National Football League

Manning gets last laugh vs. Woodson in Broncos 16-10 win

Published Oct. 12, 2015 2:48 a.m. ET

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Charles Woodson got his long-awaited interceptions against Peyton Manning. Manning got the win and some laughs, too, thanks to another big day from Denver's opportunistic defense.

Chris Harris Jr. returned a fourth-quarter interception 74 yards for a touchdown, and the Broncos overcame Manning's two interceptions to Woodson to beat the Oakland Raiders 16-10 on Sunday.

Woodson talked this week about wanting to intercept his 1998 draft classmate for the first time and came through with two picks.

''I guess it's taken him 18 years,'' Manning said. ''He's a great player and it offsets the two touchdowns we threw on him last year. Call it a wash, right?''

Manning was able to joke because Harris' big play and two missed field goals by Sebastian Janikowski helped Denver (5-0) remain undefeated. Manning has more interceptions (seven) than TD passes (six) through five games for the first time since his rookie season and has failed to lead the Broncos to an offensive touchdown twice in five games.

''We want to play better offensively,'' Manning said. ''We want to do our job. Somehow, some way it's about getting the Denver Broncos a win. There's no question offensively we want to play better. ... Everybody wants to do a better job and that starts with me.''

Woodson played a big part of that by intercepting Manning in the end zone late in the first half and making a leaping grab near the sideline in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough.

''Those things are the shiny things, the shiny toys that you like, but it's about wins and losses,'' Woodson said. ''Our mission is to win our division, and the only way we can do that is to beat the team that's won it the last few years. Today we dropped the ball on that.''

Here are some other takeaways from Denver's win:

MISSED CHANCES: The Raiders are improving under first-year coach Jack Del Rio and head into the bye week lamenting two games that got away from them. After winning consecutive games for the first time since 2012 in Weeks 2 and 3, the Raiders lost on a last-minute field goal last week in Chicago and then on Derek Carr's late interception this week. With the Raiders in position for a go-ahead field goal, Carr's short pass to Seth Roberts was off-target and intercepted by Harris in what was the game-deciding play.

PLAYMAKERS: The Broncos have been the league's top defense through five games with 22 sacks, 14 turnovers and three defensive touchdowns as Manning and the offense have struggled for long stretches. Bradley Roby's 21-yard fumble return for a score gave Denver a win in Week 2 at Kansas City and Harris' TD did the trick this game as the Broncos won their record 13th straight division road game.

''You never know who it's going to be, but we've got a team full of playmakers on defense,'' Harris said. ''If we got to win on D, we feel we can do it.''

SEABASS' STRUGGLES: The Raiders honored Janikowski for setting the franchise record by playing in his 241st career game. It wasn't a memorable one. Janikowski had a 38-yard field-goal attempt blocked in the first quarter and then missed a 40-yarder that would have given Oakland the lead in the third quarter wide left. Janikowski also failed to reach the end zone on his two kickoffs and couldn't pull off his first successful onside kick since 2008 after his late 50-yard field goal made it a one-score game.

''I felt good, just something didn't click,'' Janikowski said. ''I don't know. Sometimes it happens.''

GOOD OMEN: The Broncos started the season 5-0 for the seventh time in their history. That kind of fast start has boded well in the past. Denver made the Super Bowl after five of its previous six 5-0 starts, including the back-to-back title seasons in 1997-98. The only time the Broncos fell short was in 2009 when they finished 8-8.

INJURIES: Both teams lost a pass rusher to an injury during the game with Denver's DeMarcus Ware leaving in the first half with a back injury that coach Gary Kubiak hopes is not serious and Oakland's Justin Tuck leaving in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. Running back Juwan Thompson also left for Denver with a hamstring injury.

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