Fangio, Broncos earn HOF victory

Associated Press

Canton

Hours after visiting a hospital because of a kidney stone, Vic Fangio won a football game.

The new coach of the Denver Broncos saw a late interception set up rookie Juwann Winfree’s 15-yard touchdown catch Thursday night, and his team edged the Atlanta Falcons 14-10 in the Hall of Fame game to open the NFL’s preseason.

Fangio served two decades as an assistant before getting his chance to run a team. So this truly was a debut.

Trey Johnson’s interception of Matt Schaub’s pass after the Atlanta backup quarterback was pressured set up Denver at the Falcons 38 with 5:21 remaining. A 14-yard pass interference call on fourth down against Rashard Causey kept Denver in it.

Unfazed, rookie Brett Rypien hurled a pass into the right corner of the end zone, where it was deflected and Winfree latched onto it with 1:26 remaining.

Fangio also became the first coach to utilize the new rule allowing challenges of pass interference calls. Late in the second quarter, Linden Stephens was called for a 43-yard defensive penalty. Officials upheld the call.

Both teams had eight-play first-half drives for touchdowns. Denver’s was finished by Khalfani Muhammad’s 3-yard run up the middle. Atlanta tied it with a precise two-minute drill guided by first-year quarterback Kurt Benkert. Benkert took the Falcons 61 yards in 1:17, hitting running back Brian Hill with a 3-yard touchdown pass.

Benkert conducted another impressive series in the third period, going 56 yards in 12 plays to Giorgio Tavecchio’s 27-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.

LOCK IT UP

Drew Lock, Denver’s second-round pick, and perhaps its quarterback of the future, got plenty of action. He rarely impressed and finished 7 of 11 for 34 yards.