In the NFL, hoaxes don't usually last this long. The undefeated Broncos proved once again that they deserve to be taken seriously, with a thrilling overtime victory against the Patriots in Denver on Sunday. There were mostly skeptics when it came to head coach Josh McDaniels' blueprint for success in Year One, but he celebrated silencing the critics with an emotional postgame celebration in front of a raucous crowd after beating his mentor, Bill Belichick.

The Broncos trailed 17-7 at halftime but rallied to tie the game with 5:21 remaining, after a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter, on an 11-yard pass from Kyle Orton to Brandon Marshall. Denver held New England to a three-and-out on its next possession, and Elvis Dumervil fell on Tom Brady's fumble after Vonnie Holliday stripped the ball from Brady on the following Patriots drive. The Broncos were unable to get into field-goal range before the end of regulation.

In overtime, though, the Broncos won the coin toss and drove 58 yards before PK Matt Prater's 41-yard field-goal attempt sailed through the uprights and sent the surging Broncos to 5-0.

The PFW spin

Orton, who is now 26-12 as a starter, played well in the first four wins and didn't make any major mistakes. He didn't turn the ball over once. But close observers of his in Denver were waiting to see how he would handle a situation in which it was up to him to make plays late, with the game on the line. Many were uncertain about his ability to take over a game when defenses could concentrate on stopping the passing game. He had help from RB Knowshon Moreno Sunday, but in the most pressure-packed moments he's faced since entering the league, Orton delivered.

The fifth-year veteran completed 35-of-48 passes vs. New England for a season-high 330 yards and oversaw scoring drives of 90, 66, 98 and 58 yards. He had two touchdowns, and his first pick of the season came on a Hail Mary heave to the endzone at the end of the first half. Orton completed his first four throws on Denver's overtime drive, nudging his team to the New England 40 before Moreno powered forward to put Prater in better position for the game-winning kick.

Orton doesn't have the big arm that Jay Cutler does, but he has a 7-1 TD-INT ratio, compared to Cutler's 8-5, and is averaging 22 more passing yards per game than his predecessor in Denver. After getting booed in training-camp scrimmages and preseason games, the understated signalcaller has fired back, letting his play do the talking since the regular season started, and he has quickly earned the trust of his teammates.

Even after this incredible start, there still is a sense that Denver will falter at some point; the schedule just looks too difficult. With a nice cushion between themselves and the 2-2 Chargers, the Broncos could hit a speed bump and still hang on to first place.

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