Elam, Broncos time it right in win

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - In his 15 NFL seasons, Jason Elam had never missed three field goals in one game.

The Denver kicker wasn't about to start a new trend.

Elam and the Broncos field goal unit scrambled onto the field to convert a 42-yard attempt just as time ran out, lifting Denver to a 15-14 season-opening win over the stunned and injury-depleted Buffalo Bills yesterday.

"I'm really happy and thankful I got a chance to redeem myself there," said Elam, who had missed a 43-yard attempt three minutes earlier. He also had a 50-yarder sail wide left in the third quarter.

Maybe it was good that Elam had little time to think about the final kick.

The Broncos were out of timeouts when Jay Cutler hit Javon Walker for an 11-yard catch with 14 seconds left, leading to a mad scramble onto the field. Broncos holder Todd Sauerbrun got the ball down with one second remaining.

"I'm going to look back at this game down the road and this is going to be one of my favorites," said Elam, who has scored more points for one team than anyone else in NFL history. "Out of all the kicks I've had, I've never had a scenario like that."

The field goal, though, was overshadowed by a frightening moment in the third quarter, when Bills reserve tight end Kevin Everett was knocked cold while making a tackle during a kickoff. He suffered what Bills coach Dick Jauron described as a cervical spine injury and was taken off the field by ambulance. Everett had surgery last night at a Buffalo hospital.

"It was real hard," Bills cornerback Terrence McGee said. "I watched the whole [play] and he never moved."

Several Broncos players expressed concern over the severity of Everett's injury, with Elam opening his news conference by saying: "What we heard is not good, so for our whole team, our prayers go out to him."

The Bills lost three defensive starters to serious injuries: free safety Ko Simpson (broken left ankle); cornerback Jason Webster (broken forearm); and linebacker Coy Wire (sprained knee). Wire was starting in place of injured starter Keith Ellison, who's out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain.

Still, credit the Bills banged-up defense for keeping the game so close.

Denver outgained the Bills in total yards, an eye-popping 470-184, first downs, 23-13, and had a six-minute edge in time of possession.

What the Broncos lacked was finish, managing three field goals and a touchdown despite having eight of 10 drives reach Bills territory.

"What can I say, these are the types of games that drive you crazy," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "We have to tie up some loose ends, but it's nice to get out with a victory."

Cutler went 23 of 39 for a career-high 304 yards passing, including a 5-yard touchdown to Brandon Marshall, and an interception, but still showed signs of inexperience in his sixth NFL start.

On Denver's final drive, Cutler blindly pitched a lateral to his left, over running back Selvin Young's head. The ball was live until Young smartly punched it out of bounds, and the Broncos faced third and 23.

Cutler rebounded, hitting Walker for a 21-yard reception, and then converted on fourth and 2 with a 7-yard scramble around the right side. Cutler later converted again on fourth and 2 with an 8-yard pass to Walker.

Travis Henry had 139 yards rushing in his Broncos debut, playing against his former team.

The Bills scored on Roscoe Parrish's 74-yard punt return and Marshawn Lynch's 23-yard run. Lynch, the Bills' first-round draft pick, had 90 yards rushing, the most by a Bills rookie in a season opener.

"There are a lot of people very emotional about this loss," Bills quarterback J.P. Losman said. "What we have to do is make sure it does not slow us down one bit."