelie, who lost his helmet while making a leaping catch in the end zone, celebrates the 33-yard score that helped the Broncos win, 23-13, and end a personal 15-game drought without a TD catch.
"It's not exactly what you draw up on fourth down," Plummer said. "But I just got out of the pocket, I threw it up there and I figured, he's 6-4, long and tall — let him outjump the other guy."
The former University of Hawai'i receiver, who is really 6 feet 3, did just that, winning the one-on-one showdown with 6-foot cornerback Quentin Jammer for the 33-yard touchdown that gave Denver (2-1) a 10-point lead late in the third quarter.
Just as important, it stifled the momentum San Diego (1-2) gained moments earlier when the Chargers recovered Quentin Griffin's third lost fumble of the season and converted it into a touchdown to close to 13-10.
The San Diego score turned an already slumbering Invesco Field into a library, and it got even quieter when the Broncos stalled at midfield on their next drive.
San Diego's Kassim Osgood roughed the punter, however, and three plays later, Mike Shanahan opted against a field goal and called the play that resulted in Plummer hanging one high into the back right corner of the end zone. Pinned behind Jammer, Lelie fought him off, caught the ball and landed hard on the ground, clutching the ball with one hand as his helmet came off.
Although replays didn't show it, Jammer thought Lelie pushed him before he made the catch.
"It's hard to make a play on the ball when the guy pushes you in the back," Jammer said. "I was trying to get up and get it, but he made a good play on it."
Plummer finished with 294 yards and two touchdowns, including a 16-yarder to Rod Smith. Lelie, largely considered a disappointment his first two years in Denver, caught four passes for 67 yards and his first TD since Sept. 28, 2003, a span of 15 games.
"Has it been that long?" Lelie said. "Yeah, it felt good, just because it helped us win."
San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 60 yards and has yet to break the 100-yard mark in four games at Denver. Drew Brees threw for 121 yards, and never got into the flow. In fact, he had more yards receiving (38) than passing (16) at halftime, courtesy of a reception from Tomlinson on a trick play that resulted not in a touchdown, but a field goal.
"What you see is a number of missed opportunities that we had that we failed to capitalize on, and the Broncos did," Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said.
